I am a member of a number of All Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs), which are drawn from both MPs and Members of the House of Lords. APPG's discuss matters on a specific topic or area, and are drawn from both the Government and Opposition parties.
APPGs frequently meet with outside experts or interested parties in order to provide representation to the Government on matters relevant to the groups interest. There are over 500 APPG's each of which will focus on a particular subject.
I am currently a member of the following All Party Parliamentary Groups and if you wish to know any more about the work of a particular one, please contact me.:
Vaping (Chair & Founding Member)
The APPG for E-Cigarettes aims to explore the most appropriate parliamentary and regulatory response to e-cigarettes, and to raise education and literacy amongst policy makers regarding e-cigarettes and related public policy questions.
Commons and Lords Rugby Union Football Club (Chair)
Functions as the Parliamentary Rugby Union Football Team, promoting the sport with Parliament and between national Parliaments and within the community.
Packaging Manufacturing Industry (Chair)
Promotes a better understanding of UK packaging manufacture, looking at issues facing industry from regulation and promotes the UK as a centre of excellence for packaging manufacture.
District Councils (Chair & Founding Member)
Promotes the interests of district councils by supporting closer working with parliamentarians and raises awareness of the opportunities for districts in shaping the evolving local government agenda.
Funeral and Bereavement (Vice-Chair)
Provides a forum for the discussion of funeral and bereavement issues and concerns.
Motorcycle Speedway (Secretary)
Discusses issues related to the sport of Motorcycle Speedway and provides a point of contact between speedway and Parliament.
Professional Sales (Vice Chair)
The APPG for Professional Sales works to improve skills, attract the right people into the profession and ensure ethics and standards are a constant so that selling can make a bigger contribution to the success of the economy.
Electric Vehicles
Considers issues relating to manufacturing, energy supply, infrastructure requirements, and safety of electric vehicles. The group also discusses the impacts of automated vehicles, low carbon fuels and other forms of electric mobility.
Air Ambulances
Looks to raise the quality of care, effectiveness and efficiency of the Air Ambulance Services for Patients through closer engagement with political leaders and policy makers.
Energy Intensive Industries
Discusses issues surrounding efficient energy users, carbon pricing strategies, security of supply, manufacturing incentives, infrastructure and planning issues.
Small and Micro Businesses
Promotes the objectives of micro businesses to a parliamentary audience and offers a forum where micro business employers and employees can come together to discuss issues of concern to this sector.
Cycling
Promotes the use of bicycles as a mode of transport both inside and outside Parliament.
Rugby Union
Promotes the sport of Rugby Union.
Taxis
Supports and promotes the interests of the taxi trade in parliament.
Housing and Planning
Provides a forum to assist and inform Members of both Houses about the implications of housing developments for both urban and rural areas by providing Members with access to information and opportunities for informed debate.
Local Government
Discusses issues of interest or concern to parliamentarians about local government and it's role in legislation.
West Midlands
Promotes the West Midlands in Parliament.
Local Growth, Local Enterprise Partnerships and Enterprise Zones
This APPG provides a forum within Parliament to consider issues around local growth including local enterprise partnerships and enterprise zones, raises awareness of such issues and ensure parliamentarians are informed of them and promotes the importance of local growth in Parliament.
Social Mobility
Discusses and evaluates key issues and indicators of social mobility and barriers to it. Holds seminars and meetings to present and highlight the latest research on social mobility.
Small Business Group
Furthers the aims of small businesses and provides feedback on issues related to small businesses to Parliament.
Manufacturing
Encourages the exchange of knowledge and understanding between Parliament and the manufacturing industries. It also helps to raise the profile of manufacturing both inside and outside of Parliament.
Interest Rate Swap Mis-Selling
Examines and addresses the impact of mis-sold interest rate swap products to UK small and medium sized businesses.
Chess
Promotes, publicises and seeks support for the game of chess.