A most interesting morning listening to four witnesses giving oral evidence virtually in a new Defence sub-committee on the experiences of women in the Armed Forces and of veterans once they've left. The first panel consisted of Lieutenant Colonel (ret.d) Diane Allen, and Paula Edwards, Project Lead & Mental Health Therapist, Salute Her. On the second was Maria Lyle, RAF Families Federation, and Anna Wright, Naval Families Federation. The session was chaired most ably by my friend and colleague Sarah Atherton, herself a former soldier. It really was a most interesting two hours and you can read all about it yourself on Hansard. The questions were wide-ranging, including would they recommend a career in the military to women and whether the uniform and equipment were suitable and appropriate. As I say, a most interesting session. In the afternoon, I joined the second day of the Budget debate in parliament and spoke for the designated four minutes when called. My speech is on the website. A row is brewing over nurses' pay, with a union warning that the Government can expect a "backlash" if it goes ahead with a proposed 1 per cent pay rise for NHS staff in England next year. The health department has made the recommendation in a submission to the independent panel that advises on NHS salaries. The Royal College of Nursing called the suggested rise "pitiful" and said nurses should be getting 12.5 per cent more. NHS staff have been excluded from a pay freeze for most public sector workers. The NHS Pay Review Body is due to recommend salary levels for health service staff before early May, before ministers then make a final decision. The Royal Family saga continues and I wish it did not. The Queen has set such a wonderful example of service and duty and it really saddens me to see this dispute splashed all over the papers and in the media. The Oprah interview is extremely unwise and who on earth will gain from it? Enough said.