Malcolm Wicks
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| Malcolm Wicks MP | |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 9 April 1992 |
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| Preceded by | Humfrey Malins |
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| Majority | 13,888 |
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| Born | 1 July 1947 Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse | Margaret Wicks |
| Residence | Croydon, Greater London |
| Alma mater | University of North London, London School of Economics |
Malcolm Hunt Wicks (born 1 July 1947, Hatfield, Hertfordshire) is Labour member of Parliament for Croydon North and Minister of State for Energy at the newly created Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
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[edit] Early life and Education
Wicks was born in Hatfield, Hertfordshire to Arthur Wicks, a Labour member of the London County Council and later Greater London Council. He was educated at Elizabeth College, Guernsey; North West London Polytechnic and the London School of Economics.
[edit] Early career
Wicks worked in the Urban Deprivation Unit of the Home Office, and was a lecturer in Social Administration at Brunel University. He was later Director of the Family Policy Studies Centre. He has been the author and co-author of many publications, including a work on hypothermia, Old and Cold: hypothermia and social policy. His keen concern about fuel poverty led to him to act as a Trustee of the National Energy Foundation (1988-94).
He was involved in politics in Croydon, chairing his local Constituency Labour Party and standing for election to Croydon Council before his election to parliament.
[edit] Parliamentary career
He was first elected in 1992 for Croydon North West after having previously contested the seat unsuccessfully in 1987.
Wicks' Private Member's Bill reached the statute books, becoming the Carers (Recognition & Services) Act 1995, recognising the needs of family careers.
He was Chairman of the Education Select Committee from 1998 until his July 1999 appointment as Minister for Lifelong Learning in the Department for Education and Employment. In July 2001 he moved to the Department for Work and Pensions, where he spent four years, first as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, and then as Minister of State, for Pensions. In May 2005, he was appointed as Minister for Energy at the Department of Trade and Industry in the post-election Cabinet reshuffle. In a mini-reshuffle on 10 November 2006, following the retirement of Lord Sainsbury, Wicks was appointed as Minister of State for Science and Innovation in the same department.
In Gordon Brown's first reshuffle on 28 June 2007, Wicks was moved to the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, which replaced the Department of Trade and Industry, to resume his old role as Minister for Energy. He is a vice-president of Carers UK and the Alzheimer's Society.
He married Margaret Baron in 1968 and has three children.
[edit] Current Political Issues
As Minister for Energy, Malcolm Wicks is not averse to political controversy. Conservationists have strongly objected to the UK government allowing oil and gas prospecting in the Moray Firth. This they claim has put precarious populations of cetacean's at risk. A coalition of conservation groups including WWF, The Wildlife Trust, the Marine Conservation Society and the RSPB have written to Malcolm Wicks "urging him to abandon the plans", which they claim could have "potentially lethal impacts" on various species including the most northerly population of Bottlenose Dolphins in the world.[1][2]
The government claims that in deciding to proceed with a 25th offshore licensing round BERR excluded a number of blocks on the basis of recommendations of previous Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEA). Those which have been in the process of Appropriate Assessment consultation, have also not been offered.
The SEA recommended that the blocks in or overlapping with the boundaries of the Moray Firth and Cardigan Bay Special Areas of Conservation should also be withheld from licensing for the present whilst the further assessments initiated following the 24th Licensing Round applications are concluded. The government therefore excluded 11 blocks in the Cardigan bay area and 10 in the Moray Firth.
Further, any licences awarded in the 25th Round will contain conditions to protect environmental interests and those of other sea users. Activities carried out under the licences will be subject to a range of legislation which is designed to protect the marine environment, including legislation which implements the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive and the Habitats and Wild Birds Directives in respect of offshore oil and gas activities.
[edit] References
- ^ Edwards, Rob (18 November 2007) "Famous Moray dolphins at risk as Whitehall fails to block oil and gas works". Glasgow. The Sunday Herald.
- ^ "Moray Firth Dolphins: Factfile" Moray Firth Partnership. Retrieved 24 November 2007.
[edit] External links
- Malcolm Wicks official site
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Malcolm Wicks MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Malcolm Wicks MP
- Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform - Malcolm Wicks, Minister of State for Energy Biography
Article by Malcolm Wicks
- Tackling Two Challenges: Climate Change and Secure Supply in the United Kingdom - World Energy Magazine Vol. 9 No. 2
- "Doctor Who can help save science, says minister" 8 January 2007
- Obituary for Arthur Wicks, by Malcolm Wicks 5 December 2006
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Humfrey Malins |
Member of Parliament for Croydon North West 1992–1997 |
Succeeded by (Constituency abolished) |
| Preceded by (New constituency) |
Member of Parliament for Croydon North 1997 – present |
Incumbent |
