DAVID WILLETTS MP

Shadow Secretary of State
For Work and Pensions

House of Commons
London SW1A 0AA

3 December 2003

Dear Mr Macfarlane,

David Willetts has asked me to thank you very much for your letter of 12th November.

He does hope that you can appreciate that further to his appointment as Chairman of Conservative Research and Development (in addition to his role as Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions) the volume of letters that he has been receiving has grown substantially. I must therefore apologise for his not being able to reply in person and for the delay in a response.

David is extremely sympathetic to the claims of British Citizens living abroad and in receipt of a frozen pension. He has criticised ministers for refusing to have a proper dialogue with the Australian Government over the ending of the Anglo-Australian Social Security Agreement which has extended the problem further.

David will be watching with great interest the outcome of Ms Annette Carson's case in the House of Lords and will certainly bear your views in mind as he reviews our policies in the months ahead.

With thanks again for your letter

Yours sincerely

Tom Bristowe

Tom Bristowe
Researcher
Office of David Willetts MP