Another lag between posts – this time with the excuse that I have been on a trip to Israel as part of a fact-finding delegation. We were fortunate enough to be able to visit towns on the edge of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, as well as meet with the Palestinian Authority in East Jerusalem. No matter how often you see and hear about Israel on the news and in the papers, it is only when you see it at first hand that it hits home. There is a primary school in Sderot, right on the edge of Gaza Strip, which is the key target for rockets fired from militants in the Gaza Strip. The school is often targeted just at the time the children are going to, or coming from, school. That is the type of people they are dealing with.

On my return, I’ve been busy too. Yesterday I met with council officials to discuss housing policy and the many issues related to that – it was extremely informative and thought-provoking. It is clear that there are complex problems affecting particularly the inner core, and I hope to be able to write a bit more about it in the days to come.

I also bumped into Doug Garrett from ReBlackpool, the regeneration company for Blackpool, and had a quick chat. I suspect we’ll have a long meeting (if and) when Gordon Brown decides to announce what he wants to do for Blackpool. Am not holding my breath though …

I also played badminton for the first time in 14 years at the Blackpool Sports Centre (and, boy, do my calves hurt!) before going on to a cocktail party for Tiggers, the Blackpool charity for children with autism. You can learn more about all their excellent work at http://www.blackpooltiggers.co.uk/.

Finally, I’ve just come back from a police-community meeting in Cleveleys where I was able to raise an issue I hear about frequently – the ease with which children under 18 are able to obtain alcohol, either by buying it themselves for off-licenses, or getting older people to buy it for them. Both are an offence. And it leads to immense amounts of anti-social behaviour. The police do find it difficult, as they have to prove the offence, but as local councillor Andrea Kay pointed out, those offending off-licenses can have their licenses removed by the local council. But one thing is for sure, the police need you to call in whenever you see this sort of thing going on. If you live in Wyre, the number to call is 876611. The police were adamant that the more often you call, the thicker their file, and the easier it is for them to get other agencies involved.