It was great to be back at The Commonweal School in Old Town last Friday, to see staff and students from the sixth form and discuss law and politics. I particularly enjoyed the discussion and question and answer session and would like to thank all of those students who took part.
I would also like to congratulate all of the girls who took part in the Swindon Schools Girls’ Football Tournament this year. Following last year’s Lionesses success, I am delighted to see an increase in the popularity of football here in Swindon, with more pupils attending training sessions in schools across South Swindon who have been influenced by the women’s team. I was impressed to hear about the level of talent on display during the event, with a number of girls being selected to play for local teams and even clubs including Swindon Town and the Swindon Spitfires. Congratulations to all who took part, including the team at Lawn Manor Academy who reached the final for the first year and celebrated its best girls’ football season in history.
You may have read in my previous columns that as part of my ongoing work to close the employment gap for autistic people, I have been appointed by the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to lead a new Autism Employment Review. As part of the review, round table discussions have been continuing in Westminster. Autistic people have a huge amount to offer employers, and more and more businesses are recognising the benefits of having a diverse workforce full of people who offer a variety of skills and different ways of thinking. But still, many autistic people face huge barriers in finding and staying in work. A better understanding of autism in the workplace could transform thousands of autistic people’s lives and round table discussions with key organisations including The National Autistic Society, and Autistica, who are supporting the review, are crucial to gain a further understanding of what can be done to provide better support for autistic staff already in the workforce, what more could be done to prepare autistic people who would like to begin or return to a career, and working practices and initiatives to reduce stigma and increase understanding.
Last week I spoke in Parliament as part of the Retained EU Law Bill. This Bill seeks to make major changes to the body of retained EU law in UK domestic law following Brexit. There is no doubt that the aims of the Bill, which I continue to support, are entirely laudable. The Regulatory Reform Group, of which I am part, has been set up with the purpose of coming back to the true aim of regulation, and there is a collective will for us to do more, and to do it better. Together, with this Bill as the beginning, we can achieve the objectives of effective regulation.
Finally, my local charity of the week is RSPCA Oak and Furrows. As an animal lover myself, I was delighted to adopt a grey tabby cat named Mrs Landingham (Mrs L for short) through an animal welfare charity back in January 2021, and I am very supportive of the work of these excellent charities.
RSPCA Oka and Furrows, located in Cricklade, rescues and cares for thousands of animals a year, including many here in South Swindon. The charity’s mission is to prevent cruelty, promote kindness, and alleviate the suffering of animals by promoting the five fundamental needs for all animals; the need for a suitable environment, the need for a suitable diet, the need to exhibit normal behaviour patterns, and the need to be protected from pain, suffering, injury, and disease.
Currently, the charity is calling for donations of unwanted clothes to supply its chain of ten charity shops in the region, which help to support running costs at the centre. You can help by donating to the shop located in The Parade in Swindon Town Centre.
To find out about the many other ways that you can support RSPCA Oak and Furrows, and to learn more about the charity’s work please visit https://www.rspcaoandf.org.uk/
