Parliamentary News 8th – 12th July 2019

NHS Pensions: Taxation Back

On Monday (8 July 2019), the Government was asked to make a statement on the impact of changes to NHS pensions and tax arrangements on health and care services.

The British Medical Association (BMA) has warned that doctors and other NHS workers are experiencing serious difficulties with changes to the annual and lifetime allowance taxation rules, which were introduced in the 2015 summer Budget. As a result of the changes, many doctors are being forced to reduce their hours and overtime, and others have been advised to take early retirement to avoid unexpected and larger tax bills.

While I believe it is fair that the pension allowance should decline progressively for those people who earn high incomes, there is an issue when it comes to NHS pension schemes.  Representative groups maintain they were never properly consulted, and many doctors are only now becoming aware of their liabilities.

NHS staff retention is already poor and there are currently 100,000 vacancies. The confusion over pensions relief changes affects many dedicated senior staff, with large numbers already raising concerns about levels of stress and a general lack of resource. In the meantime, hospital leaders have warned that waiting lists for routine surgery have risen by up to 50%.

The Government said it would bring forward a consultation on new pension flexibility for senior clinicians, which would propose halving the rate at which their NHS pensions grow in exchange for halving their contributions. However, several representative bodies, including the BMA, have expressed their concerns about this option. I am concerned that this latest failure, which is pushing many doctors to retire earlier than they would have done, will result in yet more delays for people in need of care. I will press the Government to work to resolve this issue as a matter of urgency.

 Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill

On Wednesday (10 July 2019), the House of Commons had its first opportunity to debate the main principles of the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill.

It is absolutely right that we should seek to increase the maximum penalty for animal welfare offences from six months to five years.

We can be proud in this country of having some of the best animal welfare practices and laws in the world, and the Bill does what it needs to do to enhance that reputation. The landmark Animal Welfare Act 2006 is something that I am very proud of and delivering maximum sentencing through the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill will ensure that our high standard is maintained and builds on those original foundations.

I supported the Bill on Wednesday, but I hope to see it improved at the Committee Stage. The proposals apply only to the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and therefore do not apply to wild animals in the way that they apply to domestic animals. In my view the same sentences should be available to judges for similar or identical crimes, regardless of whether the animal is domesticated or wild.

In addition, the Government needs to place a statutory duty on local councils to enforce the Animal Welfare Act, so that it has proper teeth, and to give local councils adequate resources to enforce the law.

I am pleased the Bill passed its Second Reading unopposed. It has been a long time coming, considering that it has widespread support across the House of Commons and with the general public.

We know that people convicted of animal cruelty are five times more likely to have a violent crime record, and that animal abuse is 11 times more likely in domestic violence situations. The legislation will protect not only our beloved animals but people, too.

I hope the Bill manages to make it into law quickly. It should come into force as soon as possible so that our courts can start handing out appropriate sentences to those people convicted of inflicting terrible harm on innocent animals.

Leasehold Reform

On Thursday (11 July 2019), MPs debated leasehold reform. I support ending the unfairness of leasehold for good and I believe Ministers should act immediately to help those leaseholders who have been misled about the property they have bought.

One in four homes in England are leasehold homes, which means that up to six million people have essentially bought homes that they think they own when they do not. Instead, they are in a landlord and tenant relationship with the freeholder, who retains ownership of the land on which the property is built.

Leaseholders report a whole range of problems, including rip-off service charges and a lack of transparency over what they are being charged for, people being threatened with eviction for no good reason, and attempts to block leaseholders from buying the freehold to their property.

While Ministers have repeatedly promised action to tackle the abuses that leaseholders face, with over 60 official announcements since 2010, no new legislation has been introduced. I believe action from Ministers has been too slow, too weak and existing leaseholders have largely been overlooked. I am disappointed that the Government’s limited proposals will only apply to a “majority” of new leaseholders, with Ministers confirming that any new legislation would be unlikely to come into force until mid-2020 at the earliest.

I support ending the sale of new private leasehold houses and flats, including abolishing ground rents for new leasehold homes and capping the ground rents for existing leaseholders at 0.1% of the property value, up to a maximum of £250. I also support making it easier for leaseholders to buy the freehold to their home and to tackle unfair fees and contract terms by requiring transparency on service charges and giving leaseholders the right to challenge rip-off fees. I will continue to stand up for leaseholders in Parliament and press Ministers to end the unfairness and injustice of the leasehold market for good.

20 Years of Devolution

On Thursday (11 July 2019), MPs considered 20 years of devolution. Over the last two decades, devolution has delivered a string of notable successes, with the governments of the devolved nations introducing landmark legislation throughout the period. I think the positive changes that have been made during devolution have shown exactly why we need a Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly.

For well over a century, home rule has been hard fought for and has been at the heart of progressive politics. In Northern Ireland, devolution saw a return to power-sharing and the end of violence through the Good Friday Agreement and the work of politicians in the region. However, it should be remembered that from 1998 to the present day, the Northern Ireland Assembly has been in suspension five times, a total of almost eight years, including since 9 January 2017.

In Wales, because of devolution, for the first time decisions about Wales are made in Wales. This includes for the first time in almost 800 years some of the taxes collected in the country staying in Wales to fund Welsh public services. I am also proud of some of the achievements of the Welsh Government, including being the first nation in the UK to introduce opt-out organ donation, as well as the first to introduce a Wellbeing of Future Generations Act.

In Scotland, the first great success of the Scottish Parliament was the smoking ban in 2005, while the Marriage and Civil Partnerships (Scotland) Act 2014 which legislated for same-sex marriage in the country also showed it leading the way in an area of social policy. However, educational reform in Scotland has been a failure, and we are yet to see a Scottish Government implement what I believe are fundamentally sound policies, such as public ownership of our railways.

After 20 years of devolution and the positive changes it has brought about, there remains a need for dramatic change in our political system. I believe we need a constitutional convention to look at extending democracy locally, regionally and nationally.