STUDENTS saw their skills with the spoken word put to the test when the fifth year of the Bromsgrove Schools Parliamentary Debating Competition was held at the Library Resource Centre in Bromsgrove School.

Four local schools took part in the competition, which has been established by Bromsgrove MP, Julie Kirkbride, since her election in 1997.

Ms Kirkbride says the intention is to give older school students the chance to debate in public an issue of topical concern, with the winners receiving as a prize a tour of the Palace of Westminster and lunch at the House of Commons, followed by the chance to witness Prime Minister's question time.

Four schools took part in this year's event -- North Bromsgrove High, South Bromsgrove High, Hagley RC High, and Bromsgrove, with Ms Kirkbride presiding as the speaker.

The debate was 'This House believes that the major political parties in the UK have nothing to offer the youth of the country,' with each team consisting of two students -- one for, one against the motion, speaking for six minutes.

At the end of the evening the three judges, Reverend John Cook, Graham Reddie, President of the Bromsgrove Society, and Advertiser/Messenger Editor, Alan Wallcroft, made Hagley RC High's Lucy Cluley and Chris Mullins, both aged 18, the narrow winners.

They will be visiting London on February 6.

Ms Kirkbride congratulated all four teams on their efforts and said she hadn't envied the judges in their task.

"It was en excellent evening, enjoyed by everyone, and I am sure it will stimulate the students' minds and will have helped their confidence enormously having to speak in a live debate and before a live audience," said Ms Kirkbride.

The other students who took part were Bromsgrove (Murray Worthy and Aidan Bartlett), North Bromsgrove (Louise Stone and Adam Kirk), and South Bromsgrove (Adam Carter and David Burton).