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Prosperity and Work
The Prosperity and Work Commission, June 2006
By Deborah Gardiner
This newly formed Commission, which covers the work of the Treasury, DTI and DWP, has been finding its feet after the reshuffle and the changing roles of Ministers and Party Officers. We have made good progress, working on the many submissions received on welfare reform (in particular incapacity benefit), on the Women and Work Commission and the Pensions White Paper. We have had undertaken some joint working with other Commissions too, as issues obviously overlap.
Our joint work with Sustainable Communities included a briefing from Margaret Beckett (then Secretary of State at DEFRA) and Malcolm Wicks (Energy Minister). We raised questions about the Energy Review, especially renewables. As CLPs have raised the issue with me, I mentioned water conservation because of the restrictions being placed in the South East. I was assured by the Minister that work was being undertaken with the ODPM to ensure that planners, developers and water companies work together and put in place tough water and energy efficiency standards when new developments are under consideration.
John Hutton briefed us on the Pensions White Paper, but as the document had not been finalised, discussion was quite broad-brush and mainly centred around the Turner Report. We focused on the need to improve the pension rights of women, the impact of Turner proposals on existing occupational pension schemes and public sector pensions.
Debate on the Women and Work Commission findings was somewhat curtailed as the Minister, Meg Munn, had to stay in the House of Commons and vote. However, the Commission will return to this very important issue at a later date.
One of the key areas the Commission will be looking at in the near future is the Government’s Success at Work paper. Please make sure you look at the document and keep sending your submissions.