Week beginning 8 December 2014

Whats Coming Up

Quote of the Week

Monday: There will be a question on poverty in early years educational Ladies abseiled in from the Gallery
development. The Lib Dems have announced, as part of their pre-manifesto, to protest against Section 28. Much
plans to revolutionise early years education by ensuring qualified teachers are in has changed since then. Section 28
every nursery and a larger early years pupil premium.
is now history and, as someone
________________________________
who suffers from vertigo, I have to
say that I am glad we no longer
Tuesday: Lord Greaves debate on the conservation and upkeep
have to descend by ropes.
of peat lands across the UK will occur in Grand Committee. Peat
bogs could play a key role in reducing the extent of flooding.
Liz Barker (@LizBarkerLords)
highlights the progress that the
Lord Newby will respond to the Second Reading Debate of the
House of Lords has made for the
Childcare Payments Bill which provides for further tax free
rights of Lesbian, Bisexual and
childcare. Around 1.9 million working families will receive further
Transgender women within a
help with childcare costs and be able to claim up to 2000 worth of support. As
generation
a Money Bill, this will be the last stage for the Bill before it receives Royal Assent.
________________________________
Wednesday: Lord Dykes is to hold a debate on plans to reform political party
funding in the UK.
________________________________

Tweet of the Week

Thursday: Lord Shipley is leading a debate on the case for enabling economic
leadership of cities. The Liberal Democrats pre-manifesto highlights the fact that
far too much power in England remains concentrated in Westminster. By
returning powers to cities and regions we can give people the freedom to run
their own lives.

Sarah Ludford (@SarahLudford)

highlights another inconsistent
UKIP policy

As part of this debate three of the partys newest peers are expected to make
their maiden speeches. Lord Goddard, Baroness Janke & Lord Scriven will use
their experience as local councillors to argue the benefits of local leadership.

Mutuals' Redeemable and Deferred

Shares Bill

Baroness Suttie is holding a debate on reducing the rate of

tuberculosis in the UK. TB rates in the UK continue to be
unacceptably high compared to other comparable countries,
although there has been a small decrease in case numbers and
incidence in the past two years. However, it is too early to tell
whether this is the beginning of a downward trend, and certainly
no time for complacency.

Next weeks bills

Report Stage

Consumer Rights Bill

Third Reading

Criminal Justice and Courts Bill

Ping Pong

Childcare Payments Bill

Second Reading

There will be a debate on Drug Policy following UN Secretary General, Ban Ki

Moons, comments that member states should conduct wide-ranging and open
debates that consider all options. The Lib Dems have long promoted an evidence
based approach to the governments drug policy and earlier this year produced
the first ever comparative study by the UK Government of drugs policy
internationally.
________________________________
Friday: Lord Marks will be overseeing the Second Reading of his Cohabitation
Rights Private Members Bill. This Private Members Bill seeks to implement
long standing Lib Dem policy to ensure unmarried couples who live together to
have the same basic legal properly rights and protections as married couples.

Full schedule here

Modern Slavery Bill

Committee

Medical Innovation Bill

Report Stage

Cohabitation Rights Bill

Second Reading

House of Lords (Expulsion and

Suspension) Bill
Report stage

Lib Dem Lords

in Government
Baroness Northover welcomed the New Disability Framework published
on Wednesday that put disability at heart of UKs international
development. Lindsay said:
One in seven people across the globe has a disability. They are some of
the poorest and most neglected in the world. Much more needs to be
done by the international development community to give people with a
disability equal access to education, employment, healthcare, social
support and the justice system.
Our Disability Framework is an important milestone in the UKs commitment to international disability
programming and our work to drive disability up the development agenda. Only by reaching people with
disabilities will we be able to leave no one behind and end extreme poverty. That is what this framework sets
out to do.
Lindsay also answered questions on Aids on Mondays World Aids Day. In her answers she highlighted the
difficulties the work towards a vaccine is facing: We have committed nearly 1 billion to tackling HIV through
our programmes. There has been some progress on HIV vaccine research recently but no major breakthrough,
although there are a number of promising research avenues.
A lot of effort is going into research and development on treatmentsover the past decade there have been
great advances in treatment. One of the key things is making sure that people know their status and are
treated.
________________________________

Baroness Randerson visited Swansea on Thursday to view the potential site

of the proposed tidal lagoon announced by Danny Alexander this week as
part of the National Infrastructure Programme. As part of the Chief
Secretary announcement on Tuesday, the Government is beginning close
talks with Tidal Lagoon Power Ltd to establish whether the project at
Swansea Bay is affordable and value for money for consumers.
________________________________
Lord Wallace of Saltaire answered questions on imprisoned Iranian journalist Ghoncheh Ghavami, welcoming
the news that she has now been released on bail, and will remain in close touch with her family.
William added: The human rights situation in Iran is dire. The periodic universal review of the Iranian position
on human rights by the Human Rights Council, which is now under way, has raised a number of serious issues.
Her Majestys Government contributed to raising those issues and we look forward cautiously to Irans
response at the next meeting of the Human Rights Council in March 2015.

Last Weeks Business

Sarah Teathers fight to end retaliatory evictions

resurrected by the Lords
Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords have today resurrected
proposals by Sarah Teather MPs Bill to prevent retaliatory evictions as
new amendments to the Deregulation Bill.
Sarah Teathers Private Members Bill, which sought to prevent
landlords from using so-called section 21 notices to evict tenants who make reasonable complaints or request
repairs, was was talked out in the Commons by a small group of Conservative MPs, despite cross-party support for
the measures.
The Bill also had support from the Mayor of London and numerous charities and campaign groups, including Shelter,
Crisis, Citizens Advice, Barnardos, the Childrens Society, the NUS and Generation Rent. Shelter figures show that
213,000 people each year are evicted after they have complained about a problem in their home.
The moves in the House of Lords today will give another opportunity for the measures to become law in this
Parliament. It has been signed by Lib Dem Peers Baroness Bakewell, Baroness Grender, Lord Stoneham and Lord
Tope and will be considered by the House of Lords early in the New Year.

Baroness Barker holds first ever debate in the Lords on LBT health
Baroness Barker raised the issues facing LBT women in the NHS, an organisation that The NHS
constitution says that states as goal that it provides a comprehensive service available to all
irrespective of gender, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion, belief, gender
reassignment, pregnancy and maternity or marital or civil partnership status. Yet, in her own
personal experience, and that of others, it is currently failing to properly live up to this goal.
Opening the debate Liz Barker said: We are citizens of this country. We are taxpayers. We
support the National Health Service. It is only fair that we should expect it to recognise that we
exist and should be able to access those services with dignity like everybody else.
The biggest difference would be made if clinicians and front-line staff in primary care recognised and understood
that some of us are gay. They should not always ask questions that presume we are not.

Baroness Scott: voluntary sector can reduce emergency

readmissions by half
After a long wait Baroness Scott held her debate on the role of the voluntary
sector in reducing emergency re-admissions to hospital.
Schemes around the country have been successful in utilising volunteers to
assist with health services and reduce the number of hospital admission. AGE
UK Cornwall carried out a pilot scheme where volunteers worked closely with patients to identify their needs and
offer support. It acted as a key link with the NHS and social services. Under that scheme, emergency readmissions
were reduced by 25%.

Ros Scott highlighted that: Voluntary organisations can help with early intervention by spotting
problems early on and by helping to join up fragmented services. They often bring specialised and local
knowledge and, precisely because they are not from the statutory sector, they tend to be trusted.

Baroness Brinton wins the presidency

Following her victory Sal said: I am honoured to have been elected President by the members of the Liberal
Democrats. Over recent months I have met thousands of Lib Dem members, all of whom agree on three things.
"Firstly, the Liberal Democrats need to be able to show the public the positive and beneficial things that we have
done for people whilst in government, much of which would not have happened with a single party Conservative
majority government.
"Secondly, the party is the only liberal and tolerant party around, and politics today needs that voice to be heard.
Thirdly, our party processes and constitution are overdue for reform. This must be a priority after May 2015.
My role will be to represent the members, and make the changes that they want happen. My first priority will be to
move the renowned campaign fighting ability of the Lib Dems into top gear, so that we win more seats in both
Westminster and in councils across the UK in the General and Local Elections next year

On the blog this week:

o

Floella Benjamin: Tax Break For Childrens Programmes Is Great News

Ken Macdonald: For Liberal Democrats, Civil Liberties Belong To Every Age

Archy Kirkwood: The Challenge Of Financial Inclusion

Shirley Williams: Be A Lifesaver Legislate 0.7% Aid

New Disability Framework Puts Disability At Heart Of UKs International Development

Lindsay Northover: Violence Against Women And Girls Change Is In The Air

Paddy Ashdown on UK referendum: Im confident we can win it for yes

Brian Paddick & John Hemming MP: The Injustice Of Pre-Charge Police Bail

Sal Brinton Elected As New Liberal Democrat Party President

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