On Thursday 15 June, members of the Lords debated the current performance of the NHS and innovation in the health service. The government is fixated on “growing the economy” and generating profits, instead of social innovation to deliver health, and other goods, for people. APPG member Natalie Bennett reflected on this as a speaker in the debate.
Contribution to the Queen’s Speech debates, 18 May 2022, from APPG vice-chair Clive Lewis MP, questioning the function and desirability of GDP growth as a measure of economic success.
APPG chair Caroline Lucas secured a debate in Westminster Hall at 4.30pm on 30 November on the following topic: “That this House has considered a wellbeing economy approach to meeting climate goals”. This follows an official parliamentary petition on the wellbeing economy, supported by several members of the APPG, which reached almost 70,000 signatures.
Back in late February 2020, when COVID-19 was only a looming wave of uncertain size and impact, Baroness Natalie Bennett put down an oral question in the House of Lords, scheduled to be debated on March 26: “To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to establish a formal inquiry into reducing the growth dependency of the United Kingdom economy”.
On 24 March 2020, through a ten minute rule motion—backed by MPs from every major party—APPG chair Caroline Lucas MP introduced the “Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill” to the House of Commons.
Baroness Claire Tyler has secured a debate in the House of Lords on the case for the government to use wellbeing as a key indicator of national performance when setting budgets, deciding policy priorities and reviewing the effectiveness of policy goals. The debate is scheduled for 12 March 2020.
Caroline Lucas, co-chair of the APPG on Limits to Growth has secured a debate to challenge HM Treasury over the inherent tension between our current economic model—dependent on relentless economic growth—and environmental limits.