Dogs have been big with George Clinton, high priest of the Church of the Octave Insanes, for over 20 years. "Ruff! Ruff!" the leader of Parliament, Funkadelic and the P Funk All Stars said by way of greeting, which is preferable to the canine couplet prefacing 1974's "Standing on the Verge of Getting It On": "Hey, baby, won't ya be my dog," goes the invitation, "and I'll be your tree and you can pee on me."

STEVE CRAWSHAW

Westminster City Council v North.

After 10 years, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is nearing completion. From September, visitors to Cleveland, Ohio, will be able to pay homage to Jimi Hendrix, Otis Redding and, er, Joe Walsh

MEMBERS of the Commons national heritage committee are to visit Hollywood in October in their second fact- finding trip to the United States in 18 months.

IN THE fuss over which of the great and good are to be on the Commons Privileges Committee, set up to investigate two of the more junior boys at the House, one question has not been asked. So I will ask it. Why are there no women on the committee? It must comprise, so we are told, senior members of the House of Commons. So plenty of knights are included: six out of 17, to be exact. Then they have to have experience of parliamentary procedure. So there are elderly and long- standing members present.

LET'S not get carried away by this MPs-asking-questions- for-money horror story. Let's keep calm. Let's look at the facts.

THE controversial 'not proven' verdict in Scottish courts is to be retained.

JOHN SMITH's premature death has revived the debate about the unnatural working lives forced on Britain's Members of Parliament. Those who become MPs must not only have the physical stamina necessary to work into the small hours night after night; they must also sacrifice any hope of a normal social life outside their work, and tread their way past the tempting twin solaces of the whisky bottle and the secretary. Until recently it has been too easy to say that these are simply the terms of the job - that politicians know what they are taking on when they stand for Parliament, and the continued competition for seats proves the bargain is still a good one.

A laser image of the rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix being projected on to the Houses of Parliament early yesterday to celebrate the forthcoming release of Beautiful People's record If 60's were 90's. The words above and below are from the Hendrix song 'If 6 was 9': 'White collared conservative . . .pointing their plastic finger at me'.

TWO MEN were arrested last night as police removed gay rights protesters, including the pop singer Jimmy Somerville, from Haymarket in central London, thwarting an attempted march on

THE COMMONS vote on whether the age of consent for homosexuals should be reduced to 16, in line with heterosexuals, or 18 is likely to be taken on 16 February or soon afterwards.

THE ITALIANS, long burdened with discredited politicians hanging on to power, were yesterday set a general election date. Would that Britain were so blessed. The Conservatives may be able to wait until April 1997 before going to the country. Each day's delay engenders deeper disillusionment among voters. Another three years of sleaze, hypocrisy and ineffectual government will do untold damage not only to the Tories but, more importantly, to the standing of Britain's public institutions.

THE serious politicians of Yaroslavl, from free marketeers to Communists, are united on one matter - their contempt for a fascist hypnotist who thinks he can represent this city in the new Russian parliament without bothering to meet the voters.