9.00 We have a meeting with the German Presidency and the Commission on Purchasing Price Parities to iron out the issue of who should pay for the collection of data. In the end it seems funding has already been happening, rather than it being needed for start up, so maintaining the status quo is reasonable. It has taken a long time to get the answer to this question which I posed at the first discussion in committee. We also take the opportunity to have a preliminary discussion on the set up of the statistics advisory board, which provides me with useful background information as to where the sensitivities lie.

11.00 We finalise letters about the campaign to save international train services at Ashford, then having a gap at last I take the opportunity to collect my curtains which I ordered weeks ago.

13.30 Back to the office and a long haul of signing the Ashford letters all afternoon. Carol and Dot get the first batch stuffed and ready to load into my case tomorrow morning. Dot has been collating information on Child Soldiers which I want to speak about tomorrow evening so we review that. Leave at 8.00pm