Looking for changes

Not quite Scott of Antartic.
But then, I'm seeking change rather than some point on a map. I have just been sent this synopsis of what our gallant and industrious parliamentarians are up to. It seems that there are lots of meetings and speeches. Suppose this is an average sort of day. Now compare what actually happens in changes, new legislation or anything that actually benefits us.
Tony Blair flies to Luxembourg for talks with Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker in advance of the European Union summit later this week. Discussions are set to centre on the future of the constitution and the 2007-13 EU budget, including the level of Britain's rebate. Blair also travels on to Paris for talks with President Chirac just days after relations between the two men reached a new low as a result of the rebate row. Number 10 has said that, at the request of the French government, Blair and Chirac will not be holding a joint press conference after the talks. The prime minister is expected to hold a media event at the British embassy in Paris.
UN secretary general Kofi Annan is also in Paris, where he addresses a conference at the Elysee Palace entitled 'the business contribution to the millennium development goals'. He also has a working lunch with Blair and Chirac, as well as bilateral meetings with them individually. Discussions are set to focus on UN reform, the G8 summit and international development.
EU foreign ministers are expected to conclude two days of talks in Luxembourg ahead of the meeting of national leaders later this week. Foreign secretary Jack Straw returns to the UK for talks with Slovenia's minister of foreign affairs, Dr Dimitrij Rupel.
International development secretary Hilary Benn continues a visit to Sudan and Ethiopia.
Ruth Kelly today backs a programme launched by E-skills UK aimed at encouraging girls in England to consider careers in technology. "It is absolutely vital that we take every opportunity to help girls recognise the relevance and attractiveness of careers in science and technology," says the education secretary.
Kelly is also among the speakers at a Kick It Out conference in Manchester focusing on how schools can use football to address diversity, anti-racism and citizenship issues.
Transport secretary Alistair Darling addresses the European parliament's transport committee.
Work and pensions secretary David Blunkett speaks at a conference hosted by Remploy.
Environment secretary Margaret Beckett visits Berlin as part of a tour of EU member states ahead of Britain's presidency.
Energy minister Malcolm Wicks announces details of government support for carbon abatement and hydrogen technologies ahead of the G8 summit.
Children's minister Beverley Hughes publishes the Child Contact and Inter-Country Adoption Bill. The Department for Constitutional Affairs also publishes research on contact disputes in court.
ODPM minister Yvette Cooper attends a Local Government Chronicle conference on delivering sustainable communities, where she launches the local development framework implementation study.
Home Office minister Paul Goggins and Commission for Racial Equality chairman Trevor Phillips are among the speakers at a New Local Government Network conference on race equality.
Home Office minister Fiona Mactaggart and Sir Sandy Bruce Lockhart, chairman of the Local Government Association, are among the speakers at a New Local Government Network conference on local strategic partnerships.
Foreign Office minister Lord Triesman begins a four-day visit to Tanzania. Speaking ahead of his departure, the Africa minister said he was "looking forward to meeting Tanzanians from all walks of life and to developing the good bilateral relationship that exists between the two countries".
As a new poll reveals mounting opposition to identity cards, the Tories and Liberal Democrats have claimed the government is losing the argument. The NO2ID survey, conducted by ICM, finds that support for ID cards has dropped from 80 per cent to 55 per cent. Shadow home secretary David Davis has warned of a mounting revolt both within parliament and the country. "The ID cards scheme is fast turning into Labour's poll tax. It is no surprise that public opinion is turning against it," he said. Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Mark Oaten added: "The more people hear about the ID cards scheme, the less they like it."
SDLP leader Mark Durkan and education spokesman Dominic Bradley hold talks with Northern Ireland Office education minister Angela Smith at Castle Buildings, Belfast. Speaking ahead of the meeting, Bradley said: "Obviously the main item on the agenda will be the cuts being faced by the education and library boards. The minister has made positive sounds in relation to the situation...we will be asking her what action she intends to take to deal with the situation."
Former Europe minister Denis MacShane is expected to address a Communication Workers' Union meeting on the proposed EU constitution.
As part of 'national bike week' around 60 parliamentarians, including transport minister Derek Twigg, are expected to take part in a bike ride in Westminster.
Commons speaker Michael Martin opens an IT exhibition for MPs and peers in Portcullis House.
Baroness Thatcher attends a Conservative Way Forward dinner to celebrate the 30th anniversary of her election as leader of the Conservatives.
Edward O'Hara, Labour MP for Knowsley South, presents a report on the European technology acquisition programme during the second day of the assembly of the Western European Union in Paris.
Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws, chairman of the Human Genetics Commission, is among the speakers at a Chatham House seminar on terrorism, security and human rights.
Scottish communities minister Malcolm Chisholm and Christine Grahame, SNP communities spokesman, address the annual conference of the Scottish Pensioners' Forum. The event will focus on the political agenda for older people after the general election.
Welsh education minister Jane Davidson speaks at the Quality Assurance Agency's higher education conference in Cardiff.
Ahead of a debate on school funding, Plaid Cymru has warned that there is no mechanism within the assembly that can be used to scrutinise school funding. "There needs to be far greater degree of clarity on the money that is announced from the assembly and how that translates to school budgets in Wales," said shadow education minister Janet Ryder.
Plaid Cymru holds its weekly press conference in the Welsh assembly.
London mayor Ken Livingstone holds his weekly press conference in City Hall.
London Liberal Democrats publish figures showing that in the last four months the 24-hour London TV channel, funded with £630,000 of taxpayers' money, was watched on average by just 481 people an hour. "Serious questions must be asked of the mayor as to why more than half a million pounds of Londoners money has been spent on a TV channel watched by almost no-one," said Lib Dem culture spokesman Dee Doocey. "This is more a case of LondOFF TV rather than LondON TV."
The Association of London Government hosts its regular meeting of London borough leaders.
The government may need to limit the private sector's involvement in the running of the NHS. Interviewed in the FT, the health secretary denied this was a U-turn away from reforms, but says that too many NHS employees feel that "change upon change has been done to them, rather than with them."

Michael Howard will today face another confrontation as senior Conservative backbenchers move to block his plans to shake up the party. The executive of the 1922 committee is to set out its case against the overhaul of the way the Tories operate in a meeting with Raymond Monbiot, head of the voluntary wing and chief architect of Howard's reforms.

The Social Market Foundation has set up its own working group of experts to examine how a compulsory pension system would work. They will meet over the summer and are expected to report in the autumn ahead of the government-backed Pensions Commission.

Dame Ruth Deech, independent adjudicator at the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education, delivers the keynote speech to a Neil Stewart Associates conference on managing student complaints.