Hot topics, red faces and cold water ...

A week in Politics

24th June 2003

Traditionally, the last month before Parliament recesses for the summer is hectic. This year 'frantic' would be a more accurate description. Bills are being hurried through by harassed Whips. New ministers are twitchy and the old ones are frazzled. MPs are edgy and everyone is hot – especially the police. They simmer all day in the hot sun and their bulletproof vests. Everyone is looking forward to July 19th.

Red faces
Between now and then there is much to do. For the opposition in particular. This is the time of year when they prepare the ground for the autumn conference season. So the debates they initiate are designed to cause the maximum amount of embarrassment to the government.

So, this week, both the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives decided to debate student fees. This means that on Wednesday we will spend several hours saying almost exactly the same things that we said, at length, on Monday. That=s democracy for you. More like a football match than a policy forum.

Getting warmer
Despite the hot house atmosphere of Westminster real work is being done. Some of this concerns the sudden cut in the budgets of the charity Victim Support. As I mentioned at the end of last week's column I, and many other MPs, have been trying to get to the bottom of this.

Apparently, there cuts were caused by a report published by the Public Accounts Select Committee last month. This criticised the lack of control the Home Office had over the charity's expenditure. More importantly, it suggested that the quality of service provided by Victim Support was patchy because it relied on volunteers to do the work.

This is a country-wide problem and the Home Office has been inundated with letters from irate MPs – including me. I want to know why this was done so hastily and without consultation. I also want to know what interim measures they propose to put in place. I have been promised a reply soon and I will let you know what it contains.

Keeping cool
In between the lobbying and the legislating MPs do a lot of socialising during the hot summer months. Not the relaxing, kick-your-shoes-off sort of socialising we all enjoy, but the earnest, let-me-learn-more-about-this kind – which is surprisingly draining but very instructive.

This week I hosted one such event for the Eastern Region Pharmaceutical Group. They have been studying the access to medicines in our area. I was pleased to see that the Lister and the QEII score well in the report for their treatment of breast cancer. The fact that our neurology waiting times are the lowest in the East of England is also heartening.

Trading standards
Last year the Trade Justice movement brought 12,000 people to Westminster in late June to lobby their MPs. This Friday they will be doing the same thing in their home constituencies. I look forward to being lobbied by the Stevenage group. If Africa could increase its share of world trade by just 1% it would earn an extra $70 billion a year – five times the amount the whole continent currently receives in aid. To do this, the rich countries need to be a little less self-interested. But that is much easier said than done.

Cold water
Smacking was a much discussed subject in the humid corridors of Westminster this week. I am not one of those who think it should be made illegal. Though I think it should be discouraged. But, as someone who has raised five children I am must confess to having occasionally resorted to a smack. This was rare enough to be efficacious but I wish I could think of a better way of disciplining the young.

Barbara Follett MP