LAST week saw the marking of Armed Forces Day with a Flag Raising Ceremony at County Buildings in Ayr.
After the ceremony I was proud to join with others in a photograph behind the Support Our Troops Banner, the organisation so ably run by Agnes Hunter and her volunteers.
Earlier that week I was privileged to visit the shop in Ayr High Street dr
awing together all the ex-service organisations in common endeavour to raise awareness of services available to veterans and serving forces alike.
Representatives of local organisations like the Royal Air Force Association, Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen Families Association (SSAFA), Royal British Legion of Scotland and Combat Stress gave up their time voluntarily for a week.
They have asked me to spread the word about the work they do in supporting veterans and the families of serving members of the Armed Forces and encourage them to come forward.
The RAF Association for example can help with both financial and practical support. For more information contact the RAFA Honorary Welfare Officer 07545474320.
Driving Instructors' Suspension Bill: This month I sat on the Committee of a Private Member's Bill in the name of Liberal Democrat MP Willie Rennie which tightens the rules for driving instructors accused of sexual abuse.
This follows a case in Willie's constituency where a young woman was assaulted by her driving instructor who was put on the Sexual Offenders Register only to be out teaching pupils the next day.
This Bill makes sure that will never happen again, while protecting the rights of instructors who are found to have been wrongly accused.
This is the essence of what a Private Members Bill should be about, although in 12 years as an MP I have never been lucky enough to be successful in the ballot.
At the moment it is well nigh impossible to get a Private members Bill into law without Government support as they are heard on a Friday when most MPs are back in their constituencies.
I strongly believe that they7 should be moved to a different time and I am hopeful that this could be one of the changes brought in by the new Speaker, John Bercow.
The Speaker: Talking of the new Speak-er of the House of Commons, I was very sad to see Michael Martin retiring as Speaker. Michael is a gentle, kind and wise man. I am very proud of the contribution he made, coming as he did from a working class background, and as the first Catholic Speaker since the Reformation.
He was in my view made a scapegoat for the expenses fiasco.
Summer Events: I very much enjoyed this summer's Girvan Lowland Gathering and the Maybole Fair.
The weather was a bit problematic but as it turned out the rain held off in the main.
Once again we have a whole army of volunteers and helpers to thank for the tremendous effort that went into the organisation of both events.
My Amendment to the Equality Bill: I tabled an amendment to the Govern-ment's Equality Bill to allow the right to bring 'representative actions' in equal pay cases (under which bodies such as trade unions or the Equality and Human Rights Commission could bring proceedings on behalf of groups of individuals).
'Representative actions' are currently under consideration by the Ministry of Justice. The introduction of 'representative actions' would speed up and simplify many equal pay cases.
There are many constituents who face loss of pay in the current Single Status evaluation process underway for South Ayrshire Council staff. This would mean that they would not have to fight this on their own but could be represented as a group.
I have reason to believe that the Government is going to agree to this amendment and incorporate it in the Bill before it completes its passage through both Houses of Parliament.
