Sign up for Care Quality Commission Alerts

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The Care Quality Commission is the independent regulator of health and social care in England.

If you want to stay up to date with the latest health and social care inspections in your constituency, then sign up for their email alerts, and they will send you an email once a week with the details of their activity in your area, including:

  • services they have started inspecting
  • new inspection reports they’ve published.
  • Where they’ve published a new report, you’ll be able to click on a link in the email to read it straightaway.

Sign up here: http://www.cqc.org.uk/cqc-subscriptions/subscribe/english-constituency

Commons Library EU referendum hub updated

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The Commons Library has updated its EU referendum hub. The hub includes pre and post-Brexit briefing papers which set out the background to the EU Referendum as well as analysis and comment after the result.   There is also a comprehensive reading list bringing together relevant books, articles and think tank and parliamentary publications relevant to the subject.

 Brexit: What happens next

Now that the UK has voted to leave the EU, what will happen next? This Commons Library briefing paper looks at the immediate consequences of the vote and some of the longer term implications.

 Information includes:

  • Is the voting binding?
  • Will EU law still have effect in the UK?
  • Will the UK still contribute to the EU Budget?
  • Will immigration be affected?
  • Next steps: UK action
  • Next steps: EU action
  • Could Scotland stay in the EU?
  • Legal process

Other recent papers

Where to find these papers

Hard copy

You should be able to find many of these in displays around the Estate (including Norman Shaw North and South, 1 Parliament Street and Tothill Street Cafe)

 Digital

Remembering Jo Cox MP

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Jo Cox MP

Jo Cox MP

Jo Cox was a great woman, an effective Parliamentarian, a committed constituency MP, a loving wife and mother, and a friend to so many people. Her murder has shocked us all, and our sympathy is with her family, staff, colleagues and friends.

The analysis and search for an explanation for what happened continues, with much reflection about the corrosive nature of our polarised political environment; the impact of a social media sphere where racism, sexism, homophobia and hate speech run unchecked; and of course the charged atmosphere around the European referendum.

None of these explanations will change the tragic reality that Jo Cox was killed doing her job. And this will have a special significance to readers of W4MP. Today, and next week, and the week after, many of you will be helping run constituency surgeries, playing your part in one of the most important aspects of our parliamentary democracy and keeping MPs involved in the lives of those they represent.

We all have the right to work without feeling threatened, and nobody involved in the work of Parliament should have to feel that they are taking a risk as they go about their job. Jo Cox was attacked on her way to her surgery, and whatever we may wish, it’s clear that MPs and their staff do face real risks of harrassment and potential violence.

It’s not enough to offer advice on office security, though the measures recommended by the Police and Serjeant at Arms are sensible and well-considered. Nor is it acceptable to say to people who work for MPs that such risks ‘go with the territory’ – because they don’t, and we can never allow them to be normalised.

Physical violence is one end of a spectrum that begins with insults and threatening language or behaviour, and we need to demonstrate that even this is unacceptable, that it will not be tolerated or normalised or ignored, but will be challenged and exposed and stopped.

At w4mp we can help to share stories, and perhaps begin to push back against the intolerance and anger that has infected political discourse and the lives of those engaged in politics – on whatever side of the debate.

One way to begin is to talk more openly about what happens in your job, and perhaps share ideas about how to deal with difficult situations. We invite you to share your stories with us (email editor@w4mp.org) and we can post them on the site, anonymously if you prefer. It is a small thing, but a start.

And we will remember Jo Cox and celebrate her life and achievement.

Personal Security

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We at w4mp are shocked to learn that Jo Cox, MP for Batley and Spen has died from her injuries after having been attacked outside her advice surgery this afternoon.  We offer our sincere condolences to her family and friends at this awful time.

This is a sad reminder that we all need to be alert and aware of our security, and we strongly recommend that you take a few minutes to read our post here: https://w4mp.org/very-important-information-about-your-safety-and-security/

and also the security advice on the Parliamentary intranet

In the words of Hill Street Blues: “Let’s be careful out there”

UK Facing Digital Skills Crisis

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The Science and Technology Committee has published a report warning that the UK risks being left behind if the Government does not take more action to address the digital skills crisis.

The report finds that 12.6 million adults in the UK lack basic digital skills; 5.8 million people have never used the internet; only 35% of computer teachers in schools have a relevant degree and 30% of the required number of computer science teachers have not been recruited; and 13% of computer graduates are still unemployed 6 months after leaving university. This digital skills gap is costing the UK economy £63 billion a year in lost GDP.

POSTnote: Addressing Islamic Extremism

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POST

 

 

The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology has recently published a POSTnote on Addressing Islamic Extremism which looks at Islamic extremism, radicalisation and deradicalisation, and the policy responses to violent and non-violent extremism.

Tell POST what you think

If you wish to leave feedback on any of POST publications, please complete this short survey, which will provide them with valuable feedback for future publications.

Staff seminars fully booked

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We’ve listed some staff seminars on our listings page.  Three of the advertised sessions are now full up.

  • “Working on how to support an All-Party Parliamentary Group” on Tuesday 7 June
  • “Keeping on the right side of the rules” on Wednesday 15 June AND Tuesday 28 June

RESOLVED: Outlook and Mobile Device Problems – Monday 16 May

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10:50am – The problems with Outlook and mobile device connections have now been resolved.


9:15 am – You may be experiencing some problems with Outlook and mobile device connections to the email service this morning.

PDS are working on it, and will get it up and running properly as soon as possible.

In the meantime, you should be able to access email and calendar facilities via the web browser at https://outlook.office365.com