JUST after the Health Committee report and amendment to the Health Bill, which have achieved a free vote for Government MPs on a total ban on smoking in public places, the optimism for success has received a setback.

There is a risk that an amendment could be put in to the Health Committee amendment which would water down the total ban and exempt private membership clubs.

This could have precedence and, if passed, cause the main amendment to fall.

Staff of these clubs would then remain unprotected from passive smoking and there could a migration of bingo players and others towards these clubs - a development opposed by the hospitality sector and the Bingo Association.

The Health Committee report on Changes to Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) condemns the proposed mergers strongly on the grounds that it is unlikely that the changes will produce the expected cost savings.

The report also says that yet another major re-organisation of the Health Service will divert staff from their main priority of providing high quality care to alternative methods of commissioning care that are evolving spontaneously without the need for this revolution.

Considering that PCTs themselves have only been in existence for three years and are now beginning to work well together, it is completely illogical to force these alterations on them.

It is very important for those of us who wish to see the local focus on health care remain through our own PCT and that we attend the public meeting on the proposed mergers in the Town Hall on the evening of Wednesday, February 8. The only thing that will keep me away is if an absolutely vital debate occurs in the House of Commons.

A recent debate on the Child Support Agency expressed serious concerns about the its effectiveness.

I did not vote for its abolition but rather to wait for the review that is to be published soon in the hope that there will be improvement in the Agency.

There was another debate on Civil Nuclear Power and on this I voted with the Government who wish to see the result of an energy review that will assess future options for the supply and demand for energy.

The Government's own energy policy does aim to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 60 per cent by 2050 and the review will tell us if Civil Nuclear Power will aid this aim or not.

I am told that the goal for Stourport to become a Fairtrade Town has nearly been achieved.

All that is needed now is for at least half of the schools in Stourport to have Fairtrade products available as an option in their staff rooms then the status will be granted. I do hope this will happen soon as buying Fairtrade goods is such an effective and yet easy way for us to help people in developing countries.