Queen's Speech debate in Commons - Guildford MP speaks out for her constituents

2.00.41pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 1st Dec 2004

In the first day of Debate on forthcoming legislation as set out in the Queen's Speech in Parliament , Sue Doughty MP called on the Government to listen to her constituents' concerns about road safety, law and order, the environment, affordable housing, sustainability, mental health, and climate change:

In her own speech:

• Starting with the Road Traffic Bill, Sue stressed the impact of road traffic accidents on the Guildford community, especially those involving serious spinal injury, and the vital service to victims locally provided by Roadpeace and Headway Surrey. Accident black spots, such as those on the A 281 in Shalford and Clay Lane in Burpham, need urgent attention by those who design our roads in the Highways Agency and Surrey County Council.

• Going on to her support for the Safer and Cleaner Communities Bill, she pointed to neighbourhood problems in areas like Bellfields, and the need for the government to provide thorough and constructive solutions that invested in people and provided better and more relevant youth facilities. On-the-spot fines by council officials - as proposed - would not work in practice; better solutions were needed.

• On the lack of affordable housing in Guildford: Sue insisted that there must be much clearer Government support for key workers and better housing for those on housing benefit.

• Turning to environmental sustainability and improvement of people's living space, Sue challenged the Government to do more in its forthcoming legislation to implement its sustainability agenda in its own buildings, hospitals, universities, schools and colleges. In Guildford itself more needed to be done to address the perennial nuisances of road noise from the A 3, and railway use of over-loud train horns at unsocial hours, which caused misery to many.

• Sue welcomed the proposed consultations on Mental Health, but stressed the need for legislation with proper funding so that progress could actually happen.

• Finally, Sue looked forward to the UK's imminent G8 presidency, and her hope that that Government would have climate change as the top item on their agenda, and would provide parliamentary time for a proper debate on environmental issues.