Petition - Education Maintenance Allowance
Peter Soulsby: A few weeks ago, my right hon. Friend the Member for Leicester East (Keith Vaz), supported by my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester West (Liz Kendall) and me, launched a city-wide petition against the Government's proposals to abolish the education maintenance allowance. Last week my right hon. Friend presented a petition presented by those who study at Gateway college in his... More...

Westminster Hall debate : Forestry Commission
Peter Soulsby: I understand the Minister's reluctance to give the names of those who might serve on the panel, but surely he will accept that it is important that those who have spoken out so strongly on behalf of woodlands and forests have their voice heard on that panel. Will he at this stage agree to ensure that on that panel are members of the public and local campaign groups who have been speaking so... More...

Oral Answers to Questions - Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Forests
Peter Soulsby: I have read the consultation paper. I have also read the impact assessment, which shows that the selling of our forests and dismantling of the Forestry Commission has nothing to do with the costs or the benefits. We know that the Government are not listening to the big society or the community, because community groups are desperately worried about having to take on responsibility for their... More...

Opposition Day — Public Forest Estate (England)
Peter Soulsby: The Forestry Commission is a British success story. I say that deliberately, because although we are talking about England's forests, as my hon. Friend Mark Lazarowicz reminded us, the Forestry Commission operates throughout the United Kingdom, and weakening it, as the Government are doing in the measures before us, will have an impact throughout the UK. More of this debate using the links below.

1 Westminster Hall debate- backbench business — Parliamentary Reform
Peter Soulsby: Thank you, Mr Benton. It is a pleasure to reply to this debate on behalf of the Procedure Committee. As the Minister has reminded Members, I do so because of the illness of the right hon. Member for East Yorkshire (Mr Knight), who is the Chair of our Select Committee but who had all the symptoms of flu last night... More...

Written Answers - Environment Food and Rural Affairs: Forestry Commission
Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the monetary value was of bills to the Forestry Commission from selling agents for incomplete asset sales since May 2010; and how many such bills the Commission has received during that period... More...

Written Answers - Environment Food and Rural Affairs: Forestry Commission
Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the inclusion of woodlands designated by the Forestry Commission as heathland in that body's disposals programme; and what recent submissions she has received on this matter... More...

Written Answers - Environment Food and Rural Affairs: Forestry Commission
Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many designated ancient woodlands have been removed from the Forestry Commission's disposals programme since May 2010; and what estimate has been made of the effects of such removals on the Forestry Commission's budget deficit for the financial year 2010-11... More...

Oral Answers to Questions - Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Tree Planting
Peter Soulsby: Two hundred and fifty thousand a year sounds like a lot of trees, but not when compared with the estimated 250 million trees-1,000 times as many-owned by the Forestry Commission in England, much of which the Government are intent on selling off and putting at risk. Will the Secretary of State tell us what she will say to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, who is actively campaigning against... More...

Business of the House
Peter Soulsby: In Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs questions, the Minister with responsibility for forestry made several references to the 1% of Forestry Commission land that has been sold off in recent years. Those routine sales are dwarfed by the fire sale of our English forests that the Public Bodies Bill, which is currently in the other place, makes possible. May we have a separate...More...

Westminster Hall debate - Shoreline Management Plans
Peter Soulsby: I, too, congratulate the hon. Member for Suffolk Coastal (Dr Coffey) on securing this timely debate on shoreline management plans. She began by telling us that hers is the only constituency with the word "coastal" in its name. More...

Westminster Hall debate
Peter Soulsby: I referred, at the conclusion of my remarks, to the loss of staff and expertise from Natural England, the Environment Agency and local government. The Minister referred to the role of Natural England as enabling and supporting Government. Will he provide reassurance that the Department is aware if that role is to be played, Natural England needs experts to offer the support that is... More...

Commons Debate : Business of the House
Peter Soulsby: In response to my question last week, the Leader of the House kindly agreed to arrange for the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to publish a list of land owned by the Forestry Commission in each constituency. We now have that list, and it shows that more than 170 constituencies will be affected by the fire sale of our national assets. More...

Fixed-Term Parliaments Bill (Programme): Clause 2
Peter Soulsby: On the point about providing clarity, does my hon. Friend agree that it is vital that amendment 37 is passed? Without that, it is not clear what would happen as a result of a vote of no confidence. Amendment 37 makes it clear what follows from that and provides that necessary clarity in what might otherwise be a very uncertain period. More...

Draft Legislative & Regulatory Reform (Regulatory Functions) (Amendment) Order 2010
Peter sits as a member of the committee considering the Draft Legislative and Regulatory Reform (Regulatory Functions) (Amendment) Order 2010. This is one of the important committees who are looking at what reforms should be made to various regulatory bodies.
You can read the publication giving details of the last meeting here.

Business of the House
Peter Soulsby: In view of the discussions about the future of our national forestry taking place in the other place as part of the Public Bodies Bill, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has been asked to produce a list of Forestry Commission land by constituency. More...

Written Answers - Education: Education Maintenance Allowance
Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many young people in each local authority ward in Leicester South constituency receive education maintenance allowance. More...

As a Shadow Minister for the Environment, Peter attended the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) Questions on 4 November 2010. Peter asked questions on Natural England which is an independent public body that protects and improves the natural environment. “Natural England is the nation's principle conservation agency and our champion of biodiversity. In the name of reform, the Government are leaving it with no choice but to hand over 140 national nature reserves to anyone who will take them on, to put our network of national trails up for grabs and to cut back on the expert support that is vital to delivering the environmental stewardship schemes. We are talking about the nation's front line in protecting our environment. The Government claim to be the greenest ever, but is not the reality that the Secretary of State is prepared to sacrifice Natural England and our precious environment in a bid to win friends and credit at the Treasury?” The Secretary of State for the Environment, Caroline Spelmen, responded: “I should like to countermand those suggestions. Natural England, in common with all the arm's-length bodies in the DEFRA delivery network, is taking a pro rata reduction.

Peter at the dispatch box November 4 2010. Click on photo for enlargement It is required to make efficiency savings in the same way as the core Department has to. None the less, there will be no changes in Natural England's statutory functions. It will cease to undertake some activities, such as lobbying and policy making, which should rightly be the domain of the Department at the centre. Consideration is being given to options for improving the management of our national nature reserves because that is consistent with a big society approach.”

Oral Answers to Questions - Home Department: Community Support Officers
Peter Soulsby: : In recent years community support officers have become a vital part of the policing team, particularly in the delivery of crime prevention and genuine community policing. There can be nothing more front-line than that... More...

Elected Mayors: Westminster Hall debates
Peter Soulsby: : On boundaries, can the Minister take this opportunity to confirm that the proposals that are likely to come forward for the 12 cities are likely to be based on the existing boundaries of those cities? There have been rumours that there may be extensive extensions of some areas. More of this debate using the links below.

Oral Answers to Questions - Health: Audit Commission
Peter Soulsby: May I remind the Secretary of State that the auditor for Westminster was appointed and supported by the Audit Commission? What assurance can he give us that the rigour that was shown by that auditor will be repeated in future when auditors are appointed and chosen by local authorities themselves, inevitably leading to cosy relationships? More...

Commons debate: Delegated Legislation: Backbench Business
Peter Soulsby: Does the hon. Gentleman agree that it is important that Ministers take responsibility not only for the overt statements that they make themselves, but for the covert leaks made on their behalf? More...

Commons debate: British Waterways
Peter Soulsby: I very much welcome what the Minister is saying about the future of British Waterways, but does he accept that if it is to have the sustainable future that he talks about, it is vital that it takes with it its assets and its current property, and that they are not ripped out by his friends in the Treasury before the transfer takes place? More...

Westminster Hall debate: Paediatric Cardiac Surgery
Peter Soulsby: I, too, congratulate my hon. Friend on obtaining this timely debate and on how she is expressing her concerns. She obviously has considerable understanding and experience of and expertise in these matters. Will she join me in asking the Minister to give an assurance that cost will not be the overwhelming issue that drives the decisions, and that the concerns, fears and wishes of parents and... More...

Business of the House: Backbench Business Committee
Peter Soulsby: Would it not be even more absurd, because it would not be the same person every time? As I understand the proposals, it would be just a committee member making a brief statement, with no debate, no opportunity for questions and, frankly, no purpose... More...

Westminster Hall debate - High Speed Rail
Theresa Villiers: ...support has been reflected in many speeches this morning, and I welcome the contributions from not only the hon. Member for Edinburgh North and Leith, but from the hon. Member for Leicester South (Sir Peter Soulsby)... More...

Business of the House
Peter Soulsby: Does the hon. Gentleman agree that the time that has been spent on debating the absence of the Standing Orders from the motion would have been better spent debating the Standing Orders themselves? More...

Written Answers - Health: Diabetes: Health Services
Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many people with diabetes have been referred to a dietician for specialist dietary advice in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) age, (b) sex and (c) primary care trust area; (2) how many people with diabetes have seen a dietician for specialist dietary advice... More...

Business of the House
Peter Soulsby: The Leader of the House has referred to the shadow Foreign Secretary's refusal to appear before a Select Committee despite being prepared to answer questions on BBC radio. Does she agree that we need to have an urgent debate about the powers of Select Committees to summon Members before them to answer legitimate questions-particularly questions about their knowledge of the circumstances... More...

Oral Answers to Questions - Transport: Topical Questions
Peter Soulsby: In answer to an earlier question, the Under-Secretary of State for Transport, my hon. Friend the Member for Ipswich (Chris Mole), spoke about the improved information for passengers about the best fares that are available to them. Does he not agree, however, that providing the best possible fare ought to be an absolute obligation on train operating companies and a condition of their... More...

Oral Answers to Questions - Work and Pensions: Carer's Allowance
Peter Soulsby: I greatly welcome the Minister's response to that question, and his recognition that there is much more to do to promote the take-up of this benefit, but does he accept that the level of take-up is not yet acceptable? Many more people could be benefiting from the allowance if they knew about it, and the Government need to look further into providing innovative ways of promoting take-up. More...

Business of the House: High Speed Rail
Peter Soulsby: It is clear from what other Members have said that high speed rail is the future, but it is not, of course, the immediate future. Is it not important for investment in the conventional rail network to continue in the meantime? Does my right hon. Friend agree that if the east midlands is to gain the full benefit of high speed trains, the midland main line needs to be electrified so that it can... More...

Oral Answers to Questions - Electoral Commission Committee:
Voter Registration (Young People)
Peter Soulsby: I welcome the measures that the hon. Gentleman has just mentioned, but does he agree that registering people to vote is far too important to be done on the cheap, and that there is no substitute in many parts of the country and with many target groups for knocking on doors, finding out who lives there and making sure that they are registered to vote? More...

Business of the House: Chair (Terminology)
Peter Soulsby: On the election of the members and the Chair of the Procedure Committee, does the Leader of the House accept that it would be very odd if the House was not to elect those members, given the increased role that the Procedure Committee will have? It will have a crucial role in taking forward these reforms in future, so is this not a matter of the Wright Committee having left this out by... More...

Written answers and statements
Peter Soulsby: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when he expects to make an announcement on Leicester city council's bid for Kickstart funding for services in 2010-11. More...