2022

On Wednesday 23 February 2022 the EAC met to consider Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms. CBAMs are taxes on imported products based on their carbon footprints, designed to ensure that importers bear the same carbon costs as domestic producers. They are one way to address the risk of “carbon leakage”, where policies to reduce emissions in one country result in increased production or investment in countries with weaker climate policies.

The Youth Rocketry Challenge is a competition to design and build a model rocket which can keep an egg intact from launch to landing. The Challenge is an excellent opportunity for young people to put their Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths skills into action. On Wednesday 23 February 2022 I met some of last year’s entrants at an event in Parliament.

The Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Bill seeks to reform pension arrangements for a range of public servants, including teachers, NHS staff, the emergency services, the armed forces and judges. On Tuesday 22 February 2022 I voted on the Bill at its Report Stage in the House of Commons. The provisions currently in the Bill mean

On Tuesday evening, 22 February 2022, I attended a Zoom briefing with journalists from the BBC World Service, who discussed the challenges of reporting in an increasingly insecure world. Speakers included: Rozita Lotfi, Editor at BBC Persian, who described the scale of harassment faced by journalists in Iran. The BBC World Service Director and Senior Controller of News International Services, Liliane Landor.

A Planning Application has been submitted by Anesco Ltd to construct twenty-eight large battery units on Green Belt land adjacent to the Duckery at Chapel Lane. This development breaches the fundamental planning principle of preserving our Green Belt, and would blight the open countryside.