EAST Lancashire's lone Tory MP Nigel Evans thought he had come unlucky thirteenth in the ballot for Private members Bills yesterday -- until he remembered that the post election parliamentary session was 18 rather than the normal 12 months.

Usually only the first eight or nine back benchers in the contest have any realistic prospect of getting their proposals into law.

But with the longer than usual time-scale, even at thirteenth the Ribble Valley MP could get an uncontroversial measure on the Statute Book.

Mr Evans is now carefully thinking about a suitable proposal that has a real chance of getting through both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

He said: "I am not going to rush it. I need to think carefully about something that does have a chance.

"Whatever it is it will be something that bring real concrete improvements to the people of the Ribble Valley."

Mr Evans will have to tone down his normal controversial approach as any measure opposed by the government would fail.

However, he was in conciliatory mood when he went to listen to former Tory Chairman turned European Commissioner Chris Patten.

He said he found Mr Patten's views on the future of Europe unexpectedly reasonable, but added wisely: "However Chris is a very wily politician."

Former Tourism Minister Janet Anderson has discovered that there are some advantages to losing her government job.

She was busily working in the garden of her Rossendale and Darwen constituency home when a voter passed by.

The constituent looked at Mrs Anderson sand said: "Janet, that looks nice."

The MP replied: "Now I am not a minister I have got time to spend in the garden at last."

The voter looked at her and said: "Every cloud has a silver lining..."

Meanwhile, Blackburn MP Jack Straw has not allowed his promotion to Foreign Secretary to go to his head.

While many of his Cabinet colleagues spend their time being whisked around central London by chauffeured limousine, Mr Straw can still be found on foot around Westminster.

Hyndburn MP Greg Pope raised the question of housing in East Lancashire when he intervened in the debate on the Queen's Speech, setting out the government's programme for the coming 18 months.

He told of how he met a woman in his constituency living in a house that was "practically falling down."

She said she had been let down 10 years ago by a Tory government and a Labour council and was equally dismayed by the current Labour government and Tory council.

Despite the fact she was refusing to vote for him or anybody else, Mr Pope told local government ministers: "Her house is a disgrace in the modern age, and we must not walk away from such people."

Although the middle-aged woman did not wish to be named as she felt too vulnerable, she was delighted that her case was highlighted in the Commons and now hopes for some action on the issue.

Meanwhile, Burnley MP Peter Pike has had a very busy and rather grim week. He said that nothing in the least amusing had happened to him -- which is not surprising in view of the riots that have torn apart his constituency.