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Tuesday
6 May
On Tuesday afternoon
I chaired a round-table discussion organised by Microsoft on “How are innovations in
accessible technology bringing benefit to the UK economy and
society at large?” One of the issues that came up was the increase
in number of over-sixties who use the internet and the work
Microsoft is doing to encourage ‘silver-surfers’.
In
the evening I attended a meeting of backbench Labour MPs where
James Purnell, Secretary of State
for Work and Pensions, talked about his plans for Incapacity
Benefit and the Employment Support
Allowance.
Wednesday 7 May
The
DWP Select Committee heard more evidence relating to its inquiry
into the Government’s Carers Strategy
The
DWP Select Committee members were invited to the Australia House to
have lunch with the Australian Federal
Minister for Superannuation and Corporate Law, in advance of
the Select Committee’s visit to Australia next week.
I
then popped in to a reception held in the House of Lords hosted by
the John Smith Memorial Trust.
They talked about the work of the John Smith Fellowship programme
which is aimed at the next generation
of leaders in a number of the independent republics that were
previously part of the Soviet Union. The John Smith Fellows are
given the opportunity to visit the UK and learn about our
democratic process and governance in an intensive programme
organised by the Trust. Each year I host one of the Fellows in
Bradford for a week.
Then on to Church House to an
event organised by the TUC to
launch the final report of their Commission on Vulnerable
Employment.
Finally back to the Commons for
a private dinner with James
Purnell, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which
gave me an excellent opportunity to bend his ear about a range of
DWP matters!
Thursday 9
May
A morning meeting with
Baroness Patricia Hollis to talk
about Pensions and other Benefits particularly as they affect
women.
Then a marathon session at the
TUC with the other judges for the TUC’s
Communications Awards. The quality of entries was very
high, but we finally managed to agree on the winners.
In the afternoon I met
Stephen Timms, the Minister for
Employment and Welfare Reform with a small group of backbenchers
who have been working on the issue of Child Poverty. Stephen Timms was very receptive
to the points we made and all in all it was a very successful
meeting.
Finally, it was off to Heathrow
Airport to board a flight for Sydney as the Select Committee
embarks on a week’s visit to Australia to look at the way they
approach the issue of carers. Australia is renowned for having
the best carers’ system in the world and we hope that we can learn
some valuable lessons from them and then influence the government’s
plans for carers in the UK.
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Week beginning 5 May 2008
