The House of Commons has launched a brand new online shop, where you can purchase gifts, books, stationery, food & drink (but not alcohol), toys, clothing, jewellery and homewares.
Have a look here: https://www.shop.parliament.uk/
You are invited to take part in EqualiTeas
StandardYou are invited to take part in EqualiTeas (18 June-2 July 2018) a UK-wide celebration of our democratic equality that will mark the 90th anniversary of the Representation of the People Act 1928 in which all people were given the right to vote on an equal basis.
Hold an event or activity
Anyone can hold an EqualiTeas party! Your EqualiTeas event or activity can take any form you would like. It can be big or small, private or public, inside or out! As long as it brings your community together to explore what equality means to people. Pop on the kettle, make a cup of your favourite brew, and have a chat about why you value equality and what it means to you.
Free EqualiTeas pack
Register your EqualiTeas event today and receive a free event pack which includes:
• tablecloth board game
• pack of debate cards
• party banner
• selfie placard
• badges
• cookie cutter and recipe card
We have 4000 packs to be claimed, register for yours before they have gone.
Who we are
EqualiTeas has been developed by the Houses of Parliament as part of its Education and Engagement Service. It is part of Vote 100 which marks 100 years since Parliament passed a law which allowed the first women, and all men, to vote for the first time: the Representation of the People Act 1918.
Working Group on an Independent Complaints and Grievance Policy
In November, the Prime Minister convened a cross-party Working Group to establish a new independent complaints and grievance procedure, in response to reports of sexual harassment and bullying in parliament.
The group’s report was published today and can be read on the Parliament website. It has attracted a lot of press coverage:
- BBC: MPs face tougher sanctions for sexual harassment and bullying
- Sky: MPs could be expelled for sexual abuse and harassment under new ‘game-changing’ rules
- Reuters: One in five experience sexual harassment, says UK parliament report
- Guardian: MPs and peers could be recalled or expelled for harassment
Vote 100 videos
100 years ago Parliament passed The Representation of the People Act, which gave the first women and all men the right to vote. To celebrate, Parliament have created ‘Your Story Our History’, three short films focusing on laws that have contributed to women’s rights and continued to empower them.
POSTBrief – Topics of Interest 2018
StandardPOST has published a list, setting out the topic areas identified of possible parliamentary interest under the 9 different category headings (Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Forestry, Crime, Defence, Education and Skills, Energy, Environment, Health, ICT and Robotics and Transport and Infrastructure).
Where relevant this list will inform the deliberations of the POST Board on POST’s future work programme until it is updated or replaced by future horizon scanning activities. This list of issues was initially identified from academic papers and grey literature as having an impact on public policy, and then peer reviewed to focus on those topic areas of most interest, and then narrowed to those considered to be the highest priority through a workshop with parliamentary staff.
To view the list, click here: http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/POST-PB-0027/POST-PB-0027.pdf
Briefing on The Trade Bill
StandardThe Bill aims to help with the process of “transitioning” the EU’s trade agreements to UK agreements.
The House of Commons Library has published a useful briefing on the Trade Bill. Read the analysis before its second reading on Tuesday.
https://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/CBP-8073
ParliOUT Social
To commemorate the beginning of the year following all the indulgent Christmas celebrations, ParliOUT will be hosting an evening social.
Thursday 18 Jan 2018, 17:30 – 19:00
Costa Coffee | The Grand Building, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5EJ
Contact: Nerys Davies, nerys.davies@cslearning.gov.uk
Please RSVP to parliout@parliament.uk to let us know if you’d like to attend so we can expect you.
We understand that the idea of coming to an event without knowing anyone can be quite a daunting experience. A pre-meet will happen between 5pm – 5.30pm at Westminster station (between St. Stephen’s Tavern and Tesco Express) for people that would like to meet before the event.
Committee member Nerys Davies will be facilitating this. To contact Nerys regarding the pre-meet, email: nerys.davies@cslearning.gov.uk
Find out more about ParliOUT on the Parliament website.
What do Commons Clerks do?
StandardFollowing on from her article on Commons Doorkeeper, Sarah Binstead-Chapman, Kate Forrester, Political reporter for HuffPost UK has written another interesting article, this time about Farrah Bhatti and the role of Commons Clerk
You can find the article here: Commons Clerk: I Had No Idea How Hard MPs Worked Until I Came To Parliament
What does a doorkeeper do?
StandardKate Forrester, Political reporter for HuffPost UK has written a very interesting article about Sarah Binstead-Chapman and her role as House of Commons Doorkeeper.
You can find the article here:
House Of Commons Doorkeeper Lifts Lid On What It’s Really Like To Work In Parliament
Can you unlock Parliament?
The life of a bag-carrier or researcher might seem to be entirely dedicated to the task of unlocking the mysteries of Parliament, but now there’s a new way to test your skills – ‘Unlock Parliament’, a brand new immersive experience at Westminster.
The mysterious ‘Agent N’ will set you a series of puzzles and other clues (including some via video link). Your objective is to move Agent N’s rather surprising new Bill through Parliament.
With the clock ticking, you will need to work as a team to make some tough decisions as quickly as possible. Can you solve the puzzles and clues in time to pass the Bill into Law?
‘Unlock Parliament’ is fun and suitable for all ages (minimum recommended age 8 years). Perfect for couples, families and groups of friends, and all kids go free! And who knows – you might learn more about Parliamentary procedure!
To find out more, please call the Bookings Team on x4114 or visit the web page.