There is much said about the ""democratic deficit"" in politics today-the lackof public engagement with Parliament, especially among young people. As I write,we are now most of the way through the first UK Parliament Week, establishedwith the aim of addressing this issue: of raising public awareness ofParliament, and encouraging people to engage with the UK's democratic system andits institutions, showing them the many ways in which they can do that.
A range of events and activities has been taking place throughout the weekand across the countries of the United Kingdom, including a special edition ofthe BBC's Question Time from Westminster Hall and the sitting of the YouthParliament in the House of Commons. Parliamentarians like me have been leadingsome of the outreach events exploring the work of Parliament and SelectCommittees.
It was with pleasure that this week, I and other members of the Welsh affairscommittee, which I chair, played our part in taking Parliament to Cardiff forthe day. The purpose of the Welsh affairs committee, like other departmentalselect committees, is to scrutinise the work of government. However, to my mind,we also have a further purpose-to engage with and be a point of contact betweenthe electorate and Parliament. I believe that select committees themselves areone of the great, unsung success stories of Parliament. I wish more people couldsee a select committee at work, and see the consultative, consensual approachthat they bring to scrutinising the issues of importance to ordinary people:very far perhaps from the popular perception and depiction of Parliament.
The theme for this year's Parliament Week – intended as the first of anannual series of events - was 'Stories of Democracy’, the idea being to seek outthe stories of those who have participated in or contributed to democracy in theUK, both past and present. It is perhaps appropriate then that at the event Ilead this week, in Cardiff at the National Museum, we not only took theopportunity to shed some light on ""a day in the life of an MP"" but also tolaunch a Committee inquiry into the support for veterans of the armed forces inWales. The event was well attended by a mix of people from schools anduniversities, but also from armed forces groups.
This inquiry is very important. Welsh military personnel have made anenormous contribution to the defence of the United Kingdom and are doing sotoday in ongoing conflicts around the world. It is incumbent upon us to ensurethat veterans and their families are given the best possible support when theyleave the military and return to civilian life. The Welsh Affairs Committee willlook at the provision of support services to armed forces veterans and theirfamilies in Wales by the MoD, including resettlement provision; medical andmental health services for veterans in Wales including cross-borderimplications; co-ordination between the MoD, the Wales Office and the WelshGovernment in the provision of services for veterans and the impact on Welshveterans of any legally-enshrined military covenant and obligations. This kindof work, cutting across a wide range of interests and perspectives, is whatselect committees can uniquely do and do best.
The inquiry will touch many people-at the last count, in 2005, there wereabout a quarter of a million veterans living in Wales, many more in the wideradult ex-service community. With around 20,000 people leaving the armed forcesevery year in the UK, today's figures will no doubt be higher - but it alsoillustrates something important about the Welsh Affairs Committee: not only doesour remit allow us to scrutinise the mechanics of devolution and legislation, italso allows us to champion the interests of people in Wales and helps to ensuretheir voice is heard loud and clear in Westminster.