Wednesday

Lunch today with Ursula Then in the afternoon, took part in a 3-hour debate on the EU Select Committee report Combating Somali Piracy: the EU's Naval Operation Atalanta. NAVFOR, as the EU force is called, has the task of escorting World Food Programme ships, and supply ships for the AU military mission to Somalia, through the region and into Somalia. So far they haven't lost a single ship, and the pirates have attacked easier prey. Amazingly, some shipowners still ignore the guidelines for avoiding attacks. The pirates rake in millions from ransoms to free captured ships and their crews. My speech is at www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201011/ldhansrd/text/101110-0001.htm#10111038000309

Carotid artery duplex

These images were produced in yesterday's carotid artery duplex scan. They indicate some narrowing of the arteries - 20% of one and 40% of the other - but not enough to justify surgery. Angioplasty is a possibility. (See www.muschealth.com/gs/TandPcontent.aspx?pageid=P07992)

I need a bit of a tutorial on how to interpret these images. - probably there would be something on the web, but it would take time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yesterday, to a meeting addressed by George Soros and Simon Taylor of Global Witness, about the success of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, and the steps that still need to be taken to ensure that oil and mineral wealth doesn't end up on the pockets of dictators like the appalling President Obiang of Equatorial Guinea.

This morning I spent from 07.30 to 11.00 in King's having an MRI of my head, a doppler scan of the neck arteries, and an interview with a consultant, to see whether there is an explanation for problems of balance I've had. No doubt this will become a bit clearer when she writes to my GP.

Then to the House, where I attended a meeting of the Parliamentary Human Rights Group on Iran, then asked a supplementary question following Richard Harries' question on the diversion of funds legally allocated to mitigating the disadvantages suffered by Dalits in India, into spending on the infrastructure for the Commonwealth Games. This had been admitted by the Home Minister and it was agreed that a way had to be found to restore the Dalit funding. I asked whether the UK would ask New Delhi what was their response to the recommendations made by the principal Dalit organisation, the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights, including an audit of the money diverted, by the Comptroller and Audtor General of India.

 

Visit from Lanka this afternoon

 

View from the window of the pink room today

Friday evening, visit to the GP to talk about my variable blood pressure and balance problems. He prescribed a new beta-blocker, Amlodipine, and is arranging for me to have an unspecified test at King's

 

 

With Margaret Steinitz

 

Presenting the prize to Sarah Power

Monday, lunch with Fareed Ahmad to discuss incitement to religious hatred, and the difficulty of proving intent. There has been only one prosecution for the offence since it was added to the Public Order Act in 2006, see Oct 26, 2009 : Column 16W. Yet manifestly there are lots of statements, written and verbal, which in ordinary usage one would say qualify for the description. Should Parliament consider tightening the wording?

Afternoon, a visit from the distinguished Samaritan Benny Tsedaka and his English helper Felicity.

Tuesday morning, attended a meeting of the Parliamentary Human Rights Group with visiting members of the Mexican National Security Commission.

Early evening, to the Society of Antiquaries for the launch of Jim Leary and David Field's The Story of Silbury Hill, an excellent and well illustrated summary of what's known about the history and archaeology of the monument.

Wednesday, Ursula to Mitagessen, after far too long a gap.

Thursday, chaired the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Educational Stakeholder Group meeting at the Department of Education. In the evening, to St Bartholomew's Church for the finals of the Bach Prize, awarded by the London Bach Society. All four contestants sang arias and recitatives from the Passions and Cantatas, with the Steinitz Bach Players. See www.bachlive.co.uk. Sarah Power, the winner, sang one of my all-time favourites Zerfliesse, mein Herze..I wonder if it would be possible to put a few bars of the finalists' wonderful performances on YouTube. Must ask Margaret.

Friday morning, to the ACERT conference at Friends Meeting House, where much was said about the uncertainty created by the Coalition Government in tearing up the policies of the last administration and leaving a vacuum.