News from Westminster

Bristol East MP Kerry McCarthy had her lung function tested to see how their result compared with someone with Cystic Fibrosis to highlight the devastating impact of the disease for Cystic Fibrosis Week 2012.

The Shadow Foreign Minister for Human Rights, Kerry McCarthy MP, has spoken out against the ongoing persecution of Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual and Transgendered people in Uganda. Speaking in a Parliamentary debate on Human Rights in Uganda, Kerry McCarthy said that the abuse of gay men and women’s human rights could not be justified by people’s religious beliefs, no matter how deeply-held, and she condemned moves that would see same-sex relationships be punished with life imprisonment or even the death penalty in the country.

Figures from the Department for Education reveal that free schools are disproportionately benefitting better off families, despite government claims. This data has finally been supplied by the Department for Education in response to a Parliamentary Question submitted by Kerry McCarthy MP back in October, which has needed regular and constant chasing. The data deposited in the House of Common library shows that 11.3% of children at free schools are registered for Free School Meals – in comparison with 16.7% of children nationally who are entitled to claim free school meals because their household income is below £16,000.

Kerry McCarthy MP has shown her commitment to protecting elephants by pledging her support for the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)’s campaign against the ivory trade. Kerry attended IFAW’s ‘Dying for Ivory’ event at the House of Commons, which was hosted by Angela Smith MP.

Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions today, the MP for Bristol East Kerry McCarthy has criticised the Prime Minister for his cosy Downing Street “kitchen suppers” with millionaires, while thousands of ordinary people depend on food banks. Kerry has accused David Cameron of being out of touch and has urged the Government to do more to help thousands of ordinary people avoid food poverty.

The MP for Bristol East, Kerry McCarthy, has today called on the Government to accept the decisions of the House of Lords to protect disabled people, children, domestic violence victims and sufferers of industrial diseases like asbestos-induced cancer. Applying pressure on the Government to do the right thing, Kerry is urging Liberal Democrats who have repeatedly said they want to protect frontline advice centres need to act with their votes, not just with their words.

The Labour Party has revealed the hidden cost of redundancy pay-outs in Bristol arising from the Government’s NHS re-organisation. The new figures come as a leaked report from the Department of Health confirms the full cost of the reorganisation at over £3 billion. The figures confirm that £28,110,576 in Bristol is being held back from NHS patient care to pay for the reorganisation. Reacting to the new figures, the MP for Bristol East, Kerry McCarthy, described the Government’s NHS reforms as ‘a scandalous waste of money’.

The MP for Bristol East, Kerry McCarthy MP, has attacked the Government’s Budget, describing it as a budget for millionaires. Kerry has accused the Government of lacking any meaningful plan to stimulate growth and create jobs. In particular, Kerry as condemned George Osborne’s proposal to cut the 50p top rate of tax – cutting taxes for the richest 1% of earners.

The MP for Bristol East, Kerry McCarthy and the Shadow Health Secretary, Andy Burnham, has delivered a petition to the Department of Health urging the Government to drop the Health and Social Care Bill. Over 176,000 thousand people have called on the Government to drop the bill. Today, Labour has been granted an emergency debate in Parliament where it will urge the Government to delay further votes on the Bill until the NHS Risk Register is published, as has been ordered by the Information Commissioner.