Until the UK Parliament was dissolved before the 4th July 2024 general election there was an All-Party Parliamentary Group on ME. With Claire Monaghan MP as its Chair its aims were to ‘.. improve health, social care, education and employment opportunities for ME sufferers and encourage biomedical research into the cause and treatment of ME.’ Its 10 active members were drawn across all parties and from both the Commons and the Lords with the secretariate being provided by Action for ME and the ME Association. Meetings were held, parliamentary questions asked and one of its crucial acts was to publish its 2022 Rethinking ME report.
The current rules on APPG state that
An All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) consists of Members of both Houses who join together to pursue a particular topic or interest. APPGs cover a diverse range of subjects and are established for a rich variety of purposes.
They provide a valuable opportunity for parliamentarians to engage with individuals and organisations outside Parliament who share an interest in the subject matter of their group. They are not, however, official parliamentary bodies, nor do they carry the same authority as Select Committees or other Committees of either House. The direction, finances, policy, strategy, research and aims of the Group must at all times be the sole responsibility of the Parliamentary Members of the Group, not any external body or secretariat.
Having an APPG therefor allows a forum for members to discuss and use their influence on a topic of common concern.
However, forming an APPG is not straightforward. Although APPGs are open to Members of both Houses (excluding Government ministers) the call on politician’s time is great.
APPG’s must have four registered officers (and no more), including at least one from the government party and at least one from the main opposition party. At least two officers must be from the Commons. The Chair must be from the Commons and is responsible for its compliance with parliamentary rules but a co-Chair could be from the House of Lords. An MP can be an officer of a maximum of six APPGs. Finally, an APPG must have at least 20 members but non-parliamentarians can be members if the APPG wishes.
Only once members are canvassed and appropriate officers identified can an APPG seek to be registered and begin its work officially.
