Recess was focused on grandchildren as well as some constituency work before I headed back to Westminster. It was a quiet week for voting, we only voted once on an SNP amendment but I was still busy with select committees and other meetings. It has been even quieter for my team and family as I lost my voice yesterday! This has never happened to me before and any remedies gratefully received. It has not yet returned although I am continuing my busy schedule with some help to ask questions!
On Monday, I spoke in the statement on Iran concerning the pressure on Iranian journalists working in the UK. I mentioned a couple of weeks ago I had been to a meeting with the BBC World Persian Service to hear about the dangers to the journalists and any family in Iran. Another development is UK-based broadcaster Iran International has had to move its operations to the USA until they can establish a more secure base in the UK.
On Tuesday we continued the Education Select Committee’s inquiry into childcare and heard from some of the practitioners who work in the service. It is not an easy job looking after very young children. Nurseries and childminders are expected to deliver an early years framework and are inspected by Ofsted regularly. We talked about training, qualifications and pay, which is well below that of teachers.
We are going to Finland for a couple of days in April to see how childcare works there. Finland always tops the league tables in education but children do not start school until seven and all teachers of pre-primary school have a degree as do most other OECD countries. This is going to be a very interesting report when it's finished
On another education issue, I had a meeting with the minister in charge of post-16 education as there is going to be a Bill on Monday that allows for life-long learning. Basically, people will be able to take a loan to do a short/long course and get credits towards a qualification. The best part of this Bill is that you can do the courses at any time.
This means you might be able to do a degree quicker than three years if you have built up enough credits or over several years to fit in with other work/caring responsibilities. The loan will be paid back in the same way as a normal degree with a limit set at £37,000. I am very excited about this as it should help people upskill during life’s journey. I hope my voice returns so I can contribute to the debate
This week marks the year since the Ukraine war started and I attended an interesting panel discussion where a human rights lawyer talked about his research revealing that Russia has committed genocide during this war. This includes the forcible removal of children and their dispersal through Russia, the language that is being used and the rape and torture of people.
The Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK told us that 70,000 cases of human rights violations are being pursued and there will be more. This week we have heard more about the Wagner group and watched what is happening in Bakhmut.
We are training Ukrainian pilots but it will take time to train them to fly Typhoons (if that is what they want ) as they are difficult to fly. I have been in simulators for both Typhoons and F35 and I know which one I prefer. It is good that China is now asking for an end to hostilities and I hope that they will be able to influence Putin or give him a way out.
Russia has not yet gone into the expected economic crisis so there is no pressure there. There are discussions ongoing about using some of the seized assets of Russian oligarchs etc to pay for reparations to Ukraine and this might focus the minds of some of Putin’s friends.
On another international front, I went to the FCDO’s Locarno Room (pictures of the glorious ceiling in this newsletter) to the release of the UK’s Women, Peace and Security National Action Programme 2023-2027 which sets out our commitment to reduce the impact of conflict on women and girls and promotes their inclusion to prevent and resolve conflict. I am co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on WPS and we work closely with other countries and hold regular meetings online so we can speak to women around the world. Afghanistan is a priority at the moment although Yemen is another priority and I was pleased to see it included in the report.
I then went on to meet the Yemeni Foreign Minister who was in London for a couple of days and talked to him about what we can do to help the future of Yemen. He was born in Aden like myself and gave me hope for the future of the country.
Today I have visited the Ambulance Service and a community pharmacy in Clanfield as well as meeting with constituents in the Bird in Hand in Lovedean.
Tomorrow, if my voice has returned, I will be campaigning in Wickham.
