A most fascinating day with the Defence Select Committee. Due to the pandemic, this was our first visit, as such, and it was well worth the wait. On the way to Portsmouth, I picked up my colleague Tobias Ellwood, who chairs the committee, and together we headed to the naval base to spend the day on HMS Prince of Wales, one of our two, new, giant aircraft carriers. The day was divided into three phases: a briefing from senior officers; a working lunch; and a tour. I'm afraid that the briefing was in the strictest confidence, so I can reveal nothing, other than to say it was totally absorbing and concerning. A curry lunch - and no alcohol, in case you were wondering - found me opposite the Captain of the carrier and we had a very interesting 30 minute chat. Then, the tour. We'd all been looking forward to this and, divided into two groups, were led off around this massive ship; all 60,000 tons of her. She is state-of-the-art, as you might imagine, and it was impressive. From the bridge, more than 100 feet from the water, we could see out across the harbour. The Type 45 moored nearby looked tiny in comparison. The hangar is enormous, as is the deck - some 4.5 acres, I recall. On the latter, we gathered on the ramp at the bow for photographs, two of which are on my website. To the stern of us lay HMS Queen Elizabeth, who is under lock and key, as it were, prior to her departure to the South China Sea. The Prince of Wales is due out next month for further trials. We were fortunate to meet some of the crew, and I was intrigued to hear their accounts of life on board. All in all, a most interesting day, and one I will not forget. Away from committee duty, NHS figures showed what we all know, that around 4.7 million people were waiting for routine operations and procedures in England in February - the most since 2007. Nearly 388,000 people were waiting more than a year for non-urgent surgery compared with just 1,600 before the pandemic began. During January and February, the pressure on hospitals caused by Covid-19 was particularly acute. Speaking on a visit to Dartmouth, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the government would "make sure that we give the NHS all the funding that it needs... to beat the backlog". Further plans for the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral on Saturday were released, informing us that the Duke's four children will walk alongside his coffin. Princes Charles, Andrew, Edward and Princess Anne, as well as grandsons Princes William and Harry, will follow a Land Rover hearse in a procession to St George's Chapel, Windsor. The guest list for the service includes 30 people, with three German relatives. Those attending will wear morning coats with medals, or day dress, but not military uniform. The forecast is good and I, for one, shall be watching the sad event on television. We have lost a truly great man.