The House returned after Easter on Monday and went straight into ministerial statements _ first about the Iran affair involving the captured navy personnel. 
To my amazement Des Browne got away with his apology easily and we now have to wait for the results of current inquiries. 

• How was it possible for it to happen? 

• Why did the captured "young people", as Des Browne disarmingly, repeatedly described them, volunteer more than name, rank and number? 

• How can the same situation be avoided in the future? The contributions to the debate were all sympathetic to those involved making it clear that none of us had ever undergone similar experiences.

The second statement was about the debacle of the Medical Training Application Service which appears to have disadvantaged many junior doctors in training for hospital careers. 
I believe the juniors have been let down by the leaders of the medical profession who have the ear of the Health Secretary as they have supported a compromise solution to the failing selection process which is not backed by grassroots senior and junior medical opinion as expressed to me in scores of letters. 

I pointed this out to Ms. Hewitt but to expect her to act against the advice of the accepted medical leadership is a tall order.

The main debate on Monday was on the Second Reading of the Mental Health Bill which has already been scrutinised and wisely amended by the House of Lords. 
The Mental Health Alliance, a coalition of 79 bodies representing patients, mental health and social care staff, carers, ethnic groups, lawyers, volunteers, the churches and researchers, supports the House of Lords alterations which, for example, provide vital safeguards for inappropriate detention of people with mental disorders. 
Inexplicably the Government appears to be totally opposed to any of these widely supported, well argued, eminently sensible improvements to the Bill.

Elsewhere, in newspapers, you will read of our attempts to improve the facilities for the reception of people with common medical emergencies at our hospital. 
I hope we can obtain the help and support of local staff members who must realize that any criticism of the existing service relates to the system they have been forced to work within rather than to their own efforts.

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of attending Kidderminster Male Choir's Spring Concert where we were also entertained by their guests, the Wessex Male Choir. 
The programme ranged from opera to Abba, from folk songs to musicals and from spirituals to ragtime with the inspirational Cwm Rhondda. The choirs performed separately with their own distinctive styles and repertoires. The sounds they produced were rich and controlled with clear diction and when they came together for the finale with the organ the town hall roof rose to the magnificent sound and again to the subsequent enthusiastic applause. 
As always - an evening to remember!

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