Whilst this week has, quite rightly, been dominated by statements and urgent questions on the Horizon scandal, there has also been a great deal of other parliamentary business.  

Although it has not happened at the time of writing, there was a debate scheduled for Thursday on special educational needs, which I am planning to contribute to.  I am conscious a number of parents and grandparents have been in touch with me ahead of the debate, specifically requesting that I share the challenges their families face.

This week in the Select Committee we heard from a range of stakeholders on the rights of older people, including Age UK and the older persons commissioner for Wales.  One of the recurring themes was the "invisibility" of older people, and the apparent acceptability of age discrimination. Age very much is a protected characteristic yet very few cases of age discrimination are ever brought to tribunal.  

On Wednesday evening I spoke at an event hosted by Dorset Women CIC, alongside a cross party panel of Labour, Lib Dem and Conservative women Councillors.  I am meeting Minister Scott at the Department for Levelling Up, Communities and Housing alongside one of my fellow panellists, Cllr Laura Beddow, with Aster to talk about the charges they are levying on residents for sewerage.  So it was nice to put a face to the name ahead of next week's meeting.  It would be wrong of me at this point not to pay tribute to Cllr Nick Adams-King who has done so much to highlight this issue and pull together information from numerous communities across the wider region.

Rt Hon Caroline Nokes MP,

Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee

MP for Romsey and Southampton North