Blair 'thanks' health workers

Tony Blair has marked the first anniversary of his government's publication of the national plan for the health service by holding a party at Downing Street.

The party was held to offer a "thank you" to NHS workers.

Defending some of the controversial aspects of the government's plan for NHS reform Mr Blair said: " I think that the elements of putting substantial extra investment in and keeping that going over many years, and then using that to lever in change ... those basic concepts are surely right."

As well as planning to bring in extra numbers of staff and improve services across the board Labour is also committed to bringing in private companies to help deliver some health services.

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Irvine drives out Tory peers

Thirteen Conservative peers have lost their office space in the Palace of Westminster after Lord Irvine, the Lord Chancellor, has had them moved to make way for his own staff.

A vote to stop the lord chancellor's plans was defeated by 143 votes to 86, a government majority of 57.

The former Tory minister Lord Renton of Mount Harry spoke out against the move saying: "To what extent should civil servants, whether they are working for the lord chancellor or not, be permitted to take over space in the Palace of Westminster rather than in departments outside in Whitehall?

"If we are to become perhaps slightly more weighty, more attention taken to what we decide, it really is quite wrong that therefore we should have to fight for a desk, for somewhere to put our umbrella."

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Ministers' trips are costing less

The annual cost of ministerial overseas visits has dropped 40% since 1996, according to figures published by the government on Monday.

The leader of the Lords, Lord Williams of Mostyn, said the total cost in 1995-1996 was £7.9m compared with £4.7m in 2000-2001.

He was responding to a written parliamentary question on the issue by Labour peer Lord Tomlinson.