Author: W4MP Editor

Library/NAO talk: Unlocking land for housing

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Time: 10:30 – 11:30
Date: 2 July 2026
Location: Online via Teams
Booking: https://parliament.learningpool.com/mod/facetoface/view.php?id=9857

The government has set a milestone to deliver 1.5 million new homes over this Parliament to July 2029. This will require building more than 300,000 homes per annum on average, a level of housebuilding that was last achieved in the 1960s. The government says a chronic undersupply of land underpins the housing crisis. It believes there is suitable land in England for housebuilding that is not being developed by the market as it is not profitable or attractive enough for developers to build on in its current form. This can be due to factors such as the need for remediation work, a lack of infrastructure such as roads, or pieces of land making up a site being owned by different people or companies.

Join the National Audit Office as they discuss the key findings from their report on Unlocking land for housing. They assess whether MHCLG’s programmes to increase the supply of suitable land for housing development are effectively supporting the government’s ambitions to build the right homes in the right places. 

The National Audit Office (NAO) is the UK’s independent public spending watchdog. It supports Parliament in holding government to account and helps improve public services through its audits.

Library/NAO talk: Access to Work scheme

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Time: 10:30 – 11:30
Date: 25 June 2026
Location: Online via Teams
Booking: https://parliament.learningpool.com/mod/facetoface/view.php?id=9875

Access to Work is a demand-led grant scheme to help people get, or stay in, work if they have a physical or mental health condition or disability. Funding may pay for things like specialist equipment, support workers such as a British Sign Language interpreter, the costs of travelling to work and physical adaptations to the workplace.  The Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) typically approves support for individuals for three years, up to a maximum annual total, which was £69,260 in 2024-25 and 2025-26.

Join the National Audit Office as they discuss key findings from their report on The Access to Work scheme, which covers:

  • the purpose of the Access to Work scheme
  • take-up of the scheme
  • how DWP is managing the increased take-up of the scheme

The National Audit Office (NAO) is the UK’s independent public spending watchdog. It supports Parliament in holding government to account and helps improve public services through its audits.

Library talk: The NATO Summit 2026

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The NATO summit will take place in Ankara on 7 and 8 July. Join Library experts from our International Affairs and Defence team to find out more about the key topics for discussion and what we might expect from the Summit.

Time: 10:30 – 11:30
Date: 18 June 2026
Location: Online via Teams
Booking: https://parliament.learningpool.com/mod/facetoface/view.php?id=10108

BEAT Eating Disorders Casework Service

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Do you have a constituent with an eating disorder that has been denied NHS care?

If you are supporting a constituent who has (either themselves or as a carer) been denied a referral, assessment, information, or treatment for an eating disorder, Beat Eating Disorders’ free casework advisory service may be able to help. 

We regularly hear from people whose care is not in line with clinical guidance. Our team has an in-depth understanding of eating disorder treatment pathways and can advise MPs and their staff on the steps that can be taken to challenge and overturn these decisions. 

We can provide advice on what treatment guidelines say should happen, who to contact, and the content of correspondence to services and decision-makers. We can also support you throughout the process as you work to resolve a constituent’s case. 

We are proud of our track record. To date, we have successfully supported the overturning of every decision referred to our advisory service. As Steff Aquarone MP said after using the service: “I can say with certainty that without your initial case management direction, I would not have been able to act with the necessary speed to support my constituent in this vital and complex case.”

To access the service, please complete the form here: beateatingdisorders.tfaforms.net/234  

We will contact you within 10 working days. 

The advisory leaflet can be found on the MMSST Caseworker Hub.

Library Talk: Representation of the People Bill

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Need a refresher on the Representation of the People Bill? As the bill is carried over into the next parliamentary session, this talk can help you get the facts on the main points of the bill, key changes at committee and more.

Time: 10:30 – 11:30
Date: Tuesday 9 June 2026
Location: Online via Teams
Booking: https://parliament.learningpool.com/mod/facetoface/view.php?id=9727

The House Magazine’s Lord Cormack Fellowship

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Applications for this amazing opportunity for aspiring political journalists are now open, and the deadline for applications is 22 June 2026.

Total Politics Group is proud to announce the return of the Lord Cormack Fellowship, a paid editorial and political journalism fellowship with The House magazine, Parliament’s independent and cross-party publication.

The fellowship is named in honour of Lord Patrick Cormack, the late politician, author and journalist who co-founded The House. Generously supported by his family, the scheme reflects Lord Cormack’s deep-rooted values of editorial impartiality, cross-party collaboration, and respect for the institution of Parliament.

The Lord Cormack Fellowship is open to individuals over the age of 18 and will run from July 6 to August 7 2026; it has been designed to be fully accessible. The selected fellow will be paid the London Living Wage during the first week in London, with accommodation provided by the Royal Foundation of St Katharine for those who require it. The fellow will also receive our standard freelance fee for any work published in the magazine.

Please see here for full details: The House Magazine’s Lord Cormack Fellowship

Evidence Week 2026 – from 6 July 2026

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Bitesize online training sessions for parliamentary staff, provided by the UK’s leading experts including the House of Commons Library, ONS and OSR.

For more information and registration for these sessions, please visit the Evidence Week website

Monday 6 July
Modern information warfare 14:00 – 14:45 (online)
How to combat disinformation in the digital age with the House of Commons Library.

Tuesday 7 July
Use, understand and present numbers well in your work 14:00 – 14:45 (online)
Find out how the Code of Practice for Statistics can help – with the Office for Statistics Regulation.

Wednesday 8 July
Risk Know-How 14:00 – 14:45 (online)
How to understand and present risks effectively with Risk Know-How.

Thursday 9 July
Are you using a reliable survey? 11:00 – 11:45 (online)
How to spot trustworthy survey data with the National Centre for Social Research.

AI fakes 14:00 – 14:45 (online)
What to check with Full Fact.

Friday 10 July
How could changes in different industries and products affect the UK economy? 11:00 – 11:45 (online)
Get trained to use the unique UK calculator with the Office for National Statistics.

How to use spatial insights 14:00 – 14:45 (online)
Access to geographic data that can help address local challenges with Smart Data Research UK.