QUESTIONS AND ANSWERSHow much are you paid, and what other allowances do you get? What are you doing about local issues? Are you a spokesman for your party in the House of Commons? Do you agree that university students should pay top-up tuition fees? What do you think about the proposed changes to the local NHS? Are you my MP?My constituency is Northavon, which is to the north of Bristol. Check the map.............
If you are not sure whether you live in Northavon, check the Constituency locator. Simply type your postcode into the locator and it will tell you whether I am your MP. How much are you paid, and what
other allowances do you get?
Salary: From 1 November 2007, an MP's salary is £61,820. Pension: Since the 1997 election, MPs were required to contribute 6% of their salaries towards the Parliamentary pension scheme. Recently, new rules were drawn up to improve MPs' pensions and increase their contributions to 9%. I voted against this measure, and remain on the 6% level. Allowances: Click here for a summary of MPs' allowances and the expenses I have claimed. What are you doing about local issues?I often speak out in Parliament about issues that affect the constituency. Click here to link to my debates. I also aim to raise many important issues in the local newspapers. Click here to read some of my press releases. Are you a spokesman for your party in the House of Commons?I am a member of the Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet and was appointed in late 2006 by the party to head up the Manifesto writing group for the next General Election. From May 2005 to December 2006, I was the party's spokesman on Health issues, which meant that I shadowed the work of the Department of Health. From 1999 to 2005, I spoke for the Liberal Democrats on Work and Pensions issues, which included most aspects of pensions, social security benefits, the Child Support Agency and tax credits issues. Read some of my Parliamentary contributions on Health issues here. Read some of my Parliamentary contributions on Work and Pensions issues here. Do
you agree that university students should pay top-up tuition fees?
No. There is no doubt that universities are facing
a funding crisis, but I believe that increasing the price tag of degrees
so that students are left with up to £21,000 of debt on graduation is
an unrealistic and frightening prospect for many young people. I launched a big consultation amongst almost 1000
constituents last year, on the Government’s plans to allow
universities to charge tuition fees of up to £3,000 a year in order to
get more money into higher education. More than 80% of respondents
voted against this policy. What do you think about the proposed changes to the local NHS?I carried out a survey among local residents about the NHS Trust's proposals to downgrade either Frenchay or Southmead Hospital and concentrate services on a single site. I received an excellent response and fed the results back into the Trust's discussions. Click here to read more about the survey. Since the announcement that Frenchay is to be downgraded to a community hospital, I have joined forces with South Gloucestershire's Lib Dem council group in a new bid to save Frenchay Hospital. Click here to read more about the Save Frenchay campaign.
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