Stephen's Week

MONDAY 23rd NOVEMBER 2006

Up to London on the 9.30am train. I am taking part in a Royal Society scheme for scientists to shadow MPs. Last year I was shadowed by Dr Hazel Mottram who was a Royal Society sponsored chemist at Bristol University. This year I am to be shadowed by Dr Nic Shannon. About 20 MPs take part in the programme (Lib Dems being best represented, as we have lots of university seats) and this lunchtime there was a reception for us to meet our new shadows, who will spend the week in Westminster.

Nic is a research fellow at Bristol University, sponsored by one of the government research councils. He is a physicist, researching conductivity. During the week he will follow me to some of my meetings and also have some time to discuss how Parliament works. Over the next few months he will also visit the constituency office and I will spend some time in the physics lab.

Early afternoon I meet with representatives of the Institute of Occupational Health. They want to improve education for 16 year olds on the dangers they will face in the workplace.

Then to Education Select Committee, watched by Dr Nic. He's lucky as we had a Minister as our sole witness, Beverley Hughes, Minister of State for Children and families. I asked her about support for children who act as carers and also about anti bullying policies. This week was anti bullying week and my web cast on homophobic bullying was launched on both the party's web site and on YouTube. This http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkWTyRVP4PE should take you to the right place or just search my name on YouTube. For those of you who aren't frequent visitors to YouTube, it's a site for people to post home produced clips.

I also tabled an Early Day Motion today, to mark anti-bullying week. You can see all of the 2006/2007 Session EDMs here http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/

After an internal Lib Dem MP's discussion meeting I had dinner with Nic discussing our lives as an MP and a scientist.

TUESDAY 21 NOVEMBER

Walk up to the National Gallery for a breakfast time viewing of the Velazquez exhibition. Wonderful way to start the day. On way back to Westminster called in at RIBA's (architects) exhibition on a children's project to build a sustainable 10 Downing Street. One of the ideas was to turn St James Park into an organic farm...

In the afternoon, with Kerry Macarthy MP and Doug Naysmith MP went to a discussion on how to commemorate the ending of the slave trade. It was supposed to be with black children from Bristol and Liverpool. But there were no children from Bristol, no MPs from Liverpool and the Scouse kids were mainly white. Three quite disgruntled Bristol MPs as a result!

I entered my name in the annual ballot for Private Member's Bills. But not a single Lib Dem MP was drawn in the top 20.

In the evening I went to a lecture given by Prof David Cannadine to mark the work of the History of Parliament Trust. This has been going since the 1930s with the aim of publishing an account of each Parliament, including MPs and elections, since the 13th century. There is still a long way to go. I made much use of the volumes published so far when I started my research ( a part time hobby!) into Bristol's political history back in 2003. In the reception afterwards met Donald Shell, from the politics dept at Bristol University and also warden of Wills Hall.

WEDNESDAY 22 NOVEMBER

Morning meeting of Education Select Committee was a full session on school bullying. We had a range of expert witnesses including Bristol based Support Against Racist Incidents (SARI). After a session with the Schools Minister after Christmas we should be ready to report on this enquiry, something that I initiated.

After an unmemorable PMQs I went with Sarah Teather to meet Bill Rammell, the Minister for Further and Higher Education. One of the measures in the Queen's Speech was an FE Bill and this was a private briefing on the government's position. The Bill will start its passage in the House of Lords soon.

Mid afternoon to a reception hosted by Cancer Research UK. The event was compered by the BBC's Politics Show presenter Jon Sopel. It was to celebrate the passing of the 2006 Health Act, which includes the comprehensive ban on smoking in public places. The charity gives awards to people who are "Cancer Champions" and they used this occasion to award three MPs who made a strong contribution to the passing of the law. And I'm pleased to say that Bristol West now has an "award winning MP" ! On our local website http://www.bristolwest-libdems.org.uk/ you can see a picture of me receiving the framed certificate from Prof Alex Markham, the Chief Exec of Cancer Research UK.

THURSDAY 23rd NOVEMBER

A manic day but with a gentle start. Another breakfast art show, this time at Tate Britain for Holbein in England. Mid morning took the train back to Bristol to dump my clothes from the week and to pack my large suitcase ready for the Education Select Committee's visit to Australia. Train back to London by mid afternoon. Some last minute letters. Tabled an EDM praising the Isle of Man for holding the first election in the British Isles in which 16 and 17 year olds could vote. Also a "written question" on whether Parliament can make Select Committee overseas visits carbon neutral. I was mindful that my rather small personal carbon footprint was about to grow giant sized with a flight to the other side of the planet. After a 6pm vote on the Queen's Speech the committee and two staff set off for Heathrow and a day in the air...