| Graduate appointments in Parliament | Part II |
|
Experiences of recent recruits Department of the Clerk of the House of Commons - continued Jennifer Long and Elizabeth PayneWe joined the Department in 1994 and 1995 (Jennifer immediately after graduation and Elizabeth after two years as a library assistant) and were allocated to the Transport and Education Select Committees respectively. Three weeks after her arrival, Elizabeth was moved to the Environment Committee. Within a few months we were each put in charge of inquiries, into the consequences of bus deregulation and rural policy. For Jennifer the process began with a day looking at bus lanes and park and ride schemes! Organising an inquiry can be a complex business: it includes requesting and collating evidence; exploring issues with the specialist advisers; organising visits to see particular circumstances at first hand; writing briefs and producing a draft Report for the Chairman of the Committee. Report writing can be particularly nerve-wracking, aware both of one's initial ignorance of the subject and the expertise of the projected audience. However, when it's all over, it can be very satisfying to brief the Chairman for the press conference and watch coverage of the Report in news items throughout the day. By this time, in most cases, a fresh inquiry will be under way. The diversity of subjects is one of the great attractions of select committee work. Jennifer now works for the Treasury Committee, where inquiries reflect (perhaps more than most) on subjects as they make headlines in the newspapers. Her work this year has included taking charge of a major inquiry into Economic and Monetary Union and contributing to the Committee's work on the accountability framework for the newly independent Bank of England. Working on a topical inquiry has its pressures as new developments continually emerge in the course of the inquiry and Reports sometimes have to be produced at great speed. Elizabeth is still working on environmental issues within the new 'super-committee' on Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs. While environmental inquiries tend not to be topical in the same way, the degree of public and media interest which has been stimulated by seemingly innocuous or unattractive topics - such as the protection of allotment sites, and waste management - has been considerable. Since the 1997 election, we have both been responsible for our own sub-committee, which has given Elizabeth in particular increased responsibility for managing the inquiry process. Like most Committee Office clerks we also do some procedural work. We are on "division duty" for one day a week, recording the names of Members voting on issues under debate and assisting in the production of the record of the day's proceedings, known as the Votes and Proceedings. Although a responsibility, division duty can be great fun and is an excellent way to get to know Members. It is amazing how one's mind can go blank, on the fourth vote in an evening, when confronted by the Prime Minister! We have also clerked some standing committees (such as those discussing European documents and Statutory Instruments) and assisted at more complex ones (such as the Finance Bill Committee). The extra effort of fitting such tasks around continuing select committee commitments is repaid in the variety of the work and the opportunity to set committee work in the context of the House's legislative activities. Training is another important area for which time has to be found and there are many opportunities available if you wish to take them. For example, in addition to various in-house training courses Jennifer has taken French courses and completed a working visit to the European Parliament; both helped greatly during the EMU inquiry. Technology also plays a part as the House discovers the benefits of electronic communication: in the last year, Committee Reports and Minutes of Evidence have begun to be published on the Internet in an effort to make them available to a wider audience. Committee work is very much team work, with its associated pleasures and responsibilities. It can be stressful, but support, while often discreet, is at hand. In a couple of years we will both have moved into procedural posts; there is plenty to challenge us in the select committees until then. |
| |
| © Parliamentary copyright 1997 | Revised 16 July 1998 |