2022

At Department of Justice Oral Questions on Tuesday 18 October 2022, I asked the Secretary of State for Justice about an increase in fees for solicitors working in the criminal justice system.  The Government recently reached an agreement with barristers to end their strike, which includes a 15% fee increase but are only offering solicitors a fees increase of 9%. This falls below inflation and will not make up for years of underfunding that the system has faced.

The Energy Prices Bill puts into legislation the mechanisms behind the energy price guarantee. The Bill had its Second Reading in the House on Monday 17 October 2022.

I attended the Diwali celebrations held at Speaker’s House on Monday 17 October 2022. It is a special annual autumn festival that symbolizes the triumph of light over dark and good over evil. The word is derived from two Sanskrit words meaning “row of lights”. It is also known as the “Festival of Lights”.

Diwali is a national holiday in eleven countries and has been celebrated for more than 2,500 years. It is a five-day celebration that peaks on the third day. The main day falls on the darkest day of the lunar month which will be Monday 24 October 2022 this year.

I attended the launch of Canal & River Trust’s exhibition in Parliament on Monday 17 October 2022 to celebrate 10 years as a charity. The Exhibition was held in the Upper Waiting Hill and opened by Michael Fabricant MP (fourth left). The Chief Executive of the Canal and River Trust exhibition Richard Parry (second left) spoke, and Philip Dunne, chair of the Environmental Audit Committee (third left) spoke about the work of his committee.