|
NEARLY 1 IN 6 MPS IGNORE E-MAIL FROM CONSTITUENTS
AN
investigation by weekly computer publication Micro Mart has revealed
that nearly a 6th of Members Of Parliament in England, Scotland and
Wales have failed to respond to emails from their constituents.
In February, 625 MPs were contacted by a constituent (who, in
reality, was a Micro Mart reporter) via an individual email. The
email asked for help with regards the recycling of technology,
going on to ask what plans the Government had in that area. The
investigation found that:-
· 98 MPs ignored the emails altogether
· 73 needed a 2nd mail to be sent before they responded
· Some took nearly 2 months to reply
· Several high profile MPs, including William Hague, Lembit Opik,
Ruth Kelly and David Davies, were among those who failed to reply
Micro Mart Editor, Simon Brew, commented:- "Considering MPs
can claim allowances running to over £100,000 of taxpayers' money to
fund their offices, including a specific £10,000 communications
allowance, we were staggered to find so many hadn't put any system
in place to simply reply to a constituent's emailed question. Given
the speed and convenience of electronic communication, not least the
amount of paper it saves, we expected a greater willingness to reply
to an e-mail than we found."
The investigation also found, more positively, that many MPs fully
embraced the potential of electronic communication, and offered
genuine help and guidance on the environmental issues they were
asked about. Furthermore, some went to substantial lengths to help,
none more so than Jo Swinson, the Liberal Democrat member for East
Dunbartonshire.
Micro Mart has crowned Jo Swinson, Britain's youngest MP, as its
tech savviest. Her replies were comprehensive, and she consistently
kept our fictional constituent up to date on her findings
electronically. She scanned in and e-mailed relevant documents, and
backed up her use of technology with a helpful, relevant and
up-to-date website.
"Jo Swinson is a great example of how an MP can embrace
technology, not only to help with
their casework, but also simply to keep in touch with their
constituents. By using affordable, simple methods of
electronic communication to great effect, she was both incredibly
responsive, and quick to get fresh and useful information to us."
said Simon Brew |
‘UNISON HEALTH WORKERS DEMAND ACTION OVER PAY
NORTH West
delegates to UNISON’s National Health Conference are outraged at the
penny pinching of NHS employers. At the very time that low pay
amongst women and the gender pay gap is hitting the headlines, our
mainly female membership face real cuts in pay. Stephanie Thomas,
Head of Health in the North West said:- “Many of our 70,000
health care members in the North West are low paid, and part time.
Yet to deliver the vital personalised care that our members provide,
high motivation and morale is essential. Fair and adequate pay is
central to this. The miserly 2.5% offer is bad enough. Yet to stage
this offer, giving health workers just 1.9% across the year, is the
final insult. Our members in the health service are determined to
deliver a quality service that we believe the public deserve. On top
of cut backs, stress at work due to non-filling of vacancies and a
continual array of disruptive initiatives – not to mention record
levels of violence - we are now being asked to pay for the money
that is being wasted on privatisation and PFI
Health workers from the North West are fully supporting the
call for a ballot and hope the employers listen seriously to our
concerns and that good sense and fairness will prevail. We are also
working hard to ensure that members in health not employed by the
NHS are protected too. UNISON is negotiating hard with private
contractors to reach agreement in implementing Agenda for Change and
agreement is expected within the next few weeks."
MEP PLEDGES SUPPORT
TO END PRIMATE CRUELTY
A SOUTHPORT Euro-MP has added his
voice to a campaign calling for an end to the use of monkeys and
other primates in scientific experiments.
Around 10,000 primates are used in experiments across the EU each
year. But with 80% of the public opposed to such tests, MEPs are
calling for a primate testing to be replaced with other
alternatives. Techniques such as computer modelling and use of
tissue and cell culture are proving to be more efficient and
reliable than animal experiments.
Southport Liberal Democrat MEP Chris Davies is backing calls for the
European Commission to make ending the use of apes and wild-caught
monkeys in scientific experiments and urgent priority. He
said:- "Techniques to recognise animals' pain and suffering
are too often inadequate in research laboratories. Particular
attention has to be paid to the needs of primates, man's closest
relatives. The aim must be to reduce and eventually end all
tests using monkeys and primates, even for medical research". |
