The weekly highlight at Parliament is of course Prime Minister’s Question Time. As an MP you have to put your name forward each week if you would like to ask a question of the Prime Minister and there is a ballot which randomly selects MPs to speak. Given there are around 30 PMQs a year and 366 MPs you don’t expect to get that many opportunities. However I have already this year had 2 opportunities to ask questions, which really is just the luck of the draw. But I must be lucky in this as I have now been able to ask questions four times and some new MPs had to wait 2 years before they got a chance.
On 2nd February, I used my question to pay tribute to the success of our vaccine rollout. The prime minister echoed my comments and joined me in sending his heartfelt thanks to our excellent local NHS workers, pharmacies and volunteers.
Then 3 week later on 23rd February, I asked the Prime Minister about speeding and preventing accidents on our roads. This issue regularly comes up from residents and I know from discussions with our local Councillors they pick this concern up all of the time. It was also the main issue raised at the recent question and answer session I held in Shepley. It was good to be able to mention the Village Association in my question as well
I was pleased to hear the Prime Minister confirm that The Department for Transport is updating the 2007 circular on the use of speed cameras. This is the document which sets out the criteria that must be met before a speed camera can be installed on any road and I am, with the Prime Minister’s support seeking a meeting with the Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps MP to push for an early implementation of the new criteria which I hope will make it easier for speed cameras to be used where excessive speeding is an issue.
In addition to Prime Minister’s Questions I have spoken in the House on a number of occasions so far this year on a range of subjects including on barriers to exporting and international trade, the BBC licence, education and special needs support for children, and glue traps.
