Weekly Parliamentary round up

In the past week I spoke four times in Parliament on a range of issues. On Wednesday, I spoke in a Westminster Hall debate about the increasing challenge of growth in the private rented sector in Hackney. There is little opportunity for many to buy their own properties in Hackney, rents are increasing and much of our social housing is now owned by private landlords. I pressed the minister to act and to look at pressing mortgage lenders to be more flexible.

I challenged the Prime Minister on GCSE requirements for university entry during Prime Ministers’s questions on Wednesday. Many universities have rejected hard-working Hackney students from poor backgrounds as they only have C grades in mathematics at GCSE level. I will continue to follow this issue to ensure Hackney students are given the same opportunities as other students to enter higher education.

With many vital resoration and repair works happening in Parliament, this week I once again called for the temporary relocation of Parliament to allow for the modernisation and culture change that is needed in Westminster.

Finally I spoke about the important role that university technical colleges play, particularly in Hackney, and urged the government to remove the hurdles to their success.