Stephen's Week

MONDAY 6 NOVEMBER 2006

I'd arrived in London Sunday night ready for this morning's visit to an Islamic Primary School in Tooting. This was part of the Education Select Committee's review of citizenship teaching in schools. The school has recently joined the state sector and is having a lot of money spent on it. As we went round the school it seemed little different to a non faith school, apart from lessons in Arabic and the Qu'ran. The school had termly exchanges with the nearby CofE school, which seems a good idea.

Our normal afternoon committee was with Lord Andrew Adonis. Adonis is a controversial figure, despised by many teachers and people in the Labour party. He was in fact a member of the SDP and Lib Dems but jumped ship when Blair became Labour Leader. He has been one of Blair's policy advisers on education. This has caused deep resentment as his previous job was a mere journalist, with no real world experience of education.

Nonetheless, he is largely responsible for the new Labour shake up of education including academies and tuition fees. Citizenship teaching should help turn out well rounded students. I asked him about the scope of lessons and if he had seen "The History Boys", saying that a teacher friend of mine had commented that there was no room for that sort of teacher anymore. Amidst the laughter I had to explain I meant topics outside the strict curriculum like debating, rather than the motor bike antics of the teacher. Now, if you don't get this you must go and see the film...

TUESDAY 7 NOVEMBER

Mid morning I went along to make a brief intervention in a debate on expanding the railways. I pointed out that it was ludicrous for the Department of Transport to set franchise terms that made it difficult for First Great Western to expand the local network, in particular passenger services to Portishead.

Then along to meet the curators of Westminster's exhibition next year to mark the bicentenary of the Act that ended the slave trade in the British Empire. I will be encouraging Bristol schools to go up to London to see the exhibition, and to tour Parliament.

Evening - over to Great George Street for a reception launching a report by Amnesty International and Refugee Action on asylum seeker destitution. There are lots of poor Somalians in Bristol who face an uncertain future as their immigration status is unresolved and their country of origin is still unsafe.

WEDNESDAY 8 NOVEMBER

Not my normal sort of Wednesday. No select committee. No PMQs. This was because Parliament was prorogued mid morning. I was curious to see the ceremony that this involved, as I'd never seen it on TV before becoming an MP. The daily agenda gave little clue - saying only that "A Royal Commission is expected." I went to the House for 11.30am prayers and sat on our front bench for a good view. The Speaker then said, "and so we wait."

After about 10 minutes the doors were slammed and someone gave them a knock. Black Rod was admitted and approached the table. Yes, he does carry a black rod, with some gold bits. He's also dressed all in black including a large black rosette between his shoulder blades and his black leather gloves gave him a slightly menacing air. He summoned us to the House of Peers.

I managed to get in near the start of the queue as we trooped out through Members' Lobby, Central Lobby and Peers' Lobby to the "Bar" of the House of Lords. The Upper House was packed out, with many luminaries from all parties. No sign of Mrs Thatcher - maybe she will be at next week's State Opening. In fact the ceremony of Prorogation is rather like a State Closing of Parliament. The Queen isn't there so the Lord Chancellor is there in her stead. In his robes and full wig, topped by a tricorn hat, he looked like an 18th century judge about to pass a death sentence. He was flanked by the Labour Leader, Tory Leader, the new Lords Speaker and the Lib Dem Leader, Tom McNally. They raised their hats to us mere commoners.

The Lord Chancellor then read the Queen's Speech - telling us, occasionally to incredulous chortles from Lib Dem and Tory MPs, that "My government has made the country prosperous, the world a safe place and everyone as happy as Larry, etc" A clerk then read out a list of Bills that have been passed since the general election and another clerk twirled around to face us to pronounce, "La Reine le veult." And so the Queen willed into existence the ID cards scheme and other laws passed in my first Parliamentary session.

Afterwards was an earlier than normal Parliamentary party meeting. Chris Rennard gave us a presentation on current polling trends. We also had an election for Parliamentary Party Chair; Paul Holmes was re-elected.

Otherwise my day was dominated by interviews and discussions concerning the evening's showing of Panorama. The programme featured an undercover operation at two "bail hostels" in Bristol West, at Brigstocke Road in St Pauls and Somerset Street in Kingsdown. For several months I have been asking the Home Office whether they intend to rule that Brigstocke Rd should not house sex offenders as it is near to a nursery school. The BBC allege that the supervision of offenders is inadequate at each hostel. They are not actually "bail hostels" as they house people on release from prison. The offenders in the hostel are there because they are assessed to be of a higher risk of reoffending than those allowed to live in the community. There are about 800 people on the sex offenders register in Avon and Somerset but only 20 or so are higher risk people housed in Brigstocke Road.

The BBC have been drip feeding extracts from their programme since the weekend. Today I had to comment on the issue on breakfast radio and teatime TV despite not having seen the programme.

FRIDAY 10 NOVEMBER

Arrived in Cirencester last night ready for morning visit to the National Star College in the Cotswolds. I was there in my role as Lib Dem Shadow Further and Higher Education Minister. Star College is a residential post 16 college for physically disabled students from all over the country. All of the students do courses in life-skills to equip them for independent living. Many also do academic and vocational courses (especially in IT) so they can get a job or do voluntary work. After a tour of various classes I gave a talk on life as an MP and answered questions.

Back to Bristol early afternoon and did some surveys of passengers waiting at bus stops in Clifton Down and College Green.

SUNDAY 12th NOVEMBER

To the Council House for the Remembrance Sunday Parade to the cenotaph. I first took part in one of these in 1993 as an Avon councillor. For those who haven't watched one, the parade starts with various military bands and brigades and is then followed by the Lord Mayor in his coach drawn by horses with a mounted police escort. The Lord Mayor is accompanied by the Lord Lieutenant of the City and County of Bristol and the High Sheriff. Behind them on foot are the deputy Lord Lieutenants (we seem to have rather a lot of them), then the city's Members of Parliament, then ex Lord Mayors, then councillors, honorary aldermen and magistrates.

After the two minute silence, last post and laying of wreaths we march back to the Council House for hot punch or coffee.