February 2009

Published on Wed 25th Feb 2009

I usually try to write this piece on the last Thursday of the month so as to make things as up-to-date as possible. This February, though, is unusual. As well as having only twenty-eight days, the last week is one which we can use either for committee or delegation visits or in our constituencies. Looking at my diary, there is going to be no time to sit down at a computer - so I am a bit more beforehand than usual.

During the first three weeks, we have had a session down in Strasbourg (where the major items on the agenda were aid to the car industry, energy security and a formal address by the President of the Palestinian Authority), a committee week and then a "mini-plenary" in Brussels. The committee week involved a hearing on the future of the Common Fisheries Policy, a joint meeting between members of the Regional Development Committee and representatives of national Parliaments and votes on our reports on territorial cohesion. The latter went very smoothly, given that we had started out with around 200 amendments, but fortunately a large number of compromises were reached on them.

The mini-plenary week was busy, too, with Parliament voting on my report on whaling (this, thankfully, went through almost on the nod), as well as the formation of the Rugby Union Intergroup, a meeting with Victim Support Europe and another with COSLA about their current priorities.

In the course of these two weeks we also had a discussion with people from Scottish Enterprise, the Scottish Government and members of the Scottish Parliament Energy Committee. Back home, too, there was a reception for the Czech Ambassador, another meeting with COSLA (about the Working Time Directive), several in the office and a primary school visit in East Renfrewshire - as always a really enjoyable part of the job.

There has even been a social side, with a constituency dinner in East Dunbartonshire and a family outing for a curry. With five family birthdays in the first half of the month, we actually managed to find a night when the three of us based in the west of Scotland (and partners) were actually free to celebrate them together.

There is now no space to explain just why I'll have no time to sit down at my computer in the coming week. Enough now to say that I shall be seeing a fair amount of Scotland and a full account due next time I write.