Green MP Hannah Spencer is introducing a bill that would establish a maximum workplace temperature in the UK, because apparently the concept of "too hot to work" has been legally ignored while the country bakes like a tray of scones.

If passed, the legislation would create an independent body to recommend safe maximum temperatures and figure out how to enforce them. Currently, the UK has health and safety guidance for minimum workplace temps - 16°C (61°F) for regular work, 13°C for strenuous work - but nothing for the upper end, despite heatwaves becoming as regular as Brexit delays.

Unions like Unison and the TUC have suggested a maximum of 30°C (27°C for strenuous work), which sounds reasonable unless you're a baker already working in 40°C-plus ovens. Spencer, a former plumber turned MP, has heard from constituents laying tarmac in "unbearable" heat and wants the government to follow Spain's lead, where workers can shift hours to avoid the hottest part of the day.

The bill has cross-party support from left-leaning Labour MPs, the SNP, Plaid Cymru, and independent Jeremy Corbyn. But the Health and Safety Executive argues that max temps can't be set because heat sometimes comes from workplace activities (like, say, ovens in a bakery). However, the Climate Change Committee recommended regulations in May, and the government has promised a public consultation this year.

Meanwhile, the UK has already broken heat records: nine days above 34°C this year, and six days above 35°C - all made more likely by fossil fuels. The current scorcher is expected to last until at least Wednesday. So if you're working in an office with no AC, maybe start drafting your own bill.