Early Day Motion: Post-service Housing

[DozyBint]

This matter is dealt with on a thread concurrently running on ARRSE (see here), but the Early Day Motion needs all the support it can get, so please do write to your MP:

Get off your arrse in the new year and support our young and older service personnel who need social housing when they leave the service. The current legislation discriminates against service personnel and puts them at a distinct disadvantage when competing with civilians. An early day motion is currently being signed by MPs which if carried, will help change this legislation, but we need more of them to sign it if we are to get the government to take notice. We now need your support to get this through. Go to http://www.parliament.uk/directories/hciolists/alms.cfm to find your MP and then Email your MP asking for support for this EDM. Come on ARRSERS, get of your arrse and give us some support!.

If you wish, you could always take this simple letter and copy and paste it to your MP via the link. Don't forget to place their name and yours in the pasted letter.

Dear *******

The following EDM 288 has been tabled in the House of Commons. I believe our armed forces should be given all the support they require for their civilian transition, and housing is a fundamental requirement. I hope you will show your support by signing EDM 288.

Yours sincerely,

*************

To find out who your MP is, put your post-code in here.

 

[Chalky]

Point of Order, Mr Speaker:

If your MP is a Minister of any sort, they cannot act on an early day motion as EDM's are, in essence, a request to the government of which they are a part.

However, you can ask them to encourage their back-bench colleagues to support such a motion etc.

I only mention it as i emailed my MP to support an EDM and forgot entirely that he was the Solicitor General!

 

[DozyBint]

Thanks for that, Mr. Chalk! I know that the ARRSE thread discusses the ins-and-outs of EDMs in greater detail but I just wanted to give a heads-up to the salty ones.

 

[elovabloke]

Point of Order, Mr Speaker:

If your MP is a Minister of any sort, they cannot act on an early day motion as EDM's are, in essence, a request to the government of which they are a part.

However, you can ask them to encourage their back-bench colleagues to support such a motion etc.

I only mention it as i emailed my MP to support an EDM and forgot entirely that he was the Solicitor General!

Good point Chalky however Shadow Ministers are pulling the same stunt. Due to the lack of responce on this site it appears that this is of little interest to you guys. Your support and help is needed, even emailing a Minister will let the buggers know that the AF are not happy with another area where we are being discriminated against.

Come on it's just an email and dozybint has done the hard work.

 

[Seadog]

It may be that the Early Day Motion 'index' numbers are repeated down the years. Looking up 288 on the internet lead to some decade old stuff about a factory closing or somesuch. Perhaps posters thought they might be making an arrse of themselves if they got it wrong.

Eventually found this up to date reference. I expect it is on the ARRSE link Dozy but duplication is sometimes necessary over here.


EDM 288 parliament.uk


Not much Labour support (natch) and not much support overall. E mail to my MP on its way.

 

[TattooDog]

Due to the lack of responce on this site it appears that this is of little interest to you guys.

How do you know it isn't of interest to us? Just because we haven't posted, doesn't mean that we haven't contacted our MPs. For your info, I'm waiting for a response from my MP (Peter Viggers) so I can actually post something positive.

 

[Seadog]

Agree with TatooDog. Pages of posts saying 'I'm in' and adding nothing else (feedback/insight) aren't as important as actually contacting one's MP.

 

[DozyBint]

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BUMP!

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[Hitback]

Thank you to all those that have emailed their MPs. Mr Liam Fox Shadow Defence Minister will sign on Monday. I'm also hoping Mr Mark Harper MP from the same department will also sign. We should make it to 100 signatories by the end of the month. However, we require to keep the pressure on. I have spoken with several national newspapers and TV stations and hope to get this issue to the next level soon. I have said on the armynet, and we are Tri Service. We require to stand together, shoulder to shoulder, to push this issue to the top.

Thank you again.

Regards
Hitback

 

[Chalky]

Good work, Hitback. Good work, indeed.

 

[Always_a_Civvy]

It may be that the Early Day Motion 'index' numbers are repeated down the years. Looking up 288 on the internet lead to some decade old stuff about a factory closing or somesuch. Perhaps posters thought they might be making an arrse of themselves if they got it wrong.

Eventually found this up to date reference. I expect it is on the ARRSE link Dozy but duplication is sometimes necessary over here.


EDM 288 parliament.uk


Not much Labour support (natch) and not much support overall. E mail to my MP on its way.

Seadog,

EDM numbers begin at 1 again at the start of each new Parliamentary session.

When searching for them it is important to enter the current Session (2006-07). An entry may also contain amendments. In addition should any MP decide that they wish to put down a related EDM on a similar topic it will not be cross-referenced in the EDM itself, so it is worth checking the EDMs for updates. I see the Vote Office Bundle every day which contains the EDMs so if I spot any additional Motions I will notify RR'ers through the Westminster thread in Current Affairs.

Steve.

PS: If you want to obtain your MP's email address you can either do it online or obtain the information from Vachers Parliamentary Companion which comes out quarterly (the December 2006 edition has just been issued). If anyone can't find their MP's email address and want me to find out (assuming s/he is one of those who have email - some don't) please PM me with your MP's name and Constituency - I need the latter as some MPs have the same name and you can only tell them apart by their Constituency!

 

[jpl_75]

I contacted my MP ref a prior Early Day Motion, and found as Chalky stated that he being a Minister is unable to sign an EDM, I have now as suggested sent him an E mail requesting he encourage Back benchers to sign this EDM Post-service housing.

 

[Hitback]

I should of placed this link on here before. http://www.dorries.org.uk/Story.aspx?ID=322 This is a copy of the EDM and the up to date list of signatories. The site is updated by Nadine's team. However, if this link fails to up date, I will place another one on here.

Regards
Hitback

 

[Hitback]

The following article in in the local paper for Bedford. As you will see this issue is to be brought up in the House of Commons next week. I believe Mrs Dorries MP, has pointed out the current situation very well.

http://www.seriousaboutnews.co.uk/news/bedford/2007/jan/14/ex-servicemens homelessness to be raised in parliament.lpf

What we can do is continue to email our MPs to ensure they sign EDM 288, we require to make this EDM the highest one signed this year.

Regards
Hitback

 

[Seadog]

Thank you for the lessons in Constitutional Affairs Steve. I'd figured it out but I expect some may not have bothered.

 

[Jock_of_the_sea]

Have asked Glasgow North West Mp to sign. Hitback do you know if the party leaders can at least publicly show state their support for this EDM. That would bring it to the main stage.

 

[Hitback]

I will get that confirmed later. I've got to phone the Shadow Defence Ministers team very soon.

 

[Hitback]

Party leaders are not permmitted to sign EDMs. The new list of signatories is on line now, there are more names to be added and this should happen with in the next day or so.

The support this site, Arrse and E-goat has shown has been great. We just require to keep it up. If you can email all your friends and family with EDM 288 and ask them to support this issue. I'm sure we could rase at least another 150 signatories.

Regards
Hitback

 

[Hitback]

The following has just been emailed to me by my MPs PA. I'm not sure what paper will run the article. If we want to be treated as equals when it comes to housing. We have 105 MPs who have signed the EDM, but as you are aware, there are over 600 MPs in total.

As I have stated in the past - the most effective way to get MPs to sign an EDM is through their own constituents lobbying them. We can get this legislation changed. So lets get emailing your MP.

Regards
Hitback

News Release
For Immediate Release
Thursday 25th January 2007
Nadine Dorries MP
Member of Parliament for Mid Bedfordshire

Over 100 MPs Sign Nadine’s Motion Calling For Action To Support Housing Needs Of The Armed Forces

Nadine Dorries MP – Member of Parliament for Mid Bedfordshire – has welcomed the support of over 100 Members of Parliament to a Parliamentary Motion tabled in her name calling for greater action to support the housing needs of former members of the armed forces. The Early Day Motion – (Number 288) titled Housing Provision For Former Members Of The United Kingdom’s Armed Forces – has received cross-party support from 105 MPs so far and calls for the government to review the current system for allocating housing to service veterans.

Nadine said, “I am delighted that over 100 MPs have already signed my parliamentary motion calling on the government to review the current system for allocating housing to service veterans. The support of over 100 MPs is a clear recognition that members of all political persuasions recognise the importance of this issue. In light of the significant contribution our armed forces make in defending our national interests, it is important that we recognise their commitment and professionalism in the service of our country both at home and abroad.”

“More needs to be done to ensure that local housing associations and the government are responsive to the housing needs of our servicemen and women and their families. I am calling for a review of current housing allocation policy in respect of establishing ‘local connections’ to ensure that former members of the armed forces are not discriminated against when applying for housing in the area in which they live.”

 

[Always_a_Civvy]

The following has just been emailed to me by my MPs PA. I'm not sure what paper will run the article. If we want to be treated as equals when it comes to housing. We have 105 MPs who have signed the EDM, but as you are aware, there are over 600 MPs in total.

As I have stated in the past - the most effective way to get MPs to sign an EDM is through their own constituents lobbying them. We can get this legislation changed. So lets get emailing your MP.

Regards
Hitback

News Release
For Immediate Release
Thursday 25th January 2007
Nadine Dorries MP
Member of Parliament for Mid Bedfordshire

Over 100 MPs Sign Nadine’s Motion Calling For Action To Support Housing Needs Of The Armed Forces

Nadine Dorries MP – Member of Parliament for Mid Bedfordshire – has welcomed the support of over 100 Members of Parliament to a Parliamentary Motion tabled in her name calling for greater action to support the housing needs of former members of the armed forces. The Early Day Motion – (Number 288) titled Housing Provision For Former Members Of The United Kingdom’s Armed Forces – has received cross-party support from 105 MPs so far and calls for the government to review the current system for allocating housing to service veterans.

Nadine said, “I am delighted that over 100 MPs have already signed my parliamentary motion calling on the government to review the current system for allocating housing to service veterans. The support of over 100 MPs is a clear recognition that members of all political persuasions recognise the importance of this issue. In light of the significant contribution our armed forces make in defending our national interests, it is important that we recognise their commitment and professionalism in the service of our country both at home and abroad.”

“More needs to be done to ensure that local housing associations and the government are responsive to the housing needs of our servicemen and women and their families. I am calling for a review of current housing allocation policy in respect of establishing ‘local connections’ to ensure that former members of the armed forces are not discriminated against when applying for housing in the area in which they live.”

If anyone here is unsure who their MP is or how to contact them, you can locate their details here: http://www.upmystreet.com/commons/l/