Weekly Bulletin  25 Nov -  1 Dec 2013

This is a summary of my work for Brighton Pavilion locally and in Parliament last week.  For more information, go to www.carolinelucas.com

World AIDS Day

Sunday was World AIDS Day and I was honoured to speak at the‘You, Me and HIV’ event - organised by the Brighton WAD Community Partnership and several international organisations - on Brighton Level, where the world’s largest AIDS ribbon (45 metres) was laid out.

World Aids Day is about remembering those who have died, and supporting those for whom HIV and AIDS, along with the associated stigma, prejudice and financial hardship, remain a daily reality. Sadly Brighton and Hove still has the highest prevalence of people with HIV outside of London and yet around one in five does not know he or she has the virus. 

One of the things we need to do is to address some of the stigma around testing, and to that end I was happy to take an HIV test in support of the Halve It campaign, which is aiming to halve rates of late and undiagnosed HIV in the UK by 2015.

Fuel Poverty

Last week, we learned that excess winter deaths are up 29% on last year, with up to 31,000 people dying early from the cold. That should be a national scandal. With that in mind, I asked DECC why the Government has abolished the duty to eliminate fuel poverty, and if they will amend the Energy Bill to include mandatory minimum energy efficiency standards for the homes of low-income households.   A vote will be held on this later this week.

Ahead of this week’s Autumn statement, the Government has announced measures intended to reduce energy bills (or intended to deflect attention from the real causes of high energy costs, depending on your point of view).  These include major changes to the Energy Company Obligation (ECO), including extending the period it covers to 2017, and reducing the Carbon Emissions Reduction Obligation element by a third.  In my response I argued that watering down our energy efficiency commitments at precisely the time they are most needed will mean more cold homes, more winter deaths, and job losses in the construction industry.

Investigating the role of the City

I joined with other MPs and activists in writing to the Committee on Standards in Public Life calling for an inquiry into the influence of The City of London Corporation in Parliament, arguing that it has undue influence on public life.

Palestine Lobby

I was lobbied by over 50 constituents who are campaigning for Government and parliament to apply the principles of equality, human rights and international law when it comes to the conflict in the Middle East.  Among other things, constituents were calling for the UK to challenge the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian Bedouins from their homes in the Naqab desert, a ban on the sale of goods from illegal settlements, and an end to the blockade of Gaza.  Given that children are hungry and undernourished, and there are serious concerns that Gaza could run out of safe drinking water by 2016, the last point in particular is one I will continue to press the Government on, including during questions to the Foreign Office today.

WOW petition

I’m a supporter of the War on Welfare Petition, which calls on the government to carry out a Cumulative Impact Assessment of the overall effect of cuts to sick and disabled people, as well and their families and carers, and to allow MPs a free vote on the repeal of the Welfare Reform Act.  Over the weekend, the petition topped 100,000 signatures, and I’ll now be doing all I can to argue for a debate in Parliament.

Supporting Small Business in Brighton

Brighton and Hove’s unique and vibrant small businesses are vital to the city’s economy.  However the business owners I meet in Brighton Pavilion tell me that they are struggling with business rates, which represent their highest expense after rent and wages. Ahead of the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement, and Small Business Saturday this weekend,  I’ve written to the Treasury calling for an extension of rates relief for small businesses, which would benefit more than 2,600 businesses in Brighton and Hove.

Human Rights

I was delighted to attend Liberty’s Human Rights Awards, where I was honoured to present the Campaigner of the Year award to Caroline Criado-Perez for her work to ensure a woman remains on the new £10 note.

This week we were also reminded of the depressing disregard for human rights of both regimes overseas, and our own Government. Isa Muazu sought asylum in the UK, fearing that he would be killed if he returned to his home country – such was his fear for his life that he went on hunger strike for over 100 days to protest against his deportation.  I joined a cross party group of MPs and peers to lobby the Home Secretary and added my name to an open letter in the press. The Home Office attempted to deport Isa on Friday, but the Nigerian authorities did not allow his plane to land, and he has been returned to Harmondsworth. I’ll be keeping up the pressure for him to receive treatment and for nobody else to be treated as he has been.

Living Library

I was very pleased to attend the ‘Living Library’ organised by Rise, the domestic abuse charity, at Jubilee Library.  Volunteer Living Books make themselves available to be ‘borrowed’ by members of the public for open conversation about their lives and experiences.  Building on its success last year, the Living Library is a hugely imaginative and compelling way to communicate to the wider public about the reality of domestic violence.

This week

I’m very pleased to be compering the Speak Out on Sexism event on Thursday evening, where there’ll be some inspiring speakers and performers from both Brighton and further afield.

Small Business Saturday will take place on December 7 and on the day, at 12:15pm, I will be helping to launch and open hiSbe, a new ethical supermarket aimed at regular supermarket shoppers, on 20-21 York Place, London Road.

Contacting Me

If you are a local resident and want help with case work or to find out more about my activities locally please contact me at the office of Caroline Lucas MP, Brighton Media Centre 15-17 Middle Street, Brighton BN1 1AL. Tel: 01273 201 130. Email: brightonoffice@parliament.uk

I hold regular surgeries across the constituency. If you want to book an appointment at a forthcoming surgery please call Liz Collis on 01273 201130. She coordinates my constituency office and is able to help with most local enquiries. 

If you want to know about my parliamentary work please get in touch at the House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA. Tel: 020 7219 7025. Email: caroline.lucas.mp@parliament.uk