In this column I often mention local case work that constituents have raised with me. This week I shall describe how I represent people’s interests in other important ways in Parliament.

For example, I asked the International Development Secretary about early warning for earthquakes such as that in Haiti. I tabled Parliamentary Questions challenging the change to licensing regulations that may see charity shops and village halls having to pay a fee to play background music, something I think is ill judged and not intended. And I put on record the very simple science which explains why global warming can actually produce sustained periods of exceptionally low temperatures locally. I don’t know why some MPs and others don’t ‘get’ this!

I spoke in a debate about the Goldstone Report, on the Israeli attack on Gaza of a year ago. Following that, I joined other MPs in calling for Britain to make no change to the principle of ‘universal jurisdiction’.

This is the rule which says that where there are allegations that an individual has committed war crimes they should be able to be arrested and questioned in our country (and any in which the principle is upheld). This was the rule under which General Pinochet was arrested here a few years ago. It has caused several Israeli military and political figures to cancel visits to UK in recent months. It would also apply to any Hamas leader named in the Goldstone Report who came here, too.

In another question I asked a Health minister to guarantee that the Autism Strategy, spelling out services to be provided for people with autism, would be published before Easter. This strategy results from last year’s successful back-bench and cross-party legislation which set up this process.

I am pleased to say that I got the guarantee I was seeking.