NATO summit preview and the UK armed forces

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House of Commons Library Talk

Session outline

The government is expected to set out its defence and foreign policy priorities before the NATO summit. This talk will highlight the key points and lookahead to the main topics of discussion for NATO at its summit on 24-26 June.

Time: 10:30 – 11:30
Date: 19 June 2025
Location: Online
Registration: https://parliament.learningpool.com/mod/facetoface/view.php?f=3479

ParliCARE cuppa and catch-up

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Please join ParliCARE for an in-person coffee catch-up, and to connect with others who care. Our in-person ‘coffee catch up’ gives Parliament’s current and future carers the chance to connect and build helpful support networks.

Time: 12:30 – 13:30
Date: Tuesday 10 June 2025
Location: Portcullis House Atrium – look for the ParliCARE banner

ParliCARE is a Workplace Equality Network (WEN) to promote inclusion and equality of opportunity across Parliament with the aim of raising awareness of and support for all staff and Members of both Houses of Parliament with caring challenges.

To learn more about ParliCARE, please see the intranet page here: https://parlinet.parliament.uk/working-here/workplace-equality-networks/parlicare/

Meet the Director: Commons Library and POST

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Time: 11:30 – 14:00
Date: Tuesday 10 June
Location: Portcullis House Hub

Members and Members’ staff are invited to drop-in to monthly ‘Meet the Director’ sessions in the Portcullis House Hub.

Directors from key House Administration teams that provide services to Members will be available to answer your questions, listen to your feedback, or talk to you more about how their teams can support you in carrying out your parliamentary duties.

This month’s drop-in focuses on the House of Commons Library and the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST).

Meet:

  • Grant Hill-Cawthorne, Managing Director of Research and Information
  • Anna Dickson, Director of Research
  • Bryn Morgan, Director of Data Services.

LWPSN Great Get Together

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The LWPSN is proud to be part of this year’s parliamentary Great Get Together. The GGT happens up and down the country to remember Jo Cox, to show her famous phrase “We have far more in common than that which divides us”.

It is a cross-party event with many organisations which advocate for all the things Jo cared about – gender equity, democracy, compassion in politics – coming to meet, and an exciting guest speaker line up.

For full details and RSVP, please see here: https://w4mp.org/w4mp-guides/groups-which-staff-can-join/representation/labour-womens-parliamentary-staff-network/lwpsn-whats-on/

Screening of “Only Love Matters” plus Q&A session

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Time: 17:45 – 20:30
Date: 11tJune 2025
Location: Jubilee Room, Westminster Hall, Palace of Westminster

Join us for a screening of the film “Only Love Matters” and a Q&A with the producer and director.

The film will start at 18:00 and lasts approx. 93 minutes. Following the film stay for a Q&A with Dr Iram Qureshi (Producer) and Dr Kamran Qureshi (Director & Executive Producer).

Only Love Matters is a ground-breaking critically acclaimed British romantic feature film. It is an English-language romantic feature film that has made cinema history as the first to feature intersex lead characters set in Britain. The film has won over 30 awards in the festival circuit around the world and was critically acclaimed in media, including BBC South, BBC East, BBC Radio, and News articles.

You can watch the trailer for Only Love Matters here: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/onlylovematters/920179761

Bring your own refreshments (alcohol allowed).

Please contact ParliOut@parliament.uk for further information.

The House magazine and the Staff Room newsletter present: The House Staffer Network series

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Building on the success of last year’s packed The House magazine Staffer Reception and the launch of The Staff Room newsletter now with over 700 subscribers, we’re excited to expand our support for parliamentary staff with The House Staffer Network series.

Hosted in Parliament, these in-person workshops are designed to help you sharpen your skills, tackle real workplace challenges, and connect with peers from across the political spectrum. Whether you’re new to Westminster or looking to make a greater impact in your role, this is your space to learn, share, and grow.

The first workshop you can sign up to attend is: HEALTH AND WELLBEING IN THE WORKPLACE

Tuesday, 1 July 2025 | 19:15 – 21:00 | Attlee Suite, Portcullis House

In this workshop, we’ll cover:

  • Practical wellbeing tips for maintaining balance in your busy role
  • Strategies for supporting colleagues and fostering a healthy work environment
  • Tools to enhance your personal and team wellbeing

Sign up here

All workshops will include an informal reception, offering a chance to network with other staffers and discuss shared challenges and experiences.

If you would prefer to RSVP via email or if you have any questions about the event, please do not hesitate to contact us here.

And if you haven’t already, don’t miss out – sign up to the Staff Room newsletter from The House today.

Panel Discussion: A Parliamentarian’s Guide to the Unwritten Constitution

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Time: 14:00 – 18:00
Date: 2 June 2025
Location: PCH
Open to: All Members and their staff, Peers, and all parliamentary staff.
Registration required before 26 May 2025 – see below


Join our expert panel event to explore the role that politicians and key parliamentary personnel play in sustaining the unwritten dimension of constitutionalism. The event – hosted by the House of Commons’ Parliament, Public Administration and Constitution Hub and in collaboration with legal academics at UCL, Durham University and the University of Ottawa – will explore the content, functions and interactions of different types of unwritten rules and the ways in which parliamentarians channel unwritten rules in the day-to-day work of government.

For full details and registration, please see here: https://parlinet.parliament.uk/events/2025/june/a-parliamentarians-guide-to-the-unwritten-constitution/

Avoid health misinformation: Improving constituents’ health literacy

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Good Information Toolkit Talk from the House of Commons Library

How does health literacy impact constituents and the NHS? Join us for an essential session focused on improving health literacy, where we will ask:

What is health literacy?

  • Understand the fundamentals and why it’s important for effective communication in our communities.
    Why does it matter to the NHS and your constituents?
  • Discover how improved health literacy can lead to better patient outcomes, reduce health inequalities, and help you support your constituents.
  • How can we empower constituents to understand information about their health
  • Explore how we can improve understanding in written and verbal information. We’ll also step into the shoes of patients who don’t understand what they’re being told about their health, and think about how we can communicate with empathy.

If you’re working in a constituency, this session can help you engage with communities about their health and support informed decision-making.

Time: 14:00
Date: 20 May 2025
Location: Online
Further information and registration: https://parliament.learningpool.com/mod/facetoface/view.php?id=7476

Casework Discussion Forum: Local transport Q&A

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Time: 14:30 – 15:30
Date: 8 May 2025
Location: Online via MS Teams

The Casework Discussion Forum takes place each month via MS Teams.

The topic for May’s forum meeting will be a Local transport Q&A (UK wide). We’ll be joined by Roger Tyers and Mike Benson from the Library’s Business and Transport team, and Iona Stewart from the Library’s Social and General Statistics team.

Book your place on Act.

The forum is complemented by a dedicated Teams chat which enables you to share ideas and best practice, with support being on hand from the Library should specialist knowledge be required.

You do not have to be a caseworker to attend these sessions – they are open to any Members’ staff who handle casework.