I was pleased to attend the celebrations at Parsons Chain Company for their Centenary. I unveiled a picture of a 1903 motor car wearing the anti-skid chains which were the products that got the Company started so successfully. Production of these chains only ceased in 1976 in favour of chains of varied sizes made to the highest specification and the highest quality of anywhere in the world. Most of the work force have been there for many years and the firm retains the feeling that it is a family working together to achieve the technical innovation and quality necessary to allow a British firm to compete so well on the international market.

There is good news for people in Bewdley who wish for access to Broadband. I have been told that it is now viable to provide Broadband in Bewdley if 350 people will register an interest with British Telecom. I believe over 200 Bewdley residents have already registered so only a few more are needed. I know students at Bewdley High School hope for Broadband. Do go ahead and register your interest.

From local news bulletins, I have learnt that the second phase of the Bewdley flood defences could be under threat because of a late change in the formula that decides the priority of areas for defences. I shall point out to the highest authorities what a potential disaster this would be for our area.

In London, the Health Committee is studying the Government's plans for Foundation Hospitals with the aim of writing a report to say whether these hospitals will improve the NHS or not. I cannot begin to guess at the final report which of course will be confidential until published, but the feeling from the meetings of the Committee held in public is of support for the idea from potential applicants.

Two crucial documents are about to be released.

• The first is the promised Department of Health consultation document on hospital re-configuration. Mr Milburn told me in the House yesterday that this will be published "very shortly". I believe it will be titled "Configuration" rather than "Re-configuration"!
• The second is the Commission for Health Improvement's (CHI) report on the Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. We will all have our own views about what we expect from this report. At a recent meeting with other MPs and the Chair and Chief Executive of CHI, to my satisfaction, we were told that CHI approaches their investigations from the patient's point of view. I trust that this will be borne out in the report.

R.T.