Mark Fisher, former Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central

Internet Censorship

Signed an Early Day Motion Freedom of Expression and the UN Internet Governance Forum 30 October 2006

That this House notes with concern that internet repression is hampering freedom of expression across the world especially in Iran, Vietnam, the Maldives and China; urges companies in China, including Microsoft, Google and Yahoo, to reveal which words they have banned from blogs or have filtered out of web searches; requests that they make public all their agreements with the Chinese authorities and publicly call for the release of cyber-dissidents jailed for expressing peaceful opinions online; welcomes Amnesty International's irrepressible.info campaign to ensure that the internet remains a tool for political freedom, not repression; and urges the UK Government to make strong representations at the UN Internet Governance Forum in Athens in November to ensure that the internet remains a tool for the free flow of information and respect for human rights and that freedom of expression is a key component to any future agreement on internet governance.

Freedom of Information

"Public no longer want to trust politicians. They want an absolute right to know."

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.

Sponsor of the 1992 Right to Know Bill. The bill failed to be given sufficient time to allow it to pass.

"It should appeal to libertarian conservatives who wish to empower the individual against the corporate state as much as it does to liberals who want to attain greater freedom and to socialists who want to give people stronger rights and to provoke them, through information, to question those in authority, and thus perhaps to change society."

Links

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. Mark Fisher was one of those MPs.