In Parliament

There is info via the links below on the different mechanisms available to MPs and how to look up what I and other MPs have been doing...

My contributions to debates

Parliamentary Questions

Early Day Motions

Private Members' Bills

Adjournment Debates

Business in the House of Commons

I am pictured above asking Tony Blair a question about housing at Prime Minister's Question Time on 28 June 2006 (click here for how to look up questions)

The following is an example of an oral Parliamentary Question that I put to the Chancellor on Climate Change:

6 Mar 2008 : Column 1904

Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak) (Lab): In 2006, Sir Nicholas Stern told the Chancellor’s predecessor that expenditure of approximately 1 per cent. of GDP would be necessary to avoid dangerous climate change, which could result in the loss of between 5 and 20 per cent. of GDP. In 2008, what is the Chancellor’s estimate of the proportion of the UK’s GDP that will be spent on reducing our carbon dioxide emissions?

Mr. Darling: It is important that we follow Sir Nicholas Stern’s advice. My hon. Friend is right that his findings, which I do not think have been disputed by any serious commentator, are that unless we are prepared to make the necessary investment now to tackle climate change, we will pay a heavy price in terms of loss of GDP not just in our country, but across the world. The Government will keep that under continuous review, and the sums that we are spending on tackling climate change are reflected in the additional money that has been given to Departments right across the piece. She is right that we must make the necessary investment over the next few years if we are to tackle climate change and ensure economic growth in the future.

I followed up the above oral question with a written question:

25 Mar 2008 : Column 35W

Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the proportion of GDP that will be spent in the UK in the 2008-09 financial year on measures to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. (195240)

Angela Eagle: The Government use a package of policy instruments to reduce emissions. Spending measures are important, but form only one element alongside, for example, regulation, fiscal measures and trading schemes. These stimulate behaviour change and investment both here and outside the UK. The Government do not make an annual estimate of the amount spent in the UK on reducing carbon dioxide emissions, though it does publish annual emissions data.

However, modelling has been conducted for the Energy White Paper to assess the potential costs to the UK economy from meeting its long-term targets. Analysis for the 2020 target suggests that (under a hypothetical scenario and subject to appropriate caveats) acting unilaterally, UK GDP will be lower by 1.7 per cent. in 2020 compared with no action; that acting multilaterally reduces this impact to 1.3 per cent. of UK GDP in 2020; and that achieving a 30 per cent. reduction in carbon emissions would cost 0.6 per cent. of GDP in 2020 if the UK purchased abatement abroad.