This weekend saw the start of military action against the Taleban regime of Afghanistan and the terrorist networks it supports.

I have noted the sombre determination of many in Redditch to take action against terrorists in Afghanistan but also those worried about the scale of action and the possibility of civilian injuries.

I can assure you that these concerns are matched in the Government.

The action is unwanted and not desirable but it is absolutely necessary.

Nearly four weeks after the attacks in America, the Taleban have declined to take any action to dismantle terrorist bases or to detain Osama Bin Laden and his organisation.

Bin Laden's Al Qaida network threatens not only the US but the UK too. September 11 was the worst terrorist outrage against Britain in our history and there is no doubt that the targeting of public buildings like the World Trade Centre could be repeated if decisive action is not taken.

Now action is being taken, the painful process must be pursued to the end.

To minimise the effects on the Afghan people aid is already being delivered to the population.

Meanwhile, Railtrack's demise would have been front page news in any normal week.

The Government could not justify any more of our money bailing out Railtrack.

There are proposals now for a new company with 'members' not shareholders being run on a 'not for profit' basis.

The company will still have income from train operators and record investment from the Government of more than £30 billion in the next 10 years to work with.

I hope the new company will be able to help the trains run on time. Because as we have seen with Redditch bus services recently, good, accessible and convenient public transport is a necessity not a luxury for many people today.