| Description | Papers and correspondence of the British Psychological Society Parliamentary Group.
24 January 1991 - Parliamentary Group agenda, minutes, papers and correspondence including the role of the Group as an advisory both to responsibility holder John Sheppard, including his action plan; 'Sex Offenders: Diversion from Custody' paper for the All Party Penal Affairs Committee; BPS post disaster bills correspondence with MPs; financial support to the Parliamentary Officer of Science and Technology; report on 'Small Business Failures'; BPS press release 'Poll Tax Exemption Rules Threaten Civil Liberties' and report 'Mental Impairment and Severe Mental Impairment'; BPS press release and policy statement 'Psychological Therapy Services: The Need for Organisational Change'; and Health Education Authorities campaign on HIV infection.
23 April 1991 - Parliamentary Group agenda, minutes, papers and correspondence including membership of the Group; sponsorship of MPs; notes of meeting with Michael Norton of Post [Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology]; representation on All Party Mental Health Group; subliminal suggestion tapes; parliamentary questions on educational psychologists; speakers for London conference; psychological support for gulf war veterans;
4 July 1991 - Parliamentary Group agenda, minutes, papers and correspondence including sex offenders briefing paper 'Sexual Offenders: Diversion from Custody' presented to All Party Penal Affairs Group sponsoring an MP; workshop at London conference; recruitment practices; Royal Commission on Criminal Justice; funding for Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology; response from Royal College of Psychiatrists on Handicapped Working Party report on 'Mental Impairment and Severe Mental Impairment: A Search for Definitions'; response to White Paper 'Education and Training for the 21st Century';
19 September 1991 - Parliamentary Group agenda, minutes, papers and correspondence includes submission for workshop at London Conference how to lobby and influence government policy; sponsorship MP's; decision making for mentally Incapacitated adults; Parents Charter; pin down, proposed speaker at Parliamentary and Scientific Committee meeting on animal experimentation; notes on meeting of Parliamentary and Scientific Committee 16 July 1991 on the public understanding of science;
5 December 1991 - Parliamentary Group agenda, minutes, papers and correspondence includes sponsorship of MPs; London Conference workshop; initial teacher training; children's residential homes; proposed private members 'Impact of Disasters Bill'; admission of psychology graduates to PGCE training courses; action plan; gathering data on clinical psychology waiting lists; EC directive on liability of suppliers of services; representation on the All Party Mental Health Group and standards in reading. |
| 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. 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.
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 |