Visits
6. A key part of the Committee's work is its ability to undertake
study visits both at home and abroad to put into context issues
raised by particular inquiries. During 2004 we undertook four
visits within the United Kingdom and three overseas.
7. When visiting within the UK the Committee benefits
from meeting front line DWP staff within the various agencies
and seeing how Government policy works at ground level. During
2004 the Committee visited the Child Support Agency in Dudley,
a Jobcentre Plus office and the Pension Service in Wolverhampton
and the Disability and Carers Service and the Pension Service
in Blackpool. We are grateful for the warm reception received
when visiting departmental offices and wish to thank those staff
of the DWP involved with our visits this year.
8. The Committee took formal evidence away from Westminster
on four occasions: Dalkeith, Wolverhampton, Tower Hamlets and
Preston. On two occasions this was for the Committee's inquiry
into Service Delivery to Minority Ethnic Customers.
9. The Committee's overseas visits this year have
also been extremely beneficial to its inquiries. Highlights of
the year have been the Committee's visit to the European Agency
for Safety and Health at Work in Bilbao and a demanding week spent
in Australia studying the Child Support Agency there, gaining
a detailed insight into what is an effective Child Support Agency.
Table 2: Visits
by the Work and Pensions Committee in 2004
