The response of the floods on the Monday of the new problems looks to have been very good. If you differ in this please let me know as it is important. There were issues the week before, but on the Monday morning everything seems to have clicked into gear. Lessons have clearly been learned. Sandbags got out according to my reports and the control centre worked. Every request I made was promptly dealt with, so well done to all the services involved.

We still need some major improvements and I am working with the Environment Agency on two of these - the Ryton and the water course flowing into the Trent. I am also preparing the case for council responsibility for the brook next to Brook Terrace, with land searches to demonstrate ownership, or rather non-ownership of the land. I have given the authorities time to move things on and so I will report back by the beginning of April on the real improvements (or the failure to sort things out).

A debate is raging about school standards. Whatever schools do I am single minded on one thing. Every 11 year old needs to leave primary able to read, write and reason and every 16-18 year old needs to be ready for work and capable of reaching their potential. No excuses will do in standards that fall below this and I take every complaint about poor standards extremely seriously. Second best in this  simply will not do.

The issue of MP staff and abuses have hit the headlines and rightly so. I am very unpopular in the Parliamentary tea-room in saying that we need far more openness and transparency. You will recall that my expenses were on my website long before Parliament was forced to catch up. Similarly the fact that one of my five staff, Joanna White, is married to me has been broadcast on my website for most of four years since she began. As many people know she is one of the country’s top experts in miners compensation issues.

I believe that all my staff give excellent value for money to me, to you and to the taxpayer. You are entitled to agree or disagree. What nobody can legitimately argue is that these matters are not public. Indeed in reality my Worksop staff are under paid for the long hours they work, often into the evening.

Other MPs claim that it  is unfair that they have to be more open. I say nonsense: MPs should be more accountable and be seen to be more accountable.