Parliament must divest from the fossil fuel industry

UK government must outlaw controversial 'fire and rehire' tactics

Kevin Brennan MP is fully behind Unite's campaign to end 'fire and rehire' practices and joined a number of MPs in writing to the Prime Minister to take urgent action to outlaw the controversial tactic.

The TUC found that already one in 10 workers had been threatened with fire and rehire during the pandemic, with that number set to grow dramatically as furlough ends unless the law is changed.

In the letter, in which Mr Brennan was a co-signatory, it says:

“Fire and rehire is spreading through workplaces, with now an estimated one in ten UK workers undergoing a threat to their jobs.

But it is rarely, if ever, implemented as a response to business need. Indeed, one employer attempt­ing to force through cuts to terms and conditions has just recorded record profits.  

“One minister has described fire and rehire as ‘bully boy tactics'. Unless something is done urgently it will only accelerate further putting unnecessary stress and strain on families across the UK.  

“UK workers should have the same protections as workers in other countries. Fire and rehire is out­lawed in much of Europe and it should be no different here.”

MP welcomes Cardiff Sports Trust grant for new equipment

Caerau Ely Sports Trust has been awarded a £1,500 grant helping them to purchase new equipment.

The group received the funding after their local MP Kevin Brennan nominated them for a cash award from Western Power Distribution’s (WPD’s) ‘In This Together – Community Matters Fund’.

The fund was established by the local electricity distributor at the start of lockdown to support grass root organisations deliver care to vulnerable people and families. It initially supported over 300 organisations with £500,000 funding. As the lockdown lifted, WPD extended its support by a further £250,000 and offered MPs the opportunity to put forward a community group or charity for a grant to help towards its work to support the community during these challenging times.

Carl Meredith, Trust Chairperson said: “During lockdown, we could not run any sessions at all and our funding stream was non-existent, the grant from WPD has enabled us to be ready to support our community as soon as we are again allowed and to put all our voluntary resource into this rather than fundraising.”

Kevin Brennan MP for Cardiff West said:"The Caerau and Ely Sports Trust is a grassroots initiative triggered by the desire of local clubs to save the disused pavillion on Trelai Park. Working with the area’s elected representatives they raised the funds to do the work to bring the pavilion back into use.  As a result hundreds of local children and grown ups are able to use these facilities to the benefit of all.  Any extra funding they receive will be of huge benefit to the community in this area which faces multiple economic and social challenges."

Alison Sleightholm, WPD’s Resources & External Affairs Director, said: “Throughout this crisis we have worked tirelessly to support our local communities and keep the energy flowing to our nearly 7.8 million customers. The crisis is far from over and as we enter the next phase of the UK’s response to the pandemic, we’re delighted that Kevin Brennan MPs has nominated deserving causes for up to £1,500 of funding.  

“We’re proud that, so far, we have been able to fund nearly X00 charities and groups within our area. Through the extension of our fund and with the fantastic support of our MPs, we’re able to support even more organisations doing valuable community work.”

UK Government's Tourism Sector Deal falls short of what's required

Tourism Sector Deal Shadow DCMS Team Response:

Today the Government announced their much-delayed Tourism Sector Deal which though welcome falls short of what is required.

Research by the Office for National Statistics shows that the tourism sector is heavily reliant on employees from other EU countries. In the UK economy as a whole, 7% of employees are from the EU whereas in the two biggest tourism industries, food and beverage service and accommodation services the proportion is far higher, at 12% and 19% respectively.  In the Sector Deal the Government have failed to acknowledge and plan for the impact of the end of freedom of movement on employment in the tourism sector.

Labour welcomes the commitment in the sector deal to shift perceptions about jobs in the tourism and hospitality industry. The introduction of the T levels in Cultural Heritage and Visitor Attractions, and Catering will go some way towards supporting workers in the tourism industry in building and developing their careers. The industry commitment to provide 30,000 new apprenticeship starts every year by 2025 shows the hard work the industry is putting in in order to support the tourism industry in the UK.

The introduction of Tourism Zones recognises the key role Local Authorities play in creating successful Tourism destinations but will not replace the need for restoring Local Government finances which have been hit so hard by austerity.

There is no recognition of the confusing landscape of destination management and marketing organisations (DMOs) in this deal. Regional Development Agencies, established by Labour and abolished by the coalition government, invested heavily and successfully in tourism product and promotion across England, creating jobs, strengthening communities and spreading the economic benefits of both inbound and domestic tourism. Now we have hundreds of often tiny DMOs working on a shoestring and directly competing with their next-door neighbours.

The lack of a national DMO strategy and the failure of this Government to require Local Economic Partnerships to take tourism seriously, and invest accordingly, undermines this deal and renders much of it academic.

The Tourism Sector Deal completely fails to address the impact of devastating Government cuts to Local Authority budgets over the past decade. The ambition behind ‘Tourism Zones’ is admirable but without the funding to back it up this will simply heap increased pressure on already severely stretched Local Authority budgets.

The deal also takes no account of and does not mention something that businesses up and down the country have been telling us at our tourism round-tables. Business rates increases have stifled the growth of many SMEs and the Government cannot claim to want to see SMEs grow - and that they are the backbone of the tourism economy – without addressing this.

Tourism should be accessible to everyone and the focus in the Tourism Sector Deal on ensuring accessible transport for everyone regardless of their health conditions or access requirements is a welcome step. The Government’s intention to make the UK the most accessible destination in Europe by 2025 is welcome as is the target of increasing the number of inbound visitors with a disability by 33% by 2025, but it needs to be clear how this will be achieved.  More also needs to be done to enable poorer families to have a holiday in the UK.

In the Sector Deal, the Government have said that they intend to introduce an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme that EU citizens will need to apply for instead of a visa to come to the UK. However, the sector deal fails to say how much an ETA will cost and the Government have not included any analysis of the effect of the increased cost travelling to the UK will have on visitor numbers.

Shadow Arts and Culture Minister, Kevin Brennan MP said:
“The delayed tourism sector deal announced today is a partial step forward in supporting the vital tourism industry in this country but does not address the full scale of the challenge ahead especially in light of Brexit.

“They have not properly assessed the impact of introducing a charge for European Union visitors who want to travel to the UK and they have also failed to properly recognise the reliance of the Tourism industry on workers from the EU.

“Moreover, the failure to address the impact of cuts to Local Authorities makes it clear that more needs to be done to protect and support the Tourism industry in the UK for years to come.

“Neither is there a commitment to develop social tourism for those who cannot afford a holiday or a proper look at how more resources could be raised locally to support events and tourist infrastructure.”

Blog: About tonight's Brexit votes

I voted to extend Article 50 and to put in place a mechanism to allow Parliament to take the timetable on Brexit out of the Government’s control.
 
I support a confirmatory public vote on a Brexit deal which passes through Parliament against the option to remain. In my view today’s amendment tabled by Sarah Wollaston was premature as it was not tabled in agreement with everyone who supports a public vote and put the possibility of that vote at potential risk.

The peoples vote campaign have issued a statement which says,

“…we do not think today is the right time to test the will of the House on the case for a new public vote. Instead, this is the time for Parliament to declare it wants an extension of Article 50 so that, after two-and-a-half years of vexed negotiations, our political leaders can finally decide on what Brexit means.

“That is because a People’s Vote is not just another option in this Brexit crisis – it is a solution to this crisis. When the real costs of Brexit are measured up against the broken promises made for it in 2016, we believe Parliament will have better opportunities to decide it is only fair and reasonable to give the public a real say on this crucial decision for our country.”

I agree with that statement and have abstained on the vote in order to maximize the chances of getting a public vote once the extension is achieved. This will involve persuading some who will only vote for a public vote at that time.

Keir Starmer, the Shadow Brexit Secretary confirmed in the debate that the Labour Party supports a public vote. My position is, stop a no-deal Brexit, extend Article 50, support motions to take control of the agenda from the Government and then try to win a vote to put a deal to the public against the option to remain. I believe this approach has the best chance of success.

Cowboy parking firms in Wales is set to become law after MP's campaign

A bill, which has been sponsored by Cardiff West MP Kevin Brennan, to clamp down on cowboy parking firms has received Royal Assent - the final rubber stamp required before it becomes law.

Mr Brennan joined cross-party forces with Sir Greg Knight MP and Pete Wishart MP (pictured with Kevin) after receiving a huge increase in the number of constituents contacting him after becoming victims of such firms in Cardiff.

The Bill will introduce a statutory code of practice which private parking firms will have to abide by or they could be heavily fined or even prevented from being able to access the DVLA database of driver’s details.

Speaking after the bill received Royal Assent, Mr Brennan said:

“I’ve seen a huge increase in people either coming to my surgeries or contacting my office after falling victims to cowboy parking firms in Cardiff.

“The tricks some of these companies have used include deliberately unclear signage, ticketing people whilst they are getting change or fining people even though they were unable to park because the car park was full.

“The anxiety and stress of receiving one of these penalty notices is often exasperated by the contempt these companies show towards the public when they completely ignore any appeals.

“In some cases I have written to complain to companies who have then failed to reply. That is completely unacceptable.

“Until now the law was powerless to prevent these disgraceful practices but this bill will now establish a code of practice and an independent panel which will be able to issue tough fines or even ban companies from accessing the DVLA database.

“I would say to private parking firms operating in Cardiff, who commits these poor practices, to get your act together now, treat the public with respect, or suffer the consequences.”

MP encourages everyone to get involved with World Book Day

Cardiff West MP, Kevin Brennanm is supporting World Book Day’s national ‘Share a Story’ campaign, encouraging parents and carers to read with their children for ten minutes a day.

Every year, World Book Day1 creates bespoke £1 books for children and young adults across the UK and Ireland, to promote the magic of books, the power of imagination and the importance of reading. This year the campaign is urging parents and carers to take ten minutes to ‘share a story’ with their children, to revive reading as a national pastime. 

Every child2 in Cardiff West will be given a £1 book token for World Book Day, taking place on the 7th March 2019, which they can take to a bookshop or supermarket to get their free World Book Day book (or £1 off any full price book that takes their fancy).

Kevin Brennan MP said: “I hope parents, grandparents and carers in Cardiff West will take time to read for ten minutes with their children on World Book Day, and every day after.  Sharing stories together, at home or school, in the library or in the park, on a bus or train – anywhere, anytime – for just ten minutes a day has long-lasting effects on a child’s future.”

MP backs young constituent's call to get tough on plastics

Single-use Plastic Waste
05 March 2019 
Volume 655

Kevin Brennan (Cardiff West) (Lab): My 10-year-old constituent Emily Haines wrote to me about this issue, and she assured me she had not just copied and pasted. Indeed, when I wrote back to her by hand, her father emailed me to say that he had no idea that his daughter had written to me on this subject. So may I ask the Chancellor not to listen to those who say that he should in any way dilute what he is doing on single-use plastics? Indeed, he should do more and do as Emily says: introduce “tough new taxes” to make sure that we deal with this environmental scourge.

Mr Hammond: That is what we are doing. This will be the world’s first plastic tax and it is carefully designed to go with the grain of the market: to incentivise manufacturers to use more recycled plastic in their packaging. Because of that, it creates an effective market for packaging and, together with the producer responsibility note system, will transform the way in which plastic packaging enters the circular economy in this country.

Speech on the return of cultural objects taken during the holocaust

Holocaust (Return of Cultural Objects) (Amendment) Bill (First sitting)
27 February 2019

Kevin Brennan (Cardiff West) (Lab): I thank everyone who has spoken, including my hon. Friend the Member for West Ham. I also thank my hon. Friends the Members for Bassetlaw and for Ilford North, who are here in support of the Bill and who have done tremendous work themselves in this area over the years.

I congratulate the right hon. Member for Chipping Barnet on bringing this important Bill to Committee. I am happy to confirm that it has the full support of Her Majesty’s loyal Opposition. She spoke once again with great force and authority on this issue. In doing so, she does a great service to not only the British Jewish community and the Jewish community throughout the world but humanity as a whole. The Bill says that the sun should never set on justice and righteousness, and that principle, despite its application to the uniquely horrifying episode that was the holocaust, nevertheless carries universal force in its message of human redemption.

I was privileged some years ago to travel with a group of MPs, prominent figures and sixth-formers to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau. It was one of many such visits organised by the Holocaust Educational Trust, led by its inspirational chief executive Karen Pollock and supported by the then Government. I am glad to say that the scheme exists to this day. Anyone who has undertaken that visit could not help but be horrified by the capacity for human depravity exemplified in the industrialisation of death at the Birkenau death camp, or to be moved to renew their pledge to fight antisemitism and oppose the politics of racism and hatred. The Bill is a small practical manifestation of the fulfilment of that duty, and I thank the right hon. Lady for piloting it thus far.

I also pay tribute, as the right hon. Lady did, to the work done by Andrew Dismore, the former Member of Parliament for Hendon and a current London Assembly member. He was rightly praised by the shadow Culture Secretary, my hon. Friend the Member for West Bromwich East (Tom Watson), on Second Reading. Andrew Dismore worked tirelessly to get the original Act, which the Bill seeks to extend, through the House in 2009—even sleeping ​on the floor of the Public Bill Office overnight, as one used to have to do, to ensure that he had a high enough place in the ballot to get his Bill heard.

Andrew Dismore also introduced the private Member’s Bill that established Holocaust Memorial Day in 2001. I recently attended the Welsh national Holocaust Memorial Day event in Cardiff city hall, and other hon. Members will have attended their own events. We heard from the First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, and from Renate Collins, who was “torn from home”, which was the theme of Holocaust Memorial Day, as my hon. Friend the Member for West Ham said. As a child, Renate Collins was evacuated from Prague in 1939, and she came to live in Wales, where she still lives.

As we know, the holocaust was one of the worst events in human history, with millions of lives extinguished and millions more changed forever. The fact that it happened on our continent, in the heart of western civilisation, is a reminder of why we must be constantly vigilant against antisemitism and all forms of racism and remember that genocide starts with casual prejudice—in the dehumanisation of others who are deemed different by virtue of religion, ethnicity, lifestyle or sexuality. That such horror could be perpetrated, not just by those directly involved, but because of the indifference of others in the general population, should make us all reflect on what Hannah Arendt called the banality of evil and on our own roles in actively preventing it from taking root. Let us give thanks to the important work of all organisations that ensure that the world will never forget.

The Bill addresses an extremely important subject: the return of cultural objects looted by the Nazis. During the Nazi reign of terror, millions of precious cultural objects were stolen from the Jewish community. Some have been recovered, but many thousands remain missing. It has been estimated that around 100,000 objects stolen by the Nazis are still missing. We should do everything we can to reunite cultural objects that surface with their rightful owners. More than 70 years from the end of world war two there are still families who have not been reunited with precious artefacts that rightly belong to them.

As many survivors of the holocaust reach the sunset of their lives, it is vital that their descendants have confidence that this Parliament is committed to ensuring that the sun does not set on their ability to recover what is rightfully theirs. The Bill, as we have heard, repeals the sunset clause provision of the 2009 Act, which gave our national museums and galleries the power to return these special cultural objects on the recommendation of the Spoliation Advisory Panel.

Since 2000, 23 cultural objects taken by the Nazis have been returned to their rightful owners, including a John Constable painting, stolen by the Nazis after the invasion of Budapest, which was returned by the Tate in 2015. We must ensure that the panel can continue its vital work. It has carried out its work fairly and delivered justice to the families of those whose precious possessions were stolen. It works in co-operation with our national museums and galleries, the directors of which I addressed at their council meeting at the Science Museum yesterday. They support the panel’s work and are in agreement on the urgency and necessity of returning stolen objects to their owners.​
This is a carefully targeted, specific piece of legislation that works well. It is particularly important for those whose stolen possessions have, sadly, still not been found. For those who might not even know about this process and might not even harbour a hope of getting back what their families once treasured, the Bill can also give hope.

When I undertook that visit with the Holocaust Educational Trust over a decade ago, the spectre of antisemitism might have seemed, to some, to be on the wane, but it is clearly on the rise again, with antisemitic hate crimes, as my hon. Friend the Member for West Ham mentioned, hitting a record number in 2018. That should anger us all, and we must do everything in our power to face it down, including by supporting honourable colleagues from all parties who have been the subject of death threats, racist and misogynistic abuse, bullying and antisemitism. I once again thank the right hon. Member for Chipping Barnet for all the work she has done on this vital Bill, which delivers a small amount of justice to those who have suffered so greatly.

In closing, let me say that I had the pleasure in 2017 of watching the Liverpool Everyman theatre production of the beautiful musical “Fiddler on the Roof”, which included—I hope no one minds my mentioning this—my brother Patrick in the starring role of Tevye. Colleagues will know that it tells the story of a Jewish family in Russia who were forced from their home by the pogroms that were the precursor of the ultimate obscenity of the Nazi holocaust. In thinking of the Bill and what it seeks to do, the words of one song my brother sang in that production came to mind:

“Sunrise, sunset, sunrise, sunset

Swiftly fly the years

One season following another

Laden with happiness and tears.”

As the years fly ever more swiftly by, let us hope that the right hon. Lady’s Bill, in removing the sunset clause, will bring a small ray of happiness to some victims’ families, as they contemplate through tears the horror that befell their relatives because good people did too little, too late to stand up to evil.

UK Government break promise on free TV licences for over 75s

On the day the BBC’s consultation on the future of free TV licences for over-75s ends, Cardiff West MP and Shadows Arts & Heritage Minister, Kevin Brennan, has slammed the UK Government for breaking their manifesto promise and has accused them of using stealth methods to try and hit Welsh pensioners' pockets and cause damage to the BBC.

If free TV licences are scrapped completely it will cost over-75s in Wales a combined total of £32 million a year, this is despite the UK Government promising them their free TV license would remain in place until 2022.

The situation has arisen because the UK Government has outsourced the social policy to the BBC without giving them the financial means to maintain it. The most likely enforced options for the BBC are to scrap it completely, give concessions linked to pension credit or raise the qualifying age.

Mr Brennan says this is a disgraceful way to treat pensioners and the BBC.

"There is theme running through this Tory Government where they either kick difficult decisions further down the road or force those difficult decisions on other people and organisations to make," said Mr Brennan.

"This is exactly what they have done by outsourcing the free licence fee for over-75s to the BBC, who now face a difficult decision of slashing up to £745 million from their own budget, forcing elderly people to pay their own fee or a combination of both.

"This Tory Government is using stealth methods to hit Welsh pensioners' pockets and in the process they are trying to pass the blame onto the BBC who will also be hit hard by these disgraceful tactics both financially and through their excellent reputation.

“The Government are already going to save £220 million in 2021/22 through their changes to pension credit and by going after free TV licences as well they will make almost £1 billion by hitting the pockets of the elderly.

"The pensioners in my constituency who could lose their TV licence either now or when they reach qualifying age will be furious at this Tory Government for breaking their manifesto promise and rightly so.”

Local MP signs Holocaust Educational Trust Book of Commitment

This week Kevin Brennan MP signed the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Book of Commitment, in doing so pledging his commitment to Holocaust Memorial Day and honouring those who were murdered during the Holocaust as well as paying tribute to the extraordinary Holocaust survivors who work tirelessly to educate young people today.

Holocaust Memorial Day is marked annually on 27th January, the anniversary of the liberation of the former Nazi concentration and death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau.

In the lead up to and on Holocaust Memorial Day, thousands of commemorative events will be arranged by schools, faith groups and community organisations across the country, remembering all the victims of the Holocaust and subsequent genocides. The theme for this year’s commemorations is ‘Torn from Home’.

After signing the Book of Commitment, Kevin Brennan MP commented:

“Holocaust Memorial Day is an important opportunity for people from Cardiff West and across the country to reflect on the tragic events of the Holocaust. As the Holocaust moves from living history, to ‘just’ history, it becomes ever more important that we take the time to remember the victims and also pay tribute to the survivors. I would encourage my constituents to show their support for such an important day.”

Karen Pollock MBE, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said:

“The Holocaust did not start in the gas chambers but with hate filled words. Our mission is to educate young people from every background about the Holocaust and its contemporary relevance. We are very grateful to [MP Name] for signing the Book of Commitment, signalling a continued commitment to remembering the victims of the Holocaust as well as challenging antisemitism, prejudice and bigotry in all its forms.”

UK Government should release withdrawal agreement legal advice

Withdrawal Agreement: Legal Position
03 December 2018 
Volume 650

Kevin Brennan, Shadow Minister (Digital, Culture, Media and Sport) (Arts and Heritage):
This was not just any motion; as the right hon. and learned Gentleman says, it was a motion for a return to release papers under parliamentary privilege. There are two reasons why he is wrong: first, he says of his advice, “There’s nothing to see here,” yet he is trying to argue that by releasing it, he would somehow breach considerations of national and public interest. Secondly, under the ministerial code, he can voluntarily release advice in exceptional circumstances without breaching any considerations of national interests, or any of his deeply held principles. Why does he not follow that logic and do the right thing?

Geoffrey Cox, The Attorney-General:
The existence of very rare examples of the Attorney General’s advice being disclosed does not mean that the power ought to be exercised in this case. In the Goldsmith case, it was disclosed two years after the event. We are in the middle of a negotiation.

Kevin Brennan, Shadow Minister (Digital, Culture, Media and Sport) (Arts and Heritage):
We have finished the negotiations.

Geoffrey Cox, The Attorney-General:
No, we have not. The future declaration is to be negotiated, and many of the same arguments will apply.


View in Hansard here.

UK Government refuse to release full legal advice on May's Brexit deal

Withdrawal Agreement: Legal Advice
29 November 2018 
Volume 650

Kevin Brennan (Cardiff West) (Lab):
The Solicitor General has a wonderful Welsh gift for words, but may I remind him of what Disraeli once said?

“A majority is always better than the best repartee.”

There was a majority—in fact, a unanimous vote in the House—in favour of a motion for a return, which is not a request for a statement but a request for information to be published with the protection of parliamentary privilege. It is the duty of the Government to publish that information following the decision of the House, but if they still do not want to do that, the Solicitor General has already said that they could do it voluntarily. ​The full legal advice will come out eventually, and history will not look kindly on the Government, or on any members of the Government, if they have kept from the House relevant information within that legal advice.

The Solicitor General:
The hon. Gentleman is a compatriot of mine and is no stranger to the wizardry of rhetoric. He reminds me of Disraeli’s comment on Gladstone that at times he might be inebriated by the intoxication of his own verbosity— but not today. I take his point, but I will say this to him: I would be failing in my duty if I did not defend robustly the Law Officers convention. That is what I am doing today, and that is what I must continue to do.

Mr Speaker:
The correct reference is

“inebriated with the exuberance of his own verbosity”,

but what I would say is that the Solicitor General is no more in a position to level that charge at the hon. Gentleman than I would be.


View in Hansard here.

The Prime Minister's political declaration on Brexit is a pig in a poke

Leaving the EU
26 November 2018 
Volume 650

Kevin Brennan (Cardiff West) (Lab):
My father, who grew up on a farm in the west of Ireland, used to say to me, “You should never buy a pig in a poke.” I have to confess that, growing up in south Wales, I had absolutely no clue what he meant by that, until I read the political declaration of this deal. Is not one of the reasons why it is so unpopular with so many different people right across this House that it represents nothing more or less than a proverbial political pig in a poke?

The Prime Minister:
No, it represents a good deal for the people of this country. Focusing on a future relationship that delivers a good, comprehensive trade agreement with the European Union together with a security partnership, both of which are unprecedented in their breadth and depth, I believe is good for the people of the UK.


View in Hansard here.

Cowboy parking firms need to stop ruining lives of my constituents

Parking (Code of Practice) Bill
23 November 2018 
Volume 649

Kevin Brennan:
I was pleased to sponsor this Bill with the right hon. Gentleman, the hon. Gentleman and other hon. Members. Why are we here? If we cannot in this place try to ​change things for the better for our constituents, there is little purpose in our being here, and this legislation genuinely will improve the quality of people’s lives. If they no longer have the stress and anxiety of receiving one of these fake notices—which is sometimes what they are—through the post, trying to extort money from them for simply going about their daily business, as anybody should be free to do, we will have done a great service to our constituents. If the Bill takes out some of the cowboy operators that every Member in this Chamber knows about through their constituency casework, we will have done a great service to our constituents. If it saves hard-pressed constituents a few quid because they have not been fooled—as is sometimes the case—into paying notices unnecessarily, we will have done them a great service.

The right hon. Gentleman in particular and other Members who have contributed deserve credit for that. He does deserve some sort of award for bringing the Bill through. I am sure that will make the right hon. Gentleman extremely popular not only, as he already is, with his own constituents—I can say that as he has a very safe Tory seat—but with motorists and constituents across the country.
I am glad that the Bill was strengthened today through the new clause and the amendments that the right hon. Gentleman introduced, and I am sure that when it travels down the Corridor to the other place their Lordships will want to look at it very closely and perhaps consider strengthening it further in co-operation with the Government. But what is most important is that we get it on to the statute book as quickly as possible because it will make a genuine and positive difference.

In Committee, I mentioned some of the bad practices. I am not going to dilate at length—as Mr Speaker might say—on those issues this afternoon, but some companies, such as New Generation Parking, which I mentioned, do not even respond to correspondence from Members of Parliament on behalf of their constituents. In Committee, I expressed the view, which I know the Minister heard, that any code worth its salt would ensure that any company that failed to respond to a letter of concern from a Member of Parliament on behalf of their constituent would be in breach of that code. It should be a basic requirement on any decent company operating any kind of business that it should respond to a reasonable inquiry from a Member of Parliament within a reasonable time.

Sir Greg Knight: The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right on that point. If a complaint is made about the receipt of a private parking notice, whether by the driver, the registered keeper or the registered keeper’s MP, it should in my view be responded to within 14 days.

Kevin Brennan: I am pleased that the right hon. Gentleman has put that firmly on the record. He also responded positively in Committee when I intervened on him on this matter. I am sure that the Minister has heard what he said, and I hope that those who are preparing the code will also have heard that viewpoint being expressed here.

Perhaps we need to ponder further on the practice that is now developing of parking companies using technology to enforce these parking notices. I am concerned not only that they are using camera technology but that, ​in more and more cases, anyone who parks on private land—for example, the site of St David’s Hospital in my constituency, where there is no charge but we nevertheless have to register when we park—is required to enter their registration number into a machine in order to be deemed to have parked legally or appropriately there. How is the collection of that data being properly overseen? Who is responsible for ensuring that the personal data that is being collected in the form of our constituents’ registration numbers is being properly and legally processed? Further to that, the companies do not often provide a paper receipt from the machine, and people are expected to provide a mobile telephone number or sometimes an email address in order to get a receipt to prove that they have parked legally. Who is responsible for ensuring that the data being collected in that way is being properly processed?

This issue was brought to me by my constituent, Derek Donovan, who has campaigned heavily on issues relating to parking, and to private parking in particular. He has also pointed out that, even when we are not required to provide a registration number, the parking company can go to the DVLA and ask who the owner of a particular vehicle is. The way in which that information is handed out, and to whom, is not being properly co-ordinated by the DVLA—if indeed it is its responsibility to do that. Only a sample of cases is audited, so we cannot be sure that that data is in all cases being released to responsible people and used responsibly and legally. As a result, Derek Donovan has registered a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office, the outcome of which could prove pertinent to the passage of the Bill in another place if we hear from the ICO before the Bill goes through its other stages there.

I do not want to go on at length, because we want to ensure that the Bill completes its passage before we end our proceedings today. I reiterate my congratulations to the right hon. Member for East Yorkshire and I wish it well for its further passage at the other end of this building.


View in Hansard here.

The Prime Minister's contradictory words on Brexit

Progress on EU Negotiations
22 November 2018 
Volume 649

Kevin Brennan (Cardiff West) (Lab):
The Prime Minister has recently said two things. On the one hand, she has said that the UK will definitely be leaving the EU on March 29 next year—in fact, she repeated that today. On the other hand, she has said there is a risk—or, as many of my constituents would call it, a chance—of no Brexit. How can those two statements coexist as opinions in her mind without causing a major malfunction?

The Prime Minister:
Very simply: I am clear that we will be leaving the EU on 29 March 2019, but there are some voices across the House that want to frustrate that. That would betray the vote of the British people.


View in Hansard here.

Government needs to do more to help constituents trapped in Yemen

Yemen
21 November 2018 
Volume 649

Kevin Brennan (Cardiff West) (Lab):
The Minister of State is aware of two of my constituency cases: one involving a constituent who is being held in Sana’a; and another involving the daughters of Jackie Morgan, who were kidnapped from Cardiff in 1986 by their father and have been in Yemen ever since. Jackie Morgan’s daughter Safia is a British citizen, as are the grandchildren. Both families feel that the Government have not been doing enough up until now to help them with their cases. I commend the Minister of State for the efforts he has made, but will the Foreign Secretary personally look at these cases, now that there may be a window to do more, to see if he can do more, with his Minister of State, to help these families?

Mr Hunt:
I thank the hon. Gentleman for championing his constituents’ cases. I want to reassure him that the lack of progress we have been able to make is not through a lack of effort or desire on the part of the FCO; it is simply a function of the fact that we cannot get consular staff into Yemen. Our ambassador is based in Riyadh. I met him when I was there last week. As soon as we are able to offer more assistance, we will.


View in Hansard here.

The Prime Minister should tell us the true cost of the backstop

EU Exit Negotiations
15 November 2018 
Volume 649

Kevin Brennan (Cardiff West) (Lab):
Anyone buying an insurance policy would want to know what the excess was. If the analogy for the backstop is an insurance policy, is the Prime Minister seriously suggesting that we should sign up for an insurance policy where we do not know how much the excess will cost and where we also cannot leave it without the agreement of the other party?

The Prime Minister: One of the elements of the backstop—this relates to deciding, should we be in that circumstance, whether the backstop or the extension to the implementation period would be preferable—is that in the backstop there is no financial obligation.


View in Hansard here.

Local MP release charity record to raise funds for homeless charities

Do You See Me? Is the latest single by the world's only parliamentary rock band, MP4, and was written by Cardiff West's Kevin Brennan MP to raise awareness and funds to help the homeless in Cardiff and across the UK.
The band, made up of Labour’s Kevin Brennan MP, the SNP’s Pete Wishart MP, former Labour MP Ian Cawsey, and Conservative MP Sir Greg Knight, hope the record will shine a light on Britain’s homeless crisis.
The EP, entitled ‘MP4 EP5’ features 5 original tracks, including the single Do You See Me?  a moving plea to passers-by written from the point of view of a rough sleeper.
The project was the brainchild of Musicians Against Homelessness who help to raise awareness of the issue and support Crisis.  Kevin Brennan MP Cardiff West: 
“When Musicians Against Homelessness approached MP4 to put on a gig in the House of Commons we knew we had to say yes. Not only did we agree to their request, but also we have also released a record to highlight the cause.
“Homelessness is a complex issue requiring more political action. But we also know, as a cross-party group of MPs, that to get results we need to keep public awareness high.”
Jon Sparkes, chief executive of Crisis, said: “We’re very excited MP4 has chosen to release a single for Musicians Against Homelessness which has done so much to support Crisis.
“It’s fantastic to see politicians from across the political spectrum come together to highlight the cause of Crisis’s work – supporting homeless people and campaigning to end homelessness for good.
“The work MAH has done since the project began has been truly inspirational, raising vital funds that have helped us hugely. We’re incredibly grateful for MP4’s support, as well as the volunteers, musicians and bands, who have dedicated their time to the cause.
“We know we can end homelessness in our country. If we continually shine a light on this issue and stand together, we can end it for good – because everyone deserves to have a place to call home.”
MAH patron Alan McGee said: “Britain rocked against the menace of racism in the 70s, now British bands are rocking against a modern scandal – homelessness. We won’t stop until it is eradicated.”

The biggest annual referendum of teenagers in the UK

Kevin Brennan is backing the Youth Parliament’s ‘Make Your Mark’ campaign which is the UK’s largest survey of young people’s views.

The annual ballot, which has taken place since 2011, contains 10 policies voted for by Members of Youth Parliament including ending period poverty, mental health in schools, tackling homelessness and adapting the curriculum.

The campaign will see Members of Youth Parliament and volunteers across the country, invite young people in schools and youth groups to take this opportunity to have their say and to inform and influence the Government and decision makers in their communities.

This year’s campaign, which is supported by the British Youth Council, is expected to reach hundreds of thousands of young people from across the UK. Last year, a total of 954,766 young people from every corner of the country took part.

Kira Lewis, a member of the Procedures Group, which coordinates the UK Youth Parliament said: “For the eighth time in history, UK Youth Parliament will give young people across the country the chance to declare which issues are a priority for them.

Following the campaign, priority issues will be brought to the attention of Government Ministers including Tracey Crouch MP, Parliamentary under Secretary of State for Sport and Civil Society, who is due to attend the UK Youth Parliament’s House of Commons Sitting and will reply on behalf of the Government.

The Commons debate, which will take place on 9th November 2018, will be chaired by Rt Hon John Bercow MP, Speaker of the House of Commons, who spoke at the UK Youth Parliament’s Annual Conference in Nottingham last month. After the debates, Members of Youth Parliament will walk through the division lobbies to vote on what should become their priority campaigns for 2019. In previous years, mental health, tackling racism and religious discrimination and a lower voting age have been prioritised.

Rt Hon John Bercow MP, Speaker of the House of Commons, said: “The Make Your Mark ballot is an excellent opportunity for millions of young people across the UK to celebrate the democratic process and make their voices heard.

“Last year, almost a million young people voted for the crucial motions to be debated by Members of Youth Parliament, and this year looks like it will be no different. I look forward to welcoming the Members of the Youth Parliament and presiding over some truly inspiring debates.”

Young people can take part in the consultation by visiting: www.ukyouthparliament.org.uk/makeyourmark