Lynda Waltho MP Lynda Waltho MP - Stourbridge, West Midlands New Labour New Britain, Click here to visit the national Labour Party web site
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Lynda MP

The most prominent activity of an MP is speaking in debates in the chamber of the House of Commons and questioning Ministers. But this is only a small part of an MP's work. Support for issues can be registered through Early Day Motions but much serious and time consuming work is done in Committee.

An MP also works on behalf of the electorate in the constituency. She can lend her support, send out press releases, lobby organisations and therefore generate publicity for local issues. She will also hold regular 'surgeries' and do casework on behalf of individual constituents. Much of this work is confidential.

A Member of Parliament can investigate matters relating to Parliament or Central Government. They include:

Inland Revenue;
Customs and Excise;
Department of National Savings;
The Land Registry;
Immigration and Nationality;
Post Office;
Passport Offices;
Prisons;
Health - including hospitals and the NHS (but not complaints about individual doctors);
Social Security - including pensions and National Insurance;
Education - including school closures and grants (but not day to day running of schools);
Employment Service - including Job Centres and unemployment office;
Training and Enterprise Councils;
Department of Transport and related organisations such as DVLC and Traffic Area Offices;
Local Authority - dustbins, street cleaning, housing repairs, tenancy matters, playing fields, social services (but you must first exhaust avenues of complaint through your local councillor).

In certain cases your MP can refer your complaint to government ministers or to the Parliamentary Ombudsman. Your MP will try to give advice on any problem you have but there are some problems that she cannot investigate. They include:

Private disputes between individuals;
Decisions made by the Courts.

Most recent appearances in Parliament

(sourced from www.theyworkforyou.com)

Business, Innovation and Skills: Graduate Job Prospects (16 Jul 2009)
Lynda Waltho: What steps he is taking to assist students graduating in the summer of 2009 to find employment.

Business, Innovation and Skills: Graduate Job Prospects (16 Jul 2009)
Lynda Waltho: Recently, there was an announcement of 1,000 new jobs, training places and internships in the west midlands, and young people, their parents and their lecturers in my constituency and in the wider west midlands certainly welcome that. In Dudley, however, we are already suffering the effects of a botched school closure programme and a failure to take up Building Schools for the Future. What...

Opposition Day — [15th Allotted Day]: Young People in the Recession (6 Jul 2009)
Lynda Waltho: I want to go back to an earlier point. I was impressed when the hon. Gentleman gave the Government credit for increasing apprenticeships vastly. I am desperately looking through my notes—I cannot find the figures—but I know that we are up to about 250,000. We need to compare that with 1997, when I was teaching young people about to leave school in the run-up to 1997. I was...

Stourbridge Glass Collection (18 Jun 2009)
Lynda Waltho: I appreciate what the Minister is saying about that relationship, but in a case where a council appears not to be acting in the best interests of the collection or of local people, there must be something that the responsible Minister can do; otherwise such a council will just get away with it. Dudley council has got away with a lot of other decisions. Local decision making is bad, and local...

Written Answers — Business, Innovation and Skills: Social Mobility (11 Jun 2009)
Lynda Waltho: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what policies of his Department have objectives to increase social mobility.

Oral Answers to Questions — Communities and Local Government: Topical Questions (2 Jun 2009) has video
Lynda Waltho: I know that my right hon. Friend is aware of the great need for regeneration in Stourbridge, and of the series of public meetings that I have recently conducted with business and local people on that topic and on the recession. At our last meeting, people were greatly excited by the announcement of a fund for temporary use of empty shops. Can she elaborate on that, and tell me how we can...

Written Answers — Home Department: Crimes of Violence: Females (1 Jun 2009)
Lynda Waltho: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Health and (b) the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills on their Departments' contributions to (i) her Department's consultation on Together We Can End Violence Against Women and Girls and (ii) her Department's forthcoming national strategy on Violence...

Points of Order: Policing and Crime Bill (19 May 2009)
Lynda Waltho: Indeed. I intend to say more about that later. Optional reforms would reduce the burden on local authorities that chose to adopt the new controls. The increased costs of enforcing the new clause would arise when an application was made. However, the costs of the process would be absorbed by licensing fees, and incurred by lap-dancing club operators rather than local authorities. That...

Points of Order: Policing and Crime Bill (19 May 2009)
Lynda Waltho: They ought to welcome it, but of course they do not, because they prefer an uneven mixture of provision enabling them to exploit loopholes. Their industry has a history of exploiting loopholes and gaining as a result, and I do not expect their approach to change. In its current form, the Bill exempts premises that provide lap dancing less frequently than once a month from requiring a sex...

Points of Order: Policing and Crime Bill (19 May 2009)
Lynda Waltho: Indeed. The Minister spoke earlier about possible Department for Culture, Media and Sport plans to give councillors a voice. That—a community voice—is what has been missing. If the TEN system is looked at across the board, we will get what I and many of my colleagues started out in politics to support: a voice for local people. That is what has been missing.

Points of Order: Policing and Crime Bill (19 May 2009)
Lynda Waltho: That is absolutely the case. In conclusion, I believe that the removal of the frequency-based exemption and universal application are crucial to ensure that these welcome reforms to lap-dancing club licensing deliver real and robust change, and I urge my hon. Friend the Minister to revisit the area covered by the amendments, if not here then in another place.

Points of Order: Policing and Crime Bill (19 May 2009)
Lynda Waltho: Many of us have had problems with lap-dancing clubs in our constituencies. The arguments were well rehearsed at length in Committee, so I will not go over them again. I would like to speak to amendments 194, 199 and Government amendment 54. We have had trouble in our constituencies because lap-dancing clubs are currently licensed solely under the Licensing Act 2003. Those clubs share the same...

Points of Order: New Clause 22 — Penalty for contravening notice relating to encrypted information (19 May 2009)
Lynda Waltho: I welcome much of what my hon. Friend has said, but my difficulty is that Dudley has been particularly timid in using the current licensing law. For instance, when a club asks for a later licence, it is granted, then another and another, because the council is frightened to death of being taken to court. We have had so much trouble with lap dancing, particularly in Stourbridge, and my worry...

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2009-05-19a.1423.0&s=speaker%3A11845#g1435.1(19 May 2009)
Lynda Waltho: Indeed. I intend to say more about that later. Optional reforms would reduce the burden on local authorities that chose to adopt the new controls. The increased costs of enforcing the new clause would arise when an application was made. However, the costs of the process would be absorbed by licensing fees, and incurred by lap-dancing club operators rather than local authorities. That...

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2009-05-19a.1396.8&s=speaker%3A11845#g1413.2(19 May 2009)
Lynda Waltho: I welcome much of what my hon. Friend has said, but my difficulty is that Dudley has been particularly timid in using the current licensing law. For instance, when a club asks for a later licence, it is granted, then another and another, because the council is frightened to death of being taken to court. We have had so much trouble with lap dancing, particularly in Stourbridge, and my worry...

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2009-05-18a.1187.3&s=speaker%3A11845#g1187.4 (18 May 2009)
Lynda Waltho: What funding her Department has allocated to sexual assault referral centres for 2009-10.

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2009-05-18a.1187.3&s=speaker%3A11845#g1187.6 (18 May 2009)
Lynda Waltho: I welcome that fantastic news about funding, but when I met women from Women's Aid a few weeks ago they were concerned that funding, although welcome, may be diverted from rape crisis centres and that they will continually have to reapply for funding from different pots of money. Will my hon. Friend reassure me that that will not happen? After all, rape crisis centres were set up for women,...

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/whall/?id=2009-04-29b.287.0&s=speaker%3A11845#g292.0 (29 Apr 2009)
Lynda Waltho: I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Dumfries and Galloway (Mr. Brown) on securing this debate. I should like to talk about a man for whom I have a great deal of admiration. He has already been mentioned. His name is Frank Foley, but some refer to him as the "British Schindler". Frank was remarkable. We in Stourbridge like to think of him as a son of Stourbridge—he retired...

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2009-04-28c.270649.h&s=speaker%3A11845#g270649.q0 (28 Apr 2009)
Lynda Waltho: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many primary care trusts restrict access to fertility services if a person or their partner has a child from a current relationship or any previous relationship.

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2009-04-28c.270658.h&s=speaker%3A11845#g270658.q0 (28 Apr 2009)
Lynda Waltho: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many primary care trusts funded only one fresh cycle of IVF in 2008.

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2009-04-27a.556.1&s=speaker%3A11845#g556.2 (27 Apr 2009) has video
Lynda Waltho: What recent discussions he has had with local authorities on proposals to abolish appeals panels for excluded children.

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2009-04-27a.556.1&s=speaker%3A11845#g556.4 (27 Apr 2009) has video
Lynda Waltho: I thank my hon. Friend for that answer. I am particularly concerned about talk, especially from the Opposition Benches, about stopping these panels. They are a particular safeguard for children with special needs, who we know are three times more likely to be excluded. Will she assure me, the Council for Disabled Children and the National Children's Bureau that this Government and the...

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2009-04-27a.270648.h&s=speaker%3A11845#g270648.q0 (27 Apr 2009)
Lynda Waltho: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what counselling services are available on the NHS for couples seeking NHS-funded infertility treatment.

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2009-04-20a.1.3&s=speaker%3A11845#g1.4 (20 Apr 2009) has video
Lynda Waltho: How many times temporary event notices have been issued for events organised by lap-dancing clubs in the past 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2009-04-20a.1.3&s=speaker%3A11845#g1.6 (20 Apr 2009) has video
Lynda Waltho: I thank my hon. Friend for that answer, although I am disappointed by it. He may or may not be aware that local councils' licensing offices are getting more and more concerned about temporary event notices because they are being used increasingly by lap-dancing clubs, and also bars and pubs; one notice can be applied for per month. One owner of a lap-dancing club told me that the notices...

Other appearances in Parliament

An archive of previous parliamentary contributions can be found here.

View more appearances at theyworkforyou.com

Lynda and Ian Pearson at St Andrews Community Hub

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This website was established while I was a Member of Parliament. As Parliament has been dissolved there are no Members of Parliament until after the election on 06 May 2010. For current information on Lynda's general election campaign please go to http://vote.lyndawaltho.org.uk
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|Amblecote Primary pose with their MP at the opening of the new school extension|Douglas Alexander MP and Lynda|Lynda and Gloria celebrating International Women’s Day|Lynda and her sons join the Stourbridge Ramblers as they explore hidden Stourbridge|Lynda and Ian Pearson at St Andrews Community Hub|Lynda and Nick Bott recycling|Lynda and Sylvia Heal MP meet with Ken Strike chair of the Dudley osteoporosis group at the Commons|Lynda at Amblecote Dental Practice presenting IiP award|Lynda at Art Exhibit|Lynda at St Stephens gate House of Commons|Lynda at the launch of the GMB women's charter|Lynda backing the Black Country|Lynda celebrating carers week|Lynda celebrating the Humaara Project|Lynda celebrating with Parents and Pupils after the Adjudicator's decision on Beauty Bank School|Lynda checks the Christmas 6am postal collection|Lynda gives the green light to the Parry People Mover|Lynda joins the campaign for free 'hole in the wall' cash withdrawals|Lynda joins the campaign to make poverty history with Churches Together|Lynda keeps fit with the Age Concern team|Lynda kick-starts a project aimed at helping people aged over 50 gain work and training opportunities.|Lynda lobbies Gordon Brown|Lynda meets with residents at Hadcroft Road to discuss standards of Council Cleaning|Lynda on College Green during a media interview|Lynda on her marks for the British Heart Foundation|Lynda opens Tanhouse Gardens|Lynda patron at the Orchard Project in Lye launching the new story sack initiative|Lynda poses for the press at Wollaston Post Office on the launch of their international currency service|Lynda presents IiP award to Amblecote Dental Practice|Lynda presents special learning award at Stourbridge College|Lynda promotes road safety to the toddlers at Amblecote Primary|Lynda receives a briefing as to the issues facing Stourbridge manufacturer Zeus|Lynda receives a valentine from health workers stop smoking lobby|Lynda supporting Black Country’s bid for 50 million of the Big Lottery Fund’s Living Landmarks|Lynda takes to her wheels in support of the British Heart Foundation|Lynda Visiting Stourbridge Fire Station’s ‘Calamity College’ with local school children|Lynda visiting the trainee education programme at B and Q|Lynda visits Blowzone one of Stourbridge's craft companies|Lynda visits Stourbridge Ambulance station|Lynda visits the action heart facility at Russells Hall|Lynda visits the Castle and Crystal Credit Union|Lynda visits the West Midlands Ambulance Operations Centre on the Waterfront|Lynda Waltho MP, Russell Eden and ladies from Stourbug getting ready to ‘shoot off’ to Stratford!|Lynda Waltho with Age Concern Dudley|Lynda Waltho with members of Age Concern Stourbridge|Lynda Waltho with shoppers at Barnardos|Lynda with councillor Gary Clarke at the opening of Halesowen Bus Station|Lynda with Ed Balls MP at William Hackett Chains|Lynda with Gordon Brown|Lynda with Husband Steve take the Parry People Mover to Town|Lynda with Ian Austin MP opening cycle Route 54|Lynda with Ian Austin MP present objections to Dudley School closure plans|Lynda with Jan, Cllr Dave Tyler, Barbara Beadman, Ian and Amblecote Choir.|Lynda with Jon Winnal and Jon Cobb|Lynda with leading business women|Lynda with local WRVS volunteers|Lynda with Martin Hird and Neena Gill MEP at a GMB political forum|Lynda with Mary Stevens Croquet Club|Lynda with Mayor and Mayoress look to the next hundred years with the staff old and new at Stourbridge Library|Lynda with other members of the Parliamentary Waterways Group explore the Olympic site|Lynda with pupils at the launch of the Keep Beauty Bank open campaign|Lynda with Quarry Bank residents group launching the campaign to save Quarry Bank Post Office|Lynda with St George's Day ASDA shopers|Lynda with Stourbridge Police Community Support Officer Gavin Else at number 10|Lynda With Stourbridge Royal British Legion|Lynda with Sylivia Heal and Paul Clarke at the opening of Halesowen Bus Station|Lynda with the gang at Side by Side theatre group|Lynda with the Minister of State for Public Health|Lynda with Tony Blair|Lynda with TV's Claudia Winkelman to promote Join Up Education Challenge|Lynda with veterans|Lynda with volunteers in Lye to help spring clean local streets.|Lynda with West Midlands Police|Lynda with young Euan Gaskill planting trees at Quarry Bank Children’s Centre Family Planting day|Lynda with youngsters from the Groundwork Black Country Conservation team|Lynda's team celebrate the opening of the new constituency offices by Sylvia Heal MP|Meeting with delegation from PCS lobby|Midnight March for Mary Stevens Hospice|Mr and Mrs Hart show Lynda the issues facing people with disablities in Stourbridge|Pink Party to raise awareness about a national breast cancer campaign. Lye Community Centre|The Dudley MPs meet with Director of Nursing Ann Close|The Dudley MPs promote Dudley's investment opportunities to MP Jacqui Smith