Apprenticeships Speech in Westminster Hall

My Week in Westminster

It’s certainly been a busy first week back!

As I’ve already posted about, on Monday I stayed in the Commons until midnight to lead a debate on Baby Loss. It was incredible to have the Health Secretary Wes Streeting there, with bereaved families watching on from the galleries. I was able to share my family’s story for the first time, which you can see on my Facebook page if you haven’t already.

On Tuesday, I started the day by meeting with PACTS, a road safety organisation. We discussed our on-going inquiries and the steps we’ll be taking to make sure the Government’s upcoming Road Safety strategy creates meaningful change.

After this, I met with a training organisation for climbers. As many of you may know, I used to be a professional mountaineer, so the sport is close to my heart. We had a good discussion on the state of the industry and what we can be doing to ensure more people can get into the sport.

Later on, I chaired a meeting of the Terrorism and Security APPG, where we heard from the former Head of Counter Terrorism Policing, as well as from a survivor of a terrorist attack. It was a hard hitting meeting, particularly after the appalling attack in Manchester recently. We had some good takeaways of how we can work to ensure we are all safer, which I’ll be working on closely in the months to come. A picture of the meeting is below.

After this, I ended the day by going to a meeting chaired by Pendle and Clitheroe MP Jonathan Hinder, focusing on an industrial strategy for the North. We heard from the Minister and discussed the ways we can bring industries back to the North.

On Wednesday, I started the day by welcoming a constituent who is currently studying at university, who will be doing some work experience in my London office. I’m keen to offer work experience, so if you or anyone you know is interested, do get in touch!

Throughout the day, I had a series of meetings, including with Hospice at Home, Pladdis (McVitie’s) who have a number of factories in the North West, the All Party Group for Firefighters and finally with PGL Adventures, who are looking to provide more outdoor activities for schools in Rossendale and Darwen. A picture of me meeting with their team is also below.

Alongside this, I went to a Road Peace reception, where I heard from victims of road collisions, including one mother who lost her husband due to a driver looking at their phone while driving. This is an issue I really believe we must get a grip on as a country.

With that, I made the journey back up north on Wednesday night! ... See MoreSee Less