Parliament resumes

It was back to school on Monday, when I got in a question on the deproscription of the PMOI when the decision comes before the European Council of Ministers at the end of the month. The Minister said he hopes the list won't contain the PMOI, so it will be the end of long and no doubt very expensive struggles through the courts to prove they aren't a terrorist organisation.

Tuesday, attended a presentation by DfID Minister Ivan Lewis MP on the DRC, and in the evening, a very successful meeting Nic Clegg had with the Asian community (though of course they are communities, plural)

Wednesday, meeting of my EU Select Committee, which is doing a quick investigation of the Civil Protection Mechanism, which allows requests to be made for EU help in coping with major disasters, inside or outside the EU. Then, my own question on the situation in Somalia, where there is no government and several conflicts, as well as a nest of pirates preying on ships in the Red Sea.

My statement on the Cameroon election commission ELECAM (see earlier blog) has had widespread coverage in the Cameroon media, and today I have been talking to the Commonwealth Secretariat about their mission which is due to go there on January 29, to look at the programmes of assistance with the establishement of ELECAM and reform of the Ministry of Justice.