Not very grand

Devastating news for political anoraks: this week's meeting of the Welsh Grand Committee, that megastore of talking shops, has been cancelled.

Slightly better news for political anoraks: there's a bit of a row about who is to blame.

[Welsh Secretary] Peter Hain's Wales Office told me [Shadow Welsh Secretary] Cheryl Gillan asked for it to be cancelled.

The Conservatives say the Government called it off after discovering Mr Hain, who is also Work and Pensions Secretary, was double-booked. Ms Gillan is furious at the suggestion she was behind the cancellation.

Mr Hain's office insist that they were told by the Tories that they would vote against the decision to meet to discuss both the Queen's Speech and the Pre-Budget report. They had demanded two separate meetings to discuss both events.

The Wales Office is now looking to schedule a Welsh Grand in December, long enough after both events for no-one to care.