The RSPB have launched a campaign calling on Parliamentarians to support legally binding targets to reverse the decline in biodiversity experienced across the country since the 1970s. During this time, 41% of UK species have declined in number and the rate of species decline is accelerating faster than at any point in history. Barry voiced his support for the campaign, highlighting that humans are irrevocably linked to nature and we need legally binding targets to reverse species decline to show leadership in advance of COP15. You can read more about the RSPB campaign for a State of Nature target here and watch Barry’s video message below.
Barry gives closing remarks in Democracy Forum seminar
As Chair of The Democracy Forum, Barry often has the pleasure of giving closing remarks to their wonderfully informative seminars.
This seminar was entitled ‘Shifting focus on the Indo-Pacific: does it hold the key to containing China?’.
This seminar took place on the same day as the inaguration of Joe Biden, and Barry spoke of his hope that President Biden will look to de-escalate conflicts and tensions in the world.
You can listen to Barry’s closing remark below.
Barry addresses International Renewable Energy Agency conference on how to secure a just transition
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) held its annual ‘Public-Private Dialogue’ last week with the theme ‘COVID-19 as a game changer: Actions needed to accelerate the pace of the energy transition.’ Barry was joined by representatives from the energy industry and trade unions including:
Alan Heywood, Director of Group Strategy - BP
Sharan Burrow, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation
Gonzalo Saenz de Miera, Climate Change Director - Iberdrola
Shri Jatindra Nath Swain, Chairman & Managing Director, Solar Energy Corporation of India, Government of India
Barry’s interventions focused firstly on the UK’s renewable energy plans outlined by Boris Johnson’s ‘Green Industrial Revolution’, including investment in conventional renewables such as wind, new innovations such as green hydrogen and increased electrification of transport and domestic heating. Barry then charted a path for increased collaboration between governments and the energy industry in order to secure a just transition, citing the need for realism on both sides, greater transparency from industry about their renewable plans and climate risks in addition to placing worker’s rights and union representation at the heart of the transition.
You can watch Barry’s interventions here:
Barry’s Speech for the European Union Future Relationship Bill
The debate was curtailed before The Speaker reached Barry’s slot on the Call List. This is the speech he had prepared.
Barry continues to fight for leaseholders and proposes a windfall tax on the industry to fix fire defects
Barry has spoken in the chamebr and written to the relevant Minister to speak up for his constiuents that are still being plagued by the issue of unsafe cladding.
Barry writes to Trading Standards over the sale and use of illegal fireworks
Barry has written to the Trading Standards regarding the use of excessively loud fireworks, especially over the bonfire night and diwali period.
Section 8 of The Fireworks Regulations 2004 reads “No person shall supply, or offer or agree to supply, any category 3 firework which, when used, produces a maximum A-weighted impulse sound pressure level exceeding 120 decibels...”.
Barry has asked that this matter be looked into urgently. You can see his letter below.
Barry gives passionate speech in the debate on Free School Meals
Barry has given a passionate speech in the chamber during the opposition day debate on free school meals.
The motion being debated is “That this House calls on the Government to continue directly funding provision of free school meals over the school holidays until Easter 2021 to prevent over a million children going hungry during this crisis.”
Barry spoke of the shame of the 5th richest country in the world having over 4 million children in poverty. He talked of how footballer Marcus Rashford shamed the government into providing free school meals over the summer holidays.
Barry also quoted the the words of head teachers of Brent North schools who have emailed Barry with their experiences. The overriding message from these head teachers is- Government paying for free school meals is an absolute minimum.
You can watch Barry’s speech below.
Barry writes for B&K times- "Government Must Wake Up and Smell the Novocaine"
Toothache is a pain.
Before Covid it was easy to fix.
Just go along to your local friendly dentist and they would get it sorted in no time.
But since the lockdown in March we have all heard the gruesome stories of people in agony, resorting to pliers to take out their own offending teeth. Dentists have had to take stringent precautions to keep their patients and themselves safe and have simply been unable to do the same amount of work as before.
Many NHS dentists have only done 20% of their usual treatments. And emergency treatment for those in pain is having to take priority over the everyday running repairs. What this means is that anyone who needs a crown or a bridge or simply needs to get their broken dentures repaired is finding it very difficult to get the work done.
Rarely do we think about the people behind the dentist’s surgery: the Dental Laboratory technicians – but these are the people who keep us all with functioning mouths, happy smiles and able to enjoy real food with false teeth. These NHS laboratories manufacture 80% of all crowns, bridges, dentures and implants and they are now in danger of having to close down because their work stream has dried up.
At the end of August, a Department of Health Review recommend a number of packages of support for these Dental Labs but a month later nothing has happened. We should all be concerned.
Government must wake up and smell the novocaine! It is of course right and vital that dentists themselves are supported to take care of their patients through this crisis. Dentists are the front line. But no army works without its supply chain and the dental laboratories and their technicians provide the logistical backup that keeps our dentist able to provide a full service that is about more than pain relief.
Hundreds of thousands of people up and down the country rely on this Cinderella service. Budget cuts in the NHS over the past decade have already hit their sector hard. When we eventually come out of Covid there is going to be a huge backlog of denture repairs and crowns that need to be manufactured. If we do not speak up and support them now, then this skilled workforce will simply no longer be there. Dentistry as part of the NHS could well become a thing of the past.
And that will not just be a pain in the mouth, but “a pain in the proverbial” for all of us.
Barry visits Chester Zoo as Co-chair of APPG for International Conservation
Barry went with a cross-party group of MPs to visit Chester Zoo.
Parliamentarians have demanded changes to the way Government is supporting zoos and aquariums through the coronavirus pandemic, in a forceful letter signed by 11 MPs and peers. The letter, which you can find below, organised by the APPG for Zoos and Aquariums and the APPG for International Conservation, is concerned that the financial devastation of the pandemic will hit international conservation efforts at a time Government is pushing forward a ‘world-leading’ environmental agenda.
Barry said: “The IPBES report could not be clearer. Biodiversity is declining at a faster rate than at any time in human history. The life support mechanisms upon which human life on earth depend are being unplugged one by one. Conservation has never been more important and zoos are at the forefront of that work. COVID has disrupted all this and government must act now to keep these vital conservation programmes alive.”
On the recent visit to Chester Zoo, members of the APPGs learned about the Zoo’s many conservation projects, from Asian songbirds to black rhino.
BIAZA members normally receive over 35 million visitors each year, the majority of which falls between spring and summer. This essential income goes towards the high cost of animal care and crucial wildlife conservation.
Theo Clarke MP, Co-chair of the APPG for International Conservation said: “I appreciate that the zoos and aquariums sector is facing a very difficult situation due to Covid-19. I am asking everyone to support their local zoos by visiting them. By doing this, not only will you enjoy a Covid-secure day out but at the same time you can make a real difference to the future of wildlife across the world.”
Barry visits students at Kingsbury High School
Barry visited Kingsbury High School where he was taken on a tour of the Lower School and introduced to KHS’s new Article 28 project. He was shown around the classrooms that will become the home for those students needing the extra support.
Barry then met a group of student school council speakers, who did a number of presentations for him (whilst always maintaining appropriate social distance, as you can see in the above picture). These included an introduction to UNICEF Rights Respecting School, their students’ travel plans and the importance of their safety while doing so, as well as talking to Barry about what lockdown meant for them.”
The visit was concluded by a Q&A where Barry took on questions from the students.