But Sir Alan told the Advertiser this week that he thought this year's summer recess was too long.

"In my view, the recess is too long and the Government should not have such a long period without Parliament sitting and able to call ministers to account," he said.

Over the summer, Sir Alan plans to carry out a number of visits and meetings.

He is visiting RAF Boulmer to meet the new station commander and to spend some time with the Search and Rescue section, who are facing the prospect of a change to joint-military and civilian control when the contract for a new helicopter to replace the ageing Sea King is agreed in the next few months.

Sir Alan will also be discussing the vital national defence role of the station which will continue for some years.

Health services are always on the agenda and the Berwick MP plans to continue discussions with local health bodies about hospital, GP and dental services and about action on swine flu.

The future of the north east's economy will be the subject of the Regional Grand Committee which meets in Middlesbrough on September 25.
Sir Alan is also meeting the senior team at One NorthEast to hear how the development agency is supporting business in the most northerly part of the region and letting them know what businesses have been telling him they need.

As well as taking part in the North East Grand Committee, Sir Alan chairs the Justice Committee which will be publishing a number of reports over the summer.

Ongoing inquiries are being carried out on sentencing guidelines, the role of the prison officer, justice issues in Europe and the work of the Crown Prosecution Service.

The committee has also recently been busy scrutinising constitutional reforms put forward by the Government and will also carry out this work on any further proposals put forward over the summer.

Village and agricultural shows are an important part of life in Northumberland and Sir Alan will be attending many of these throughout the summer.

September is also the party conference season. This year the Lib-Dems are in Bournemouth and one of the main themes is adult education.
Sir Alan has been campaigning for better further education and some higher education to be available in Berwick, as well as pushing for more help for Northumberland College after the Learning and Skills Council pulled the plug on funding for capital projects earlier this year. He will also be speaking to the Mid-Northumberland group of the University of the Third Age.

Apart from taking two weeks' holiday to attend a family wedding abroad, Sir Alan will continue to hold surgeries and in September he will carry out his annual surgery tour of about 120 villages and hamlets throughout the constituency - watch out for the posters in the villages and adverts in the Berwick Advertiser for information on times and places.