An MP who has called for a more family-friendly approach to work at Westminster said she has had a “great response” from parliamentary colleagues and the public.
Kirsty Blackman, SNP representative for Aberdeen North, was rebuked by House of Commons authorities for taking her two children to a committee hearing earlier this month.
They are usually looked after by father Luke during the week but the earlier start to Scottish school holidays meant Ms Blackman had to bring two-year-old Rebecca and five-year-old Harris to her place of work.
As she attended a Scottish affairs select committee meeting, the children sat at the back of the room drawing pictures and playing with an iPad.
But as Rebecca fell asleep Ms Blackman sat with her daughter on her lap, leading to a ticking-off from Westminster officials.
She said: “There’s a nursery in parliament, which is fantastic, but they don’t have ad-hoc creche facilities.
“I phoned the nursery and asked if I could put my children in for an afternoon and they said I could put my children in for six weeks of afternoons.
“We had childcare emergency and the problem is if I’m not there at committee then I’m not represented and my constituents are not represented, so the only option really was to take my children with me.
“I think it highlights that parliament isn’t doing well enough at providing family-friendly facilities and if parliament isn’t doing well enough it makes it difficult for us to say to businesses and other people that they need to do better around flexible working and childcare.”
The MP wants to see recommendations of The Good Parliament report by Professor Sarah Childs adopted at Westminster, including a creche and family-friendly sitting hours.
Ms Blackman pointed to the system in place at the Scottish Parliament and her time as a councillor in Aberdeen where she could breastfeed her children at work.
She said: “I was a local councillor for eight years before being elected to Parliament.
“My children were both born during this time and both came everywhere with me when they were small. They attended council meetings and surgeries, and were breastfed in the council chamber.
“The Scottish Parliament has a creche for staff children but it can also be used by members of the public if people want to see their MSP about an important issue.
“It’s free and makes democracy so much more accessible for people with young children. Westminster just doesn’t seem to have caught up.”
She added: “Across all parties at Westminster there is a recognition that parliament doesn’t do well enough in terms of being flexible and family friendly. I’ve had a great response from colleagues.
“I think it’s become a bigger issue and a load of people have got in touch with me saying that they also have to juggle childcare issues as well. Government needs to lead from the front.”
