ALTHOUGH I try to reply to all letters, sometimes subjects of wide concern arise, bringing overwhelming correspondence composed by a central organisation and signed by constituents.

I regret I cannot reply to all these letters personally. The subjects now are the Government's proposed smoke-free legislation and that we can't make poverty history without making Aids history.

Medical authorities agree that smoking in public places is an important health risk that should be banned completely.

The present proposals for a partial ban appear to be impractical and could have the effect of concentrating smokers in areas where health risks are already high and thus of not protecting those who are most in need of protection.

The first inquiry the Health Select Committee is undertaking on the return of Parliament is into this very issue.

The committee will look at both sides of the argument and then report to the Government with its findings and recommendations.

Turning to Third World poverty and AIDS, there is encouragement from the G8 nations' pledges which the chancellor has been pushing effectively.

The problem of making sure financial help gets to the right people remains.

I attended the launch of the new community store at the Franche Co-op recently and was reminded that Co-ops have stocked Fairtrade goods for a long time and that for us to insist on these products guarantees a better deal for Third World producers and is an easy way for each of us to help.

Routine meetings with the chief executives of the Acute Hospitals Trust and the Ambulance Trust have been useful.

With the retirement of one urologist and the sad, unexpected death of another, urology services for the county are stretched but I was reassured to hear that two locums have been appointed and that the trust is committed to provide a total of six urologists for the county.

The community responder scheme is going well with more people being trained and more defibrillators being deployed. These are entirely safe for trained amateur use.

Stourport Wesley Methodist Church was reopened and rededicated last weekend with an inspiring service.

It is an architectural gem beautifully and sensitively restored to provide church facilities and a meeting/coffee shop area which will be so useful considering its convenient, peaceful position just off the main street.

Is there anywhere else in the world that you could see 12 historic steam locomotives at work on one day? I doubt it but such was the situation on our own Severn Valley Railway last weekend.

Six visiting ex-GWR locomotives supplemented resident engines to provide a fitting celebration for the 40th anniversary of the re-establishment of the railway.

For me the best experience was to ride in the restored auto-coach pushed by the appropriate 0-4-2T engine controlled by the driver in the coach rather than in the engine.

Nostalgia and history at their best!