My work in Westminster

The time I spend each week in Westminster is very busy and varied. Never a day goes by where I do not have to juggle many different issues. A typical working week is 80-90 hours and includes debates and votes in the House of Commons; meetings with colleagues, giving speeches; and doing interviews with the media. I was appointed Chairman of the Conservative Party in July 2007 which gives me the opportunity to visit different parts of the country, meeting members of the public and hearing their concerns.

All-Party Groups

All-party groups are groups of MPs and Peers of all parties, which can be formed by any Member to tackle a particular issue.

I was Chairman of the All-Party British-Swiss Group (2001-2002) and am now the Vice-Chairman. The British-Swiss Group is associated to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, which was founded in 1911 by a French and British MP and is a “world-wide organisation of parliamentarians devoted to the cause of resolving disputes by peaceful means and to promoting the ideals of democratic government”. The aim of the British-Swiss Group is to foster good relations between Britain and Switzerland. In my role as Chairman of the Group I was pleased to welcome Mikhail Gorbachev, former Russian President to the Houses of Parliament in July 2002.

Why Gorbachev and Switzerland? Read on.

Mikhail Gorbachev is currently President of the Green Cross International (link www.greencrossinternational.net), a Swiss based charity dedicated to the removal of all weapons of mass destruction. Their current campaign, partly financed by the Swiss Government, is to get Russia and the international community generally to work together to remove chemical weapons from Russian soil. The USA, UK and others have committed funds to the removal of these weapons but very little has been done so far, largely because of internal Russian problems. Gorbachev’s visit was one of several to participating countries to try to break the logjam.

He addressed a seminar of a group of MPs, Peers and staff and took questions from the floor in what proved to be a lively discussion. He also met the then Leader of the Opposition, Iain Duncan-Smith and other key ministers and officials involved in promoting non-proliferation.

Westminster Hall Debates

These allow issues to be raised in Parliament that cannot be raised in the Commons, because it would otherwise be dismissed due to time constraints. A Government Minister must answer the debate. MPs put in an application for a debate to the Speaker but only a certain number are allowed, again, due to time constraints.

Recent debates I have spoken in:

Sustainable Communities Bill

HIPs (Home Information Packs)

Green Belt

Council Tax

Human Trafficking

Airport White Paper

Walsgrave Hospital

Solihull Hospital

Motorway Service Stations

Equitable Life

End of Life Care