Terry Rooney for Bradford East

Monday 14 July

My first meeting of the week was with representatives of the British Chambers of Commerce who were interested in my views on the impact of regulation on businesses as well as issues around pensions.

I then met the Chief Executive of One Parent Families to talk about the work of her organisation.

At the regular meeting of the Select Committee we started going through the final version of our report on Carers.

In the evening I went to the Communication Workers Union annual reception which was a well attended event.

Tuesday 15 July

I spoke at a Department for Work and Pensions training event for people working in their Pensions section where they were interested to hear about my experience of contacting their department and so they could look at ways of improving their interaction with stakeholders.

I then went to a meeting with James Purnell, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, where he talked about choice and control for disabled people.

Then on to a reception hosted by Yorkshire Forward at which theme was their work to combat climate change in the region.

I then went to a meeting which celebrated the life of Steve Sinnott, the General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers  who tragically died earlier in the year – he had been an inspirational leader and it was good to be able to celebrate all his achievements and and his work at the NUT.

Finally, I went to a meeting of the All Party Group on the Community and Voluntary Sector addressed by Phil Hope, the Minister for the voluntary sector.

Wednesday 15 July

Another meeting of the Work and Pensions Select Committee to go through our report on Carers.  We hope to be able to publish it some time during the summer recess.

I then met representatives of the charity Crisis to talk about the difficulties faced by homeless people in getting into the jobs market and how these can be overcome.

Another meeting with James Purnell, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, to talk about the forthcoming publication of the Welfare Reform green paper.

Then I went to the annual Age Concern parliamentary reception, which I was hosting on their behalf.

The last meeting of the day was with Liam Byrne, the Immigration Minister, to talk about the forthcoming Immigration and Citizenship Bill.