Into the office early for a series of meetings. Today my friend and colleague Neil Parish MP was due to speak to my farming group at Furzebrook Village Hall and we were all looking forward to that. Neil sat on the Efra Select Committee with me during our first term in Parliament in 2010.
It was always going to be an interesting day, and so it proved. It began with a run and then into the House. I attended a meeting of the Whips at 1015, to hear the running order for the day. Into the Chamber at about 1140 for PMQs.
It is a pleasure to take part in the debate this afternoon. May I just clear up one point on my use of the word “flaw” at the start of the debate, which my great friend, my right hon. Friend the Member for Newbury (Richard Benyon), picked me up on a moment ago?
Richard Drax, MP for South Dorset, today told Parliament that he was “delighted” that the Government would not be decriminalising cannabis after his personal experience of “devastation to families and loss of children” caused by the drug.
A day of meetings. Began with a run and ended with supper with my youngest son. Routine matters in the morning and then I dropped down to the Chamber to listen to the Home Secretary make a Statement on cannabis.
Richard Drax, MP for South Dorset, yesterday asked Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt if he would “review the review” in order to save Portland Community Hospital.
Drax welcomed the Mr Hunt’s statement on funding for a new, long term plan for the NHS.
