The first full week of recess has been a chance to escape the excitement of the Conservative leadership contest and focus on some of the issues my Select Committee has been looking at from a local perspective.
I was pleased to be able to attend (albeit virtually) a meeting of the Chartered Institute of Building to talk about diversity in the construction workforce, and hear about recruitment challenges locally. There was a really good discussion about apprenticeships and training, and how to lift the profile of apprenticeships to young people, their parents and indeed in schools.
On Thursday there was a full media round talking about the recommendations the Select Committee has made on menopause in the workplace. These include the immediate enactment of Section 14 of the Equalities Act, which would enable women to use two protected characteristics, age and sex, in any discrimination claim. It would be an important step forward, stopping the current situation where too many women feel forced to use disability discrimination protections. The menopause is many things, but it is not a disability.
After a year of work it was great to get the report launched and I look forward to the Government working with me on this in the Autumn. I am determined to have a constructive dialogue with the PM regarding supporting women in the workplace.
