This week I attended the service in St Paul's Cathedral for those infected and affected by the contaminated blood scandal. The campaign for justice and compensation for people infected with Hepatitis C and HIV from blood products given to them in the 1970s and 80s continues, and it was the campaign which first introduced me to cross party co-operation in the House of Commons. I will never forget the constituents who came to see me within a few weeks of the 2010 election, who had been fighting successive Governments for decades, and told me the horrendous story of what had happened to them.
I vowed that day I would do what I could to help, which involved several rebellions against my own Government, because I knew I had to do what was right by all those infected and affected. Tuesday's service was moving, difficult at times, and a reminder that as recently as last month I was still chasing Minsters to resolve some of the administrative hurdles that exist within the compensation scheme.
Next month in Parliament there is an event hosted by Alzheimer's Research UK, which a number of constituents have invited me to attend. Of course I will do so, but I do want to give a plug more locally to the brilliant RomDag, who held the annual dementia information day in the Crosfield Hall last Sunday, and will again be hosting DemFest at the Harold Hillier Gardens in the Autumn. Scheduled for 13th September it is a great place to find out about all the support services and groups that can really help those living with dementia and their loved ones. I am often struck that it is those doing the caring who need the most support.
Next week during half term I am having a focus on water, with meetings with the Environment Agency and, separately, Southern Water. There has been a great deal of press coverage recently about illegal dumping of waste, at various locations around the country. Here in Test Valley, when waste is used as fill next to a water course, we should be just as concerned as when it happens next to the River Cherwell. The River Test is one of the finest Chalk Streams in the world, and I am pressing the authorities to look much more closely at what is happening right next to one of its tributaries.