The week in Parliament…
This past week in Parliament was very engaging, and I was fortunate to speak in two Westminster Hall debates as well as asking questions in the Chamber on two different occasions.
Tuesday the 23rd was particularly busy, asking a question of the Justice Minister on what he is doing to address the disproportionate number of young offenders from ethnic minority backgrounds, which he agreed was a problem that he needed to address. The debate can be viewed here.
On the afternoon of the 23rd, I took part in a debate on the work of the Crown Prosecution Service, speaking about the impact of changes and reform on constituents in Neath, which can be viewed here. I then attended the Target Ovarian Cancer Campaign launch, which is a very important project seeking to tackle the growing issue of ovarian cancer by raising awareness of symptoms and the importance of early diagnosis.
That evening, I also attended the All Party Parliamentary Group on Universities, learning about their work across the UK.
On Wednesday the 24th, It was also great to speak during a debate on the legacy of the 2012 Olympics, fighting for ground with a show-boating Boris Johnson as he waxed lyrical on his alleged achievements in bringing the event to London.I used the opportunity to highlight the role that sport plays in the health and welling being of an area, illustrating the importance of access and infrastructure in the promotion of sport and physical activity across communities like Neath.
The debate can be viewed here.
My week in Parliament finished with a second Westminster Hall debate, this time on the economic disparities in older industrial areas. This can be viewed here.It was convened by Grahame Morris MP and is of vital importance, as the issues of job creation and energy production become relevant once again, with projects such Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon.
I used the debate as a chance to highlight the impact of economic disparities in places like Neath on the growing inequalities in employment, wealth, health and education when compared to other parts of the UK.
This coming week I will be asking questions during the Business, Innovation and Skills debate on Tuesday morning, the English Votes on English Laws debate on Wednesday, as well as the Opposition Day debates on equal pay and the gender gap, and tax credits and support for working families. Can I please urge members to log on to my website, christinarees.org, as well as my Facebook page and Twitter account. We are working hard to populate the website and social media with lots of news about Neath and the work of a Member of Parliament, so please ‘Like’ and ‘Retweet’ our posts so that we can maximise our reach.