A lot has happened in the last few weeks. With Brexit and a new Prime Minister, the press have been very busy reporting on high profile stories. But in many ways it’s business as usual in Parliament. Here is a look at a couple of issues that have been discussed and the stories behind them.
Student Loans
Valerie Vaz asked for a debate about freezing the threshold of student loans.
“What measures have the Government implemented to mitigate the disproportionate effect on those on low incomes, women, disabled graduates and BAME graduates? Those groups earn less than other graduates, so they are more likely to be middle earners—those who face the largest absolute increase in repayments.”
Rural Broadband
Mark Williams MP spoke about his Welsh constituency:
“Despite genuine improvements—some would say vast improvements—and the Government’s genuine attempts to meet their targets, there is a feeling that we are falling behind in many rural communities and in Wales more widely.”
Assaults on Prison Staff
Andy Slaughter asked Michael Gove to make a statement on the safety of prison staff
“In the 12 months to December 2015, there were 625 incidents, an increase of 31%”
Compensation for Rail Passengers
“Abellio Greater Anglia—the train operator that runs the line in my constituency—last year received £8.56 million in compensation from Network Rail for disruption. How much did it pay out to passengers for delays that year? Just £2.3 million”
