Speaking In The Commons

Speaking in The Commons is one of the ways I try to get a FAIR DEAL for the people of Linlithgow and East Falkirk. TV covers some Commons debates and most Question Times sessions but much of the work takes place in the committee rooms in Westminster.

I devoted a lot of my time to working on these committees from 1992. When Labour first came to government in 1997 I served as a Private Parliamentary Secretary to a Minister. Since 1998 I have been a member of two of the Select Committees which investigate the performance of government. I combine this with activity in the chamber of the Commons.

The Commons chamber is often the place to put down public statements on issues that I have been working on in other ways, often over a long time. In this way I have raised issue such as NORTH SEA OIL & GAS, EMPLOYMENT, BP( Grangemouth ), ASYLUM, MINIMUM WAGE, WHISKEY EXCISE DUTY to name just a few. The various methods I have used include PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS (To Ministers and to the Prime Minister), SPEECHES, ADJOURNMENT DEBATES, and INTERVENTIONS during debates. In the past I have argued over the details of our Scottish Laws on the SCOTTISH BILLS COMMITTEE. Since elected, I have represented Labour on our SCOTTISH LAWS; EDUCATION, BANKRUPTCY, CRIMINAL PROCEDURES, CHILDREN and LOCAL GOVERNMENT REORGANISATION. These matters are now devolved to the Scottish Parliament.

From May 1997 until June 1998 I was Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Tom Clarke MP, Minister of State for film and tourism at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. In addition to other work as a Member of Parliament I assisted Tom in keeping his work as a minister "in tune" with the politics of the House of Commons.

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