Alan Simpson former Labour MP for Nottingham South.

Issues

Electronic Voting

Signed an Early Day Motion in 2002 Prevention of fraud in electronic voting systems

That this House believes that no electronic system of voting should be introduced into any British election unless it is accompanied by a verifiable paper trail for every vote cast, which if needs be can be used to address any concerns that may be raised that such electronic systems are faulty, defective or used fraudulently.

Identity cards

Signed Early Day Motion 263 Identity Cards 06 June 2005

That this House believes that a convincing case for the introduction of compulsory biometric identity cards and a national database has not been made, that the risks involved far outweigh any discernible benefit, that the introduction of identity cards will fundamentally change the relationship between the citizen and the state, diminish personal privacy and threaten civil liberties, that the present proposals do not provide properly costed, proportionate or effective solutions to the problems they are claimed to solve; and calls upon the Government to shelve plans for their introduction.

Freedom of Information

Signed Early Day Motion 845 Freedom of Information 06 Febuary 2007

That this House expresses concern that the proposed new fees regulations under the Freedom of Information Act would allow authorities to refuse on cost grounds a high proportion of requests which they are currently required to answer; notes that the Government's consultation document recognises that this will have a greater impact on journalists, hon. Members, campaign groups and researchers than on private individuals; considers that such changes would undermine the Act's contribution to increased discussion of public affairs, accountability and trust in the work of public authorities; and calls on the Government not to proceed with the proposals.

Signed Early Day Motion 2699 Freedom of Information 10 December 2006

That this House welcomes the finding of the Constitutional Affairs Committee (HC991) that the Freedom of Information Act has `already brought about the release of significant new information and....this information is being used in a constructive and positive way' and the committee's conclusion that it sees `no need to change' the Act's charging arrangements; views with concern reports that the Government is considering changing these arrangements to permit an application fee to be charged for all requests or to allow authorities to refuse, on cost grounds, a significant proportion of requests which they currently must answer; and considers that such changes could undermine the Act's benefits of increased openness, accountability and trust in the work of public authorities.

DNA database

Signed Early Day Motion 1697 Use of the DNA database 27 Febuary 2006

That this House expresses its concern about the retention of DNA data taken from children aged 10 to 18 years who have never been charged or cautioned with any offence; notes large regional differences in retention policy between various police forces; and believes that this imbalance is being further exacerbated by the Government's unwillingness to issue clear guidelines to chief constables about the removal of innocent children from the National Police DNA Database.

Children's Digital Rights

Signed Early Day Motion 686 biometric data collection in schools 19 January 2007

That this House is alarmed at the growing practice of schools collecting and storing the biometric details of children as young as three; notes that up to 3,500 schools use biometric software to record the data of approximately three quarters of a million children; shares parents' concerns that children's data, often including photographs and fingerprints, is stored on unregulated data collection systems and potentially insecure school computer networks and could therefore potentially be misused; notes that collecting the data from children under 12 without parental consent directly contravenes the Data Protection Act; believes that no child should have biometric information taken without the express written permission of their parents; further believes that no child should be excluded from school activities where this permission is not forthcoming; welcomes the decision by the Department for Education and Skills to update guidance to local authorities and schools; and calls on the Government to conduct a full and open consultation with stakeholders, including parents and children, on this issue as part of their redrafting process.

Database State

Signed Early Day Motion 210 Data Intrusion 21 November 2006

That this House notes with concern the increasing incidence of data intrusion or data rape, as it is increasingly becoming known, the process whereby personal and hitherto confidential data is transferred to central databases established by the Government which can then be made available to third parties, such as police and security services, without consent being required; notes that the operation of the new national medical database will require medical records, which until now have remained in the confidential custody of general practitioner practices, to be uploaded to the Spine, a computer which will collect details from doctors and hospitals; supports the British Medical Association in its demand that patients should be asked for their explicit permission before their files are transferred; further notes with concern the reports of plans to establish and expand national databases in relation to the identity card scheme, DNA and the national census; and calls on the Government to establish a legislative framework which will safeguard access to personal data which has as its foundation not only the requirement for explicit consent but the right to know which agencies have a right to, and have requested access to, personal information.

Also see NHS, Identity cards and DNA database.

Open Source Software

Signed Early Day Motion 179 Software in Schools 21 November 2006

That this House congratulates the Open University and other schools, colleges and universities for utilising free and open source software to deliver cost-effective educational benefit not just for their own institutions but also the wider community; and expresses concern that Becta and the Department for Education and Skills, through the use of outdated purchasing frameworks, are effectively denying schools the option of benefiting from both free and open source software and the value and experience small and medium ICT companies could bring to the schools market.

Spam

Signed the Early Day Motion Spam E-Mails 16 November 2003

That this House commends the House of Commons Library Standard note on Unsolicited Electronic Mail (SN/SC/1280); notes that according to computer experts the amount of spam increased from 3.2 per cent. of total communication in 2002 to an astonishing 55 per cent. in March 2003 and that 90 per cent. of spam, most of which is pornographic in content, can be identified as emanating from 150 sources, 40 of which are located in Florida; believes that the electronic mail system is likely to collapse if the volume of spam is not reduced; commends the EU for introducing legislative measures that should stifle the operations of bulk commercial e-mailers by the end of this year by ensuring that only those opting in would receive spam messages; regrets that this legislation will not cover spam originating from the US and other off shore distribution points; expresses its concern at the Bush Administration's plans to offer only an opt out option for those wishing to block unsolicited mail; calls on the US Administration to adopt legislation based on the EU model; and calls on the Government to make urgent representations on behalf of its 20 million citizens now on-line.

Violent Computer Games

Signed Early Day Motion 1135 Self-Regulation of Computer Games Industry 29 November 2005

That this House recognises the size and importance of the computer games industry and the popularity of computer games and welcomes the contribution the industry makes to the United Kingdom's economy; notes, however, that retailers and parents often do not strictly adhere to the age guidance on the games packaging and that the guidance does not properly inform parents about what content to expect; and therefore urges the industry to adopt a self-regulatory uniform system, based on that established for the DVD industry, showing the levels of, for instance, swearing, violence, sex and nudity, as for example, strong, frequent, graphic, moderate, etc. so that parents are better informed and can make better purchasing decisions and improve control of the use of computer games by children.

Links

Alan Simpson MP website
Alan Simpson MP TheyWorkForYou.com
Alan Simpson MP Wikipedia

News

2006-02-14 - The Guardian - Labour ID card rebels: Summary: Diane Abbott MP (Hackney North & Stoke Newington), Katy Clark MP (Ayrshire North and Arran), Jeremy Corbyn MP (Islington North), Gwyneth Dunwoody MP (Crewe & Nantwich), Mark Fisher MP (Stoke-on-Trent Central), Paul Flynn MP (Newport West), Ian Gibson MP (Norwich North), Kate Hoey MP (Vauxhall), Kelvin Hopkins MP (Luton North), Glenda Jackson MP (Hampstead & Highgate), Lynne Jones MP (Birmingham Selly Oak), John McDonnell MP (Hayes & Harlington), Robert Marshall-Andrews MP (Medway), Linda Riordan MP (Halifax), Clare Short MP (Birmingham Ladywood), Alan Simpson MP (Nottingham South), John Smith MP (Vale of Glamorgan), David Taylor MP (Leicestershire North West), Robert Wareing MP (Liverpool West Derby), Mike Wood MP (Batley & Spen)

2005-10-18 - BBC - ID card vote: rebel Labour MPs: Summary: Twenty-one Labour MPs voted against the government on the introduction of ID cards, slashing the government's majority to 32. Alan Simpson was one of those MPs.