AS a Tory whip, Peter Luff has to make sure his colleagues are in the right place at the right time.

If they are needed in the Commons, he makes absolutely certain they turn up.

So the Mid-Worcestershire MP was left a little red faced this week...after going AWOL himself.

Mr Luff was listed on the order paper to ask the 27th question of the day to defence Ministers.

He wanted to grill Junior Defence Minister Lewis Moonie on his future plans for Throckmorton airfield, which has become a dumping ground for dead animals.

But Parliamentary answer sessions involving his department only last for one hour and question 13 is hardly ever reached -- let alone number 27.

Or so Mr Luff thought.

He waited in the chamber until five minutes before the end of the slot, but it looked certain he would not get the chance to put Dr Moonie on the spot.

So he stood up, walked out of the chamber and made his way to get on with some other business.

But other MPs had had the same thought -- and when the speaker found time for one last question, there was no one to be seen.

He started flying through the numbers...21, 22, 23, 24... there are television screens throughout Westminster and Mr Luff happened to glance up at one as he made his way through the house.

"Number 28?" came the cry from the Speaker's chair.

Mr Luff realised what had happened and tried to dash back to the chamber but, alas, it was too late.

Labour MPs were howling with laughter, but you suspect they were silently quite pleased.

The answer which Dr Moonie gave -- which eventually came in written form -- enraged Mr Luff. And if he had been in the chamber, he would undoubtedly have given them a large piece of his mind.

He had wanted a re-think of plans to sell off part of the airfield, given its new status as a burial ground for animals killed because of foot-and-mouth.

The MP was "amazed" when Dr Moonie said they were still planning to press on with them.