The following examples of recent press coverage will, I hope, give a flavour of the range of work done in the European Parliament

Parliamentary questions
29 April 2008

E-2515/08

WRITTEN QUESTION by Mary Honeyball (PSE) to the Commission

Subject: Compensation claims for victims of violent crime

A constituent of mine has raised the issue of problems with claiming compensation for victims of violent crime in Member States. The particular problem they raise is that of a national of one Member State claiming compensation for a violent crime committed in a second Member State.

The Council Directive 2004/80/EC(1) requires all Member States to have a compensation mechanism in place and that crime victims in the EU should be entitled to fair and appropriate compensation for the injuries they have suffered regardless of where in the European Community the crime was committed. Member States were to have complied with this directive by 1 January 2006.

It has been brought to my attention that various Member States still do not have the appropriate mechanisms in place for citizens of the European Union to claim such compensation.

1. Can the Commission supply me with a list of the authorities in all Member States to which the victims of violent crime can apply for such compensation?

2. Can the Commission supply me with a list of Member States that have not transposed this directive adequately into national law?

3. Can the Commission tell me what action is to be taken against those Member States that have not transposed this directive adequately into national law?

For press coverage of this please click on

www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/apr/21/meredith.compensation

Friday April 25 2008

Animal charities and rape crisis centres

It is a national disgrace that the public thinks donkeys are in greater need of charity than the female victims of domestic abuse in the UK each year, two of whom die at the hands of their abuser each week. Charities and support groups to help women and children escape and recover from violent abusers should be at the heart of every civilised society. These services strongly rely on the public's charity.

The UK has a strong tradition of charity, and the government and the individual have a responsibility to make sure this money is directed towards the most deserving cause. Sadly this is not the case; over its 39 years the donkey sanctuary has helped 12,000 donkeys. In 2006 alone they received £20m in donations. That's over £1,500 per donkey. Contrast that to the 1.5 million women abused last year and the combined income of all women's abuse charities of £17m and it's clear people need to rethink their charitable standing orders.

Mary Honeyball MEP
Labour, Women's Rights Committee

For more on this please click on

www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/apr/26/voluntarysector.animalwelfare

Wednesday 20th February

Tories need more women in the European Parliament.

Sir, Caroline Jackson is a master of understatement when she says that the Tories in Brussels "have yet to lose their 'nasty' tag" (Comment, February 18). She is right that offending members of your own group is no way to win friends and influence people.

The candidates that a party selects to represent them say a lot about the party itself. It's worrying then that Ms Jackson is the only woman in a group of 28 Tory MEPs. Syria and Iran have better representation of women in their parliaments than the Tories do in Brussels.

The Tories will shed their "nasty" tag only when they get some degree of gender balance in their elected representatives. Indeed, more women like Ms Jackson would help to make the Tories a little bit nicer and a lot more influential.

For more on this go to

www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c5d36ad2-ddc2-11dc-ad7e-0000779fd2ac.html and
www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7a78f96e-df55-11dc-91d4-0000779fd2ac.html

Thursday 31 January

Tory Euro MP Daniel Hannan caused outrage by likening the President of the European Parliament to Adolf Hitler.

The incident occurred during a vote to crack down on disruption of parliamentary business. Mr Hannan linked a proposed change in one of the rules of procedure with the 1933 Enabling Act (Emächtigungsgesetz) that gave Hitler unlimited power.

London Euro MP Mary Honeyball immediately denounced Mr Hannan's remarks saying:

"People like Hannan do not speak on behalf of the European Parliament. Hannan is dishonouring the memories of the victims of the Nazi regime. He should apologise immediately"

"Trivialising the holocaust like this is a big insult to London's Jewish community and to the survivors of the holocaust and their families, particularly during Holocaust Memorial Week."

Ms Honeyball went on to question Hannan's other remarks about the far-right in Europe.

"Hannan's comments about Hitler are the latest in a sting of remarks about the far right" Ms Honeyball explained.

"In his blog, Hannan said that "lefties like to exaggerate the threat from what they call 'the far right' in order to taint, by association, the mainstream Right""

Ms Honeyball continued "David Cameron should make clear that this is unacceptable behaviour from an elected Member of the European Parliament. If Hannan won't apologise Cameron should suspend him from the Tory Party."

For more on this story go to

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?ml=/news/2008/02/01/npols201.xml

Monday, 28 January 2008

Treat prostitution like rape

Those who support men who pay for sex with women would often have us believe that the women who sell sex are somehow empowered, that it is they who are gaining and the men who are losing. If only these women were quite so fortunate. It's thought that 90 per cent of prostitutes are drug addicts and most have suffered some form of physical or mental violence or coercion. Some 85 per cent of women working in brothels are thought to be from abroad, many speak little English and most are trafficked here illegally. Most women trafficked into the UK have a vast debt to pay back to those who brought them here - a debt so large they will never pay it back. They are, in effect, slaves and have little scope for any free
choice.

Prostitution is never a choice women make freely. But it is a choice that men - lots of men - make freely and with impunity. There is a clear demand from men who are willing to pay for sex with women and let's face it, with children too.

Such is the demand that every year hundreds of women and children are trafficked into the UK to work as prostitutes. Various measures have been copied from other countries to try to eliminate the prostitution that still blights some parts of our cities. It seems that everything has been tried from zero tolerance to tolerance zones. The problem never goes away though, it just moves somewhere else.

There is however one lesson that we can learn from abroad. That is to aggressively tackle the demand for prostitution by criminalising the purchase of sex. The law should treat prostitution in much the same way as it treats rape. Both are generally an act male violence against helpless women.

Sweden changed its law on prostitution in 1999 - it is now illegal to buy sex in Sweden.

The law helps on two fronts. It allows the police legal measure to go after the men who are fuelling the demand for illegal trafficking. It also helps to encourage a wider cultural change among men who don't see the harm in paying for sex. Moreover the idea of sex for sale only fosters the attitude that all women are 'up for sex'. It's quite possible to see how
the idea of 'women on demand' leads to increased incidence of rape.

Sweden's law has been largely successful at reducing the demand forprostitution and for human trafficking. The slave trade was abolished 200 years ago. Something that was seen as a cultural norm back then now seems barbaric. It requires another cultural shift before today's human trafficking and prostitution is seen by everyone as being equally
barbaric. Adopting the Swedish law would go some what to achieving that. Let's hope that it's not another 200 years before we can look back on human trafficking and prostitution as we now do the slave trade.

for more click on

http://blogs.independent.co.uk/openhouse/2008/01/the-law-should.html

Friday January 25th 2008

French Health Care Victory

Euro MP Mary Honeyball today welcomed the news that victims of President Sarkozy's health care reforms have been spared. "British ex-pats living in France can continue to access state health care" Ms Honeyball said.

Thousands of Britons living in France who retired before the age of 65 had been threatened with removal of state health care cover. Mary Honeyball MEP, a longstanding campaigner on the issue, was contacted by many former constituents, including several undergoing treatment for cancer, who risked having their treatment stopped. After mounting pressure the French Government appear to have backtracked.

The French Social Security department wrote to retirees stating that they would no longer qualify for national health care. They were told to take out private health insurance - something practically unavailable to the disabled.

Welcoming news of the U-turn, Mary Honeyball said:

"This news comes as a huge relief for many British ex-pats living in France. These changes would have left some of the most vulnerable in society without access to health care."

"Those already registered and paying into the state health system will be allowed to remain in it. These so-called reforms were totally unnecessary. I am glad the French Government has backtracked."

As part of her campaign Mary Honeyball launched a written declaration in the European Parliament which condemned President Sarkozy's move. Mary Honeyball also wrote to the European Commission asking them to urgently investigate whether these changes represented a breach of European Union laws. Ms Honeyball had also taken up the case with UK Government Ministers.

"This show what can happen when we campaign and take strong action together" Ms Honeyball added.

For more on this story go to
www.telegraph.co.uk/global/main.jhtml;jsessionid=ULQYK4P55AU3NQFIQMGCFFOAVCBQUIV0?
xml=/global/2008/01/25/french-health.xml
the written declaration is at
www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+WDECL+P6-DCL-2007-0090+0+DOC+PDF+V0//EN&language=EN

Wednesday January 23rd
EUPolitix

Memorial for Eurostar Workers

Mary Honeyball is calling for a memorial for the workers who died during the construction of the Eurostar line to St. Pancras.

We should not forget how challenging the construction was. Four lives were lost and that is four too many. Mary says it would be "fitting" to commemorate those who lost their lives to High Speed 1 with a monument at the newly-renovated St Pancras station.

Surely, it is not too much to ask that we spare a couple of minutes to reflect on those who lost their lives to the project. Britain desperately needs more high-speed railway lines, but not at any cost.

As we expand high-speed railways across the UK, we should insist that those who create these feats of engineering are better protected.

For the full story go to

www.eupolitix.com/EN/News/200801/f2ab319b-b2de-4828-afa5-08aafe7d4467.htm

Tuesday October 30, 2007
The Guardian

Campaign for a Woman's Right to Choose

Polly Toynbee is right, MPs frighten easily (A woman's supreme right over her own body and destiny is in jeopardy, October 26). The religious lobby are committed, organised and are avid letter writers. Right across Europe elections are still won and lost on religion because of a devoted few and an apathetic majority. If the silent majority also wrote to their MPs,
they might be a bit less frightened and our right to choose a little bit safer.

Mary Honeyball MEP
London

Polly's Toynbee's feature is at
www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,,2199567,00.html

Monday 29th October 2007
The Independent

Election delight for Poland

Sir: I am delighted that at least one of the Kaczynski twins has been booted out of office ("Polish opposition claims election victory", report, 22 October).

Most of the progressive Poles I come into contact with, including many in the UK, have been embarrassed and eager to apologise for their elected leader.

I am also heartened that many Poles in Britain have seen the way their leader was derided in the outside world. I can only assume that they fed the message back home. Let's hope Poland's new government will stand up for human rights, including a woman's right to choose.

Mary Honeyball MEP (Labour, London), Brussels

Saturday October 27, 2007
The Guardian

Paedophile Dangers with GPS Tracking for Children

Your report on GPS tracking (Walk on the wired side, October 23) gives a one-sided view. Mobile phone and GPS tracking are a recipe for disaster.

Most children are smart enough to circumvent tracking devices, rendering most systems useless, while giving us a false sense of security. But the real problem lies in controlling access adults have to the tracking data. Last year the Guardian showed how easy it was to track someone without their knowledge using their mobile phone (How I stalked my girlfriend, February 1 2006). By the same token a paedophile may be able to locate and follow potential victims. Education on the benefits and dangers of technology is vital. Unless adults know as much about the technology as children, our attempts to protect them may actually be putting them in more danger.

Mary Honeyball MEP
Labour Euro spokesperson on youth, culture and education

Original story is at www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2006/feb/01/news.g2

Letter to the Independent on Abortion 17/4/2007

Feelings run high on abortion issue

Sir: Your article on abortion rightly highlights the pressure the religious-right exerts on politics in America ("Issue that goes to the heart of our differences with America", 16 April).

But things are just as bad closer to home. Under pressure from the Church, Malta, Poland, Ireland and (until now) Portugal all banned abortion. Right across Europe, women's rights are being challenged in ways which have not been seen in America for years. Even the chair of the European Parliament's Women's Rights Committee is anti-abortion.

It may be easy to attack Bush and his ilk, but women in Europe need our support too, now more than ever.

MARY HONEYBALL MEP

(LABOUR, LONDON) BRUSSELS

To follow this issue in the Independent go to http://comment.independent.co.uk/letters/article2455045.ece

Disabled Britons exposed by French health curbs

Disabled British ex-pats who retired early to live in France have fallen foul of new health care laws to be introduced by President Sarkozy.

Euro MP Mary Honeyball has been called on to assist disabled Britons who could be left without healthcare provision if the new measures go forward.

Thousands of Britons living in France who retired before the age of 65 have received letters from the French Social Security department stating that from 30th September they would no longer qualify for national health care.

They are now being told to take out private health insurance - something practically unavailable to the disabled.

Ms Honeyball commented:

"Forcing disabled ex-pats out of the national health care system is a despicable attack on the most vulnerable."

"Many Brirish people resident in France who have pre-existing conditions will not be able to obtain private cover for those conditions."

Mary Honeyball is representing several former constituents, including Karen Sage, a former Police Officer who was badly injured in the line of duty.

If Karen Sage were to become a victim of President's Sarkozy's crack down, it could spell disaster for her and her husband. Unable to afford private health provision in France, the only other alternative would be to shell out a considerable sum of money to return to the UK.

Mary Honeyball MEP has written to the European Commission asking them to urgently investigate whether these changes represent a breach of European Union laws.

Ms Honeyball is also seeking urgent clarification from the British Embassy in Paris.

Notes:

All European ex-pats in France who retired under the age of 65 were previously eligible to pay in to the French Social Security System much like French Nationals and consequently receive healthcare.From 30th September 2007 that system will change and those who retired early will be forced to take out private medical insurance.

Ex-pats with pre-existing conditions regularly find that medical insurance companies are unwilling to cover those conditions and may only cover additional conditions at enormous expense. We can put you in touch with ex-pats affected by this story.

for more on this story go to

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/09/25/nexpats125.xml

or www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/10/01/nexpats101.xml

"Manchester's gain is not London's loss" says London Euro MP

I welcomed the announcement that Manchester has been selected as the site for the UK's first Super Casino. Interviewed on LBC radio on 30th January 2007 Mary Honeyball, Labour Euro MP for London said: "Greenwich was not the right site for a Super Casino"

"We can have the best of regeneration in London without the side effects of problem gambling."

"Other big casinos around Europe have all seen an associated rise in gambling addiction"

"When a big Casino opened in Malmo in Sweden, there was a doubling in gambling addiction in a very short space of time"

"The casino is not necessary for regeneration of the area. The East of London is already undergoing an unprecedented level of investment with the Olympics."

"There are many issues to tackle in the East of London. We do not need to add problem gambling"

A report from the Swedish National Institute for Public Health claimed 1.5% of adults in Malmo had gambling problems in 2001, before a State owned casino opened. It later found 3.6% of adults had some form of gambling problem in 2004.