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Defence Secretary, George Robertson is to head for New York tomorrow for his first visit to the United States since taking office. He will visit United Nations headquarters for a meeting with the UK Permanent Representative to the UN Sir John Weston and Rolf Ekeus, head of the UN Special Commission. Mr Robertson will then travel to Washington where he is to have talks with his US counterpart, William Cohen and to meet other members of the Clinton administration, Congress and the Senate.

Government Chooses Pay Head. The government has chosen a leading academic in the business world, to be chairman of the Low Pay commission - the body that will recommend the level of a statutory minimum wage. Professor George Bain is the principal of the London Business School, and a specialist in British industrial relations.

Two Scottish Office ministers have flown to Brussels to plead with the European Commission over 5000 jobs in the salmon industry. The meeting, reflects serious concern about the outcome of a vote of the twenty commissioners on how to stop Norway dumping cheap salmon in Europe. Lord Sewell (agriculture) and Brian Wilson(industry) will argue for immediate anti dumping duties to be imposed on the Norwegians, to protect thousands of jobs threatened by a slump in demand for Scotlands own, more expensive farmed salmon.

Irish fishing familiesliving on four islands off the Donegal coast will be able to vote on the same day as the rest of the country in next weeks Irish general election. For the past seventy years the islanders of Arranmore, Tory, Inisbofin, and Inisfree have voted more than a week ahead of the election to make sure that their ballot boxes got back to the mainland on time for the count. This time, good sea conditions are expected to make the journey possible straight after the poll. The islands have six hundred inhabitants between them, with the smallest, Inisfree, having a voting population of just ten.

Defence Secretary George Robertson has said that his review of the armed forces would not include the question of gays in the military. He said that "as a matter of routine," every government had to with personnel issues in the armed forces. Speaking on GMTV's Sunday programme he added that the government needed to ensure " we have got the right atmosphere so that we are able to recruit in all parts of the community"

Ribble Vally MP Nigel Evans is pioneering a new telephone service which allows his constituents to reach him at any time. The MP says Conservatives should learn a lesson from defeat at the general election and make sure they keep in touch with voters. He has subscribed to a special phone service which means constituents only have to remember a single number when they want to reach him. By dialling 07000 NIGELMP, callers will always be able to get through to Mr Evans, who can divert his calls to one of the several numbers. Even if he is unable to take the call immediately, a message can be left and Mr Evans will always be aware that someone called.

Diana, Princess of Wales, 1961-1997

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