Will be at my desk Sunday morning prepping the week ahead which is packed: trying to make the cycling debate on Monday evening, Tuesday is packed with meetings including one with Justine Greening, the international aid minister, and then at 4.30 a short debate on brain tumours in Westminster hall, and then various other debates including the start of the Lobbying Bill. I have been written to by many on both sides of the argument of the Lobbying Bill, particularly my old friends at 38 degrees who see mischief in the Bill. As always, this Bill, like every other, has over a dozen days of parliamentary scrutiny ahead so there will be plenty of time to address the first draft. That is what parliament does in debate and then committee. It improves, clarifies and expands upon bills before they be one Acts of parliament. This will be no different.
On Thursday afternoon, in the main chamber of the commons, we have both the Adonis debate and a debate on the high cost of credit / pay day loans / local lending: I intend to try and speak in both and am doing a first draft of both speeches today. In the evening I am appearing as a guest on Tyne Tees Around The House, which broadcasts locally at around 11pm.
On Friday morning I am on a very early train north at either 6 or 7am as I am going to the all day conference on the Adonis Report at the centre for life in Newcastle. I will be speaking in the afternoon and taking part in a breakout session, on access to finance and bank lending, but will be there mainly to be listening to how the many hundreds of delegates assess the Adonis Report and its aspirations for the North East.
