I supported the UK Youth Rocketry Challenge 2018 on Monday 5 February. The Challenge is aimed at students aged 11 – 18 from any secondary schools, colleges, educational facilities or youth groups to design, build and launch a model rocket. The Challenge is an exciting way for students to apply what they have learnt in science, technology, engineering and maths and gain highly valued skills.

The Working Group looking into Parliament’s independent complaints and grievance policy, of which I am a member of, published its report on 8 February 2018. As Shadow Leader of the House, I responded to the Leader of the House's statement. Here is my speech:

At Business Questions on 8 February 2018, 2 days after the centenary of women getting the vote, I said that the test of a Government’s commitment is 'deeds, not words'. I asked the Leader of the House to explain why former military wives and WASPI women are losing out on their pension credits, called for equal pay for equal work, and raised the House of Commons research which found that 86% of austerity falls on women.

It was an honour to meet Adolfo Pérez Esquivel on Wednesday 7 February. Pérez Esquivel was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1980 for his criticism of the Argentina's last civil-military dictatorship (1976-1983) during which he was detained, tortured, and held without trial for 14 months.

6 February 2018 marks 100 years since Parliament passed the 1918 Representation of the People Act which granted some women over 30 who owned a property, and all men, the right to vote in the UK for the first time.