SIR,
I have been contacted by some students at Monmouth Comprehensive School, who were upset after being wrongly told that I had used the emotive phrase 'bunking off school' to describe their perfectly peaceful demonstrations in the town against the rise in tuition fees.
I would urge anyone who has been told this to check the actual wording of the speech I made in the House of Commons on Tuesday 30th November 2010 before rushing to pass judgement.
When I said that the NUS should stop encouraging pupils to bunk off school, I was referring to the day-long protest which was taking place outside the Palace of Westminster and had not mentioned Monmouth at all.
There is no reason why anyone listening would have thought that the comments were a criticism of a local school.
When I went on to mention Monmouth, I referred to the students as "taking time off school".
However, I wish to make it clear that my criticisms were clearly of the NUS and not of pupils at Monmouth Comprehensive School, for whom I have the greatest respect.
David Davies
(MP for Monmouth)