Democratic renewal

Gordon Brown may have become Prime Minister without the hassle of an election, but that bastion of democracy, the House of Lords is a bit fussy about these democratic niceties.

So congratulations to Lord Aberdare, the newest member of the upper House. One of the ironies of the half-reformed House of Lords is that the only elected members are the owners of hereditary titles.

Lord Aberdare, or Alastair John Lyndhurst Bruce as he's doubtless known to his mates in the Cynon Valley Historical Society, takes the seat left vacant by the death crossbench hereditary peer Viscount Bledisloe.

Lord Aberdare is the son of the 4th Baron, a former Conservative Minister who was an ace real tennis player and former chairman of the Football Trust.

The newly-elected peer is a former trustee of the National Botanic Garden of Wales and a fellow of Cardiff University.

Party animals

Peter Hain's Wales Office summer party in Whitehall last night had a distinctly retro feel to it.

Nye Bevan's mini-statue had been restored to its position alongside the ANC Mandela poster above the mantelpiece after 15 months in exile from government.

The guest list was a reminder of those who had worked with the Neath MP during his time at Gwydyr House, in Northern Ireland and on his Labour deputy leadership campaign. One former spin doctor described it as "a gathering of the living dead".

There was the odd celebrity or two at what was a thoroughly enjoyable gathering. As someone who played a pivotal role in the Northern Ireland peace process, Peter Hain is also one of the few people capable of bringing Lembit Opik and Sian Lloyd together in the same room even if the de-commissioning process there has somne way to go.

There was even a Manic Street Preacher - of the musical (James Dean Bradfield) rather than the Lord Roberts of Llandudno kind.

Shadow Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan denied she was measuring up for curtains ahead of the general election.

Her superstition about victory extends to declining all offers to spell out what she would do in the Wales Office. I forgot to ask whether she'd replace Nye Bevan with a likeness of Margaret Thatcher, although I suspect the answer would be "wait and see" (it usually is).

Taxpayers will be relieved to discover that the menu reflected the austerity of the times rather than the apparent approach of those International Business Wales civil servants who turn left on planes at our expense.

Catering was in-house, provided by civil servants. After 12 years of canape culture under New Labour, guests were offered a choice between crisps and peanuts.

John Redwood, one of Peter Hain's more frugal predecessors, would have been proud.

Banking on the MoD?

The Ministry of Defence has done its best to do what the Wales Office couldn't do - and answer questions about the prospects for the defence training academy at St Athan.

Apparently the banking situation and "the evolving situation in Afghanistan" are responsible for delays in the planning stages of the project.

The scheme is expected to go before an MoD review board for approval next February, almost a year later than scheduled.

In the light of Afghanistan, the programme is being adjusted to ensure British troops receive "relevant" training.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "Despite some delays to the planning stages of the DTR project, there is currently no change to the end date and final contracts remain scheduled to be signed in the summer of 2010."

Perhaps the key word there is "scheduled". Voters will notice the proximity of "the summer of 2010" to the next general election. Cheryl Gillan may find herself answering rather than asking questions before the academy is built.

How To Avoid Answering the Question

Cheryl Gillan took time off from wittering during Welsh Questions to ask a specific question about the proposed defence training academy at St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan.

The project, to centralise services training, has seen several delays since it was first announced and there are growing questions over its future.

This was Cheryl Gillan's question to the Wales Office Minister Wayne David: "The defence training project at St Athan would bring huge opportunities to Wales.

"Can the Minister confirm that the Secretary of State is co-ordinating with the Ministry of Defence is co-ordinating with the Ministry of Defence and that the pre-contract agreement letter will be issued to the preferred bidder this week, on time, on the 17th of July, or will this be delayed by the Government?"

Wayne David's reply: "Can I say that the honourable lady is absolutely correct in stressing the importance of this investment to Wales.

"It will be the largest single investment in the Welsh economy that there's ever been and the defence technical college will be of tremendous benefit not only to the Welsh economy but obviously to the armed forces of the United Kingdon.

"My right honourable friend the Secretary of State fully recognises the importance of this. he's had discussions with the Secretary of State for Defence and they're going forward together and he can be absolutely assured that we recognise the importance of this project for Wales as a whole."

Warm words, but not exactly an answer to the question asked.

Wittering for Wales

Can there be a better post-holiday pre-recess treat than Welsh Questions in the House of Commons?

Peter Hain and his deputy Wayne David fielded MPs' questions for the last time today before MPs disappear for their long summer recess.

Today was John Bercow's first Welsh Questions in the chair and the new Speaker wasted little time before making his mark.

He demanded shorter questions and pithy replies of MPs and Ministers.

Shadow Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan was a prime target, finding herself accused of "wittering".

Mr Bercow told MPs: "There is a practice growing up of the opposition front bench asking a question and then wittering away from a sedentary position - it's not acceptable and I don't want it to happen again."

It didn't, although the Speaker did have to tell MPs to tone down the noise at one point, something due rather more to anticipation of Prime Minister's Question Time than excitement at Welsh Questions.

And there was still time for Peter Hain to quip of Cheryl Gillan: "At least she wasn't twittering in the House." These silver surfers yield to no-one in their ability to get down with da kidz online.

No more blogging for a week or two

Blogging may be a little lighter than usual during the next 10 days as I'm taking a short seaside break.

Radio Wales listeners should not adjust their set if they do not hear my voice at 6.35am.

On past form, some major political event will happen in my absence although hopefully my employers will have a Cessna standing by should my immediate return from Bognor Regis be required.

I will of course interrupt my family holiday to bring you the latest news should there be an unexpected triumph in the knobbly knees competition.

Hi di Hi!

Happy Anniversary

We love anniversaries in journalism. It's 40 years today since the Prince of Wales was invested, if that's the right phrase.

It's two years this week since Labour and Plaid Cymru coalesced in Cardiff Bay. It's two - very long years - since Gordon Brown succeeded Tony Blair.

It's approaching the first anniversary of the last Welsh Conservative news conference at Westminster (or maybe it just feels like that).

It's 10 years today since power was devolved from Westminster to Edinburgh and Cardiff.

That means it's also the 10th anniversary of the Wales Office, where Peter Hain - Secretary of State for more than half that time - says they are busier than ever before.

Ten years ago, on what we could call D-Day, Mr Hain was a junior Welsh Office Minister. One day he was making key decisions on Welsh schools, the next he was metaphorically twiddling his thumbs as the education brief, along with others, was transferred along the M4.

The artist Mumph drew a cartoon of Mr Hain and a fellow junior Minister playing battleships in the power-free zone that their department became. It may have been a slight exaggeration, although those present at the time recall a surreal post-devolution atmosphere before Welsh Ministers found a new role at Westminster.

In those days, if anyone mentioned LCOs you might confuse it with a breakfast cereal or supermarket. These days they are the stuff of casual conversation in pubs up and down the land. Well, perhaps not.

The 10th wedding anniversary is normally marked by presents of aluminium or tin. I'll leave you to come up with suitable gifts for the Wales Office on its big day.

Too busy

I confess I don't always get the Wrexham Leader in Westminster, although a contact has e-mailed me a page from tonight's edition.

Headlined 'Too busy' to worry about expense claim, it explains why the North Wales Assembly Member Eleanor Burnham is not terribly concerned by her position as the second highest-claiming AM.

“I’m too busy looking after my constituents to bother about expenses tables," she says.

“I believe I am very good value for money. Perhaps we should now look at the expenses of people working in the higher echelons of the BBC.”

I don't quite see the link, but then I only operate in the lower echelons of the BBC. Perhaps Ms Burnham's claim will kill off the wicked rumour that AMs elected on the regional list system have rather less to do than their colleagues.

Time out

Just occasionally, for good behaviour, I'm allowed out of Westminster. I was recently despatched to see Lord Snowdon, who was happy to share his memories of the 40th anniversary of the investiture of the Prince of Wales.

Lord Snowdon's role as constable of Caernarfon Castle was to organise the ceremony. Whatever you think of the monarchy - or the investiture - it was fascinating to hear the memories of a key player at the time.

You can read and hear more here. Lord Snowdon is a little frail these days but was very generous with his time.

He also find time to have a chat about photography after the interview and sign a book of his photographs for me. I really should get out more.

Planted questions

Another 41 Conservative MPs have signed cheques to repay expenses in David Cameron's latest exercise in transparency - or self-flagellation as some of the MPs might call it.

Among those to have reached for their chequebook, the Tory MP for Monmouth, David Davies, who can fairly claim to be a consistent questioner of the way our taxes are used.

He had the novel idea of setting up his own independent panel to vet his expenses. That panel queried two items - a council tax rebate and a claim for mortgage interest. The Tories' own independent scrutiny committee questioned a £12 invoice for a plant pot.

"I fully accept that these claims should not have been made and repaid them immiediately. To those who will inevitably suggest that I might have tried to do this to gain a financial benefit I think it only fair to point out that both the fees office and the independent panel have seen that I underclaimed on a number of items."

So David Davies will find himself £2,033.87 poorer and could be forgiven if he has second thoughts about setting up his own independent panel.

To add to his woes, he can't recall or trace the plant pot.

DAF or Daft?

There's almost enough jargon in this Welsh Assembly Government press release for a whole board game.....

"The Deprived Area Fund (DAF) was set up by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to reduce unemployment in the most disadvantaged areas of the UK. The fund in Wales is already being delivered by JobCentre Plus and the DWP's City Strategy Pathfinders. For the next two years a portion will also be routed through two new partnerships - the Mon Menai Partnership and South West Wales Spatial Plan Economic Inactivity Partnership. Together the new partnerships will receive £3.4 million of DAF grant from DWP to help people in their most deprived communities to obtain and retain employment."