This week I have received a number of emails about the Energy Bill which is currently being scrutinised in Committee. As I am one of the members of the Panel of Chairs who is sitting on the Bill I am not able to table amendments or even vote in future stages of the Bill. It is, however, a fascinating opportunity to go through the detail of the Bill, literally line by line. I can assure Labour supporters that the Shadow Minister and my parliamentary neighbour, Alan Whitehead, is doing a very thorough job.
I have been in Oslo this week as part of the work my Select Committee is doing on the National Disability Strategy. It has been a fascinating opportunity to hear direct from Government officials and Members of the Norwegian Parliament about the ten year journey to get the UN Convention on the Rights of Disabled People incorporated into legislation. We have also met representatives of civil society, including the national autism society to discuss the challenges of helping those with disabilities get into employment.
It looks like a busy constituency weekend this week, with the Staying Strong event at Bradbeers, and FogFest in Salisbury on Saturday. It doesn’t seem like a year since the last one but I am sure it must be. I am off to talk to the Bar Council about menopause issues next Monday, with fellow Women and Equalities Committee member Carolyn Harris.
I also desperately need to do the Park Run on Saturday, but after a nasty swollen ankle a few weeks ago I haven’t run for a while. There is a Park Run celebration event in Westminster at the start of next month and I am hoping my ankle will be recovered by then, but I fear it is not up to trotting round Ganger Farm this weekend!
