July 19, 2007

12:19pm Wednesday 18th July 2007

STATEMENTS in the Commons this week have covered women's priorities, local and regional economic reform in England and Alexander Litvinenko. The last outlined the measures the UK plans to take against Russia for its refusal to allow the extradition of the alleged murderer of Litvinenko. These were widely welcomed across the House but Andrew Mackinlay, MP for Thurrock, one of the more forensic and outspoken Labour members, expressed his concerns that the response will be ineffective and that the House's mood seemed to be anti-Russian. He reminded us that we are enabling people to remain in this country to avoid returning to Russia to face their courts.

The importance of women's priorities was brought home to me at a meeting of our Health Select Committee with its counterpart from South Africa earlier this week. Of the ten visiting members six were women and on commenting on this I was told that equality of the sexes in representation was mandatory. Our Health Committee has only two female members out of11. The jovial lady talking to me pointed to our Committee Specialist's black and white, equally striped cardigan and said: "Like a zebra" graphically demonstrating equality in sex and, without saying it, ethnicity too.

There have been several important divisions. Sadly the proposal for a "Lifeboat Fund" for failed company pension funds that was defeated in the Commons at third reading, was again defeated when it returned with the support of the House of Lords. Rebellion by about 20 Government back benchers was not enough to win the day. I supported a motion from the Liberal Democrats headed "Fair Taxation of the Wealthy" but this received no support from the two main parties.

At home I took the chair at a valuable meeting between heads of some of the major businesses and organisations in the area with representatives of the county and district councils. The quality of local workforces was praised but the basic ability of many young job applicants with spelling, for example even in their CVs, was deplored. Road problems and transport links were again identified as one of our main problems in attracting to and keeping businesses in the area. For the future it is crucial to improve dialogue between these organisations and the councils and I hope this meeting may have rekindled interest in this.

The British spirit was amply demonstrated last Friday evening at this year's Hole in the Wall charity concert at Hopton Wafers. It poured with rain, but undeterred, there was an audience of hundreds in the natural amphitheatre under umbrellas and tarpaulins or just enjoying getting wet. Members of Tom the Frop and the CBSO combined to give rousing performances of old favourites including many Beatles' songs and music from Bond films all in aid of Cancer Research.