New – voicemail by email

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Good news for those who work remotely – the Parliamentary voicemail system has always sent a ‘new voicemail’ notification by email, but now it also attaches an audio file of the message.

This means you don’t have to proactively log into the voicemail system several times a day to check the messages – they will be delivered straight to your Member’s inbox as they arrive.

Spaces on Writing Skills course, Glasgow

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There are still available places for the essential Writing Skills course offered in Scotland on 20 September for MP staff.  If you would like to attend just click on the highlighted course name below and it will take you directly to the course booking page provided that you are already logged in to the Parliamentary network. Alternatively contact the Commons Learning and Development team

Places on these courses are free for staff and travel expenses can be reclaimed via IPSA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

GLASGOW

20-Sept

10:00- 16:30

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Essential Writing Skills

 

Who can attend this course

This course is open to all Members’ staff.

 

Course Overview and Content

The course will cover the principles of good written communication and how to put them into practice.  It will look at some essentials about the use of language, grammar, tone and writing style and will include an introduction to the ‘Plain English’ approach to business writing.

 

Learning Objectives

By the end of the session participants will be able to:

•plan and structure information in letters, emails and other routine communications

•apply an efficient method to write more clearly and concisely in order to get their message across, and to identify supporting information

•proofread and edit their own writing

•make sure they get their intended response

Moving Westminster from… Westminster

Commons in Session
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The proposals to refurbish the Palace of Westminster from the Restoration and Renewal Programme  have received extensive media coverage, with Metro reporting:

“MPs could be forced to move out of the Houses of Parliament for six years while the buildings undergo major renovations.

The Palace of Westminster faces an ‘impending crisis’ and is at risk of a ‘catastrophic event’, MPs and peers have warned.”

This in turn led to a rash of petitions calling for Parliament to be permanently located out of London, such as this one on 38 Degrees

Re-build parliament outside London rather than renovating Westminster, with over 1500 signatures.  w4mp has no view on this matter, of course, and as a distributed organisation it will continue to serve MPs staff wherever their offices may be located. But others may feel differently about the prospect of swapping Zone 1 for the M1…

Hoby’s First Hundred

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Today we publish the one hundredth cartoon drawn for w4mp by the talented Hoby, and we’ve pulled together ten of the best to commemorate this important milestone.

Each month we’ve glimpsed the inner workings of Parliament, and been shocked, awed and occasionally deeply embarrassed by what we’ve found. Onward to the next century!


Hoby Cartoon

Hoby Cartoon #13

Hoby Cartoon

Hoby Cartoon #15

Hoby Cartoon

Hoby Cartoon #20

Hoby Cartoon

Hoby Cartoon

Hoby Cartoon

Hoby Cartoon #55

Hoby Cartoon

Hoby Cartoon #63

Hoby Cartoon #70

Hoby Cartoon #70

Hoby Cartoon

Hoby Cartoon #87

Hoby Cartoon

Hoby Cartoon #92

Hoby Cartoon

Hoby Cartoon #93


Five new POSTnotes

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The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology has recently published the following POSTnotes:

Managing the UK Plutonium Stockpile

This POSTnote describes the state of the plutonium stockpile, current plutonium policy and the options for managing the plutonium: indefinite storage, reuse in UK power plants, conversion to fuel to send overseas and disposal as waste. It then outlines the safety, security, economic and energy policy implications of these options.

Integrating Health and Social Care

The four UK nations have committed to better integration between health and social care as one solution to these challenges. This briefing outlines what integration is, examines policies to enable it and gives examples of integration in England. It also looks at the evidence on the challenges of achieving integration and assessing the effectiveness of approaches.

Electronic cigarettes

This POSTnote updates POSTnote 455 (January 2014), summarising the latest data on scale of use, safety and quality of electronic cigarettes, and their value as a stop smoking tool. It also explores the implications of the new EU Tobacco Products Directive and regulatory approaches in the UK.

Automation and the Workforce

Automation technologies can reduce costs and raise productivity. However, there is considerable uncertainty over their potential effects on the UK workforce. This note provides an overview of how these technologies are being used; and potential implications for employment, skills, education and inequality in the coming decades.

New Drugs for Dementia

A POSTnote outlining the challenges in developing new drugs to treat dementia, and an overview of UK and international research activities to accelerate progress.

 

Library Briefing Paper on Brexit now available

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The House of Commons Library has published an important paper that looks at the current situation in a range of policy areas and considers what impact Brexit might have.

This will depend, among other things, on the Brexit negotiations, whether the UK stays in the European Economic Area and how the Government fills any policy gaps left by withdrawal.

Read the summary

Download the full report (PDF)