STATISTICS on school truancy have been published.

They make interesting reading. In some areas, truancy has soared in recent years. In others it has fallen.

Basingstoke performs reasonably well, but there is some cause for concern. The number of secondary pupils missing school has not varied much in recent years, but primary school truancy has increased.

The number of instances rose to 1,123 in 2003 (the last year for which statistics are available). This is a worrying trend. I hope that individual schools and the LEA will address it urgently.

APPARENTLY those of us who were under the impression that the Post Office had embarked on a programme of branch closures have entirely missed the point.

In reply to my latest protest about the Vyne Road sub-office, the Post Office's national consultation manager informs me that, rather than presiding over a programme of closures, the Post Office is actually implementing a "nationwide network reinvention programme".

How silly of us not to have realised this.

I AM not dancing in the streets over the borough winning an award from the European Commission for its twinning links.

I do not object to twinning in principle, provided there is a demonstrable return on any public money involved, but it does not feature very prominently on my list of priorities.

I congratulate those individuals and companies who were involved in winning this award, but, as a hardened euro-sceptic,

I am not sure that I particularly want an award of any sort from the European Commission.