Several people have written to me about the problem of high hedges. Although I was not in London for the Second Reading of the Private Member’s High Hedges Bill on 28 March I am delighted to say that unusually for a Private Member’s Bill it passed successfully through the Second Reading and has now been committed to a Standing Committee. As it has Government support it is likely to get through and then help to defuse desperate disputes between neighbours that sadly occur now. The debate demonstrated the value of letters from MPs to Ministers because in his wind up speech the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister told the House that about 260 MPs had written to him on this matter in the previous twelve months.

I attended a meeting on raising the awareness of the various forms of meningitis and the needs for urgent diagnosis and treatment.

I was also interested to go to a meeting of the Associate Parliamentary Group on Floods which was addressed by representatives of English Nature and the RSPB. They were talking mainly about flood alleviation plans which can recreate wetland habitats either in coastal areas or to act as reservoirs inland for rivers likely to flood. The developments on Puxton Marshes are examples of exactly this going on on our own doorstep. I did not realise that several species of wading birds including redshank and snipe now really only breed in protected areas. I hope that restoration of wetlands will preserve these and other species for future generations to enjoy as we can now at local nature reserves.

The Health Committee last week held an enquiry in public into the Victoria Climbie enquiry conducted so sympathetically and comprehensively by Lord Laming. 
The message to me, fascinated by the detailed investigation into the Health Service aspect of Victoria’s sad story, was that there were serious criticisms of episodes of her hospital care. Even basic medical and nurse training had been disregarded by some. This may have been partly due to stress and overwork of staff but there were also management and organisational issues. There can be no excuses but I hope the Committee will point to possible reasons for these shortcomings.

Iraq continues to distress all of us.

I agree with those rebels against war, MPs from all parties, who feel that the major issue of the legality of war under present circumstances must be put behind us until it is all over so we can wholeheartedly support our troops in the action they are undertaking against a formidable, ruthless and totally unpredictable enemy.

R.T.