Kashmir and ECON

8.45 Arrive in office and collect copy of modified voting list on Kashmir for the foreign affairs committee and go to the committee for 9.00.. I am able to substitute for an absent Group member and vote. In the end I think the outcome is acceptable but Saj and Liz less satisfied. I feel that we were the only ones who voted on every amendment on the basis of what it said rather than superimposing a party political allegiance. If the Tories and Labour had done what we did then there would have been an even better result. They would not support out amendments at all. However, we had fortunately worked a lot of them in to the compromises. It took an hour to complete the votes.

10.30 On way back to the office bump in to Carol and Sally Padget from Prudential, we return to the office to discuss the briefing note for the lunch in May on Solvency ll.

11.00 Into the ECON committee for votes. We take an hour, mostly on roaming which all goes our way and my amendments passed. We also vote PPP but we are able to do that en bloc with one vote, so I get a clap. We discuss my innovation opinion immediately after votes and I then have a discussion on compromise wording with the socialist shadow rapporteur.

13.00 Back to the office. Email exchanges and internal discussions take up time until 16.00 when we have a meeting of rapporteurs about the outcome of the Ambassador’s meeting on payments. The others still complain about the 12 months for credit and want it lowered to 3 months. I take the opposite view and say if that is lowered I would want a reduction in capital as a balancing measure. Anyway, reduction in capital will be asked for I am sure at the trilogue tomorrow.

17.00 Back to the office to discover that the draft for the oral question on levies does not seem to be going according to my liking. I dispatch emails, suggestions and my original. We have until next Tuesday to get this agreed. Leave at 8.30 pm.