One of this Government's most ambitious aims is to deliver parity of esteem when it comes to Mental Health. This is the principle that mental health must be given equal priority to physical health.
In my Ministerial role I have been helping Government to achieve this aim as well as working with the major charities including MIND to raise awareness, remove the long-existing stigma associated with having a mental health condition and providing support. Nobody in this country should have to face a mental health problem alone.
Thankfully progress is being made. Just last week, I was at TWIGS (Therapeutic Work in Gardening in Swindon) to mark Mental Health Awareness Week, where a number of local groups had gathered to show support and raise awareness. Many people will also know that I have long been a supporter of the Olive Tree Café, also at the Cheney Manor Garden Centre, which provides job opportunities for people with mental health conditions. In the past I have helped them gain access to funding grants and just recently I helped them to gain further funding for updated kitchen equipment. This will help them take on and help even more people into work.
But there is obviously still more to do, which is why I will continue to work hard both as a Minister and a local MP to promote these fantastic causes and highlight their crucial importance to society as a whole. We as a Government will also continue to make changes until we have fully achieved parity of esteem.
Elsewhere, there was lots of revision for me this week as I experienced my first appearance in front of a House of Commons Select Committee. Select Committees are largely concerned with scrutinising the work of government departments. Giving evidence to a committee involves answering often tricky questions for a solid two hours. Being under examination for that long had me rather nervous at first but it did seem to fly by in the end! I was appearing in front of the Culture, Media and Sport committee on the issue of accessibility at sports stadia.
Unfortunately, many sports fans with disabilities still find facilities at sports stadia inadequate or inappropriate for them, even when the grounds have been modernised. I find this totally unacceptable. One of the main issues I am working on, both as a Minister and a sports fan, is making sure that disabled fans are given the same opportunities to experience watching sport (as well as other forms of entertainment including concerts, dining out etc.) as non-disabled people. This should not be a problem in our day and age so we are working hard to push for fundamental and overreaching changes.
