The Citizens Advice annual parliamentary reception takes place each summer within the Palace of Westminster.
In July 2011 Jane Mordue, Vice-Chair of Citizens Advice, welcomed around 50 MPs and peers as well as representatives from many of Citizens Advice partner organisations in the private and public sector to the House of Commons Terrace Pavilion for Citizens Advice annual summer reception. The event was sponsored by Prudential and Rob Devey Chief Executive, Prudential UK and Europe was among the speakers.
Secretary of State for Justice Ken Clarke addressed the reception. He commended the service and said that he had never met an MP who was not a supporter of the CAB service. He acknowledged that the service faced a challenging time ahead, with the continuing economic difficulties fuelling rising demand for generalist advice and putting increasing pressure on funding.
At the reception Yvonne Fovargue Labour MP for Makerfield was awarded the Citizens Advice Parliamentarian of the Year award for 2011 by Jane Mordue Citizens Advice Vice-Chair.
The award acknowledges a Peer or an MP who we have worked closely with in Westminster, and in the case of MPs their constituency, to deliver real change on an issue affecting Citizens Advice clients. This year we recognised Yvonne Fovargue for her determination and success in keeping the issues which impact on the Citizens Advice service and our clients high on the political agenda. As Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Legal Aid and the new Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Debt and Personal Finance she has secured several debates on the impact of legal aid reform and on the impact other public spending cuts will have on the future of funding for free debt and welfare benefits advice. As a member of the Welfare Reform Bill Committee Yvonne spoke in favour of several proposed amendments to the Bill to expose and try to mitigate the negative impact some of the proposed changes will have on CAB clients and other vulnerable members of society. Together with other members of the APPG on Debt and Personal Finance, she is campaigning for more effective regulation of fee-charging debt management plans – a huge issue for our clients, and one we fully support.
This is the fifth year that Citizens Advice, the national member organisation of Citizens Advice Bureaux, has made such an award.
Previous winners were:
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