Raising awareness

It's Parliament Week next week, and there all manner of events will be held to raise awareness of Parliament and encourage people to engage with the UK's democratic system and its institutions.

In particular there's a sitting of the British Youth Parliament in the chamber of the Commons, next Friday, with Mr Speaker in the chair.

The debates will include: safe, affordable and accessible transport for young people (which was the subject of a BYP select committee inquiry, supported by a Commons clerk, earlier this year), an equal national minimum wage for young people and adults, work experience for young people and better preparation for working life, a national curriculum that better prepares young people for life and equal rights to marriage for all.

And I'll be compering an event on Monday 19 November, when students and the general public will have the chance to quiz MPs and peers about Parliament's role in recent constitutional reform. That's Parliament Talks Constitution, at 7pm, at King's College, London.

The distinguished panel of experts includes MPs Natascha Engel, chair of the Commons Backbench Business Committee and Eleanor Laing, a member of the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee, plus peers Lord Rennard and Lord Gordon of Strathblane, who're both members of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the British Constitution. The whole event is organised by Parliament's Outreach Service and King's College London.

More details can be found on the website.