What have they been up to?  It’s all here.

Thursday 18 April – 10.30am – 12noon; Room O, Portcullis House.

The Table Office is running another of its training sessions for Members’ staff on drafting effective and orderly parliamentary questions.
Further information: x3753 or wardrd@parliament.uk

On the 21 and 22 May the Parliamentary Outreach Service will be delivering a 2 day training event as part of the ‘Training the Trainer’ programme in London.

The programme is based around a training resource which has been designed so that organisations are able to deliver training and information about Parliament and how people can engage effectively. The resource consists of the following 11 modules and each module includes a session plan, presentation and group exercises:

• What is Democracy
• What is Parliament
• What is Government
• What is the House of Commons and the role of an MP
• What is the House of Lords and the role of a Lord
• How is a law made
• Local / National link
• How to engage effectively
• Select Committees
• The devolved assemblies
• The link between the European Parliament and the UK Parliament

The modules are designed so that they can be delivered either in sequence or stand alone.

This resource is completely free of charge; however, your organisation is asked to sign a user agreement to provide regular feedback as to how you are using the resource.

If you would be interested in attending this training and accessing the resource please contact Hannah Roberts (Head of Regional Delivery) for an application form: robertsha@parliament.uk or 07917488950.

• Need a flat/room or got one to let?
• Items to sell or things you need?
• Got details of clubs or teams and are looking for new members?
• Or anything else you think may be of interest to your colleagues?

Then use our Notices facility.  You can submit it here.

Please note that we can only accept notices from those with a current @parliament.uk email address.

If you have just started working at Westminster or in a constituency office and don’t have a parliamentary email address yet, ask a colleague to place a Notice for you.

You can see the current notices here.

It’s the Recess. You need/deserve a break.

Have a look at Olympic Britain – a book written by the researchers of the House of Commons Library and published on 10 July 2012.

It tells the story of social and economic change in the UK since the two previous London Games in 1908 and 1948, using data visualisations to bring to life a period during which our standards of living, the type of work we do, our leisure activities and our lifestyles have changed almost beyond recognition, much like the Olympics itself.

You can access the full print version, including charts and tables, here.

POST is Parliament’s in-house source of independent, balanced and accessible analysis of public policy issues related to science and technology.

Their website is at http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/offices/bicameral/post/. Lots going on and well worth a regular visit.

Meeting this Thursday (21st March) for lunch at 12.30pm at Bellamy’s 1 Parliament Street.  We usually meet in the small area on the way into the entrance.

Currently reading C J Sansom’s ‘Dominion’ – an intriguing ‘what if’ surrounding events in Britain when readers discover we surrendered to the Germans…….

Also Dee Brown’s ‘ Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee’ – a well researched factual account of what really happened to native Indians as settlers spread across America in the 19th century.

New members always welcome – for more information call Philipa 07592 386493

The Book Club’s page is here.

Article by Sadie Smith on Total Politics blog: http://www.totalpolitics.com/blog/365157/the-vulnerability-of-political-staff-should-worry-us.thtml.

Would you like to like to have quick and easy access to all the latest briefing and research papers of a topical interest for MPs and their staff?  Of course you would.

In case you haven’t already spotted it, the Commons Library have a Twitter account which can be viewed at: https://twitter.com/commonslibrary.

W4MP have always said that the Library is your best friend in Parliament. Although the Library can trace its root back nearly 200 years, it doesn’t mean the Library isn’t focused on the needs of Parliamentarians today. Try them and see!

Work at Westminster and looking for nursery care for your children?

Here’s what is on offer:

• Children aged 3 months to 5 years welcome
• Qualified and friendly staff
• Outstanding Ofsted rating for partnership with parents
• Modern and secure facility with a wide range of resources
• Balanced and healthy meals available
• Pre-school education meeting Early Years Foundation requirements
• All childcare vouchers accepted

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you fit one of these categories:

• House of Commons Members and Staff,
• House of Commons and PICT employees,
• House of Lords Peers and Staff,
• Press Gallery Media Pass Holders,
• Whitehall Parliamentary Pass Holders and
• Contractors situated on the Parliamentary Estate.

…..then here are the people to contact:

• Jo Fletcher on 020 7219 2948; email fletcherj@parliament.uk, or
• Cleo Simon-Hart on 020 7219 1592; email simonhartc@parliament.uk.