Members of Parliament are elected to the House of Commons to represent the interests and concerns of all the people who live in their constituency, whether they voted for them at the General Election or not. They are only able to deal with issues raised by people who live in their constituency
To check if you are one of James' constituents, please enter your postcode on the Parliament website.
MPs consider and vote on legislation and use their position to ask government ministers questions about current issues.
MPs split their time between working in Parliament and working in the constituency. In Parliament, James spend his time fighting for the interests of his constituents, attending debates, scrutinising and voting on legislation, and attending meetings. He holds advice surgeries for constituents (where they can come and talk about any local issues and problems), attend meetings and community events, as well as visiting local organisations and businesses across the constituency.
When a constituent writes to James, he will write to the relevant department or official or the Minister involved. Many problems are solved in this way and he aim to respond promptly although sometimes more complex cases may take longer to resolve.
Alternatively, if a constituent is happy for the issue to be made public, he can ask an oral or written question, secure a debate or even petition Parliament itself.
Oral or Written Questions
Once a month each minister from each government department answer questions from MPs at the Despatch Box in the Chamber of the House. There is a limit to the number of questions that can be asked but James can also table a written question to the relevant government department, which are published in Hansard.
Adjournment Debates
MPs may be able to raise a constituent’s issue in a half-hour Adjournment Debate. To get an Adjournment Debate, MPs must be successful in a ballot of Members of Parliament or have the subject chosen by the Speaker. The debates are usually the last business of the day and a government minister responds at the end of the debate.
Petition
Members of Parliament can present a petition to Parliament on behalf of their constituents. The format and wording of the petition need to be in a particular way. For more information or guidance, please contact:
Clerk of Public Petitions
Journal Office
House of Commons
London SW1A 0AA
http://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/have-your-say/petitioning/public-petitions
MPs do not have any jurisdiction over local Council decisions. James can write on your behalf to the council, make representations, and ask them to look into a problem or to reconsider an issue. In the first instance though, constituents should contact their Borough or County councillor.