Andrew George MP at Liberal Democrat Conference – Day Three

Andrew George MP, continues his busy schedule at the Liberal Democrat Conference:

This morning,Tuesday 20th September, Andrew George MP took part in a roundtable event at the Hyatt Hotel in Birmingham, entitled ‘Making the most of the NHS’. It was jointly hosted by the British Medical Association, the Nuffield Trust, and the Royal College of Nursing. Parliamentarians and health sector professionals and experts discussed how the ways in which the NHS and the health sector might be changed by the Health & Social Care Bill.

Mr George is a Member of the Health Select Committee and has been the leading Liberal Democrat critic of the Health & Social Care Bill in the Commons, rebelling against the Government at the Third Reading vote.

Also on Tuesday morning, Andrew George MP took part in a roundtable event which was hosted by the National Housing Federation at the Hyatt Hotel in Birmingham, entitled ‘Health and home’. The NHF represents 1,200 independent not-for-profit housing associations in England. The themes of the discussion were the role played in early intervention in tackling long-term health challenges by housing associations providing good quality, affordable housing, and how the Liberal Democrats in Government can help housing associations achieve this.

Mr George is Vice-Chair of the APPG for Housing and Planning and has long campaigned on the need to alleviate Cornwall’s housing crisis by providing more affordable housing for local families.

On Tuesday afternoon Andrew George MP will be taking part in a question and answer debate session on the NHS reforms in the Birmingham ICC. The panel includes Paul Burstow MP (Minister of State for Care Services), John Pugh MP (Co-Chair, Parliamentary Party Committee on Health and Care), Baroness Williams of Crosby, Dr Graham Winyard (former Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England and Medical Director of the NHS).

Also on Tuesday afternoon, Andrew George MP will be speaking at an event hosted by New Statesman magazine at the Novotel Hotel in Birmingham,entitled ‘Responsible drinkers?’. Speakers include David Poley (Chief Executive of The Portman Group), Isabel Szmigin (Prof. of Marketing, Birmingham University), Nancy Kelley (Deputy Director of Policy and Research for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Jon Bernstein (New Statesman). The themes of the discussion will be alcohol consumption, personal responsibility, and the Government’s role in tackling the consequences of the misuse of alcohol.

Mr George is a Member of the Health Select Committee.

Also on Tuesday afternoon, Andrew George MP will be attending an event, hosted by Dignity in Dying at the Hyatt Hotel in Birmingham, entitled ‘Dignity in dying’. The theme of the discussion will be, fifty years on from the Suicide Act 1961, to see if there is held to be a difference between assisted dying and assisted suicide.

Later on this afternoon, Andrew George MP will be proposing an Amendment to the ‘Quality of Life’ Motion at Liberal Democrat conference in the Birmingham ICC. Mr George will be tabling an amendment seeking to ensure that Government policies dealing with ‘quality of life’ issues have regard to the need for environmentally sustainable development through which environmental, social and economic needs are balanced, as an integral component of quality of life.

Mr George is Chair of the Liberal Democrat Defra and Decc Teams in the Commons.

This evening, Andrew George MP will be Chairing this event hosted by the Association of Convenience Stores in the Birmingham ICC, entitled ‘Can localism save the High Street?’. The theme of the discussion will be local shops, and what can be done by the Liberal Democrats within Government to support the future of diverse and vibrant high streets.

Mr George is Chair of the Liberal Democrat Defra Team in the Commons and is Chair of the Grocery Market Action Group (GMAG). The GMAG is an umbrella organisation of NGOs, charities and trade bodies that has successfully campaigned for Government to introduce legislation to create a Supermarket Adjudicator to ensure that supermarkets do not abuse their market power against the interests of customers and suppliers.