A hostile environment for home education

My speech to the House on day 9 of committee stage of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill:

I declare an interest as a grandmother of three home-educated children. My experience tells me that school is not suitable for all children. Not all children can find a suitable school and you do not need to be wealthy to create a very rich educational learning environment out of school. Continue reading “A hostile environment for home education”

Great British Energy: Nuclear Development

I intervened yesterday in this debate to say: he Minister said that everybody around the House supports nuclear. No, the Green Party does not support nuclear. It is a dinosaur technology and it is really very expensive, when you look at the planetary impact and the cost to the Exchequer. It is going to be a disaster and it will be overtaken by sea-level rises as well. Why do the Government not take some good advice on this instead of believing in nuclear all the time? Continue reading “Great British Energy: Nuclear Development”

Renters Rights Bill Report Stage Day 3 – a Living Rent Commission

Back in 2001 I was a Green Party member of the London Assembly and we initiated the setting up of the Living Wage Commission. It has helped hundreds of thousands of Londoners get paid a bit more each week as employers have voluntarily adopted it’s calculations. Now, I’m suggesting we do the same for renters across the country with Living Rent Commissions that can calculate rents in their area. Continue reading “Renters Rights Bill Report Stage Day 3 – a Living Rent Commission”

Housing: National Tenant Body

Continue reading “Housing: National Tenant Body”

My amendment to Renters’ Rights Bill Report Stage Day 1

This amendment, which I feel strongly about, is designed to help renters and the Government. It aims to improve upon a good policy that creates warmer homes and cheaper bills. The climate benefits from the warmer home grant, as do landlords, so why not guarantee that tenants get cheaper bills without a rent rise for a couple of years? Continue reading “My amendment to Renters’ Rights Bill Report Stage Day 1”