At the end of the last month was the Queen's Speech, which signified the beginning of the new parliamentary year. I spoke in the chamber during the Queen's Speech debate on the economy. Amongst the topics that I discussed I welcomed the Pension Protection Fund that will be introduced. Although it cannot act retrospectively, it is a great step toward guaranteeing a proportion of pensions for current occupational pension members. The Chancellor has also promised to raise Britain's share of help for the third world by 2006 to about £4.9bn.

I have met with a number of lobbies this week, one for unions of construction workers and another including some students from both Coventry and Warwick Universities to discuss top up fees and other alternative systems of funding.

Whilst attending to my normal business I had the pleasure of a Civil Servant shadow. I took part in the shadowing programme in order to improve the understanding between the Civil Service and my office, as to what our respective jobs entail and how they are linked together. Together we attended a variety of meetings including the Constitutional Affairs Select Committee, which at the moment is receiving evidence regarding new ways to select judges.

This week we will hear from the Chancellor for his pre budget speech; I will be waiting to question him and hoping to get good news for the manufacturing industry and pensioners. I shall also be attending a British Pensioners' Christmas get together at the end of the week, which I am looking forward to very much.

With best wishes for the Holiday Season,

yours, Jim.

this article was published in the Coventry Observer