Huge congratulations and thanks to all those who volunteer to make Park Run possible in Romsey at the Ganger Farm sports hub. Not to mention keeping last week's run going ahead in very frosty conditions, when several others in the region were cancelled. I am not sure I will be rushing back until the weather warms up a bit, it was very very cold, but at least I finished!
This week is cervical cancer prevention week and I met with Jo's Cancer Trust in Parliament to talk about the uptake of screening in this constituency. There is a real problem with younger women, especially in the Southampton area, not attending for screening. As Samantha Dixon of the charity commented, this is a wholly preventable disease, but it is about getting the HPV vaccine and attending routine screening. None of us like going for a cervical screen, but it is vitally important.
I was appalled at the end of the week to see a colleague being harassed on the tube, and last week to see female colleagues being shouted down in the Chamber and one being physically intimidated by a male MP. It is why during Women and Equalities Questions I asked the Minister to call out workplace bullying and harassment. We have to be able to debate difficult, contentious issues courteously, and without being chased into the tube by aggressive individuals. I have no idea if that man was violent or not, but he was certainly abusive.
