Firstly, may I wish you all a very happy, peaceful and successful New Year, whatever you are doing in this first year of the Millennium.

Though Parliament does not officially return from recess until next Monday, a few MPs, including Yours Truly, returned this week as a built-up of work over the holiday period needed tackling.

On Tuesday, I visited the Thai Embassy with constituents to press for the release of a British prisoner who has served ten years in a Bangkok jail following a very dubious trial.

We were courteously received at the Embassy, but no response either way was forthcoming, however a written communication was promised in the near future.

The Beef Ban saga rumbles on into the New Year and I have been actively engaged in meetings and discussion on this issue.

The French action to raise the stakes by taking their own action against the European Union will clearly prolong the agony. This will make compensation even more important for those of our farmer who are affected.

The next six months in Westminster will be extremely busy. The Government has a number of bills to present to Parliament and, of course, we shall see the run-up to the London Mayor elections.

Life in the countryside will, I am sure, feature on the political scene on many occasions in the months to come, not just through agriculture but also housing, transport, and employment.

For all of these there are distinctive problems in sparsely populated rural areas.

Unfortunately, the current crises faced by our village post offices is hardly a good indication that the Government has learned much after two years of power.