I'm sorry to have to report that I did not get to meet Miss Joanna Lumley last week, though I was happy enough to watch her ambushing the one-time Nelsonian Phil Woolas.

One noble colleague (not from my party) told me he thought that being defeated in the Commons by the Liberals was humiliating enough but this was worse.

"Well," I replied, "she's almost as posh as you are”.

He gave me one of those looks before deciding to laugh – whether at himself or me I wasn't sure.

But while the Daily Telegraph was creating turmoil at "The Other End" we just got on with our work.

For me that was yet another bash on the Marine and Coastal Access Bill.

Last Tuesday was the first day "on Report" when we go through it all again, though in less detail and concentrating on areas where the Government or the rest of us want to see changes.

We discussed the new marine quango –– the Marine Management Organisation –– and government amendments following the debates in Committee greatly improved the sections on its objectives.

And we more or less covered the wholly new and much needed marine planning system, including a new national Marine Policy Statement and new marine plans for the different sections of the coast.

Today we are dealing with the marine licensing system, and a new and potentially revolutionary system of marine conservation zones aimed at dramatically improving the ecological health of the seas around our shores.

So yes –– this huge measure (over 300 pages) is essentially a good Bill.

It has been well researched, it was much discussed prior to coming as legislation, and it's generally well written (a lot better than much of the garbage we get).

We may be in the final year of a fag-end government that trips up every time it steps outside.

But the legislative process grinds on, and in the case of a specialist and much needed Bill such as this there is still useful work being done.

And we still have the coastal access sections to come!

We will then send it off to the Commons for them to get to work on it.

It might help to take their minds off other things (though perhaps not)!