A lively and entertaining mini debate took place today on the Administration and Works Committee Report dealing with the use of electronic devices in the House. http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201011/ldselect/ldaccwks/92/9202.htm We have agreed to allow limited use in the Chamber of certain hand held electronic devices but we are not to be allowed to use a search engine to…
We had a statement yesterday on redundancy in the armed forces. http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201011/ldhansrd/text/110302-0001.htm#11030267000492 The minister ran into difficulties with some of the former Chiefs of Staff who questioned the fairness of the redundancy payments. The problem became complex when the Minister said it would be ‘fair’ when previously he had suggested it would not be ‘mean’.…
I was very saddened when the new government abandoned baby bonds – these were introduced to encourage a culture of saving and were avilable to all new born children. For reasons I shall never understand they were opposed by both the Conservatives and Liberals when they were in opposition so I think it is not…
It is a humbling experience to watch the incredible bravery of the Libyan people and the cool headed approach of so many Arabs in the current upheavals throughout the region. None of us can be sure how this will end but I am personally very encouraged and more inclined to optimism than pessimism. For years…
Clearly there is a problem for David Cameron on the cuts in relation to the big society but a more complex problem is ‘what does it actually mean’? If it is more than contracting out some local authority or government services to voluntary organisations, co-ops etc via a new bank then we need to know the…
