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Rosie Duffield MP met with representatives of Canterbury Food Bank in Parliament this afternoon, who were taking part in the Guarantee Our Essentials Lobby Day. They talked at length about the vital support Canterbury Food Bank provides to people in Canterbury and the neighbouring villages. Canterbury Food Bank does more than hand out food; their experts try to help clients get past the difficulties that have brought them there by offering advice and signposting them to other organisations which can assist further. Data shows that the Food Bank tends to help people through a temporary financial crisis: 53% of their clients only have to use their services once; with only 1% using their service more than 10 times. The biggest challenge facing Canterbury Food Bank's clients is that benefits are too low meaning they are unable to meet their daily living costs. Canterbury Food Bank can only provide a short-term solution to the harms caused by policies such as the two-child limit and welfare cuts. Real change can only come about a Government level. I share their concerns about what further welfare cuts will mean for the most vulnerable in Canterbury and beyond and I will always support them in their essential work. Rosie with Martin, Peter, Angela and Dylan Canterbury Food Bank are facing an unprecedented demand for their services, with demand up 13% on the same period last year. This is a real challenge, as donations are static whilst demand is on the increase. Rosie recently raised the increased demand they are facing in the House of Commons with the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Find our more about Canterbury Food Bank and how to support them here .

This week, the Women and Equalities Select Committee questioned the Chair of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), Baroness Kishwer Falkner and Chief Executive Officer John Kirkpatrick on their roles and the work of the EHRC, with a particular focus on the recent Supreme Court ruling on the Equality Act 2010. Rosie asked Baroness Falkner about her experience of activist violence and intimidation in her role, misinformation in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling and about social cohesion and improving relations between different groups. Speaking after the session, Rosie said: The level of hostility and intimidation that Baroness Falkner has faced in her job as Chair has been shocking. Nobody should face personal attacks for doing their job, particularly those in public service.

Rosie Duffield MP has welcomed the news that maternity units in Kent have shown signs of improvement – The Care Quality Commission (CQC) report has rated maternity services at William Harvey and the QEQM Hospitals as Good – two years after they were downgraded to inadequate. "Although moving in the right direction, I fear that improvements are still too slow and sustained efforts are necessary to ensure lasting improvements in maternal and infant health outcomes across the NHS." "Continued investment in staff, infrastructure, and patient-centered care is essential to rebuild trust and provide safe, compassionate services to families." "As Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Birth Trauma, I will continue to work with the Birth Trauma Association and others to push for the Secretary of State and his Department to fully implement all of the recommendations in our report, launched last May." Read more here .

Rosie Duffield MP has asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if she would end the serious anxiety faced by those experiencing fuel and food poverty by reversing the Winter Fuel Payment Cut and ending the two-child limit. Westminster is once again buzzing with the latest U-turns, speculation and briefings over the Chancellor’s policies on the winter fuel allowance and the two-child benefit cap. There is less of a buzz for the visitors to Canterbury Food Bank, however, which last month distributed enough food to make 13,545 meals, in a 47% rise on the same period last year. Will the Chancellor end the serious anxiety of those experiencing fuel and food poverty now and reverse those policies? You can watch the Chancellor's response here . Canterbury Food Bank can only provide a short-term solution to the harms caused by policies such as the two-child limit and welfare cuts. Real change is only possible with serious action at Government level.

As co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Birth Trauma, Rosie Duffield MP has welcomed Kate Brintworth, Chief Midwifery Officer for NHS England, and Professor Donald Peebles, NHSE National Clinical Director for Maternity, to Parliament. One-year on from the publication of the APPG’s Birth Trauma Inquiry, this private roundtable was an opportunity to discuss progress on the Inquiry’s key recommendations as well as understand more about steps being taken to improve maternity care across NHS England. Rosie pictured with Professor Donald Peebles and Kate Brintworth

I am delighted to be chairing the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Women’s Rights, which was formally constituted last week. It was fantastic to have so many members from both Houses attend our first meeting. This APPG, with the Women’s Rights Network as Secretariat, will provide a much-needed cross-party platform for public discussion on women’s rights and actively promote a professional and evidence-based approach to public policymaking on this issue in Parliament. You can find out more about the APPG here .

Rosie Duffield MP met with Andre Hedger at Chimera Climbing in Canterbury last week to discuss the impact of soaring business rates on small businesses. Founded and run by climbers, Chimera provide a space for people of all ages and backgrounds to improve physical health, build confidence, and connect with others. Rising business rates and rising NI contributions present a double whammy for small businesses, stifling any chance of growth and expansion in the current climate. https://www.chimeraclimbingcanterbury.com/

Rosie Duffield MP hosted a roundtable in Parliament today to mark a year since the publication of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Birth Trauma's Inquiry Report with former MP and former co-Chair Theo Clarke. The roundtable brought together leading experts in this area including Monica Ferro from the UNPFA, Kim Thomas (CEO) and Rachel McGrath (Chair) of the Birth Trauma Association and Jack Hawkins. They discussed the next steps that Parliamentarians can take in Parliament including cross-party work to improve maternal health outcomes and better raise awareness of birth trauma internationally.

Rosie Duffield MP attended the launch of Freedom in the Arts’s (FITA) Latest Report 'Afraid to Speak Freely' last night at the Royal Society of Arts. Rosie pictured with Rosie Kay The groundbreaking report, written by Rosie Kay, Denise Fahmy and Professor Jo Phoenix, presents the findings of FITA’s Freedom of Expression Survey. The survey finds freedom of speech and artistic expression - widely considered cornerstone values of the arts and our democratic society – to be in a perilous state. In the Arts, nuance and dissent about topics identified as ‘taboo’ are met with professional and social reprisals, cancellations and bullying and harassment; fear of which generating widespread self-censorship. Speaking after the event, Rosie said: This is an all-too familiar story. I hope this report will be a turning point for the Arts and beyond. You can read the full report here: https://www.freedominthearts.com/

Rosie Duffield MP recently joined Whitstable Museum for their 40th Anniversary celebrations. The museum is home to the Invicta Steam locomotive built by George and Robert Stephenson for the World’s first steam locomotive passenger railway which ran from Whitstable to Canterbury. It also has an exhibition dedicated to Whitstable's own Peter Cushing. The Museum is a charitable Trust run by a team of dedicated volunteers and is a fascinating insight into some of the history, culture, and heritage of Whitstable and the surrounding area. Children are encouraged to participate in the interactive exhibits, look for prehistoric shark’s teeth or complete a Museum Trail. Please follow the link below to find out more: www.whitstablemuseum.org

Rosie Duffield MP recently visited the National Coastwatch Institution (NCI) Station in Tankerton and met with Bob, Barbara, John, Ron and of course Norm the dog. The volunteers here have been operating from an outdated converted beach hut since 2002, manned 6 days a week by over 60 volunteers, it runs on car batteries charged by solar power. They have finally realised their goal of finding a new, larger site in Whitstable allowing them to improve their safety technology and have electricity and running water. But they need help... funding is required for improved coastline camera surveillance equipment which will increase the shoreline covered from 2 to 14 miles. If you can, please help support this wonderful charity, keeping our shoreline and water safe! Regular fundraising activities take place with a BBQ scheduled for 16th August and Trafalgar Dinner on 17th October. You can find out more here: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/david-allen-739 ...

A recent session of the Women and Equalities Select Committee heard evidence about equality at work, with a particular focus on paternity and shared parental leave. Rosie Duffield MP asked the witnesses why they thought employers were less likely to extend enhanced pay to shared parental leave rather than to maternity, paternity and adoption leave. Speaking after the session, Rosie said: I believe important issues such as these need to be clearly and effectively explained to both employers and employees, such that mothers and fathers can make the best decisions for their family circumstances. I will continue to raise these concerns in Parliament and work for a more equal working environment for all parents.