In Parliament BIS Committee Alongside the usual votes on Government business I've been particularly busy this last few weeks with the Business Innovation and Skills Select Committee. We are continuing to take evidence on our investigation into the the Government's Kay review on equity markets and long term decision making in businesses. This rather dry sounding topic is vitally important as it was the lack of long term focus by banks and businesses that played a big part in the banking crisis of 2008. This last week the Business Innovation and Skills Select Committee has also interviewed the new Groceries adjudicator whose job will be to enforce the groceries code of practice and ensure that our farmers and other suppliers get a fair deal. With the horse meat scandal still ongoing the role of supermarkets is again front and centre and having listened to Christine Tacon give evidence I am sure she will do an excellent job. The legislation to create this position and give it real teeth also returned for voting in the Commons this week so we are well on the way to getting this important role (which was a manifesto promise) up and running. Backbench business debate This past week I also managed to obtain a backbench business debate on an important issue, the recognition of the Kurdish genocide in Iraq. From the 1960s through to 1990 Saddam Hussein and the B'ath party waged a systematic campaign of persecution against the Kurds in Iraq. In all more than a million people "disappeared", most presumed killed and it was this persecution that led to my own family fleeing Iraq to the safe haven of the UK. The atrocities culminated in the terrible "Anfal-campaign" which saw Saddam drop bombs armed with mustard gas and the nerve agents VX and Tabun on his own people. 5,000 people were killed and another 7,000 were afflicted with long term injuries. The recognition of these acts as genocide is vitally important in today's environment. What's happening in Syria shows us that a dictator will push the boundaries, and kill their own people if they think they can get away with it. Formally recognising the persecution of the Kurds as genocide will send a strong message to dictators the world over that such actions are unacceptable and I was delighted with the fact that the house unanimously passed my motion. Legislation and votes In the past week we've voted, amongst other things on the Children's and Families Bill, the Gorceries adjudicator bill, an opposition day debate on under-occupancy (The so called bedroom tax, which means that those on housing benefit in social housing will now receive the same treatment as housing benefit recipients in the private rented sector and only receive benefits for the space they need) and local government finance motions. In the Media I appeared on the Midlands edition of Sunday politics discussing the government's work experience scheme, HS2 compensation and the latest investigations into high death rates in hospitals. I also discussed the loss of the country's triple A credit rating on 5Live with John Redwood MP. Finally I appeared on a special newsnight programme 10 years on from the invasion of Iraq. In the constituency As always it's been very busy in the constituency but here's a few highlights I spoke at the Stratford Business Forum's third anniversary meeting. I've had the pleasure of addressing them on every anniversary so far (and was even at their first meeting as a prospective Conservative candidate) and they're a fantastic group that foes from strength to strength. I met with Warwickshire County Council Officers and Councillor Ron Cockings to discuss approaches to reducing congestion in Stratford. I did an interview for Stratford TV (You can watch it here) I met with both the Henley in Arden and Stratford NFU branches and was delighted to have some good news to give them in the form of the groceries adjudicator and the announcement from the Secretary of State that the badger cull to control Bovine TB will be going ahead. The announcement that Tesco would be sourcing more of their meat from the UK and particularly all their chicken was also a positive step forward for farmers in the past few weeks. I met with Shipston Home Nursing to discuss their fundraising efforts, particularly with the business community. I opened phase 1 of the new unit at Quinton Home Nursing. This was particularly nice as the last time I visited there it was just a paper plan on the wall. I met with Sharon Walker and David Lloyd of the White Lion pub in Alcester (and their customers) to learn more about the community hero award they recently won. And I held surgeries in Stratford and Alcester. Eastleigh by-election It would be a little remiss of me not to mention one of the biggest political stories in the last few weeks namely the results of Thursday's by-election. There's no doubt that this was a disappointing result for us, but as an ex-pollster I can tell you that in mid-term elections people want to register a protest vote. In fact Lord Ashcroft's polling of 754 Eastleigh residents after the polls closed showed that 75 per cent of those that voted UKIP said they did so "as a general protest against all the main parties". The same poll showed that whilst 22% of 2010 Conservative voters voted UKIP so did 19% of 2010 Lib Dem voters. It's clear they are the new party of protest. I'm confident that in the General election we can win those people back by showing that we're delivering for everyone that works hard and wants to get on. That's why we're reducing our deficit, reforming welfare, improving education and cutting immigration. Just this week we've had great news on immigration with new figures showing that net migration has fallen by a third. Our policies are working, what we have to do is make sure we get out there and tell people what we're doing and importantly how it's working. People also need to remember that splitting the right of centre vote allows europhile left wing parties through. The only party capable of delivering a government that is promising a referendum is the Conservative party, there's no chance of a referendum with the Lib Dems, if anything they are more likely to take us closer to adopting the Euro (Something Ed Milliband has never ruled out as well!). Voting on Equal Marriage Wednesday 6th February 2013 Unfortunately due to a long standing personal commitment in the USA I was unable to take part in yesterday's debate and vote. However I have always been and remain a strong supporter of the Conservative party's plans to introduce equal marriage. Like many Conservatives I believe that marriage makes society stronger; the vows of marriage made between two people are more than just words and bind them together in so much more than a legal contract. As a result I believe this important institution, in its civil form, should also be open to same sex couples. Ultimately it cannot be right that two couples can currently go into the same room and speak essentially the same words in a ceremony officiated by the same person, but one couple leaves married and the other does not. Whilst I recognise that people have very strong views on both sides of the argument, this is a policy that has strong acceptance across the country with 73% of the public supporting same sex marriage if religious freedoms are protected. Whilst backing within the Conservative party membership may be lower, I do not think that should stop us from doing something that is in the interest of a stronger society and that is supported by so much of the electorate. Last night's vote on a second reading was on the principle of the bill, a principle I support, so had I been there I would have voted in favour. That isn't to say the bill is perfect and there aren't still legitimate concerns to be resolved. However that is what the Parliamentary process is for and I am confident that the detailed scrutiny of the Bill during committee stage and its passage through the Lords will address these. The Government has already stated it will be talking again with the Church of England and made clear that the Committee will be taking evidence from the clergy, something it would not have been able to do if the Committee was held on the floor of the house. I am confident that we will get this right and in years to come I hope we will be proud of our achievements in this bill of protecting religious freedoms whilst extending the great institution of marriage to all in our society.