| 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 and was herself succeeded by John Sheppard in February 1990.
John Sheppard was responsibility holder for Parliamentary activities 1990-1996 reporting to Standing Committee on Communications successor the Information Committee. In 1995 John Sheppard requested extra financial support for Parliamentary activities in 1995 which was not agreed. The Parliamentary Group was disbanded after the review of the Information Committee in 1996.
Keith Vaz and Keith Hampson were British Psychological Society sponsored MPs c. 1992-1997. Keith Vaz at the instigation of the Society tabled a private members bill in 1992 'The Impact of Disasters' but it did not received support.
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 |