HYNDBURN MP Greg Pope failed to make it for the free launch showcasing the North West's finest foods at the House of Commons but has enjoyed the hotpot.

He said: "I am delighted that the North West's regional cooking is being honoured at the Commons.

"We have some of the best dishes and ingredients in Britain.

"I've enjoyed the Lancashire hotpot and its very good -- but I must say not quite as good as my mother makes."

Obviously a tactful man!

Mr Evans did make it to the free lunch where he managed to eat sausages, Fairfield Farm ham, Bowland beef, hotpot and plenty of Lancashire cheese which is also unusually widely available in the Houses of Parliament this week.

He has also sampled the Black Cat beer.

He said: "This is excellent news. We have some of the best food in the country and if the soft south won't come to the North West to eat it we'll send it down to them."

The only unusual news is that Burnley MP Peter Pike hasn't signed the Commons Early Day Motion celebrating "wealth of diversity and regionally distinctive nature of North West foods."

But perhaps he was too busy sampling the products, including the Burnley beer, to have time to do so.

MR Pope, not noted for his athletic prowess has joined 11 other MPs in congratulating Leeds fun runner Tracey Morris for her phenomenal performance in this year's London Marathon and winning a place in Britain's Olympic team for the event in Athens this summer.

But colleagues are holding their breath over him attempting to match her performance in 12 months' time.

CHORLEY MP Lindsay Hoyle wants people to only buy sea bass from hand-line fishermen in the South West of England to stop dolphins and porpoises being slaughtered as a result of industrial trawling for the prized fish.