Strange things are happening to the House of Commons' business at the moment. There is none!

Well, not quite none as we always find plenty to talk about and debate whether it's the EU, or daylight saving time, or votes for prisoners, or my debate on the need for diversity in Parliament on January 12.

What is missing is government legislation. In the last three months or so only one bill has begun its journey in the Commons and, in order to keep the chamber busy, its committee stage is being taken on the floor of the house rather than going to a Public Bill Committee which is usual for everything other than constitutional legislation.

So where has it all gone? Has the government run out of ideas of what it wants to change? Not likely, it is just that so many of the coalition's bills have proved controversial that they are now all stuck in the Lords.

Their lordships, who don't have timetabling for their business in the way we have in the Commons, are taking their time in scrutinising the major pieces of the coalition's legislative programme such as the health and welfare bills, both of which are grinding their way through what is known as Remaining Stages.

But before you get the impression that we MPs are sitting twiddling our thumbs, the Commons carries out other scrutiny roles, particularly the important work of the Select Committees who are all working flat out. This work has gained more prominence in this Parliament.

The Murdochs in front of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee made for riveting viewing, as did the bankers in front of the Treasury Committee. Modesty doesn't prevent me from mentioning the work of the committee I chair, the Work and Pensions Select. We have certainly had our work cut out for us since the election trying to keep up with all the changes the government is implementing in the world of pensions and social security.

These changes are often in the form of regulations, which means they don't always get proper Parliamentary scrutiny, yet they are changes likely to affect almost every family in the UK, so plenty for us to do.

I have been experimenting by taking my Select Committee out of Westminster to get the views of the very people who will be affected by the government's reforms. So many disabled people turned up for our event in South Wales we had to change the venue at the last minute. There is a lot said about creating a participative democracy and we are trying to do our little bit to engage with more people.

In the coming month look out for our report on the move from Disability Living Allowance to the new Personal Independence Payment, and another on the introduction of auto-enrolment - that's when employers who don't have a pension scheme for their employees will have to provide one. They will make for interesting reading - honest!

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