Monday
I know it’s going to be a very busy week ahead so I pack a decent overnight bag in case I get stuck in London with late votes.
First up is a meeting with the Institute of Physics about women in science. The UK has the lowest proportion of women engineers of any country in Europe, but the vast majority of women who chose this career say they are happy or very happy. We discuss a campaign to support girls who study physics.
Quick phone call with Prof Iain Martin, head of Anglia Ruskin University. They are bidding for Chelmsford to host the British Science Festival in 2020. If we get this it will be huge!
Over to the House of Commons chamber for Defence questions. I grill the minister about contracts for next generation radar systems. This is very important for BAE workers in Great Baddow.
The Prime Minister comes to give a statement on her meeting with other G7 leaders. I’m pleased to hear the work the UK is leading on removing plastics from the oceans. Many Chelmsford residents have emailed me about this.
I join a meeting about Carers where I am told that 1 in 8 of Chelmsford people are providing care for an ill, older or disabled loved one. I have a long talk with a young mum who is caring for her husband whose health is in rapid decline due to motor neuron disease. She is also working full time to pay the bills and has a toddler. What a very brave woman.
The Prime Minister comes to speak to Members of Parliament about the votes on the EU Withdrawal Bill this week. The room is completely packed. I’m pleased that there appears to be agreement on most of the amendments. I speak in support of her stance, especially on finding a solution that works for all of the UK, so the country remains united. As I leave the meeting the prison minister catches my eye. He says he hopes to visit Chelmsford Prison this week and tells me a prisoner is on the roof!
Tuesday
Breakfast with digital companies on the benefits of 5G and how deliver it. This technology will be crucial for driverless cars and other connected devices. Then off to Science and Tech Committee where we are doing a report on the impact of caffeinated drinks on young people. We’re told that children who drink large quantities of caffeinated sugary drinks often then pick up smoking, alcoholism or drugs later.
In the chamber we have questions to the Business Minister. I ask about Space. This is also important for Chelmsford as Teledyne e2v are making the sensors to go on the next generation of “Sentinel” satellites. These will make a huge difference in how scientists monitor the Earth’s environment, and help get assistance to remote areas after natural disasters like earthquakes and floods. I’m very pleased to get the minister to commit to a new UK space program as well as remaining part of the European Space Agency - and he’s going to do a new “sector deal” for space companies. This will help with skills and investment.
We start the debate on the EU Withdrawal Bill amendments. It’s complicated and there are many nuances. I help to propose solutions that keep the Conservative MPs united. After many hours of debate we have many, many more hours of voting. I understand it’s a record. I am told that the Labour shadow ministers called lots of votes on technical issues because they didn’t want to debate devolution. The Scots Nationalists are furious because they did want to debate devolution.
Wednesday
I’m delighted to be asked to speak at the annual conference for TheCityUK. They represent financial services companies all over the country and many Chelmsford residents work in this sector. I talk about the need to keep supporting innovation, whilst also making sure our own regulations remain robust.
I join the Women and Equalities committee quizzing ministers about the laws on sexual harassment. The government is developing a new strategy on violence against Women and Girls, we discuss some of the detail.
The commons is packed for Prime Ministers Questions. It’s all going pretty normally until the Scots Nationalists leader stands up. He demands a change to the order and a vote now, so that they can debate devolution. The Speaker offers them a chance to vote after PMQs finishes. They refuse. After a lot of shouting the Scots Nats MPs all storm out. It’s all rather childish as five Scots Nats MPs then miss their chances to ask the Prime Minister a question. My assistant says when it comes to dramatic exits the ones on TOWIE are much better!
We have a meeting of the all-party group for Women in Parliament. I am honoured to be elected as the new chair. We discuss plans to encourage more women to stand for election.
The debate on the Withdrawal Bill continues with another group of amendments up for discussion. I listen to the debate and add my comments. The Prime Minister needs strong support from MPs for her next round of negotiations, but we shouldn’t be surprised that there is still much to agree. It’s quite normal in international negotiations for decisions to come in a flurry at the final stages. Again, the votes go long into the evening.
Thursday
Start the day back in Westminster again, this time with the Department for Exiting the EU, discussing Scientific cooperation after Brexit and then with the defence minister discussing the Galileo satellite program. The program supports crucial communications for British Military as we do not have a GPS-type system of our own, but there is a big row going on about how the system will work after Brexit.
Back to Chelmsford where I meet the minister for prisons, Rory Stewart MP, for a tour of the prison by the acting Governor. We saw both the older and more modern wings. The minister was particularly focused on how to provide more support for newly recruited officers in their first few months and years. I’ve discussed this a lot with him as it is a big issue in prisons like Chelmsford where a lot of the staff are new. We look at where the prisoner got on the roof. I’m pretty amazed as it involved climbing through lots of razor wire.
After such a busy few days I decide to leave the office “early” – 6pm. I go down to the cricket ground to watch Essex versus Yorkshire. Bother! Essex lose some silly wickets, but it is nice to see so many people enjoying the match in the evening sun.
Friday
Early start meeting the Mid-Essex Business Group for breakfast. We discuss tax policy (especially for retail companies competing with on-line purchases), road improvements (the logistics companies explain how important the new Lower Thames Crossing will be) and policing (they are pleased to hear about the new PCSOs in the City Centre) as well as many other matters.
I drive across the City to the massive Aldi Distribution centre in Springfield Business Park. It has over 1000 employees and is their busiest distribution centre anywhere in the world. It is fascinating to meet lots of the staff and see how they manage to get so much produce out to stores all across Essex, London and East Anglia every day. We discuss their plans to reduce plastics and their commitment to equal pay and to their employees. It is impressive.
I visit Helping Hands, a charity that helps those with alcoholism and other addictions to quit. They are having to move premises and I’m very taken by how quickly many different charities have come in to help and offer them accommodation. We discuss what more can be done to support homelessness and reduce addiction. I offer to support their bid for Lottery Funding. The week finishes with a busy constituency surgery.