creation podcasts: westminsterwindow

Brian Shallcross returns with a chilling insight into the impending energy crisis we face in the UK. Plus, we get to the bottom of the case against speed cameras and traffic calming measures with Liberal Democrat Transport spokesman, Norman Baker.

Its a year ago this week Gordon Brown moved from Number eleven Downing Street into Number Ten, taking over the top job he'd wanted for ten years. So, how's he done in his first twelve months? In this special edition of a Window on Westminster, we talk to politicians of all political hues to find out.

What happens to all the expensive buildings and facilities being planned for the 2012 Olympics after the games are over? We speak exclusively to the Shadow Sports Minister. And in the week the PM announces extra troops for Afghanistan, we talk to a Conservative MP who has seen for himself what is going on in Hellmand Province and doesnt think the Government has fully grasped the problems.

As binge drinking among the young goes from bad to worse, one MP brings in a Parliamentary bill tackling the problem from the retailers end of the alcohol market. And how safe is it to have treatments such as botox, teeth whitening, body piercing or tattooing, given that these and other procedures often use dangerous chemicals, which may not be handled by properly trained personnel.

Are the governments guidelines about salt in our food accurate? One MP thinks more research needs to be done. And we talk to an MP who is worried about the way we treat Polish immigrants to this country.

How do we deal with countries who torture our citizens? Peers in the upper house are trying to change the UK law, so that offending nations could be brought to justice in our courts of law here in Britain. But could it possibly work?

This week in Window on Westminster we talk to an Opposition front bench spokesman who is complaining about people breaking into prisons! We ask - why on earth would anyone want to do that? And as more and more employers take on highly skilled foreign workers, an MP demands action from the government to prevent the build-up of a pool of unskilled, virtually unemployable, young British workers.

This week, join Brian Shallcross as he talks to Robert Key about visitor faciliies at Stonehenge, Mark Field about airlines flying empty passenger jets half-way across the world, and to Norman Baker about restricting the growth of supermarkets in the UK.

Since the smoking ban came into operation, the number of places smokers can light up has been much restricted. The result is - a preponderance of unsightly cigarette butts adorning our pavements. In Window on Westminster, one MP wants to see the tobacco companies being responsible for clearing up the mess.

How out of touch with reality are our MPs? One member is convinced Parliament is not working as it should, and our elected representatives debate issues that interest them and not the people who put them into the Commons. Also - as violence amongst teenagers seems to escalate, MPs get together to try and come up with some solutions to the problem.

The bean counters of Whitehall, in their enthusiasm to save money, are putting rare species of wild birds at risk, according to one MP. Is inflation really running at just 2.5% as the prime minister likes to claim? Opposition MPs say its far higher and produce figures to prove it. And we take a look at a scheme to equip every village hall with broadband internet access.

Should we be worried about the quality of the air we breathe when we travel in a plane? And we consider the case of a Manchester United fan languishing in an Italian jail for a crime his MP is convinced he didnt commit.

Brian Shallcross examines some serious problems facing us both at home and abroad. He considers the plight of millions of African women who are either HIV positive or have AIDS. Also we meet an MP who believes there may be a window of opportunity for Tibet. At home we find out how far behind other countries we are in the disposal of our waste.

This week began with the first authoritative report on the impact of mass immigration into the UK. Window On Westminster probes behind the tabloid headlines, and talk to the man who chaired the enquiry to see what it really means.

We find out what garden grabbing is, and talk to the Chairman of the Conservative Party, who tells us why she believes it must be stopped. We look at how the European Union could prevent us from taking the regular vitamin supplements weve been consuming safely for years, and we talk to one MP who is passionate about recycling plastic.