You would expect human rights, arms controls and environmental policies to be central to all of the UK's foreign investments. Yet, today the findings of an Inquiry by the All Party Parliamentary Group on International Corporate Responsibility - a group I chair - will reveal that one UK government body...

A report published this week by the Foreign Affairs Select Committee has urged the government to do more to address human rights abuses resulting from the overseas activities of UK businesses by, for example, linking all government support to business to their human rights records overseas.

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Last week the IPPR proposed a new graduate scheme for social workers, run by a social enterprise Frontline which would be independent of government. Frontline would train top graduates at summer school who then would spend a year training on the job in a local authority, before committing to a...

Yesterday, Labour called an Opposition Day Debate on children's safeguarding. Every once in a while this issue gains media prominence for the most disturbing and alarming reasons but protecting those children for whom parental care has failed, who have no other option but to turn to the state,...

Today Parliamentarians will be given just a few hours to debate a Bill that boasts the impressive objective of preventing another financial crisis ever happening again in the UK.

The Financial Services Bill amends the system of financial regulation introduced by the last government, gives the chancellor the power to...

Nearly 16 years after the landmark Disability Discrimination Act gave hope to people with disabilities up and down the country, my disabled constituents still cannot travel to work, shop or see friends without risking indignity, humiliation and abuse.

Despite real improvements in access to transport, one sixth of the 12...

In questions to the Justice Secretary last week, Ken Clarke accused the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination of being 'disingenuous' for claiming that his proposals would make it more difficult for victims of human rights abuse by British-based multi-nationals to gain access to justice.

These proposals, contained...