My role representing you

Most of my time in Westminster each week is spent raising issues concerning constituents with Ministers. Each week I am aiming to sort-out a particular problem with government policy and change regulations or the law on behalf of constituents. There are a wide-range of ways I do this.

In the first instance, I write to Ministers explaining a situation and follow-this up with a conversation or meeting. Each day, on a rota, teams of Ministers representing the different departments of government come to the House of Commons to be asked questions by MPs and this is a good opportunity to raise specific constituency issues. In the last week or so I have asked Ministers, during these sessions about progress on the review of sentencing policy for crimes of paedophilia, for an update on progress on the implementation of renewable heat incentives for geothermal power generation and how passengers in Cornwall will benefit from the new investment in the railway.

Debates in the House are scheduled by the Government, the Opposition and as a new innovation in this Parliament, by the backbencher MPs. To secure the later, as a backbencher you join with colleagues and go along to a weekly ‘pitching session’. Backbenchers ‘pitch’ their ideas to an elected committee of their fellow backbenchers. This committee decides which topics will be debated. I have recently joined in debates on sustainable livestock farming, maternal health in pregnancy and this week will be joining debates about the regulation of financial services, the future of funding for school sports partnerships and potential changes to British Summer Time.

Finally, I can request of the Speaker a Westminster Hall Debate or an Adjournment debate which is held at the end of the business day on a topical issue of importance to individual MPS and their constituents. There is a great deal of competition for these debates and the Speaker of the House decides what will be debated. I am very pleased to have held a debate on the operation of the NHS in Cornwall. In these debates you have the un-divided attention of the Minister who has to respond to your case. I regularly join in Westminster Hall debates as they are focussed around a specific issue that is effected a number of constituencies around the country. Last week I join MPS raising the considerable problem of HMOs in university towns such as Falmouth and Penryn. I was able to make the specific point to the Minister that I felt in the forthcoming Localism Bill, town and parish councils should be deciding on HMO licensing as well as other types of licenses such as those concerning the sale of alcohol and entertainment.

Constituents raise the issues that I take up to Westminster each week in a variety of ways. Some write to me or call my office, others come and see me in my advice surgeries or in Westminster. Please do get in touch if you feel there is something I can be doing to help you get your voice heard in Westminster.

Article by Sarah Newton, published in West Briton 2nd December 2010