Charles Dickens' career as a parliamentary reporter

Charles Dickens began his literary career working as a parliamentary reporter. In the five years or so he worked in Westminster the Great Reform Act was passed, the poor law changed to establish workhouses and part of the parliamentary building burned down.

Carolyn Quinn talks to parliamentary and Dickensian scholars about his career in parliament.

Experts such as Dr Philip Salmon of the History of Paliament Trust, Andrew Sparrow of the Guardian and Robert Rogers, the Clerk of the House of Commons talk about the influence Westminster had on Dickens the novelist.

Dickens in Parliament will be broadcast on BBC Parliament on 24 March and repeated on 25 March.