The crisis for us all in Iraq goes on.

The Secretary of State for Defence was forced to come to the House to make a statement about the allegations of mistreatment of prisoners.

# He started by trying to impress the House with the recent success over the capture of large quantities of insurgents’ arms.

# He denied lack of openness about Red Cross and Amnesty International reports and he was definite that in his opinion the pictures in the Daily Mirror could not be genuine.

# He concluded, 
"We are determined to see through the task in Iraq according to standards of behaviour set out in the Geneva Convention and International Humanitarian law."
"We will not hesitate to act where those high standards are not followed."

Members will be watching to see that these conclusions are carried out to the letter.

I was lucky to obtain an adjournment debate to raise the House’s awareness about the importance of clinical networks to improve local facilities for emergencies which are so inadequate in Wyre Forest. 
I did not expect any immediate help from the Minister responding as Ministers have long removed themselves from responsibility for local issues.

However, my points were all taken and acknowledged without disagreement. 
The Minister informed the House that there are financial incentives already in place to encourage improvements in accident and emergency provision.

I was encouraged also when he said that emergency care networks are being formed locally to look at partnership working, the breaking down of boundaries and new initiatives.

If only the local network will look at the advice of Andy Black, the health service management consultant, who described what happened here as "the Kidderminster debacle" when he wrote in the British Medical Journal recently, 

"Managed clinical networks could be introduced so that local emergency units can flourish while complex emergency cases can be swiftly funnelled towards appropriate specialist centres."

I concluded my contribution to the debate by pointing out that my constituents do not have locally accessible emergency care, regarded by Government as essential, and that I will continue the battle until they do.

At the end of the football season I congratulate the players, Jan Molby, Colin Youngjohns and the Board of the Harriers for preserving football league status against all the odds.

There have been magnificent displays like those against Wolves and the disasters often against the lowest ranking clubs, and yet despite this inexplicable inconsistency league status has been maintained. Even though attendances are not nearly as high as so many Third Division clubs that have figures above 6,000 and in the case of Hull over 20,000, league status for the Harriers is very important to the people of Wyre Forest and we are all grateful for the huge efforts all involved have made.