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| 2006 Diary - January to February - 12:57 pm, Sun 3rd Jun 2007 |
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Sunday 26th February 2006 - 06:02 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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Just returned from an excellent weekend in Hope, North Wales where I was asked to open the National Equine Ethology Centre.
 The Centre is a great facility that offers world class
training in horse behaviour, that seems a basic requirement to working safely around horses. (visit
their website) . They also taught me how to ride!
I am now a little sore, but it was great to go from very limited experience before today to cantering over poles - all without a bridle and bit!
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Wednesday 22nd February 2006 - 06:01 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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The day began at Warmwell to hear villagers concerns over traffic through the village. I went on to Swanage to discuss the possible development of a children's centre
with a local church and the town partnership's plans for a multi-use centre for sport and business.
Back in Weymouth I had a useful chat with a local businessman about the potential for the Bincleaves site in building the strength of the local marine business sector. I feel that
this sector must be at the heart of our lcoal ambitions for skilled engineering development given the presnce of Portlad Port, the sailing academy, Luhr Marine, Qinetiq and of course
the 2012 Olympics.
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Tuesday 21st February 2006 - 06:00 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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Most of today was taken up with staff meetings - I have just had to replace two members of staff who have gone on to "better" things but I am delighted with who we've
found to replace them.
However I did start the day with one of those sadly necessary meetings where I have to try to bring people together to solve a problem. This time it was to facilitate the development
of Beechcroft school in Weymouth.
This has been going on for some time where the Borough Council and the County have been struggling to agree the detail of a land swap deal to allow the school to expand and new
allotments to be developed. This has become urgent since the school has already reorganised itself as a primary school from being an infant school. They have to have the extension in
place for September if the next intake of children are going to have a classroom. Happily I think we achived the necessary compromises.
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Monday 20th February 2006 - 06:00 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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The start of a "constituency week" - a week off from Westminster to allow MPs to work in their constituencies. It also combines with a lot of concern over bird
flu.
The bird flu situation is worrying as infection has reached France. But whilst it remains 500 miles away I think the risk is still relatively low for the UK. My concern is over
reaction from the media and the public that will hit poultry sales, rural tourism and the game industry. The effect of over- reaction could be profound for the rural economy.
Meanwhile I had a busy day, mostly on Portland. I popped in to the Red Triangle Cricket Club to discuss their fencing, to Southwell school to be briefed on the pre-school project
there, and to the Verne prison to discuss developments with prison officers.
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Friday 17th February 2006 - 05:59 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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Today I received a petition from local drivers of private hire cars.
 They are concerned that the strict local
interpretation of regulations by the council is preventing them providing an adequate service to their disabled and elderly customers.
The disabled parking spaces are restricted to blue badge holders. Taxi bays are restricted to hackney cabs, excluding private hire vehicles. This means private hire vehicles wait
where they can and take a risk with local traffic wardens, particularly when they need to accompany their customer to the post office or the shop because of their profound mobility
problems.
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Thursday 16th February 2006 - 05:58 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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Had a very interesting visit to the town of Snodland in Kent with local MP, Jonathan Shaw. What struck me was how much can be achieved by a town council showing real
leadership.
The Town Council has secured ongoing funding for a partnership from local business and the district council. Over the last ten years they have used this to lever in the provision of
twenty times the police cover, new street furniture, a new GP surgery, a new country park and extensive traffic calming.
It makes me wonder what might be possible in my own constituency...
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Tuesday 14th February 2006 - 05:55 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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Today is D-Day for Smoking. After weighing up the evidence and specifically considering the points made by people across the constituency, I have decided to vote for
a total ban.
Firstly, the significant majority of people contacting me supported this move, including representatives from the health service, trade unions and pub industry. Secondly, an exemption
for private members’ clubs would leave many staff without protection and cause difficulties for pubs. Thirdly, by supporting a total ban we can send out a far clearer health message
to the public at large.
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Friday 10th February 2006 - 05:54 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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Bad day for the Party as we lost the Dunfermline by-election. This was down to a mixture of things local and national. Fundamentally I think we were complacent about
the LibDems. We thought they had exposed themselves as being a pretty unpleasant collection of mavericks following the way they got rid of Charles Kennedy. But clearly they remain
attractive to voters locally.
The only comfort was that the Tories and SNP had an equally disastrous result. Nevertheless it needs to focus the minds of Labour MPs – voters don’t like division.
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Tuesday 7th February 2006 - 05:54 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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 Today I returned from an amazing trip to
India. We were there for 5 days. It was a mix of meetings with Indian ministers, speaking at the Delhi Summit on Sustainable Development, and seeing sustainable development for
real.
The visit followed the UK India Dialogue on Sustainable Development which was signed in London last year. One of the key features was wildlife crime and so we followed this up with a
workshop where we brought some of our leading people over to Delhi to help improve capacity to deal with this problem that is seriously endangering the future of tigers in India. We
agreed to continue this work further.
I also visited a vulture breeding centre.
The population of the three Gyps species of vultures has crashed by 99% in the last 12 years. This is due to cattle being given a type of anti-inflammatory drug. The cattle carcasses
are traditionally left out for the vultures who, we now know, find the drug extremely poisonous. The consequences are that the feral dog and rat population are booming, increasing the
threat of rabies to the human population. An alternative drug has been found and so the hope is that by captive breeding the birds while the poison works itself out of the cattle
population, it will then be possible to recover the population.
Finally we went to Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan to see development projects that are funded by UK organisations committed to conserving the tigers. We saw tigers, which was
wonderful, and a hospital and school that would not have been built were it not for the tigers. Most impressive was a village that no longer cuts down the tigers’ forest habitat for
fuel and grazing because they have been provided with the technology and know-how to convert cow dung to cooking gas, and improve the productivity of their dairy cows.
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Wednesday 1st February 2006 - 05:53 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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I had a good day before setting off to India, I visited the Wetlands Centre at Barnes for a really useful session with Government officials and the BBC about
promoting biodiversity as a way of achieving a number of public benefits such as health and education. However I also found myself mentioned by the Leader of the Opposition at Prime
Ministers Questions. read The
Hansard
I’ve been campaigning against the closure of the CEH lab in Dorset – in my capacity as the local MP. The proposal has come from the Natural Environment Research Council, not from
Government. But David Cameron chose to confuse this and suggest that I, as an environment minister, was opposed to Government plans to close the labs. Slightly embarrassing but it
shows that I am campaigning for my constituents along side my ministerial responsibilities.
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Tuesday 31st January 2006 - 05:51 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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Today was one of those memorable days in the Commons that I hope don’t happen too often. The Government suffered a surprise defeat on the Racial and Religious Hatred
Bill. This was the subject of a campaign by Rowan Atkinson who was worried that an offence of religious hatred would stop comedians poking fun at religious figures.
The Bill has now been enacted and is an improvement in preventing racists spreading their poison by using religion and then getting around the racial hatred laws. I thought the
opposition was misplaced as the crucial issue was incitement to hatred – I don’t think for a second that Blackadder and the “baby eating bishop of Bath and Wells” could ever be deemed
as inciting anyone to anything but laugh – the opposite of hatred.
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Monday 30th January 2006 - 05:49 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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 Had a very interesting visit to the
Peak District today. As the minister responsible for National Parks I try to visit each of them once every two years, so this was part of that programme. However the visit was
dominated by the Park Authority’s battle to save Backdale from being quarried.
This is a complicated issue but I agreed to give them enough financial support to allow them to put the quarrying on hold whilst the planning process determines whether or not the
operation is legal. The local feeling is very strong as it is a prominent part of the Park’s landscape.
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Tuesday 24th January 2006 - 05:35 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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I am guilty of neglecting this diary for which I apologise - not a good way to start the New Year! It is the worst thing to do becuase the longer you leave it the
more there is to say and the more daunting it is to catch up.
In summary, in the last month I went to Brussels to negotiate for the UK the Common Fisheries Policy for 2006. I then came back and went away with the family for Christmas. Since then
I have been working on a number of things in the constituency and at Defra. Most significant have been on the Weymouth Relief Road, the Olympics, the future of CEH and the policy on
grey squirrels.
The Relief Road has been my top priority for Weymouth since I was first selected to fight South Dorset over ten years ago. We have been going through a hiccup with the regional
prioritisation of the financing for road schemes. Having previously persuaded three previous roads minister to back the scheme it feels very familiar but I've been back on the phones
lobbying regional politicians and officials to give the road the priority it deserves. I have also been talking to the Countryside Agency about their last minute doubts about the
landscape effects of the road. I still remain confidents that all of these matters can be resolved.
The Olympics is also focussing the mind. It is the opportunity of a lifetime for the area to really accelerate our economic and social development if we manage it properly with a
clear vision of where we want to be after the Olympics has been and gone. I've been talking to leading figures in Government, in the private sector and elsewhere about how we learn
from others internationally and make the most of it. It is very exciting.
More depressing has been fighting to keep CEH at Winfirth. The Centre for Ecology and Hydrology carries out fantastic environmental science research. In Dorset it is biodiversity
research which has been assessed to be as good as any university in the country. The proposal by the independent science agency, the Natural Environment Research Council, to close
Winfirth and others makes no business or scientific sense. It is a very hard one to win but I will certainly be doing my upmost.
Finally I had the difficult decision on what to do about grey squirrels. These are loveable in the right place. But they out compete red squirrels for food and carry disease that is
fatal to the reds; they damage nests of woodland birds and reduce the available food for other species such as the dormouse; most bizarrely they like to strip bark from trees which is
killing off some of our woodland. It is clear to me that without some targetted control of grey squirrels we will not sustain the biological diversity that it is my responsibility to
protect and so I have agreed to the cull policy and announced it this week. I hope the nation of animal lovers will forgive me!
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| 2006 Diary - March to May - 12:50 pm, Sun 3rd Jun 2007 |
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Wednesday 31st May 2006 - 06:47 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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A mixture of meetings today. Had a useful session with Gary from the Chesil Educational Partnership about the potential locally of some of the educational reforms;
then on to Littlemoor to be briefed on plans for a new community building. After lunch I met Lord Rooker, Defra minister, at Cefas in Weymouth for a tour and to be part of his
introduction to the agency.
 Jeff is a great guy and an experienced minister. We saw
the excellent science at Cefas, a Defra agency that works on fish disease research and assessment. I was able to stress how important it is to the local economy to keep these high
skilled science jobs in the area.
Finally I had one of my regular catch-ups with the Borough Council, focussing in particular on the housing problems in the Borough.
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Tuesday 30th May 2006 - 06:46 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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Today saw the launch of the Weymouth Drink Safe...Street Safe initiative.
 This a great new scheme from Weymouth Police to
award responsible licencees for the work they do in partnership with the police and the council to make the town centre safer from alcohol related violence.
I gave the government's perspective on the night time economy and liberalising licensing laws, and others followed with details on the scheme and how it has worked elsewhere.
Liberalisation seems to be going well so far but this scheme, that rewards good practice and offers a marketing opportunity to build the clientele because of a safer drinking culture,
should be excellent.
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Saturday 27th May 2006 - 06:42 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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Popped over to Swanage for a ceremony to mark the completion of the work to recharge the beach.
 Having a beach is pretty fundemental to the
Swanage tourist economy and there wasn't much left. I was asked to get involved when the opportunity arose to buy the beach sand from the Poole Harbour Commissioners when they
redredged their main channel. I was delighted when I managed to persuade Defra to fund the whole project.
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Friday 26th May 2006 - 06:41 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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By happy coincidence I had planned to do two education related visits in my constituency today - opening a new pre-school and visiting a secondary school.
So Ralph Tabberer, the Director General for Schools, asked to come along and we added a visit to Westfield Technology College, a specialist special school and the Chesil Educational
Partnership. Then at the end of the day I met with protesters against the proposed library closures.
 The Three Bears Nursery at Bovington has been given new
buildings thanks to a lot of hard work by staff, the management committee and funding from the government's Sure Start programme. It was good to see this investment in one of the more
rural parts of my constituency, that also experiences some of the most acute deprivation. It was clear that this provision is vital in allowing a lot of mums to go out to work.
Westfield Technology College is an outstanding school. A specialist technology college, a training school, it also provides an excellent education to pupils with moderate learning
difficulties from 4-16. The school is currently undergoing a big new extension which will provide a fantastic new teaching, therapy and sports facility.
The Chesil Partnership is another success story, fresh from a positive new Ofsted report for Compass, the Pupil Referral Unit for Weymouth and Portland. It is a partnership of all the
schools and the College in the Borough and is doing really good work on lowering exclusions, and in service training of steaching staff.
 The presentation at Royal Manor School on Portland
was at the end of a week's work with the Bournemouth Media School. Pupils working with students produced excellent pieces of interactive animation. Everyone seemed to really enjoy it
and the school also gained the donation of an i-book from Apple Computers.
 Finally I met with protesters outside Portland
Underhill library and at Wyke Regis. The County Council's proposals are an attack on learning - for the sake of saving £850,000 over three years. It was particularly striking that all
the libraries that I have visited have highlighted the use of PCs for school research, by students and others who can't afford their own PC. Apparently the use of PCs in libraries is
not counted as part of the statistics around library use - and yet these are the users who seem to vlaue their local library the most.
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Thursday 25th May 2006 - 06:39 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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The whirlwind of the last few weeks has finally died down with the passing of the Education Bill by the Commons. It has been a storm of media, chats with MPs and
frantic attempts to understand the issues being debated ( Commons Hansard
).
 During the course I have done my first interview with
John Humphreys on the Today programme (daunting but not as bad as I thought it would be), my first long political interview on national TV with Jon Sopel on the Politics Show (people
say I look relaxed - probably because I decided not to wear a tie), and I have faced debates in a full House. I enjoyed it and was delighted that we managed to reduce the size of the
opposition from Labour MPs. It is a long way from squirrels, badgers and tigers at Defra.
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Friday 19th May 2006 - 06:38 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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It was great to get back to the relatively sanity of Dorset after a busy week in Westminster. The week had been mostly pre-occupied with preparing for the Report
Stage of the Education Bill. The day in Dorset has been busy but very enjoyable - launching a great new project for the Jurassic Coast on Portland, meeting business representatives to
discuss the Weymouth Relief Road, and then an evening at the Wessex FM/Dorset Echo Peoples Awards.
 The Portland Sculpture Trust has come up with an
amazing project for Portland. It ties up the re-use of Independent Quarry with the Drill Hall to create an extraordinary educational and visitor attraction. It will include a walk
through time to interpret the 120 million years of life on earth that is locked into the geology exposed by the quarry and celebrated by the World Heritage designation. But it is more
than that, with an amphitheatre, natural landscape and biodiversity features, sculpture and much more.
The discussions about the Relief Road were mostly as an update, but very useful - for everyone I think. I remain optimistic but we need all the help we can becuase of the lobbying
power of the CPRE in particular.
The Peoples Awards were a great event, brilliantly organised, that celebrated the uncelebrated who do so much for others. As a judge the results were no surprise but it was a pleasure
to be involved.
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Monday 15th May 2006 - 06:37 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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Just over a week in the job as Minister of State for Schools and whilst it has been busy, and at times overwhelming, it is certainly very exciting. I spent most of
last week in committee on the Education Bill, leading for the government as the committee carried out line by line scrutiny of the Bill (read committee proceedings in Hansard)
Preparing for committee and spending many hours in debate didn't leave much time for anything else in Westminster but I was able to visit Brackenbury School on Portland when I got
back to Dorset on Friday.
 I was keen to visit Brackenbury as it is in one of
the most deprived wards in Dorset and the school does an excellent job. I saw the interesting work of the nurture unit in delivering a more personalised education to children with
emotional and behavioural difficulties.
I also wanted to see Sandra Scammell at work. I had awarded her a prize a couple of weeks ago at an evening to celebrate the school support staff and it was great to meet her again
and see her working, not just as a lunchtime superviser but also as a teaching assistant.
I noticed over the weekend that the Diary of the Times Education Supplement reported what I've been writing in this Diary - it could get circular.
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Friday 6th May 2006 - 06:36 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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What a day! Predictably awful results for Labour but mixed for the others too. And then at the end of the day I'm given a great promotion to be Minister for
Schools!
Even in the South the Tories still need to do better in places like Oxford and Crawley where they won on the toss of a coin, but they will undoubtedly be the happiest. The Libdems did
very little. Locally I was sad to see some great candidates defeated but I guess they are the victims of what was happening nationally. We will have to re-focus on the local issues
people are really concerned about and prove that we are the ones on their side.
The call from the PM came in the middle of my constituency surgery. I was surprised and hugely flattered to get such a high profile job. It was a real privilege to do the job at Defra
but this is a great new challenge.
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Thursday 4th May 2006 - 06:35 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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Local election day. It is clearly going to be depressing for me as a Labour Party member, MP and member of the Government. An awful week will compound the normal
problems governments, especially in a third term, face in mid-term elections. It will be interesting to see where that support goes.
If Cameron’s Tories are going to get anywhere they need big gains. These are also the first elections for the new Libdem leader. My biggest worry is that it will be a good evening for
the BNP. In Dorset I expect things to broadly remain as they are – but fingers crossed.
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Saturday 29th April 2006 - 06:34 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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 I started the day at Crossways
Library. The County Council is proposing to close a number of libraries. I am completely opposed to this idea as these facilities are a core community facility in places like
Crossways, Corfe Castle, Wool, Wyke Regis and Portland.
 A great day for Weymouth Football Club. Champions of the
Conference South!
It was nerve-wracking going in to the game against Lewes as they were third and we needed to win to be sure of promotion given an uncertainty about a possible
deduction of up to 4 points because of fielding an ineligible player early in the season. But justice was done and we won, our nearest rivals lost and Matt Bound lifted the
trophy.
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Friday 28th April 2006 - 06:32 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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A quiet day catching up in the office in Weymouth but finish with presenting awards in Poole at an event organised by Unison to celebrate the work of school support
staff.
These people – office staff, lunchtime supervisors, crossing patrols, caretakers and technicians - are vital in keeping our schools going, especially as they extend the hours they
work with breakfast clubs, after school clubs and all the other initiatives we are asking them to do. It was a great event. I was happy to sponsor one award which I was delighted to
present to a lunchtime supervisor from Brackenbury School on Portland.
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Wednesday 26th April 2006 - 06:31 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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This is one of those scarily busy weeks for me in Parliament, spending ten hours being interrogated by MPs on the Commons Bill. But meanwhile today’s news from
Charles Clarke and John Prescott is undoubtedly going to be difficult for the Government.
I hope that as a country we are mature enough to leave the Deputy PM to deal with problems in his private life without being hounded by the media. The problems deporting foreign
nationals at the end of their sentences is more difficult. It is right that Charles should acknowledge the error and take responsibility. He is a very able politician who I enjoy
working with very much. I hope he can stay.
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Thursday 20th April 2006 - 06:29 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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Up early after celebrating Arsenal's win in the Champions League to prepare for questions to Defra ministers in the House. On Thursday we start at 10.30am so I try to
get in the office by 8.30am to have time to prepare. Today seemed to go reasonably well with only the first two questions to me. (read the account in
Hansard)
My busy week in the Chamber finished with responding to a debate on the 50th Anniversary of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty ( Hansard )
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Tuesday 18th April 2006 - 06:28 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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First day back in Parliament and I was straight in to take my next bill through the Commons. The Commons Bill reforms common land law that goes back to 1235 (
see defra website for more
information )
The Bill is pretty dry but important for protecting our common land and the people who make a living from that land. I was also happy with my contribution (read speech in
Hansard) .
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Monday 17th April 2006 - 06:26 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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Great football match at the Wessex Stadium. The result is everything and happily Weymouth won 3-2 and look unstoppable for winning the division and promotion to the
Conference. But it was even better than that!
The game had everything. 5 goals, a disallowed goal, a sending off, a penalty, a goal line clearance - you name it. It was very exciting and Weymouth defended excellently in the last
half hour (including an inexplicably long injury time) with ten man against a good St Albans side coming forward. Full credit to them all.
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Friday 14th April 2006 - 06:25 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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Most of the day has been spent at home with the family for the Easter weekend, but I went over to Lulworth this morning to support a fund raising event for Riding for
the Disabled.
 The RDA Henstridge group are raising £25,000 to buy
an electronic horse to help people get used to the movement of horses, and it can also be used by recovering jockeys. The sponsored ride is over three days from Lulworth to Tincleton
and then on to Hardy's Monument and beyond. A total of 50 miles over three days.
I enjoyed going over and meeting everyone and I was also given a ride some of the way by a disabled rider from Herefordshire who had come down with his horse and carriage. Great
fun!
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Wednesday 12th April 2006 - 06:24 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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A successful meeting with Richard Burgess at the council. We initially discussed the problems at Brenda Dench House in Weymouth where an alleyway is regularly used as
a toilet at night. Naturally the local residents and businesses are fed up with it.
Having discussed some of practical problems with gating the alleyway we agreed to look at fixing the lighting and pursuing quotes to improve the cleaning so that the walkway is
properly cleaned and disinfected 3 times a week. Weymouth and Portland Borough Council will look into the feasibility of installing CCTV into the alleyway. With that extension it may
be possible to use the new powers in the recent Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act to issue fixed penalty notices to people who foul the alleyway.
I then used the opportunity to talk about the problems raised by the private hire drivers.
The law nationally is clear that taxi's, private hire and other vehicles cannot wait and stop on double yellow lines. This is unlikely to change due to the potential obstruction to
buses and other public transport. However if an individual qualifies for a disabled blue badge that can be shown in a private hire vehicle and the driver will be allowed to assist the
person under the disabled badge agreement. This is not what the drivers want but it goes some of the way.
I have asked the Council to audit the disabled parking provision in the town which they have now done and they will be coming forward with some proposals shortly on disabled parking
spaces, and possibly with provision for dropped kerbs in the town centre.
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Tuesday 11th April 2006 - 06:23 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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Princess Anne was in town today to open the new Westhaven House.
The residents were clearly thrilled to meet her and I was hugely impressed with the new development and the neighbouring Buxton House. This was funded by significant Government grant
and allows people with some illness to carry on living independently but with the support of knowing that they are on the hospital site.
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Monday 10th April 2006 - 06:23 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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A couple of interesting meetings about Weymouth town centre - the first with Fleetline private hire and then with the police to discuss initiatives to reduce alcohol
related problems.
The private hire car drivers are concerned that it is difficult for them to provide the service they want to their disabled customers (see diary February 17th). John and Mandy from
Fleetline have been lobbying the council and are not positive about making progress. I promised to talk to the council about it on Wednesday.
At the police station I discussed their plans to work with licensees and the council to make Weymouth a safer place to relax in the evenings. The new licensing laws give them new
powers of enforcements and they think there has been an improvement since Christmas. I suggested going out with them on partol in the next couple of months to see for myself, but I
was delighted to see them so focussed on improving the town for all residents.
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Saturday 8th April 2006 - 06:22 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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Wednesday 5th April 2006 - 06:17 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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This week is a quieter time in Dorset - it's nice to be at home. One of my visits today was to the Briantspuddle post office.
After quite a saga the village has ended up running the post office themselves. Up to 40 volunteers, from a village of just over 300, are involved in running a shop and post office
from a charming old building owned by the parish council. It is clearly hugely valued by the community and is crucial in binding the village together by providing social contact for
residents that otherwise would be very isolated.
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Wednesday 29th March 2006 - 06:16 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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Back to London and straight into the Commons for the consideration of Lords amendments to my Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill (see the transcript from Hansard)
The votes were all won
in the Lords thanks to excellent work by Lord Bach and the whips, we didn't lose today and tomorrow the Queen gives Royal Assent - I will have made an Act! It is very satisfying to
have overseen the process with a great team of officials, and I think it will make a difference in protecting the English countryside.
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Tuesday 28th March 2006 - 06:14 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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My final day at the CBD in Brazil. I hosted a business breakfast with the Brazilian deputy environment minister. It was well attended by business people and ministers
from all over the world. I was keen to get over the message that the rate of biodiversity loss is so great, and at such a crisis point, that we haven't got time to regulate business.
Instead we must win them over and use their flexibility to drive forward change (read the text of my speech) .
I think the Defra team have done a great job and we seem to be achieving what we set out to do. Sadly I had to leave early to get back to the Commons but one of my officials delivered
my speech for me to the main meeting (speech
text)
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Friday 24th March 2006 - 06:13 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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I spent the day and night in the heart of the Amazon at the Mamiraua reserve. I am in Brazil for the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological
Diversity. Before going down to Curitiba I was able to visit a project the UK is funding in Mamiraua where the Zoological Society of London is working with local Brazilian partners to
reasearch the sustainability of harvesting fish for the ornamental fish trade in the West.
It is a fascinating project - not only researching whether there are enough fish to harvest without damage to stock levels, or their food chain and habitat, but also looking at
whether the local population wants to develop the business and using a market analyst to examine the supply chain and product potential.
 Also amazing was the Amazon area. It is home to at
least one of fifth of the world's fresh water. The flooded forests contain a wealth of biodiversity. We saw red river dolphins, toucans, kingfishers, osprey, eagles, all manner of
other beautiful birds, large caimans, white uacari monkeys, squirrel monkeys, howler monkeys and much much more. The greatest joy of all was meeting the local villagers who are
committed to the reserve and protecting all of these wonderful species.
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Wednesday 22nd March 2006 - 06:12 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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Budget Day. As ever a big set piece occasion, this time for Gordon's tenth budget.
I was happy with the package on offer. Some commentators have focussed on what wasn't in it but I rather focus on what was.
There was good news for schools, particularly increased direct payments to schools which escapes some of the problems of the local government funding formula. The announcements on
the environment were strong as was the increase in police presence in every community. Locally I am particularly interested in what he said on the Olympics - the annual school
Olympics could be really exciting.
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Monday 20th March 2006 - 06:11 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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Today I visited the British Trust for Ornithology, the World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Woodwalton Fen, English Nature and the Joint Nature Conservation
Committee - all in Cambridgeshire. This was a chance to make announcements on how our woodland birds are doing ( defra news release )
The Fen project was most striking. The process of taking some land back from cultivation has started - and they now have 200 species of moth alone! But next door is the intensive
agriculture of that part of the world that exploits the very rich peaty soil. I was alarmed at how deep the soil erosion has gone - with the resultant carbon emissions...
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Saturday 18th March 2006 - 06:11 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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Went to sunny Weston Super Mare today for Labour Party Regional Conference. Truth was it was not sunny - more like snowy - but it was nice to get together with
comrades from the region. I gave the key note speech and had a few things to get off my chest.
The past week has been very frustrating. We should be celebrating another great victory not lurching from one problem to the next. So I said as much.
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Friday 17th March 2006 - 06:09 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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A normal constituency day that started at Southwell on Portland where I joined the local pre-school to celebrate acquiring the lease on land for their new home.
The site is right next to the school and will offer a great facility for parents and children locally when it has been built.
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Wednesday 15th March 2006 - 06:09 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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The big day for the Education Bill. This one has been rumbling on in Westminster for some time with many colleagues concerned about where the government was going on
admissions and the role of local authorities.
As a result of constructive negotiations the Bill now improves protection against selection and gives councils a clear strategic role. There are other benefits too such as improved
school meals, school discipline and personalised help for all pupils. And yet too many of my colleagues still wanted to defeat the Government. The rebellion was similar to those on
Foundation Trusts and tuition fees, but I still was angered that MPs elected under Tony's leadership and on a Labour manifesto less than a year ago can still have wanted to defeat a
Labour government.
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Monday 13th March 2006 - 06:08 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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Arrived in London at 1pm after calling in for an update from the Tank Museum in my constituency. They are going great guns on their very exciting redevelopment with
good support from the Lottery.
On arrival at Defra I launched the new licensing system for Gangmasters ( defra
press release ) to extend protection from exploitation to 600,000 workers.
Gangmasters were put into the spotlight after the Morecombe Bay tradegy when Chinese cockle pickers were killed. These new arrangmeents will protect such people working in the food
industry. It was great to be involved in such a positive announcement.
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Wednesday 8th March 2006 - 06:07 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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A symbolic day today in the Commons with the second reading of the Road Safety Bill. I have been working to get justice for the victims of road deaths since three
constituents were killed within a few months of each other. Having tabled a private members bill, Parliamentary motions, lobbied ministers and won Brake's Parliamentarian of the Year
award in 2004 I was keen to see the new offence in the Bill.
The new offence was a promise in the manifesto and the Government amended the Bill in the Lords to introduce what we had been campainging for. I was delighted tonight when it went
through the Commons without opposition. There are still a few hurdles left in Committee but I am optimistic.
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Monday 6th March 2006 - 06:06 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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It is very difficult for me to be anything but biassed when it comes to the furore over Tessa Jowell. She is, without doubt, one of the nicest people in Westminster
and therefore I struggle to be objective.
But it does seem to me that she is being put under unbearable pressure, and her marriage more so, because of the medias need to sell newspapers on the back of another cabinet
minister's resignation. I don't know whether her husband did anything wrong but I am sure that Tessa has behaved properly.
Most of those pointing the finger are doing so to fuel a cynicism that beggars belief when it suggests that she would sacrifice her marriage for her career. I have talked to her in
the past about her children - she would not lightly upset them or anyone else in her family just for a job. No doubt if she does manage to rebuild her relationship they'll say I told
you so - but I hope the public will turn against this poison in the media and allow a good minister, who did so much to help us win the Olympics, get on with her job.
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Friday 3rd March 2006 - 06:05 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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Another good constituency day. It started with a visit to Budmouth School to congratulate them on their work in achieving Faire Trade status for the Borough.
 This is a subject on which I receive a lot of
correspondence - many people understand the power of shoppers and want to be helped to use their puchasing power to help poorer people around the world.
Then on to the Portland Centre to help them celebrate a major lottery grant.
 This was thanks to hard work by Cllr Paul Kimber, his
colleagues from the Portland Centre management committee, and especially Centre Manager Gill Demuth. I had backed this application because they all do a magnificent job at the Centre
which is used by a number of local organisations - including me for my Portland surgeries.
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Thursday 2nd March 2006 - 06:04 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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Good news today on the campaign I've been running on silent calls - telephone calls where you pick up the phone and there is no one there.
A number of local residents have expressed concerns about silent calls. I have been pressing for tougher measures, including putting down a special Parliamentary Motion prior to the
last General Election and helping to lobby Government Ministers.
Silent calls are annoying and distressing, particularly for the elderly and people living on their own. I am delighted that the Government has increased the maximum penalty from
£5,000 to £50,000, to deter companies from making these nuisance calls.
Businesses in the UK generate millions of direct marketing calls each year that result in callers receiving silent calls. The problem is caused mainly by power-dialling equipment
designed to maximise the use of call centre operations.
Alongside the Government’s decision to increase the maximum fine, Ofcom today announced the implementation of new measures designed to strengthen consumer protection from silent
telephone calls.
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Wednesday 1st March 2006 - 06:03 pm, Fri 1st Jun 2007
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There is a big lobby today by Stop Climate Chaos - a welcome coalition of NGOs trying to do for climate change what Make Poverty History is achieving for
international development.
Almost every day, there is new evidence of how our climate is becoming more extreme and the impact on people and our environment. Every week, there are new and authoritative
scientific studies warning that, without urgent action, this may be just a taste of what the future holds. The work of this group is crucial in helping shape public opinion and push
all politicians to make the right choices.
The UK is firmly on track to meet Kyoto targets (Sweden is the only other EU15 country to be in this position) but we have to work to get back on track to meet our own goal of a 20%
reduction in Carbon Dioxide emissions by 2010. We are finalising an updated Climate Change programme of measures to get back on track towards meeting this target.
The bigger battle against Climate Change will be international (at the moment the UK accounts for something like 2% of greenhouse gas emissions - by 2020, as the world economy grows,
this proportion will have fallen to 1.5%). Action on climate change without America, India and China in agreement, and all committed to a framework for reducing greenhouse gas
emissions, is not going to work.
Last year we made good progress under the UK presidency of the G8. It is easy to forget that only 12 months ago, there were still powerful voices doubting the scale and even the
nature of the threat we faced - now we have virtual universal agreement on the science of climate change.
We have strengthened engagement with India, China and Russia through our EU summits. The successful UN conference on Climate Change in Montreal shows real international will to build
on the first commitment period of the Kyoto protocol.
I also welcome development in the position of the US (underlined in President Bush’s State of the Union address last month), which will enable a new dialogue on the way forward
between all the world’s 20 largest energy using countries.
But at home and abroad we need to step up the pace of action.
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| 2006 Diary - June to December - 12:29 pm, Sun 3rd Jun 2007 |
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Saturday 2nd December 2006 - 11:23 am, Sun 3rd Jun 2007
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After a busy week in London it was great to go to the football at the Wessex Stadium and see Weymouth beat Grays Athletic 3-2. I sponsored the match ball and went
with two friends from the trade union Amicus who had agreed to sponsor some of the club’s youth teams.
It was an exciting game with a much better quality of football than when I last saw the Terras against Rushden and Diamonds. The third goal was a great effort by Chukki and I felt the
team consistently did well in midfield. My worry was how cheaply the two goals were given away. Although to be honest I missed the second Grays goal as I was preparing to go on the
pitch for the half time presentation. There was no reaction to the goal at all and so it was only five minutes into the second half before I believed ex-Echo sports reporter Matt
Pitman, who was sat next to me, when he told me it was 2-2!
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Saturday 25th November 2006 - 11:22 am, Sun 3rd Jun 2007
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Up to Portland today, where I quickly met with the new Neighbourhood policing team for the island. I was at the launch of the first in Littlemoor and it is great to
see them being rolled out. Over the next few years there will be a couple of dozen more police community support officers recruited to our division in Dorset and so we can all look
forward to a much bigger uniformed presence on the streets.
Then on to speak to the Wessex Regional Co-op about housing. A useful discussion about a massive issue for the area.
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Friday 24th November 2006 - 11:22 am, Sun 3rd Jun 2007
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More focus on schools today, but this time in my constituency. I had a useful discussion with Tim Balmforth at All Saints Schools about a range of concerns. I also
looked at the new sports hall at the school. Then on to Royal Manor Portland for school dinner – which was great despite the new healthy food standards!
Then on to Bovington to meet the new Colonel in charge before surgery in Wool.
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Thursday 23rd November 2006 - 11:20 am, Sun 3rd Jun 2007
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A frustrating couple of days, demonstrating how the truth doesn’t always manage to get in the way of a good story for our friends in the media.
The Chief Inspector of Schools published her first annual report which included the clear finding that standards in schools are continuing to improve, but that so are public
expectations and so the inspections are more demanding. Set against that tougher standard she found that 1 in 12 schools were “inadequate”.
Given that this equates to about a quarter of a million pupils being taught in schools deemed “inadequate” we expected the news to reflect this and be difficult. All went well with
the TV and radio on the day who understood and reported that the inspections were now tougher and we needed to continue improvement. Even political opponents were balanced in their
comment.
But this morning the newspapers have gone stupidly over the top. The first edition of the Telegraph ran 3.3 million pupils taught in failing schools – they later more than halved that
figure. The Mail reported that over half of pupils in failing schools. These extraordinary distortions are because the Chief Inspector was asked at her press conference whether she
thought satisfactory was good enough for pupils – she replied it wasn’t. That meant the press could all add “satisfactory” schools to the “inadequate” and label them all as failing!
This was so incredible that the Opposition did not mention today in the Commons during education questions.
The sadness is not so much that the reporting is misleading – most of us are used to that. What reporters perhaps don’t appreciate is that it has a damaging effect on education for
precisely those children that they profess to be concerned about when labelling so many as being “failed” by schools. Their headtachers, teachers and governors become demoralised that
their hard work is not acknowledged and so their work can suffer.
Naturally I am now busy trying to get the papers to publish letters from me to correct the story but the damage is now done…
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Tuesday 21st November 2006 - 11:19 am, Sun 3rd Jun 2007
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I spent the day in the North East visiting Northumberland, speaking in Newcastle and then visiting the PM’s constituency of Sedgefield.
Northumberland is a long way from Dorset but shares many of the same characteristics of rurality and claiming to be the poorest funded authority for schools. Interestingly the figures
that I am given for national funding per pupil, including grants, show Northumberland pupils slightly better funded at £4,441 per year with Dorset at £4,424. However neither are at
the bottom. There 35 council areas that get less than Dorset per pupil (out of 147). The worst gets £4,129 per pupil. I guess statistics can be used to tell whatever story you
want!
The speech in Newcastle was to a group of heads and other educationalists hosted by IPPR. It went OK until page 7 appeared before page 6 but I managed to bluff my way around it. Also
at the event was the mother of one of the three other girls out in Mauritania with my daughter, so it was good to make contact and catch up with how we think our girls are doing.
The visit to Sedgefield ended in the Trimdon Labour Club. For those of us who are fully signed up to New Labour it was a bit like pilgrimage but we also had an enjoyable discussion on
education policy with local members.
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Sunday 19th November 2006 - 11:18 am, Sun 3rd Jun 2007
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On Saturday I popped over to Studland for the opening of their new village hall. This was a great event to celebrate a splendid new facility. I worked with them to
help secure lottery and Defra funding but the village themselves raised £200,000 – I make that about £500 for every resident of the village!
I was asked to attend a Remembrance Service organised by Roadpeace for victims of road traffic “accidents”, which took place today. It was a very moving service for the bereaved
families with lovely singing from the Portland Singers. I was pleased to go following my campaign to get the law changed to introduce a new offence of causing death by careless
driving. Happily this new offence is law as of two weeks ago. But much remains to be done as every day nine people are killed or seriously injured on our roads – 95% of the time by
male drivers and 25% of the time by men aged 17-21.
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Friday 17th November 2006 - 11:17 am, Sun 3rd Jun 2007
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My constituency day began in Dorchester at the Primary Care Trust where I was accompanying constituents whose son had been involved in a road traffic collision and
been severely disabled. The nearest facility that can look after him is in Salisbury which is too far for family from Weymouth to visit as often and for as long as they would like,
and would be good for their son. I hope we can find a way of getting more local residential facilities for seriously disabled younger people – all that is available in the area seems
to be for over 60’s.
I also paid a useful visit to the Land Registry in Weymouth. This is a major local employer, with over 380 staff. They look after them well with a gym, childcare and so on. What was
very interesting is the work they are doing to prevent upper limb disorders like repetitive strain injury. Most staff work on computers and so there is a range of mice, keyboards,
desks and chairs to try and make them comfortable while they work.
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Wednesday 15th November 2006 - 11:16 am, Sun 3rd Jun 2007
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Today is the day of the Queen’s Speech in Parliament when the Government announces its legislative programme for the year. After a busy session for education last
time we are allowed to get on with implementing legislation for the large part, with some colleagues taking through a Further Education Bill. The programme is dominated by crime and
security measures which reflects the concerns of the public.
My day however began in Telford where I was addressing the National School Sports Partnerships Conference. The speech was OK and then I went on to a couple of schools. At the first I
was met by the head boy who turned out to be a very talented runner – so I was pleased to tell him that Kelly Holmes was in town for the conference and we managed to arrange for him
to meet up with Kelly later in the day. He was thrilled.
Back in London I accompanied Gordon Brown on a speaking engagement in Tottenham. We travelled by tube together which was met by surprised looks from fellow travellers. I was pleased
that several stopped to wish him well.
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Sunday 12th November 2006 - 11:15 am, Sun 3rd Jun 2007
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I attended the annual Remembrance Services at Weymouth and then Swanage. It is a long day but always worth it since the Act of Remembrance is always poignant. Ever
since we had the first ever vote on going to war in the House of Commons, over Iraq, I have been more moved by these services. The responsibility for making these decisions now
involves all of us MPs and it is therefore very important that we attend these services and reflect on those decisions.
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Friday 10th November 2006 - 11:14 am, Sun 3rd Jun 2007
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Had a very useful meeting in Dorchester with the other Dorset MPs, officers of the County Council and Simon Raynes, the Chair of the Dorset Strategic Partnership. We
were discussing the Olympics, in particular the legacy. Some good work has been done in identifying priorities but I would still like to see two separate bodies overseeing the event
itself and then the legacy. We urgently need to raise the ambition for the area – for business investment, employment development, and community involvement. I hope that the councils
in the area can come together to appoint someone to oversee this work and also find a high profile “champion” who can inspire and motivate everyone locally to be bold and innovative
now in dealing with this once in a lifetime opportunity for Dorset.
I also had some discussions about the future of United Response in Weymouth. This provides much needed support to adults with learning difficulties in the area, but it faces a
possible funding cut. I’ve been talking to the staff and the local Primary Care Trust and hope we can agree a rescue package.
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Monday 6th November 2006 - 09:56 pm, Sat 2nd Jun 2007
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Amongst my appointments today was to speak at the Doodle for Google Awards at the Science Museum. Hosted by Tony Robinson this was attended by well over a thousand
school children, many of whom had entered the competition to redesign the Google logo.
The theme for the design was Britain, and Google wanted to see what children associated with Britain and being British. The results were very impressive with some
predictable icons – Big Ben, the London Eye, the flags of the four nations – and others like cups of tea and cake that were more surprising. Happily very few celebrities were
featured and I didn’t spot a single politician!
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Sunday 5th November 2006 - 09:55 pm, Sat 2nd Jun 2007
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Friday was a very varied day in the constituency. I started with a meeting with the new Chair of the Primary Care Trust for Dorset, Ann Thomas, and Barbara Hartz of
the Young Minds mental health charity, in which we discussed children's and adolescents' mental health issues in the area, how they could be improved and whether links could be forged
with education. I went on then to meet with the Partners of Mustoe Shorter solicitors, to hear their concerns regarding the changes to legal aid and the effect that these changes
might have on the access to legal aid of people living in rural communities, such as Dorset. Then, just before my evening advice surgery on Portland, I met with members of an Adult
Literacy project on the island - tis project has had great success using a new literacy technique with children and is now extending it to adults. I met an adult who had had great
success taking part in this scheme and was keen to develop it further, and find ways to overcome problems of recruitment to the scheme that were down to the embarrassment of admitting
poor reading skills.
Saturday started with a Labour Party policy forum in Littlemoor. I then went on to the Southern Focus Trust, who have taken over supported housing for young people in the area. We had
an interesting discussion about the young homeless and those living in hostels or the Weymouth Foyer, and how they can be helped.
In the evening I went on to the gala performance by Act As One at Weymouth Pavilion - it was a great performance and great to be able to support a local theatre company.
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Thursday 2nd November 2006 - 09:54 pm, Sat 2nd Jun 2007
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Today saw the completion of the passage of the Education & Inspections Bill through Parliament. This was the Bill which I picked up in May when I was first
appointed - at that time it was going through its first Commons stages. It has since been through the Lords and it was back in the Commons today so that we could discuss and agree the
Lords' amendments. We had an interesting debate on issues such as community cohesion and faith schools - the details of which can be seen on the House of Commons website. It was good
to get this important piece of legislation onto the statute books, especially given the controversy it aroused when it was first introduced.
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Wednesday 1st November 2006 - 08:52 pm, Sat 2nd Jun 2007
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I'm posting after a very busy - almost mad - couple of days which started in London on Tuesday morning. From there I travelled up to Manchester, where I was due at
the City of Manchester Stadium to take part in a regional conference on the 14-19's curriculum reforms - this is with reference to the development of an exciting set of new
qualifications which will be available from 2008, and will come fully onstream from 2013. They will provide young people with a third option beyond the GCSE/A-Level route or the
Apprenticeship route; in addition there will be these new Specialized Diplomas. I went on to Knowsley Community College to look at work they have been doing as "pathfinders" for this
new scheme.
After that it was to Solihull, Birmingham where I opened two new Special Schools. They are the first schools in the "Building Schools for the Future" programme, which will see every
secondary school in the country refurbished or replaced by 2020.
I was back to London then to vote on whether or not there should be an inquiry, now, into the Iraq war, whilst our troops are still fighting there. I voted against conducting such an
inquiry as I feel it should wait until the job there is concluded - it would otherwise cause problems for our troops on the ground.
When this was over I went back again to Birmingham to spend the night there in order to get up in the morning to open another school - this time in Oldbury: the Orchard School, a
terrific new building with a great design.
Finally I went back to London to answer the debate on admissions policy to faith schools. To read the debate you can click the following link:-
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/cm061101/halltext/61101h0005.htm#06110150000003
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Sunday 29 October 2006 - 08:51 pm, Sat 2nd Jun 2007
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A busy constituency weekend - from the police beat to Christian Aid. 
On Friday I spent two hours out and about in and around Weymouth with local policemen. This is something I do occasionally, in order to chat to the police about the pressures of their
work, observe them at their work and find out about what sorts of crimes are going on in the area. We responded to a few incidents - none of them very major - for example, some
vehicle owners had to be asked to move their vehicles because of obstruction to a bus route; we followed up an earlier incident involving someone who had appeared to be driving
recklessly; and there was some follow-up to do in the aftermath of an incident that related to possible domestic violence. A mixed bag, and it's always interesting to witness the
reality of crime and crimefighting in the local area.
I also went to the funeral of Alan Moss. Alan had been a councillor on Portland for eight years, and had been a postman for many years having left the Navy. The service at Weymouth
Cemetary was very moving and it's evident Alan will be sadly missed.
On Saturday I dealt with a variety of issues at my advice surgery in Swanage. I was then treated to lunch during a meeting with the local Christian Aid group; we were mostly
discussing issues of trade justice and overseas aid; but there were also younger members present who had a lot they wanted to bring up.
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Wednesday 25 October 2006 - 08:50 pm, Sat 2nd Jun 2007
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Halfway through a very busy week in Westminster. I have been focusing this week on the Education Bill, which comes back to the House of Commons next week after
completing its passage through the House of Lords. The big issue is around admissions to faith schools. I am happy that we are making progress on the basis of consensus between the
parties involved, in order to continue the good work which existing faith schools are doing - the reason why they are so popular with parents. We wish to open up that good work to
parents of other faiths or no faith, without threatening the future of those Catholic, Jewish or Muslim schools whose representatives are concerned to maintain their distinctive
ethos.
This work is going well thus far.
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Sunday 22 October 2006 - 08:50 pm, Sat 2nd Jun 2007
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Just coming to the end of a comparatively quiet weekend in the constituency. I went out on Saturday morning to talk to electors in the Wyke Regis area of Weymouth.
Despite the blustery day I was not too buffeted by the conversations! It was great to talk to everybody and most people wanted to raise issues of local concern - for example
installing benches at strategic points to take advantage of their terrific views, and the provision of bins for dog mess and other measures that could be taken against dog fouling on
the footpaths. As is always the case whenever and wherever I go knocking on doors in the constituency, a priority for people is the care of their local environment.
On Saturday afternoon I enjoyed seeing Weymouth play Rushden & Diamond. Although they only managed a draw it was good as ever to see such a crowd and such great support, and of
course it's good news that Weymouth are doing so well in the conference this season.
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Wednesday 18th October 2006 - 08:49 pm, Sat 2nd Jun 2007
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I was pleased to hear on the radio this morning the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Alistair Darling, talking about Post Offices - a big issue in the
constituency. It is clear that there has to be some change, and so his commitment to a national network was very welcome. It will have to be seen in December, when the Government is
due to make a further announcement on the issue, what this means in reality but I have a strong impression that the Secretary of State has a clear commitment to, and understanding of
the problem.
Later I visited schools in Northampton. I saw the results of a massive building programme in the town, and heard from head teachers about issues that are ongoing for them. It was a
very interesting visit and some interesting concerns were raised which I will be taking back to the Department.
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Monday 16th October 2006 - 08:48 pm, Sat 2nd Jun 2007
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Last night it was my great privilege and delight to attend the National Teacher Awards at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane - a fabulous celebration of great teaching.
Head teachers of primary and secondary schools, as well as teachers, teaching assistants and support staff were rewarded for special achievement in a wonderfully positive and
sometimes emotional ceremony, hosted by Jeremy Vine. We heard some extraordinary stories of outstanding individuals who, supported by their school community, had made a massive
difference to the lives of children - which is what education is all about. Too often we hear negative stories about teaching and teachers and so it was great to be present at an
event celebrating teaching at its best. It continued with a dinner hosted by David Puttnam.
Today was a normal day of hard work in the department and voting in the Commons. The political debate at the moment is around faith schools and Muslims in schools (for example, what
they should be wearing) and it's an area that's presently causing me grave concern as to where it's all going and the need to find a balance so that calm can be restored. Whilst it's
important that no one faith group can hold the system to ransom, it's also important to realise that every time we have the sort of intense reportage of the issue we've seen recently,
bullying of Muslims both in schools and elsewhere increases. I would like to see an opportunity given for everyone to calm down and get on with life.
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Friday 13th October 2006 - 08:48 pm, Sat 2nd Jun 2007
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A very full and interesting day in the Constituency - mostly focused on schools. I began at Swanage Middle School, where I attended that day's Celebration Assembly -
this is a great daily event at this school where special achievements are celebrated (on this morning for example the girls' football team had won a match) and each class presents a
certificate to one of its members who's done particularly well. I was there to present all the year 7 pupils with Ordnance Survey maps of their area. A national scheme is in place to
give every 11 year old in the country one of these maps and as a geographer of course I heartily approve of anything that will encourage children to use maps - though it also
encourages them to get to know their local area and enjoy the outdoors.
My next stop was the GP surgery at Corfe Castle. For some time this has been based in Portacabins in the Village Hall car park, a totally unsatisfactory and unsustainable arrangement.
One of the GPs has asked me to intervene to try and secure | | | | | |
Then on to talk to electors in Wyke Regis, via the Cove
House Inn for an excellent lunch.