Last week I visited Nashville and Ottawa with the Health Select Committee to look at work on the electronic patient record in both countries and the work of the Canadian equivalent of our National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).

The evidence we gathered will inform our current inquiries into the expensive and delayed NHS IT system and into NICE which is often on the receiving end of criticism following its refusal to sanction a new drug for the NHS.
With my background I regard the work I do on the health committee as one of my most important functions as an MP and I find the influence our reports have very encouraging.
With Gordon Brown certain to be our next Prime Minister speculation has turned to the deputy leadership contest and to the new cabinet members especially the Health Secretary as all feel a change is likely.
I thought Hilary Benn had a good chance of the deputy position but gossip tells me he has not held down a sufficiently difficult or high profile ministerial post to be really tested for this promotion.
On the other hand Jon Cruddas, a backbencher with no cabinet experience, but with appeal to the left of the party, is emerging as a stronger candidate.
The Health Secretary’s post remains anyone’s guess but it must go to a strong, respected and effective figure. John Hutton, John Denham and Yvette Cooper have all held posts within the Department of Health but could Mr Brown bring in a heavyweight from another department or promote the youthful but competent Andy Burnham?
We have already had one welcome sign of possible change due to Gordon Brown’s takeover.
This was during a recent debate on a Tory motion that supported the principle that parliamentary approval should be required for participation in armed conflict.
Currently it is the Prime Minister’s decision using the royal prerogative to take us to war.
The Tory motion called on the Government to bring forward proposals to give effect to this vital principle. As usual the Government’s amendment cancelled the opposition motion but as hard as I tried I could see no difference between the motion and the wording of the amendment.
This meant that both parties supported the crucial principle.
I spoke to Jack Straw who told me he had written the Government amendment before seeing the Tory motion and he persuaded me to vote with the Government.
Jack Straw was Mr Brown’s leadership campaign manager.
Would such a reduction in the PM’s power have been contemplated under Tony Blair? Could we now expect a change in style of government or am I too optimistic?