This week's panel

Question Time, the BBC's premier political programme chaired by David Dimbleby, was in Worcester on Thursday, 23 October. Joining David on the panel were:

HARRIET HARMAN MP

Title: Solicitor General

Career: Harriet Harman entered the House of Commons in 1982 and has held several high-profile posts on the Labour front bench.

She joined Tony Blair's first cabinet in 1997 as social security secretary but was sacked a year later after controversy over cuts to benefits for lone parents and the disabled. She was brought back into government after the last election and is the first woman to be appointed solicitor general.

---

ALAN DUNCAN MP

Title: Shadow Minister, Foreign Affairs

Career: Alan Duncan is a former oil trader who believes in minimal government intervention and low taxation.

INTERACT WITH QUESTION TIME Digital Satellite, Freeview and Cable viewers press red Text your comments to 83981 Read comments on Ceefax page 155 Send and read comments on the website

He is a close ally of William Hague and helped him win election as Conservative party leader. He is a Eurosceptic and supported Michael Portillo in the 2001 leadership contest.

He believes in the repeal of drugs laws and became the first Tory MP to "out" himself as a homosexual last summer. He once said the party's policies had to be based on lifestyle issues - what he called "sex, drugs and rock'n'roll".

---

SIR RICHARD BRANSON

Title: Chairman of the Virgin Group

Career: Sir Richard Branson left school at 16 to start his own business and a few years later founded Virgin.

Virgin Records and then Virgin Atlantic made him one of the most successful businessmen in Britain. Last week he was voted Britain's best entrepreneur by readers of BBC News Online.

When BA retired Concorde, he tried to buy the planes but his offer was rejected. Famous for his exploits in a balloon, he is now training as reserve pilot for the first non-stop, solo flight around the world.

---

HILARY WAINWRIGHT

Title: Editor, Red Pepper magazine

Career: Hilary Wainwright is a leading left-wing activist and editor of the radical magazine, Red Pepper.

She describes herself as a socialist feminist and a strong believer in popular democracy. Her works include "Arguments for a New Left" and "Reclaim the State: Experiments in Popular Democracy".

She pioneered community politics while working for the Greater London Council in the 1980s setting up childcare and women's centres and more controversially police monitoring groups and a lesbian and gay helpline.

---

JULIAN LLOYD WEBBER

Title: Musician

Career: Julian Lloyd Webber is one of the world's leading cellists as well as an occasional Daily Telegraph columnist.

He has campaigned to improve classical music education in Britain's schools which he called "a national embarrassment" when a poll suggested most children could not name a single classical composer.

His repertoire covers classical and modern works and includes the music of his brother, Andrew, writer of popular musicals such as Evita, Cats and The Phantom of the Opera.

---

BBC ONE's Question Time will be broadcast on Thursday, 23 October at 2235 BST.