Carers Rights Day 2021

Get heard in the UK Parliament 

To mark Carers Rights Day in November we were joined by Lynn Hobson (Outreach Officer) from UK Parliament for a session to find out how to get heard in UK Parliament about issues that matter to you.

Points from this useful session are summarised below, and the full presentation and further information is available by contacting us.

There are several ways to get your voice heard: 

  • Contact your MP. 

Your MP represents everyone in the constituency, they ask the government questions and they work for you. 

York Central MP is Rachael Maskell, and York Outer MP is Julian Sturdy. 

  • Contact a Member of the House of Lords. 

Many are independent, there is no party majority, and Members of the Lords use their expert knowledge to improve new laws. 

You can search to identify those with a particular interest in the issue you are raising. 

What issue would you like to raise? 

Consider the issue and be able to communicate why it’s important to you, and why it should be important to your MP or Member of the Lords too. 

What would you like them to do? 

You can ask your MP or Member of the Lords to ask a parliamentary question to government ministers. 

You can ask your MP or Member of the Lords to raise or speak in a parliamentary debate. 

  • Petitions: 

You can start or sign a petition about a specific issue that is important to you. 

Petitions with over 10,000 signatures receive a response from the government. 

Petitions with over 100,000 signatures are considered for a debate in Parliament. 

  • Select Committees: 

Small groups of MPs or Members of the House of Lords that are set up to investigate a specific issue in detail or to perform a specific scrutiny role. 

Select committees publish their findings in a report and the government is expected to respond to any recommendations that are made. 

  • All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs): 

Informal, cross-party groups formed by MPs and Members of the House of Lords who share a common interest in a particular policy area, region or country. They are not involved in formal decision making. 

How you can take action: 

Vote in elections. 

Contact your MP or chosen Member of the House of Lords to campaign for change in law or policy. 

Start or sign a petition. 

Contribute to Select Committee inquiries or sign up for specific committee updates. 

More information: 

House of Commons Enquiry Service: 0800 112 4272 

House of Lords Enquiry Service: 0800 223 0855