In the current (2009/10) Parliamentary Session, Helen has voted in 96% of divisions, which is well above the average for MPs of 68.6% (figures are for all divisions up to 20/12/09).
Indeed, since being elected in 2005, Helen’s voting attendence has been one of the highest in Parliament:
Helen has also spoken in numerous debates in the House on a range of issues from tax credits and incapacity benefit, to climate change, House of Lords Reform and the North East Regional Spatial Strategy. While Deputy Leader of the House, Helen also responded for the Government in various debates.
Helen has championed a number of Parliamentary Bills since 2005, including the Childcare Bill, the Climate Change Bill, and the Equality Bill. She has also opposed legislation to introduce ‘supercasinos’.
You can read a full record of Helen’s voting record here, and a summary of how Helen has voted on major issues is shown below:
ANIMAL WELFARE: Voted for Animal Welfare Bill
CLIMATE CHANGE: Voted for a strong climate change bill, and voted for the Energy White Paper committing the Government to reducing UK CO2 emissions by 60% by 2050.
CORPORATE MANSLAUGHTER BILL: Voted for corporate manslaughter and company homicide bill.
CORONERS AND JUSTICE BILL: Voted for Bill to make coroners services more effective and efficient
COUNCIL TAX: voted to impose limits on local authorities to increase Council Tax
COUNTER-TERRORISM BILL: Voted for Bill, and for increasing period of detention for terror suspects to 42 days.
EQUALITY BILL: Vote for Bill to eradicate discrimination on grounds of age, sex, race, religion or disability.
EXPENSES: Voted to remove right of outer-London MPs to claim second home allowance, and to increase transparency of MPs’ outside earnings.
GURKHAS RESETTLEMENT RIGHTS: Voted for Government recommendations to extend resettlement rights.
HOUSE OF LORDS REFORM: Voted for the removal of all remaining hereditary peers and voted for proposals for a 50%, 60% and 80% elected second chamber.
HUMAN FERTILISATION AND EMBRYOLOGY BILL: Voted against reduction in abortion limit from 24 weeks, voted to allow use of hybrid embryos for medical research, and voted against clause to allow ‘saviour sibiings’.
LIBSON TREATY (EU REFORM BILL): Voted for ratification and voted against subjecting treaty to a referendum
NORTHERN ROCK: Voted to take bank into public ownership.
PLANNING ACT: Voted for Act to simplify and speed up planning procedure
RACIAL AND RELIGIOUS HATRED: Voted for legislation to create new offence of incitement to religious hatred.
RENEWAL OF TRIDENT NUCLEAR DETERANT: Voted for renewal
SEXUAL EQUALITY: Voted for Sexual Orientation Equality Act.
SUPERCASINOS: Voted against proposals to increase the proposed number of supercasinos from one to eight.
SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES BILL: Voted for
TRIAL BY JURY: Voted to allow judges to sit without juries in complex fraud cases.
