Issues

Last week I was one of a group of MPs that handed in a petition of 1.5m signatures to the Prime Minister. The petition was to seek to reduce the number of animals used in animal experimentation. As such it was part of the 'Uncaged' campaign which has been running for some years.

On the 24 June the Fairtrade Foundation announced the first cosmetic products to carry the Fairtrade Mark in the UK. 31% of people in the UK said they are interested in buying cosmetics carrying the Fairtrade Mark. People will be able to buy 57 products with Fairtrade certified ingredients, including lip balms, face masks, body butters and shower gels.

David joined Which? this week at the House of Commons in the fight to make healthy eating easier. Which? has launched Fat Snacks, a fictional product, to highlight the range of eye-catching tactics used to promote unhealthy food to children.

David is backing the British Heart Foundation in its campaign to ban the sale of cigarettes through vending machines.

FOOD SAFETY WEEK: “If you’re over 60, taking a closer look in the kitchen could save your life” The annual Food Safety Week campaign promotes the importance of good food hygiene in the home. The number of illnesses and fatalities per year due to food poisoning in the UK continues to be significant.

I was invited recently to write an article for the RMT. The RMT is the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers and is Britain's fastest growing trade union. It has more than 80,000 members in almost every sector of the transport industry, from mainline and underground rail to shipping and offshore, buses and road-freight.

On Tuesday Harriet Harman, Minister for Women and Equality, called on members of the Women’s Institute to check if their local newspaper has adverts for women who may have been trafficked and forced in to prostitution.

David met Douglas Alexander, the International Development Secretary in Parliament this week to discuss progress in the global fight against HIV and AIDS. Ahead of World AIDS Day on December 1st, David urged Douglas to maintain the UK’s global leadership on this issue.

I have received several pieces of correspondence about a possible communications data database. The issue of how we deal with data and data security is an increasingly sensitive but nevertheless important for personal and national security.

David met with The Nationwide recently to find out about their research which reveals that parents and teachers are worried about the level of financial awareness children have. Nationwide wants children to leave school with a financial understanding that will hold them in good stead in later life and has launched an interactive online financial capability programme accessed through its Nationwide Education website.