Parliament without the boring bits #1

This digest deliberately ignores the big stories that have already hit the media, and instead focuses on some of the other interesting bits that grabbed the attention of the ScrutinyCounts team.

Cavity Wall Insulation

Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru) is championing the poor unfortunates who have been mis-sold Cavity Wall insulation, under the mantle of a government "green initiative".

Many houses in western Britain that are exposed to wind driven rain are unsuited to it, where it acts as a bridge transporting moisture from the wet outside wall to the previously dry internal wall. Some victims have been dealt a further blow, when the No Win No Fee solicitors they engaged to fight their compensation case went bust, leaving them exposed to legal costs incurred.

To read the debate in full, go to Daily View page, select 21st February and scroll down the list of debates to find it.

Martha's Rule

Victoria Atkins (Secretary of State for Health & Social Care) announced that Martha's Rule is to be implemented in 100 Acute and Specialist NHS units. Martha's Rule gives patients and their families who are concerned about a deterioration in the patient's condition the right to initiate a rapid review of their case from someone outside their immediate care team.

Calls for Martha's Rule came following the death of 13 year old Martha Mills who contracted sepsis and deteriorated quickly after being admitted to hospital following an accident.

This was a Written Statement, not a debate. You can read it on the Daily View for 21st February.

Young Driver's; Government Support

Carla Lockhart (DUP) led a debate in which she proposed Young Drivers are supported in a number of ways to help get them driving. Lack of Driving Test facilities and high insurance costs were both discussed. A graduated driving licence scheme was suggested to bring insurance premiums down. This could include a minimum 12 month learning period, a ban on intensive driving courses, lowering of the starting age to 16 and a half, a restriction on carrying passengers, a restriction on night time driving, and a lowering of blood alcohol concentration limits.

To read the debate in full, go to the Daily View page, select 20th February and scroll down the list of debates.

Robbery & Theft; Carshalton and Wallington

Elliot Colburn (Conservative) started a debate about high levels of Robbery and Theft in his constituency. Cases of car thefts, burglaries, Asian Gold theft and shop lifting were all described, and how citizen's "reporting fatigue" is resulting in the Police not even being alerted to many instances.

To read the full debate go to the Daily View for 20th Feb 20204 and scroll down the list of debates.

If the mainstream media leaves you feeling jaded, but you want to keep tabs on what Parliament is talking about, you'll find the ScrutinyCounts mobile app a breath of fresh air. Download it and subscribe to read debates from any day back to the start of 2020.