CHRISTMAS and New Year seem to have gone quicker than ever this year and now MPs are back in London faced with a barrage of legislation and Mr Brown's measures to attempt to restore his own party's and the country's confidence in his leadership.

Today we have a topical debate on preventative health services as this is one of Mr Brown's "new" initiatives.

Topical debates themselves are a new arrangement. To make the processes in the House better at involving backbenchers in holding the Government to account, topical debates and topical questions have been instituted.

The debates are only 90 minutes long but there are strict limits on the length of speeches even from frontbenchers which is welcome.

They are not followed by a division but they allow backbenchers to tell the Government their views on the topic under consideration.

Tuesday was a day for debates on motions raised by the main opposition party. The first was to condemn the performance of Network Rail during the holiday period that led to so many train delays and cancellations.

Naturally the opposition motion included the obligatory dig at the Government for creating Network Rail and so the Government amendment unsurprisingly removed this part of the motion but did agree that the engineering overruns were unacceptable.

There was no Labour revolt on this so the Government amendment was carried with a majority of 70.

The second subject was more controversial on the subject of higher education and adult learners. The Government is about to withdraw funding from institutions for equivalent or lower qualification (ELQ) students and the opposition motion allowed the Government to defend its decision and opponents to criticise it and appeal for a change.

One of the strongest critics was Frank Dobson from the Government benches who said that although he had a high regard for the Secretary of State (John Denham), on this occasion he was wrong and had not considered the impact of the change on individual institutions, thinking particularly of the Open University and Birkbeck college. There were a number of Labour abstentions but no real rebellion, although the Government majority was reduced to 53.

Bewdley Museum had a Christmas present from the Heritage Lottery Fund of £480,000 for improvements and developments that have already been reported.

We must not forget the smaller awards that come to sections of our community quite frequently, for example recently the Oldington and Foley Park Network received an award to establish an affordable fruit and vegetable box scheme and Stourport High School Language College support for a project to provide a before and after-school cycling club for children.

Users of Kidderminster Station will have noticed preparations for the construction of the much-needed footbridge and lifts at the south end of the platforms. I have been reassured that the only inconvenience we, as rail travellers, will notice is a small, temporary reduction in parking places.

DR RICHARD TAYLOR, MP FOR WYRE FOREST

If readers wish to write to Dr Taylor, they should address correspondence to his constituency office at 137 Franche Road, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, DY11 5AP.

2:55pm Wednesday 9th January 2008

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