IT takes all sorts to make Parliament interesting. Some MPs are doughty campaigners on the backbenches for their whole career (until they suddenly end up as Leader of the Labour Party), others focus on climbing the political ladder.

Some are plain speaking pragmatists, while a small group spend much of their time focused on the exquisite minutiae of parliamentary procedure.

This week that group took the floor as the House of Commons put into place the long-awaited “English Votes for English Laws” procedures as we dealt with the Housing and Planning Bill.

The new rules help to deal with the historic anomaly that has meant Scottish (and sometimes Welsh and Northern Irish MPs) get to vote on legislation that only affects England when English MPs have no say over devolved matters – like healthcare, housing and schools.

Now, all laws passed at Westminster will, in theory, continue to have the backing of the majority of MPs, just as they do now, but an extra stage has been introduced in the middle of the law-making process to give English MPs power to block anything they don't like the look of in bills deemed to be 'England only'.

There was a great display of tartan crocodile tears from the SNP as went through the new stages but for those of us who have long wanted more powers for those we represent in England, it was a great first step and one that should strengthen the Union by giving English people more say over their own interests.

While this was all going on, very sadly some (but by no means all) members of the medical profession decided to hold a strike, designed to cause maximum misery at one of the NHS’s busiest times.

One of the most disappointing things about this dispute has been the amount of misinformation put out about what the Government is trying to do which is to prioritise patient safety and offer junior doctors safer working hours.

These changes are being made to contracts after seven studies in the last five years which show that you are more likely to die if you access the NHS at weekends – hardly consistent with our aim of providing world-class health care seven days a week.

These changes to the contracts will ensure the NHS delivers high-quality care every day of the week for patients, the majority of junior doctors will see a pay rise and patients will be safer. We should all urge the BMA to resolve differences through talks, not strikes that hit those who need our flagship public service the most.