Stephen's week

MONDAY 16th OCTOBER 2006

Off to Redland station for the 8.50am to Temple Meads but rather than setting off on the 9.30 to Paddington I had a meeting with the regional manager of First Great Western. We discussed plans for improving Temple Meads, upgrading the 30 year old "125" trains, the Severn Beach line and other local lines. It says a lot about our 21st century railways that First are going to take out the buffet car so that there will be seven rather than eight carriages - this will speed up the trains. But the timetable won't get better, they will just have a buffer against delays!!

My train at 10am was of course delayed, by a bridge strike at Maidenhead!

So I arrived at Paddington a half an hour late. Main business of the afternoon was Education Select Committee. We met privately to consider our report on Government expenditure trends in education. Today was a rare Liberal Democrat Opposition Day - when we get to choose the items for debate in the House of Commons. We selected two topics - green taxes to combat climate change and post office closures. There were two votes in the evening.

TUESDAY 17th OCTOBER

Day started with an interview on Radio Bristol about post office closures in the West Country, in particular the government plans to withdraw the post office card account. Later in the morning met the Chief Executive of the Rugby Union Premier League. He was having a round of meetings with MPs who have rugby clubs in their seats. Bristol RFC is of course top of the league at the moment. I will visit the Memorial Stadium shortly to learn about the club's community programme. Lunchtime was our weekly Lib Dem education team meeting. Later Sarah Teather and I met with Universities UK, the body representing Vice Chancellors, for a regular catch up.

Throughout the day and evening there were a series of votes on the Company Law Reform Bill - claimed to be the largest Bill ever, with over 1,000 clauses. Mercifully I have not been involved in the detailed scrutiny of this Bill! I slipped out between votes to attend the annual reception of the Institute of Civil Engineers. They prepare an annual report on the state of the country's infrastructure. Needless to say our railways and transportation networks come in for particular criticism.

WEDNESDAY 18 OCTOBER

Education Select Committee was again in closed session, having a seminar on UK skills before we commence our formal enquiry into this area. Off to PMQs. Cameron made the mistake of raising Iraq - a war he voted for.

Blair can easily deal with the Tories on this issue but our opposition is clear. Ming was again on good form, calling for either a change in strategy in Iraq or an exit date.

Back to the office - today most of the staff and intern team were gathered in Westminster for training. The Parliamentary party had our own regular Wednesday meeting. After dinner with staff I headed off to Millbank studios to go on the Sky News daily review. I thought I was going to be talking about the decline in student acceptances at universities this year but instead was asked about faith schools! Good practice at thinking on your feet...

THURSDAY 19 OCTOBER

Back to Paddington much earlier than usual to get the 9am train. Not to come straight back to Bristol but to go on a Select Committee visit to Somerset schools as part of our citizenship enquiry. We got off at Bath and went by mini bus to The Blue School at Wells. They have a very impressive programme of pupil involvement with a school forum and over 20 groups looking at different aspects of school life. After lunch we were off to Nailsea School. They all have innovative ways of bringing citizenship alive throughout the curriculum and the running of the school.

The bus dropped us to Temple Meads and I felt a bit sorry for my colleagues who had to travel back to London. It then took 55 minutes for me to get home to Kingsdown on the number 9 bus...

FRIDAY 20 OCTOBER

Started the day with a visit to Westbury on Trym Primary School. Many schools are taking part in Democracy Week and I was giving a talk and answering questions with two groups of year 5 pupils (ie mainly 9 year

olds) They were an absolute delight as their teachers had obviously prepared them well and they had lots of questions. They were so keen we extended the time so more children could ask questions.

Then for something totally different I visited the Empire Amateur Boxing Club in St Agnes. They occupy the building next to the church and are very popular with young people from all over Bristol and even further afield.

On some evenings they have over 40 boys and young men training. I put on some gloves and had a go at punching some bags - rather good stress relief!

After my afternoon surgery I went to the CEED Centre in St Pauls to attend a Black History Month event. I gave a brief speech - there is still more to be done before we can be sure that next year's commemoration of the bicentenary of the end of the slave trade is done in a way that brings together all communities. Then up to Cotham Parish Hall to catch the end of our Lib Dem event with my colleague David Laws, MP for Yeovil, talking about "Britain after Blair."

SATURDAY 21 OCTOBER

Afternoon to Redland Park United Reform Church to take part in a 'Sustainable Redland' meeting. I listened to the feedback from various discussion groups and then spoke about what politicians can do to combat climate change, followed by a question and answer session.

SUNDAY 22 OCTOBER

Spent the evening touring the Stoke Bishop hall of residence bars with some student Lib Dems for "meet your MP" - a sort of speed dating for politics event!