Parliament

The ‘Generation Inspired?’ manifesto is based on a late 2012 survey the charity conducted of its young Ambassadors and their parents - asking them about their hopes for a Paralympic legacy, and their ideas to improve opportunities for young disabled people. A copy of the report and a petition to affect its recommendations were also taken toNo.10 Downing Street.

During Work and Pensions Oral Questions on Monday (28 January), Steve asked the Minister for Pensions, Steve Webb MP, whether the Government was happy with its proposed pension reforms, as outlined in the draft Pensions Bill; despite many working women born between 6 April 1952 and 6 July 1953 predicted to lose out under the changes while men in the same age group will not.

Steve drew the Minister’s attention to the plight of one of his constituents, a teacher who will lose thousands of pounds because of when her birthday falls.

Steve was one of more than 125 MPs to show their support for Britain’s threatened bees. Last year Friends of the Earth launched its Bee Cause campaign, which has been backed by more than 80,000 people and calls for the Government to urgently to introduce a National Bee Action Plan aimed at saving our bees.

Bees are not only makers of honey, they are also crucial for pollinating crops and plants. A sharp fall in their number in recent years has led to growing concerns about the impact this may have on our local environment, farmers and the economy.

In the past working-age benefits and tax credits have been up-rated each April in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The Government plans instead to up-rate the majority of these benefits by 1% for the next three years. This exposes those on modest incomes to ‘inflation risk’, if the current forecasts of inflation are accurate this will mean a cumulative 4% real cut in the benefits affected.