| Description | Papers and correspondence of the British Psychological Society Parliamentary Group.
8 February 1988 - Parliamentary Group agenda, minutes, papers and correspondence including taking stock - review of the group; invitations to MPs to attend BPS Annual Conference; possible evidence to select committee enquiries; role of the House of Lords; 'Community Care' briefing [statement response to Griffiths report]; data protection and access to medical records; crisis management proposal, King's Cross fire - London Underground safety watchdog, report of talk by Nigel Forman MP at London Conference in The Psychologist, age concern, psychology GCE/GCSE;
16 April 1988 - Parliamentary Group agenda, notes, papers and correspondence including press release and statement on response to Griffiths report on Community Care; briefing paper on 'Violence to Public Sector Staff' [and acknowledgements from MPs] , membership and Chairmanship of the Group; proposed All Party Group on Psychological Sciences and Services; Parliamentary Group symposium at BPS Annual Conference and invitations to MPs to attend President's reception; representation on All Party Group on Mental Health; clause 28
30 September 1988 Parliamentary Group agenda, minutes, papers and correspondence including notes of meeting of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee 19 April 1988; text of Annual Conference Parliamentary Group symposium talk given by Guy Fielding on lobbying; effectiveness of AIDS counselling; report on Parliamentary Mental Health group; nominations for representation on new [Parliamentary] Science and Technology Committee; briefing notes by Guy Fielding on performance indicators in the NHS; BPS Early Day Motion on Community Care; guidelines for writing Parliamentary Briefing Papers; special interests of members of the House of Lords and copy of report from Select Committee on Science and Technology 'Priorities in Medical Research'.
16 December 1988 Parliamentary Group agenda, minutes, papers and correspondence including offer to All Party Parliamentary Group for Children to provide information on pre-school children; speaker for BPS Parliamentary lecture; draft 'The Future of the Psychological Sciences: Horizons and Opportunities for British Psychology'; proposed briefing to Parliamentary and Scientific Committee 'The Scientific Investigation of Major Accidents'; draft briefing paper on AIDS/HIV Counselling; and incontinence. |
| AdminHistory | Responses to Government policies papers and commissions were traditionally the responsibility of British Psychological Society Boards, Divisions, specifically created working parties or Subsystems including the Division of Clinical Psychology who had a Parliamentary Liaison Officer rather being a central activity.
In 1985 after the creation of the coordinating Standing Committee on Communications and the appointment of a Director of Information (Stephen White) - the Society started a more proactive approach to parliamentary and policy affairs. A parliamentary briefing was held March 1985 (as part of the launch of book) on The Psychological Aspects of Nuclear War. The Standing Committee then discussed topics for future briefings and a 'Parliamentary Team' or 'Group' was created comprising Guy Fielding, James Thompson and Stephen White. It was formally constituted as the Parliamentary Group with its first meeting on 19 November 1986 under the Chairmanship of Guy Fielding, reporting to the Standing Committee on Communications. A week earlier a briefing had been held on Psychological Aspects of Alcohol.
Lea Pearson succeeded Guy Fielding as Chair December 1988.
John Sheppard was responsibility holder for Parliamentary activities 1990-1996 reporting to Standing Committee on Communications successor the Information Committee. The Parliamentary Group was disbanded with the review of the Information Committee.
Keith Vaz and Keith Hampson were British Psychological Society sponsored MPs c. 1992-1997.
A London based Parliamentary officer Ana Padilla was employed by the British Psychological Society between September 2002 and December 2010.
In July 2017 a BPS All Party Parliamentary Group for Psychology met for the first time, chaired by Lisa Cameron, MP and clerked by the British Psychological Society. |
| Copyright | Subject to the condition of the original, copies may be supplied for private research use only on receipt of a signed undertaking to comply with current copyright legislation. Permission to make any published use of material from the collection must be sought in advance from the Head of the History of Psychology Centre and Archives and, where appropriate, from the copyright owner. Where possible, assistance will be given in identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material |