Anne McIntosh MP (Conservative) MP for Vale of York. Shadow education minister. Member of the All Party Internet Group. Member of EURIM. Member of the All Party Music Group. Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for North East Essex (1989-94) and North Essex and South Suffolk (1994-99). First elected to Parliment in 1997.

Issues

Identity cards

McIntosh voices concerns over ID Cards 1 February 2006

"There is growing concern amongst the public about the Government’s use of invasive ‘Big Brother’ computer databases - without transparency or clear backing from the public – such as for the forthcoming council tax revaluation across England".

"I believe residents across North Yorkshire will be greatly concerned at the prospect of town hall bureaucrats being told to investigate people’s homes for compulsory ID Cards, backed up with the threat of thousand pound fines. This risks criminalising law-abiding citizens, rather than clamping down on the small minority of law-breakers who blight our communities."

Freedom of Information

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.

Broadband

Sign Early Day Motion 70 Internet Access 26 November 2003

That this House supports the widening ease of internet access, but regrets that The International Telecommunications Union recently found that in the 40 top countries in the world, Britain has fallen to 12th place; further regrets that the Government claims that it is leading the way in internet access, even though Britain has fallen behind countries such as Sweden, Denmark and Norway; and believes that unless this trend is reversed there could be serious damage to Britain's long-term economic prospects, that the Government is taking insufficient initiatives to promote internet take-up and that its appalling record in providing e-Government does little to encourage others.

Rural Broadband Access

supporter of efforts to bring broadband capacity to villages 8 September 2003

"I took up the Easingwold Broadband Campaign's case with BT, the local authorities, the e-Envoy and the Minister for E-Commerce and was very pleased that my efforts bore fruit. But there is still a lot of work to be done to bring Broadband to the villages around Easingwold and I will continue to work with the group towards that goal".

"The Government say they want to make Britain the most dynamic and competitive communications and media market in the world. Yet as long as large areas of the countryside are unable to get access to faster Broadband then that goal will remain frustratingly distant".

Links

Anne McIntosh MP website
Anne McIntosh MP TheyWorkForYou.com
Anne McIntosh MP Wikipedia
Anne McIntosh MP Conservative Profile

News

2003-06-20 - The Register - Public opposes ID cards, govt admits: Author: John Leyden; Summary: The UK government has finally admitted that the majority of responses to consultation on its ID card scheme were strongly opposed to the controversial idea. In responses to a parliamentary question, Home Office minister Beverley Hughes told MP Anne McIntosh over 5,000 of the 7,000 responses to a public consultation on ID cards were opposed to the scheme, the BBC reports. "5,031 emails have been received via the Stand Web site. 4,856 expressed views against an entitlement card scheme, 44 expressed views in favour," she said.

2003-06-19 - BBC - Public oppose ID card scheme: Summary: Most people are opposed to the idea of a national ID card for the UK - according to the government's own consultation exercise. In response to a parliamentary question from MP Anne McIntosh, Home Office minister Beverley Hughes has confirmed that over 5,000 of the 7,000 responses to a public consultation on the issue were against the scheme.

2003-06-05 - The Register - UK ID cards – the incredible shrinking consultation: Author: John Leyden; Summary: UK Home Secretary David Blunkett plans legislation to introduce ID cards this autumn, but possibly has a small problem in transforming the verdict of what must surely have been a heavily anti ID card public consultation into a favourable one. The Home Office does however seem to be trying. ... The Home Office claims the Open Government request was rejected owing to a question submitted by Anne McIntosh MP asking the number and preferences of responses sent via stand.org.