23 SEPTEMBER 2004  

I have just attended a Stakeholder Workshop organised by the Environment Agency to study the value of the River Severn as a unique resource for everyone living near it throughout its long course. We listed the many environmental, recreational and historic assets of the river and looked at ways of developing economic activity and quality of life benefits related to these. It was immediately obvious that in the countryside and towns along the Severn we have exciting opportunities that with exceptions are not sufficiently promoted or used. We all agreed that access to the river has to be improved and that much more information about this must be more easily available to all. People do not know about rights of way on foot paths and tow paths or about slipways, quays and cycle paths. There are only two public footbridges and one ferry between Stourport and Bridgnorth. One difficulty is the lack of an identifiable partnership to develop the river and its attractions throughout its length because now individual area councils concentrate on their own areas and compete for limited funds. Here we will wait with interest the developments associated with Opportunity Bewdley and the restoration of the Stourport basin with its better integration into the town.

I was asked to write an article about my experience as an independent MP for the Party Conference issue of The Parliamentary Monitor, a prestigious journal circulated in Westminster . I paid tribute to the welcome and help I have received from everyone from Mr. Speaker downwards. I pointed out the difficulty that Standing Committees, ruled by party whips, have in providing independent scrutiny of Bills after Second Reading. I drew attention to other MPs’ and to my comments about this that I believe made the Government accept necessary amendments to the Human Tissue Bill after it had left the Committee but before it returned to the House for Third Reading.

The amazing disturbances in the House of Commons during the hunting debate emphasised, thank goodness again without dire consequences, the immense difficulty of maintaining security without compromising access for voters. I feel this episode was made possible by the unavoidable presence of many contractors’ workers in the House during this working fortnight in the summer recess. I suspect it will lead to cancellation of the brief return to London for MPs in early September. One answer could be to bring forward the Party Conferences so the Parliamentary Term could start a month earlier than at present. I fear nothing so simple will be resolved and we may go back to the ridiculous situation when the House does not sit for nearly three months in the summer. At all times security must become more rigid with closer scrutiny of passes and possibly searches of pass holders from which we have been exempt until now.  

 R.T.