Jenny Willott MP

Local MP Jenny Willott and AM Eluned Parrott have welcomed the news that 4,106 self employed people in Cardiff Central will benefit from pension reforms being debated by MPs this week, which will bring in a simpler, fairer state pension for future pensioners.

Introduced by Liberal Democrat Pensions Minister Steve Webb, the new single tier pension will treat self employed people fairly for the first time: in the past, self employed people missed out on a higher state pension because they could not qualify for the second state pension, despite having paid National Insurance contributions all their lives. This left them relying on a basic state pension of just £107 a week. Under the new system, anyone who has 35 years of working or caring will qualify for a decent, flat rate pension of £144 a week.

Jenny Willott, MP for Cardiff Central, has responded to the Government consultation into the relationship between pub companies (pubcos) and tenants.

The consultation examines the Government's proposals for a statutory code of practice and adjudicator for the pubco-tenant relationship, aimed at ensuring fair rents and beer prices for tied publicans.

Dear Sir,

I want Cardiff to have an up-to-date, comfortable, fuel-efficient bus service and I know many will appreciate Cardiff Bus upgrading its fleet.

However, I am concerned that this modernisation is coming at an unacceptable cost - Cardiff Bus has had to take a £1 million loan from the Council to pay for the upgrade, and at the same time is cutting vital routes upon which many people depend, including the X91 bus route.

Jenny Willott, Lib Dem MP for Cardiff Central, has been nominated for the Patchwork Foundation's MP of the Year Award for her work with disadvantaged and minority communities.

MPs are nominated by individuals or grassroots community organisations and selected by an independent panel of judges. The award, in association with Mosaic Associates, Three Faiths Forum and UpRising, aims to promote and highlight best practice in helping deprived and minority communities to positively integrate into British society.

Jenny Willott, MP for Cardiff Central, has joined the campaign to open up the Reserves to retired Gurkhas.

The MoD plans to integrate 30,000 fully-trained Reserves into the Regular Army by 2020, but at present the well-respected Gurkhas, as Nepalese citizens, do not have a Reserve liability, unlike other soldiers.

SIR - This week MPs at Westminster voted on the Energy Bill. I received literally hundreds of emails, letters and phone calls from constituents asking me to support an amendment to set a 2030 decarbonisation target in 2014.

I completely understand their concerns as I also want to see the UK make rapid progress towards cleaner energy. But there is a real danger that people are overlooking the really radical changes the Bill introduces by focusing solely on this one issue.

Jenny Willott MP goes back to school for My Money Week

Kings Monkton School in Cardiff welcomed Jenny Willott MP into their lessons today, as part of its involvement in My Money Week 2013.

A key supporter of My Money Week, the MP for Cardiff Central joined pupils from year 8 of the independent school as they learnt more about money and personal finance.

Jenny Willott, MP for Cardiff Central, has questioned the lack of clarity around the purchase of further Enterprise Zone development land by the Welsh Government, as well as the snail's pace at which progress has been made.

"Taxpayers have a right to know what plans Cardiff Council and the Welsh Government have to attract companies to these office buildings. Spending millions only for them to be left standing empty would be a disgrace.

Assistant Whip for the Coalition Government, Jenny Willott MP, has called on the Welsh Labour Government's Minister for Poverty, Huw Lewis AM, to clarify whether he supports Ed Balls' intention to introduce a regional benefits system which would penalise people in Wales.

In a speech today, Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls MP said that Labour wants a system that "takes account of housing costs in different parts of the country - with an independent body, like the Low Pay Commission, advising on whether the cap should be higher in high-cost housing areas like London, but potentially lower in other parts of the country".

This week, 1-7 June 2013, is Volunteer Week 2013. Now in its 29^th year, Volunteers' Week is a nationwide week to celebrate the work of millions of volunteers who give up their time to help others.

Organisations will be taking the opportunity to recognise the contribution of their volunteers through holding awards ceremonies, recruitment fairs, celebration events, training opportunities and volunteer taster sessions.