Simon Hughes sponsors six new bills in parliament

12.00.00am GMT Tue 20th Jan 2009

Simon Hughes, MP for North Southwark and Bermondsey, is co-sponsoring six out of the twenty Private Members' Bills in this parliamentary session. The Bills, formally introduced by backbench MPs from across the political parties today, were drawn from a ballot and will be given time to progress through parliament on designated Fridays. There is a real chance that some of these bills will become law.

The Leaseholders' Rights Bill introduced by Jacqui Lait will reprise the aims of the Leasehold Reform Bill piloted by Simon Hughes himself last year. This Bill seeks to give greater rights to people living in leasehold properties bought from local councils in England and Wales. As a result, in Southwark alone, over 13,000 households would benefit from more control over the management of their homes and the timing and amount of bills for capital works and other services.

After his recent appointment as Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary for Energy and Climate Change, Simon Hughes is pleased to co-sponsor the Industrial Carbon Emissions (Targets) Bill, introduced by his colleague Charles Kennedy. This Bill makes provision for the establishment of carbon emissions performance targets for electricity generating stations.

The other four Bills co-sponsored by Simon Hughes are the Royal Marriages and Succession to the Crown (Prevention of Discrimination) Bill introduced by Dr Evan Harris, the Children in Care (Custody) Bill introduced by Stephen Crabb, the Organ Donation (Presumed Consent) Bill introduced by Jeremy Browne and the Forces Widows' Pensions (Equality of Treatment) Bill introduced by Michael Mates.