Author: W4MP Editor

Virtual Session: Sands Baby Loss Charity

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The Wellness Working Group is hosting a session with Sands Baby Loss Charity:

Time: 10:00 – 11:00
Date: Tuesday 28 July 2026
Location: Online via Teams

We are so pleased that Northern Ireland has become the first part of the UK to offer paid leave to parents who experience pregnancy or baby loss before 24 weeks.

To learn about these changes and also how to creating a supportive work environment for a colleague who may have experienced baby loss as well as how to navigate the other various bereavement statutory employment entitlements when it comes to pregnancy loss and baby death please join us for this session.

To register and receive the link to the meeting, please email mpsstaff-wwg@parliament.uk from your Parliamentary account.

Behind the Scenes with the Official Report

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Join Hansard reporters for a 90-minute session in which we explain how we accurately report Members’ speeches and the proceedings of Parliament. We talk about who are our readers are, the challenges of parliamentary reporting and which are the most popular debates, and we finish up with a tour of our offices and where we sit in the Chamber to best see all the action.

We are holding sessions on the mornings and afternoons of Tuesday 21 and Tuesday 28 July, at 11 am and 1.30 pm. You don’t need to have any prior knowledge of Hansard to come along, and we welcome staff from all parts of the House.

For further information or to book your place on a session, please email hansardoutreach@parliament.uk

Library talk – Local government reorganisation: Vantage point summer 2026

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Time: 10:30 – 11:30
Date: 9 July 2026
Location: Online via Teams
Booking: https://parliament.learningpool.com/mod/facetoface/view.php?id=9728

This talk will analyse the decisions made on local government reorganisation in March 2026, and the implications of any developments since. It will then reiterate the timetable for the implementation of the policy. It will also trace the implications for Government decisions on the remainder of two-tier areas in England.

Working Through Cancer Network Event: 9 July

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Time: 14:15 – 15:15
Date: Thursday 9 July 2026
Location: Online and PCH
Open to: parliamentary staff
Information/booking: dan.horrocks@parliament.uk

You are warmly invited to the next Working Through Cancer Network event where you can hear more about the purpose of the network, the support we are building and how to get involved.

We are delighted that The Rt Hon Wes Streeting MP, former Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, will be joining us to speak about his personal experience of cancer, the challenges of balancing treatment with public life and the insights he has gained from navigating a cancer diagnosis whilst serving in one of the most senior roles in Government.

About the Network
The Working Through Cancer Network exists to support parliamentary staff and others affected by cancer — whether as a patient, carer, line manager, or colleague. We are also developing practical support, including a buddy system and guidance for navigating the help available in Parliament.

RSVP
If you’re planning to attend, in person or online, please RSVP to dan.horrocks@parliament.uk so we can get an idea of numbers.

We hope you will be able to join us for what promises to be a thoughtful and inspiring discussion.

Bank of England: Setting interest rates and the Monetary Policy Committee

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Training session with the Bank of England

Time: 13:00 – 15:00
Date: Tuesday 7 July 2026
Location: Parliament
Further information and booking: https://parliament.learningpool.com/course/view.php?id=2339

Inflation, Setting Interest Rates & the MPC

Join Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) member Megan Greene, for a Lunch & Learn followed by Q&A on how the Bank of England sets interest rates to meet the 2% inflation target.

ICGS annual report 2025-2026 published

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The Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) team published its annual report for 2025-26.

The ICGS was the first scheme of its type in any legislature and underpins the Behaviour Code, which sets out the standards of behaviour expected of everyone in Parliament.

You can read the report here: ICGS Annual Report 2025-26.

NEW DATE – London and South East Roadshow 

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The London and South East roadshow has been rescheduled for Thursday 10 September 2026.

You are invited to attend the upcoming roadshow event for London and South East offices. The event will be delivered by the Members and Members’ staff Services Team (MMSST) in the House of Commons. We really hope that you will be able to attend.

If you have already signed up, you will not need to re-register for the new date; MMSST will shortly send you a new calendar invitation.

To register to attend please email mmsst@parliament.uk

Library/NAO talk: Unlocking land for housing

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Time: 10:30 – 11:30
Date: 2 July 2026
Location: Online via Teams
Booking: https://parliament.learningpool.com/mod/facetoface/view.php?id=9857

The government has set a milestone to deliver 1.5 million new homes over this Parliament to July 2029. This will require building more than 300,000 homes per annum on average, a level of housebuilding that was last achieved in the 1960s. The government says a chronic undersupply of land underpins the housing crisis. It believes there is suitable land in England for housebuilding that is not being developed by the market as it is not profitable or attractive enough for developers to build on in its current form. This can be due to factors such as the need for remediation work, a lack of infrastructure such as roads, or pieces of land making up a site being owned by different people or companies.

Join the National Audit Office as they discuss the key findings from their report on Unlocking land for housing. They assess whether MHCLG’s programmes to increase the supply of suitable land for housing development are effectively supporting the government’s ambitions to build the right homes in the right places. 

The National Audit Office (NAO) is the UK’s independent public spending watchdog. It supports Parliament in holding government to account and helps improve public services through its audits.