MPs Diary March
Tax Cut for Millionaires
Next month David Cameron is giving millionaires a tax cut worth an average £100,000, at the same cuts to real terms maternity pay mean a £180 tax on mothers coming out of their purses, at a time when family budgets are being stretched more than ever. David Cameron promised to lead the most family friendly government ever. Since then he has cut child benefit for 1.2 million families from this January; scrapped the £190 Health in Pregnancy Grant; scrapped the Child Trust Fund; frozen child benefit payments for three years and cut maternity pay in real terms.
Statement on the future basing of the British Army
Last week the Defence Secretary informed MPs of the Government’s plans for the future basing of the British Army. The Government’s plan will see all but 4,400 of the remaining 16,000 British troops currently based in Germany return home by the end of 2016. It will also see the Army concentrated at seven centres across the country and the closure of four Army bases. The backdrop to the Government’s announcement is, of course, their decision to cut 20,000 troops by 2020 and their rushed Strategic Defence Review.
The Government’s announcement also breaks a previous promise that thousands more troops will be based in Scotland. The armed forces remain crucial to Scotland’s future and it is a real blow to Scotland that the Government’s promise now only involves hundreds of additional troops in Scotland.
Justice and Security Bill, Report and Third Reading
This month the Justice and Security Bill completed its passage through the House of Commons. A large number of constituents have contacted me recently about the proposal in this Bill to extend the use of Closed Material Proceedings – or ‘secret courts’ – to civil cases. I voted against this part of the Bill as I believe the Government’s legislation is far too widely drawn and that there are too few safeguards.
Open and transparent justice is a hugely important principle and that is why I supported amendments previously agreed in the House of Lords that would have put appropriate checks and balances on the use of secret courts. Unfortunately the Government rejected these amendments and the Bill will now pass for further consideration to the House of Lords.
Statement on Syria
Last week the Foreign Secretary updated the House of Commons on the crisis in Syria and outlined the Government’s plans to provide further support to the Syrian people. The Foreign Secretary announced that alongside nearly £140 million in humanitarian aid that the UK has contributed so far, the Government is to give greater non-lethal support and technical assistance to the opposition Syrian National Coalition. This will include armoured four-wheel drive vehicles, body armour and equipment for search and rescue communications. I share the growing anger and frustration at the brutality of the Assad regime but it is vital that the UK’s support for the Syrian people is targeted and accountable and that the parameters of our efforts are clearly set out, defined and understood.
It is also clear that the best way to stop the appalling suffering of the Syrian people is to work to unify the Syrian opposition not to arm it and I hope the UK Government will continue to strive for concerted international diplomatic action including a UN-mandated arms embargo.
Statement on the UK’s Development Work for women and girls
Friday 8th March was International Woman’s Day and the Government updated MPs about the UK’s international development work to help support women and girls.
I support the vital work that successive UK Government’s have done to address the rights of girls and women in the developing world and International Women’s Day is an important opportunity to reflect about how we can do more to tackle this and, in particular, the scourge of violence against women and girls. The international community also needs to address the chronic underfunding of programmes to tackle gender-based violence and I hope the UK Government will finally enshrine in law the commitment to spend 0.7% of Gross National Income on international development which we know elements of the Tory Party would like to see cut and diverted to other things.
Sandra Osborne MP
Tax Cut for Millionaires
Next month David Cameron is giving millionaires a tax cut worth an average £100,000, at the same cuts to real terms maternity pay mean a £180 tax on mothers coming out of their purses, at a time when family budgets are being stretched more than ever. David Cameron promised to lead the most family friendly government ever. Since then he has cut child benefit for 1.2 million families from this January; scrapped the £190 Health in Pregnancy Grant; scrapped the Child Trust Fund; frozen child benefit payments for three years and cut maternity pay in real terms.
Statement on the future basing of the British Army
Last week the Defence Secretary informed MPs of the Government’s plans for the future basing of the British Army. The Government’s plan will see all but 4,400 of the remaining 16,000 British troops currently based in Germany return home by the end of 2016. It will also see the Army concentrated at seven centres across the country and the closure of four Army bases. The backdrop to the Government’s announcement is, of course, their decision to cut 20,000 troops by 2020 and their rushed Strategic Defence Review.
The Government’s announcement also breaks a previous promise that thousands more troops will be based in Scotland. The armed forces remain crucial to Scotland’s future and it is a real blow to Scotland that the Government’s promise now only involves hundreds of additional troops in Scotland.
Justice and Security Bill, Report and Third Reading
This month the Justice and Security Bill completed its passage through the House of Commons. A large number of constituents have contacted me recently about the proposal in this Bill to extend the use of Closed Material Proceedings – or ‘secret courts’ – to civil cases. I voted against this part of the Bill as I believe the Government’s legislation is far too widely drawn and that there are too few safeguards.
Open and transparent justice is a hugely important principle and that is why I supported amendments previously agreed in the House of Lords that would have put appropriate checks and balances on the use of secret courts. Unfortunately the Government rejected these amendments and the Bill will now pass for further consideration to the House of Lords.
Statement on Syria
Last week the Foreign Secretary updated the House of Commons on the crisis in Syria and outlined the Government’s plans to provide further support to the Syrian people. The Foreign Secretary announced that alongside nearly £140 million in humanitarian aid that the UK has contributed so far, the Government is to give greater non-lethal support and technical assistance to the opposition Syrian National Coalition. This will include armoured four-wheel drive vehicles, body armour and equipment for search and rescue communications. I share the growing anger and frustration at the brutality of the Assad regime but it is vital that the UK’s support for the Syrian people is targeted and accountable and that the parameters of our efforts are clearly set out, defined and understood.
It is also clear that the best way to stop the appalling suffering of the Syrian people is to work to unify the Syrian opposition not to arm it and I hope the UK Government will continue to strive for concerted international diplomatic action including a UN-mandated arms embargo.
Statement on the UK’s Development Work for women and girls
Friday 8th March was International Woman’s Day and the Government updated MPs about the UK’s international development work to help support women and girls.
I support the vital work that successive UK Government’s have done to address the rights of girls and women in the developing world and International Women’s Day is an important opportunity to reflect about how we can do more to tackle this and, in particular, the scourge of violence against women and girls. The international community also needs to address the chronic underfunding of programmes to tackle gender-based violence and I hope the UK Government will finally enshrine in law the commitment to spend 0.7% of Gross National Income on international development which we know elements of the Tory Party would like to see cut and diverted to other things.
Sandra Osborne MP