Rhondda MP asks voters to choose a new law

A Welsh MP is asking people which new law they would like to see from a shortlist of six.

Rhondda's Chris Bryant won a House of Commons ballot to bring forward his own bill which has a good chance of becoming law.

Ideas include civil partnerships for straight couples, harsher penalties for attacks on emergency services, and curbs on advertising unhealthy food.

"I want my constituents to help me make my mind up," he said.

Mr Bryant launched his shortlist at Ysgol Gyfun Cymer on Thursday as a means of engaging people in the political process.

"There are hundreds of things I would like to change in this country, but I have to choose one," Mr Bryant said.

"What I have said is that I want my constituents to help me make my mind up.

"I'll be putting six ideas on my website, and people will be able to go and vote, 1,2,3,4,5,6, and I promise I will present either the top or the second top."

The ideas are:

• A Marriage Equality Bill - allowing civil partnerships for mixed sex couples, inclusion of mothers' names on marriage certificates and the use of religious symbols in straight civil weddings

• Reinsurance (Acts of Terrorism) Bill - extending the existing scheme which provides compensation to those that have lost out financially through physical damage to property from acts of terrorism to include those who have suffered other forms of loss

• Crime (Assaults on Emergency Staff) Bill - making assault on emergency workers such as police, fire and ambulance crews an aggravated offence

• House of Lords (Exclusion of Hereditary Peers) Bill - removing the remaining 92 hereditary peers from the House of Lords

• Food (Advertising and Labelling) Bill - ban TV advertising of high fat, high sugar foods before 9pm and require colour-coded labels on packaged foods

• Refugees Families Bill - allowing refugee families to be reunited by expanding the definition of family members allowed to accompany refugees, and giving refugee children the right to be reunited with their parents