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Photo of David Heath

David Heath

Liberal Democrat MP for Somerton & Frome

  • Shadow Leader of the House (since 8 Jan 2009)
  • Entered Parliament on 1 May 1997 — General election
  • Majority: 812 votes. — 610th out of 643 MPs.

Voting record (from PublicWhip)

How David Heath voted on key issues since 2001:

  • Voted moderately for a transparent Parliament. votes, speeches
  • Voted a mixture of for and against introducing a smoking ban. votes, speeches
  • Voted moderately against introducing ID cards. votes, speeches
  • Voted moderately against introducing foundation hospitals. votes, speeches
  • Voted strongly against introducing student top-up fees. votes, speeches
  • Voted very strongly against Labour's anti-terrorism laws. votes, speeches
  • Voted very strongly against the Iraq war. votes, speeches
  • Voted very strongly for an investigation into the Iraq war. votes, speeches
  • Voted very strongly against replacing Trident. votes, speeches
  • Voted a mixture of for and against the hunting ban. votes, speeches
  • Voted strongly for equal gay rights. votes, speeches
  • Voted very strongly for laws to stop climate change. votes, speeches

Read about how the voting record is decided.

More on well-known issues (from the Guardian) & their full record

Committees and topics of interest

Select Committee membership
  • Member, Justice Committee (since 18 Apr 2008)

Asks most questions about

  • Departments: Justice, Home Department, Environment Food and Rural Affairs, Health, Defence

  • Subjects (based on headings added by Hansard): Departments: Advertising, Prisons, Tetra, Post-Mortems: Children, Immigration

(based on written questions asked by David Heath and answered by departments)

Public Bill Committees (sittings attended)

RSS feed Most recent appearances

Business of the House (19 Nov 2009)

“Enthusiasm for the fantasy Queen's Speech is obviously shared by Members from the right hon. and learned Lady's party, who are here in such great numbers today. The reality is that, whatever she says about the wash-up-and I understand how the term applies in this instance-almost all these measures will not make it through their parliamentary stages. Those that do will be abracadabra Bills:...”

Coroners and Justice Bill: Schedule 1 — Duty or power to suspend or resume investigations (12 Nov 2009) has video

“I am a little surprised to be called ahead the Lord Chancellor, but I am grateful for the opportunity to say a few words. At this stage of a Bill, it worries me that expediency and pragmatism often take over from principle and legal accuracy, and we end up with statutes that are often a process of negotiation rather than what any party to the negotiation would like in the Bill. I am concerned...”

Coroners and Justice Bill: Schedule 1 — Duty or power to suspend or resume investigations (12 Nov 2009) has video

“To say that we sat on our hands when we supported in a very close Division the proposals of the hon. Member for Hendon seems a most extraordinary position for the Lord Chancellor to take, but rather than pursue an utterly sterile argument—”

More of David Heath's recent appearances

Numerology

Please note that numbers do not measure quality. Also, representatives may do other things not currently covered by this site. (More about this)

  • Has spoken in 121 debates in the last year — well above average amongst MPs.
  • Has received answers to 8 written questions in the last year — below average amongst MPs.
  • Is a member of 1 select committee (0 as chair).
  • Replied within 2 or 3 weeks to a high number of messages sent via WriteToThem.com during 2008, according to constituents.
  • Has voted in 81% of votes in parliament with this affiliation — above average amongst MPs. (From Public Whip)
  • People have made 30 annotations on this MP’s speeches — well above average amongst MPs.
  • This MP's speeches, in Hansard, are readable by an average 17–18 year old, going by the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level score.
  • 66 people are tracking whenever this MP speaks — email me whenever David Heath speaks.
  • Has used three-word alliterative phrases (e.g. "she sells seashells") 1319 times in debates — well above average amongst MPs. (Why is this here?)

Register of Members’ Interests

6. Overseas visits
31 August-7 September 2008, to India as member of a delegation from the Liberal Friends of India, visiting Delhi and Kolkata. All flights and accommodation paid for by the Government of India. (Registered 8 October 2008)

Register last updated: 11 Nov 2009. More about the Register

View the history of this MP's entries in the Register

Expenses

Figures in brackets are ranks. Data from parliament.uk (source). Read 2004/05 – 2007/08 receipts.

Type2007/08 (ranking out of 645)2006/07 (ranking out of 645)2005/062004/05 (ranking out of 659)2003/04 (ranking out of 658)2002/03 (ranking out of 657)2001/02 (ranking out of 657)
Additional Costs Allowance£23,002 (191st) £22,110 (joint 1st) £20,947 £19,477 (332nd) £20,333 (joint 3rd) £18,249 (412th) £15,539 (286th)
London Supplement£0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Incidental Expenses Provision£20,429 (219th) £21,506 (210th) £20,852 £19,300 (142nd) £19,111 (9th) £18,234 (joint 1st) £14,630 (363rd)
Staffing Allowance£84,508 (426th) £80,326 (436th) £74,757 £65,466 (533rd) £66,460 (397th) £61,980 (joint 397th) £46,115 (313th)
Communications Allowance£6,905 (376th) N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Members' Travel£6,367 (377th)* £6,187 (392nd)** £6,818 £10,616 (318th) £9,420 (348th) £11,732 (258th) £9,875 (229th)
Members' Staff Travel£567 (184th) £544 (213th) £1,130 £288 (328th) £412 (291st) £356 (309th) £779 (165th)
Members' Spouse Travel£603 (192nd) N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Members' Family Travel£0 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Centrally Purchased Stationery£907 (joint 258th) £441 (552nd) £578 £444 (539th) £306 (594th) £193 (635th) £642 (joint 491st)
Stationery: Associated Postage Costs£2,260 (334th) £1,884 (437th) £2,046 £1,581 (479th) £1,103 (547th) N/A N/A
Centrally Provided Computer Equipment£1,265 (joint 232nd) £1,058 (joint 320th) £0 £2,064 (joint 10th) £2,064 (joint 5th) £2,064 (joint 5th) £2,064 (joint 5th)
Other Costs£0 £0 £1,676 £0 £0 £0 £0
Total£146,813 (321st) £134,056 (398th) £128,804 £119,236 (416th) £119,209 (331st) £112,808 (332nd) £89,644 (301st)

* Regular journeys between home/constituency/Westminster: Mileage £5,744 (62nd). Rail £615 (480th). Misc £8 (255th).

** Car £5,846 (84th). Rail £341 (497th).