This week it has been a pleasure to welcome the British Chiropractic Association to Parliament, including local members of the Association to discuss how a comprehensive MSK strategy could alleviate pressure on the NHS and help get those suffering from musculoskeletal conditions back to work. Over 20 million people in the UK are estimated to have an MSK condition and the ask of the BCA is the opportunity to feed into the major conditions strategy. I had previously met members in Romsey during the Easter recess and will be applying for a Westminster Hall debate on this.
I have also been at Solent University this week, not just meeting the Vice Chancellor but also having the chance to visit the maritime centre where 90% of the world's maritime pilots are trained. I had the opportunity to pilot the simulator in a virtual Portsmouth Harbour, which was a phenomenally realistic experience, and also look in real time at the training going on in Timsbury at the lake there.
Family Law was high on the agenda when I was a guest on the Justice Select Committe interrogating the President of the Family Division. My focus was on so-called parental alienation, a contested term which is much used in the family courts, with a great deal of alarm over unregulated and unqualified "experts". I have spoken to many parents, caught in incredibly difficult situations when relationships have broken down. When children get caught in the middle it is always tragic, and phenomenally hard to navigate a path through.
I have also had a focus on women's sport this week, and a breakfast with rugby legend Brian Moore. His views on the importance of measuring outcome from sport in school, not necessarily in traditional sporting success, but in terms of children's fitness, were very interesting. I can remember simply not valuing PE at school, I might go so far as to say I hated it, but nowadays, much as I dislike running in the rain, I constantly recognise the health benefits I get from being more physically active than my natural sedentary state. School sport has changed out of all recognition since I had to endure it, but we still have work to do to embed a lifelong love of exercise and activity in young people.
