Phil Willis MP - Member of Parliament for Harrogate and Knaresborough

MP Calls for enquiry into Student Loan delays

Phil Willis MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, and Chair of the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee has tabled an Early Day Motion calling for a full inquiry into The Student Loans Company.

Phil Willis MP - Press Release
Contact: Helen Undy – 020 7219 3846
Date: 13th October 2009
Embargo: immediate

‘The beginning of the end for generation intern?’

Last night around 100 interns, MPs and lobbyists gathered in parliament to demand an end to the abuse of ‘generation intern’.

The event was hosted by Liberal Democrat MP Phil Willis, and featured rousing speeches from The Speaker Rt. Hon John Bercow MP, the Rt Hon. Charles Clarke MP, David Willets MP, NUS President Wes Streeting and president of the parliamentary branch of Unite, Dan Whittle.

The final swansong by the Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Committee before it became the new Science and Technology Committee was its controversial report on students and universities. At the heart of the Committee’s conclusions lay a paradox. We have in our universities some of the best brains in the world; skilled researchers and academics fearless in challenging and debunking orthodoxies. But when it came to higher education examining its own accepted beliefs, we found, in the words of the report, concerning levels of “defensive complacency”.

Following the success of the temporary skate park in the Valley Gardens the campaign for a permanent facility grows.

Phil Willis MP (LibDem, Harrogate & Knaresborough) met with local skateboarders on Monday to discuss the future of a skate park in Harrogate.

“Following the successful experiment this summer there can be no doubt that the Valley Gardens provides an ideal location.

“I was very impressed by the skateboarders that I met on Monday. All they want is a local site. Travelling to Leeds, as many have to do now, is not a long term answer.

The campaign for a permanent skate park in the Valley Gardens moves up a gear on Monday when Phil Willis MP (LibDem, Harrogate & Knaresborough) meets local skateboarders.

“The temporary park during the summer was such a success now is the right time to move the campaign on” said Phil Willis.

“I hope to meet as many potential users as possible to hear their thoughts and ideas.

Parliamentary interns are estimated to carry out around 18,000 hours of unpaid work per week. Recent research by the union, Unite, suggests that only 1% are paid minimum wage or above and 44% do not even receive expenses to cover their travel or lunch.

Phil Willis, Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, and Unite are next week inviting interns and MPs to an ‘Interns Summit’ in Parliament, calling for an end to this abuse of talented young graduates.

“Common sense at last” commented Phil Willis MP (LibDem, Harrogate & Knaresborough) on news that the Government will intervene to end the so-called rain tax.

Community and voluntary groups had faced increases in their water bills of several hundred per cent when water companies were given the go ahead to charge for surface drainage based on the surface area of roofs.

“I am delighted that the Government has announced that water companies may apply concessionary charges for community organisations such as scout groups, amateur sports clubs and faith groups” said Phil Willis.