The Parliamentary session is coming to an end against a backdrop of catastrophic events in Palestine and Lebanon and with a feeling strongly expressed to me on several occasions in Mid Sussex that Great Britain should have a more independent policy in the Middle East then just being seen as a follower of America but that is another day’s work.

Since my last column during a very busy period I had the pleasure of spending a wonderful afternoon taking part in Volunteer’s Week at the Princess Royal Hospital assisting in pushing a book trolley around the wards.

We are very lucky here that Mid Sussex is rich in these magnificent examples of voluntary help within the community, and I salute all the volunteers who give their time in such special and useful ways to give back so much to the place in which they live.

Another highlight for me was a Sunday afternoon tea party beautifully organised by the Haywards Heath Town Council for people who share the year of the Queen’s birthday. It took place in the perfect setting of Councillor Paddy Henry’s garden in glorious weather and I must say it was a pleasure to meet so many people who have had led triumphant lives through such turbulent times. The Town Council deserve congratulations for organising such a splendid and happy event.

As the House goes into recess issues affecting the fabric of our Mid Sussex life continue to dominate my work.

There is now a further, and very unwelcome, consultation on the future of health services in our area. As I said in my response to the Strategic Health Authority, Mid Sussex has had more than enough of this monkeying around with our services and in an area with such rapid growth, it is better health services that are required not a period of retrenchment. There is much work to be done on this and I am working closely with our colleagues in the County and District Councils to ensure that the Mid Sussex voice is properly heard. My Parliamentary neighbour, Nick Herbert MP and I are, together with our other West Sussex Parliamentary colleagues, united in our determination to fight for our local health services and we are of course watching particularly carefully any effort to further downgrade, through cost cutting, the services at the Princess Royal Hospital.

Our campaign to reduce the impact of local train horn noise continues to make progress, and I am also delighted that the Government have climbed down on Police mergers and our excellent Sussex Police will remain a stand alone Force.

On Friday, 14th July I spoke in the House on a Private Members’ Bill, of which I am a sponsor, that would have made the Government conduct an infrastructure audit before major housing development takes place locally. Predictably the Government killed the Bill, but the fight goes on into Autumn.

I hope you all have a peaceful and happy summer.