You and your MP
What I can – and cannot – do for you
In the last general election I was honoured to be re-elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for the Stevenage constituency and to take a seat in the House of Commons as one of the 646 MPs who each represent about 68 000 constituents.
My role as an MP is to represent all the people in my constituency; not just those who voted for me. Whether or not you voted for me or agree with the views of my party, I am your MP and I am still here to help you with all matters for which Parliament or central government is responsible.
This page contains information on what I can, and what I cannot, do for you as your MP. This information is derived from the House of Commons Factsheet Members/Election Series No 1, which you can download in full in Adobe Acrobat format here.
You can also download an excellent overview of
how Parliament works and how to make it work for you,
kindly provided by the
Hansard Society.
My caseworkers and I deal with a large number of problems, covering a very wide range of issues, raised by constituents. Since I was first elected in May 1997 we have been involved in more than 16,472 separate cases.
What can I do to help you?
Many people think that as an MP I am able to solve all their problems for them: unfortunately, this is not the case. MPs are there to help only with those matters for which Parliament or central government is responsible. Problems often arise with work carried out by central government departments and I will be able to help you with such areas as:
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Tax problems involving the Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise Departments (but not such areas as the council tax which is paid to your local authority); |
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Problems dealt with by the Department of Health such as hospitals and the National Health Service; |
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Problems dealt with by the Department of Social Security such as benefits, pensions and national insurance (but not problems with the social services department of the local authority); |
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Problems dealt with by the Home Office such as immigration and matters such as school closures and grants which are dealt with by the Department for Education and Employment (but not day-to-day problems involving schools which are run by their governors and your local education authority). |
I am not here to help you – and indeed cannot help you – in private disputes with other individuals or with companies who have sold you faulty goods, nor, for example, to interfere with decisions made by courts.
Constituents often bring a problem to me because they do not know who else could help them and I try my best to help them. However, if your problem really concerns the local or County Council, rather than central government, then you should contact your local council or councillor (see the Local Authorities contacts page). As I have 68,000 constituents and Parliamentary duties this places limits on the amount of time I can spend in the constituency. I can therefore be more helpful in dealing with problems that relate to me in my capacity as an MP, rather than diverting queries that should go elsewhere in the first instance.
How do you deal with problems?
Where your problem does involve central government, I have a number of methods available to try to resolve the matter. A letter from me to the relevant department or official will often provide a solution. If not, I may decide to take matters a stage further by writing to the Minister involved, or even making an appointment to see the Minister personally. Many constituentsÈ problems can be solved in this way but not all problems, of course, have an easy solution. The Minister may not be able to give the answer that you wanted to hear but if the decision has been made in the right way, there may be little that can be done.
If, on the other hand, there has been unnecessary delay, or if some essential procedure has been missed out, i.e. if there has been maladministration, I may be able to take your case to the Ombudsman (Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration). I am sometimes able to resolve such cases where there has been administrative incompetence. The Ombudsman can only be approached via an MP – you cannot approach him directly.
The Health Service Commissioner can provide similar help where the problem involves the NHS. There is also a Commissioner for Local Administration (Local Ombudsman) who deals with possible maladministration in local government matters. He should be approached through your local councillor.
Raising matters in the House
All of the methods discussed so far allow problems to be kept confidential. If I am not satisfied with the answers received I may feel that there is something to be gained by making the matter public and may want to raise the issue in the House of Commons in front of the press and public. There are a number of occasions when I may have the chance to do this. The most popular is for me to put the Minister on the spot by asking a question at Question Time one afternoon. Ministers answer questions at the Despatch Box on a rota basis and there is a limit to the number of questions which there will be time to ask, so this cannot necessarily be done on a given day and, of course, I may not be called by the Speaker.
I may also try to raise your problem in the half-hour Adjournment Debate, which is usually the last business of the day, although again there will be competition amongst MPs for the right to raise matters on adjournment and I must be successful in a ballot or have my subject chosen by the Speaker.
MPs sometimes draw attention to issues by initiating or signing Early Day Motions, commonly known as EDMs. Â Although these are almost never debated, they do allow MPs to place their opinion on a particular subject on record and to gauge support for it in the House of Commons. If an EDM garners sufficient support or receives sufficient publicity it can help to persuade Ministers to change their minds.
EDMs are only usually signed by back bench MPs and. though some Parliamentary Private Secretaries occasionally sign non-controversial ones, I do not. But my role does give me greater opportunities to raise issues with Ministers and, when I support an EDM, this is what I do.
If I become aware that your problem is a common one then I may try to gain the opportunity to introduce a Private Member's Bill. Only a very few such measures are successful but once again publicity is drawn to the matter and the Minister may be persuaded to make changes in the future.
Petitions
If you and other people feel strongly about a certain issue, you may decide to organise a petition to the House of Commons. Your petition can only be presented by an MP and must be arranged in a particular format. You can obtain advice on this here or by writing to the Clerk of Public Petitions, Journal Office, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA.
Campaigns and lobbying
MPs are often contacted by constituents campaigning on behalf of a particular cause, perhaps representing an organised pressure group. I will have to decide whether to take any action. Anyone who is intending to organise a mass lobby to the House of Commons must contact the Serjeant at Arms Department (020-7219 3060) well in advance.
My responsibilities as your MP
I generally do everything I can to help constituents, but am not able to support every cause, nor will I be able to get the desired solution to every individual problem. I may not be willing to support one constituent if in doing so I will deprive another. At times a constituent's demands may conflict with my party's policy and I will have to decide where my first loyalty should lie.
Tours of the Palace of Westminster and visits to the Strangers' Gallery
Please see the 'Visiting Parliament' page.
How do I contact you?
You can contact me via the
contact form
on this site, by letter, by telephone, or by fax.
By e-mail
Please contact me via the
contact form
on this site. I'd prefer you to use the contact form as I need your full address details to be able to respond in writing.
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You can write to me at:
Barbara Follett MP House of Commons Westminster London SW1A 0AA |
Alternatively, contact me via our local office:
Stevenage Labour Party 4 Popple Way Stevenage Hertfordshire SG1 3TG |
By telephone
You can telephone me at the Stevenage Labour Party offices at 01438 222 800.
In person
If you would like to see me personally, or if there is something you want to talk to me about, please use the
'Contact us'
page to arrange an appointment. Alternatively, you can contact my constituency office at 4 Popple Way, Stevenage SG1 3TG by telephone on 01438 222 800 or by fax on 01438 222 292.
By fax
You can fax me on 01438 222 292.
Finally, I am here to represent the interests of all the people of Stevenage and I will do so to the best of my ability.
