The Romsey Advertiser 25 January 2008

Written by Sandra Gidley MP on Wed 23rd Jan 2008

I hate this time of the year as everyone around me seems gloomy. So it was good to attend the Plaza on Saturday evening and enjoy their performance of Dick Whittington. Their performances are of a consistently high standard and the added bonus is to witness the sheer enjoyment of the children. In an increasingly sophisticated world it is good to see that the traditional pleasures can still be enjoyed by all.

Unfortunately I appear to have succumbed to some unpleasant bug which means my voice is very croaky. This could not have come at a worse time because the committee stage of a bill involves a lot of talking. At one stage I was coughing and spluttering so much that the Minister was offering me cough sweets - unfortunately that was all the cross party collaboration we got but it was a kind gesture.

On Monday morning I met with the PCT to discuss the results of the health survey which was circulated last year. It was also a useful chance for an update on a range of local health matters.

This was followed by a visit to Barton Stacey to meet with a local resident and the army to discuss use of the firing range and other forces activity in the area.

We had all been asked to return to London to vote on the Second Reading of the European Union (Amendment) Bill. The Speaker did not allow the motion which would have allowed us to vote on a referendum. On reflection I think that this was right as it is important to debate the subject and reflect on all the arguments so that we are all better informed if there is a later vote. People have very entrenched views on the subject of Europe but I am mindful of my election promise that I would support a referendum on the EU constitution. I am still not convinced that the Lisbon treaty is sufficiently different to change my stance on the referendum which is why I will be paying careful attention over the forthcoming weeks.

Tuesday was almost entirely devoted to the bill but I did manage to squeeze in a meeting with local farmers to discuss current issues.

On Wednesday the run of meetings was interrupted by a statement on obesity. I was present in the chamber for the statement and it would appear that the latest eye catching initiative is the "lunch box" police. Apparently the contents of school children's lunch boxes will be checked in the future. Some mirth but all parties agree that the problem is a serious one. Next stop was the Lloyds pharmacy testing session and we were all relieved to find health fruit and vegetables on offer so that we were able to salve our consciences.

It will be nice to get back to a more varied parliamentary week next week and deal with more of the constituency issues that need raising in parliament.

Published with kind permission of The Romsey Advertiser