Information about APPGs

You can find the register of All Party Parliamentary Groups on Parliament’s website. It is updated every few weeks and lists key information such as the purpose of the group, its key officers and the date of its most recent AGM.  Some APPGs, such as the All Party Parliamentary Health Group, have their own website which gives lots of up to date information about recent events as well as research reports and briefings on topical issues.

Reform of APPGs

In 2011 a working group was set up by the House of Commons Speaker and the Lord Speaker to consider the role and reform of APPGs. The group was asked to consider (among other things) the number of groups, their activity, influence and funding. It reported in 2012.

This led to a further inquiry by the Committee on Standards in the 2013-14 session which aimed to improve the transparency of APPGs and to increase awareness of their work in Parliament. The committee’s final report recommended greater financial transparency, including the registering of large donations, a division of APPGs into clubs and those with wider functions and minimum standards relating to their activities. 

Early Day Motions

Use the EDM database to search for EDMs by parliamentary session, by MP or Peer and by topic. Selecting an EDM from the database enables you to view its sponsors and a list of all those who have signed it. See for instance, EDM 353 on Homelessness and End of Life Care, introduced by Liberal Democrat MP Ed Davey in October 2017.

The Procedure Committee’s 2013 report on EDMs outlines the use and benefits of this parliamentary tool for MPs who wish to change the law, influence political debates and campaign on topical issues.

Westminster Hall Debates

Debates taking place in Westminster Hall are listed separately to those taking place in the House of Commons chamber, but they can still be accessed from Parliament’s publications and records page. See for instance Labour MP Rupa Huq’s debate on the NHS in London on 24th March 2016. 

Emma Hardy’s Westminster Hall debate on 18th October 2017 on the issue of surgical mesh implants is a good example of a debate which brings together several types of parliamentary mechanisms, including constituency casework and e-petitions.  In particular, note the number of MPs who attended and contributed to the debate.