The national media are having a field day, as they do every year, in encouraging people to believe that the twelve week parliamentary recess is little more than an incredibly extended holiday. I’ll tell you how I’m using this period. I’m not really into holidays, and when I do go it’s normally somewhere I can further my research. My wife is incredibly tolerant! By the time you read this I’ll be preparing for the “holiday” of a lifetime leading a Parliamentary delegation to Rwanda in central Africa. Fifteen years ago Rwanda witnessed the wholesale butchery of an estimated one million people in what was one of the largest genocides of the twentieth century. The country is recovering and Britain is assisting in that recovery by being the single largest donor. I’m leading another similar delegation in September to Senegal in West Africa. In between these two visits I will continue to do what I normally do during the recess, spending Monday to Thursday in my London office working with my staff on my parliamentary duties. Then, accompanied by my wife Lisa, I come back to Walsall to continue my constituency work, going to meetings and helping constituents.

The death occurred earlier in the week of the incredibly famous journalist Walter Cronkite, aged 92. He was regularly voted the most trustworthy man in the USA. What is much less known is that in 1983 he came to Darlaston as part of a programme he was presenting on our Parliamentary election. I was originally going to be interviewed by him, but then my bit was cut out. However I was asked if I wanted to meet the great man, I jumped at the opportunity needing no encouragement from my American research assistant and his wife who were even more excited than I was. He and his camera crew arrived late and I was in conversation with some constituents who were deeply impressed by this man coming to Rugh Hay Working Mens Club (now demolished). However despite this pride, they asked me to make sure “he doesn’t interfere with the f***ing bingo!” Cronkite laughed uncontrollably when I told him and he didn’t interfere!

I was deeply saddened to hear of the death in Afghanistan of Corporal Jonathan Horne a former constituent. I have the deepest admiration for our armed forces, present and past. I say at the outset that I support what is being done in Afghanistan and it is in out national interests that religious and violent extremism is defeated. It is in our interests, the Afghan people’s interests and the neighbouring country of Pakistan. As former Chairman of the House of Commons Defence Committee I visited virtually every British contingent that was fighting in many parts of the world. I can assure you it was, and remains, deeply distressing at the loss of any soldier, and my heart goes out to the family and friends of a fallen member of our armed forces. It is much much worse when that soldier is local. I’m sure the town will honour Corporal Horne at his funeral at a date yet to be determined. My deepest sympathy is extended to his wife and their children, and to his parents during this difficult time.

I have been visiting schools in Walsall South on a regular basis ever since I became a Member of Parliament. In the last four months I have been to fifteen schools, though for obvious reasons I won’t be visiting any over the next few weeks. I must say how impressed I have been by what I have seen and heard. A lot more money has been pumped in to the education system by central government and it is clearly working. Last Friday I visited a small maintained nursery school in Alumwell. I have rarely visited such a happy atmosphere and I must compliment the staff, governors, parents and Education Walsall. Getting children into this kind of environment when they are so very young is not an option in my view, it is absolutely essential. Reforms, however, are being contemplated but I am working hard to ensure it is to improve the early learning experience of those kids, particularly from disadvantaged areas.

This leads to a proposal by the Cabinet of Walsall Council to support a “Young Peoples Centre” on a former bakery site at the junction of Paddock Lane and Holtshill Lane in Chuckery. I very much support the improvement of youth facilities in the area, but in my view there has to be a more significant search for an appropriate site which will be a difficult task. I want to see all the options and all of the arguments. However, on a related issue this building is a danger to anyone walking or living near it. I saw mothers with prams actually crossing a potentially dangerous road rather than walk near a wall that is in my view about to fall down. I visited residents next door on the other side where parts of the wall have already fallen down and damaged their car. I urge the Council and/or the owner of the building to ensure that urgent remedial work is undertaken and not to use the excuse that the building will be knocked down. The building poses a danger now and cannot be left unaddressed.