Today MHKs will receive a message from the Lord of Mann.

But, before they start to feel extra special, we should point out that the message, which will be read out in the House of Keys, is not for them alone.

It is the annual Commonwealth Day Message from the Queen.

Given everything that has happened in the last two weeks alone, one wonders just how up to date it will.

Once the niceties of the missive from Her Maj are out of the way, it will be business as usual with Question Time.

And when we say business as usual, we mean business as usual.

So that means questions about what alternatives there are to the government MiCard system for benefit and pension collection, the future of post office provision in Ballasalla and public sector pay.

There are some new issues, however. Changes to bus routes and bus times, which did not appear to have been universally welcomed, will be brought up, while the way in which entitlement to free school meals is assessed will also be the subject of questions.

Okay, so you can pretty much guarantee that every time a bus route changes it will be raised in the Keys, while free school meals often get a mention, but they are new-ish.

Written questions will include queries about government staff sickness levels and government support for retail businesses.

On the legislative front, two Bills make their first appearance.

The Road Traffic Legislation (Amendment) Bill, which brings in new specific offences relating to drug driving and updates the regulations on how to obtain samples, as well as extending to laws to cover vehicles that are ’not mechanically propelled’. It also includes new powers on inspection of vehicles, while making provision to increase speeding fines.

But none of that will be discussed today as the bill is at the first reading stage. The bill will face its first examination when it is at the second reading stage.

The same will apply to the Election (Keys and Local Authorities) Bill, also at the first reading stage.

This bill, which dovetails neatly with other draft legislation in the system at the moment - the Registration of Electors Bill - aims to update Representation of the People Act 1995 and the Local Elections Act 1986 and follows consultations and reviews of electoral processes.

After that the Bank (Recovery and Resolution) Bill, which aims to protect the taxpayer in cases where a bank fails, is due to have its clauses considered.

Once again, there is no Legislative Council today as, technically speaking, there is only half the number of MLCs in situ - a matter that may be resolved this Thursday when MHKs get to vote for members of the upper chamber.

Naturally, we are all on tenterhooks for the outcome of the Legislative Council election. But it has not gone unnoticed that, for the second LegCo election running, it appears to coincide with the judging - in some schools, at least - of Douglas Corporation’s annual daffodil contest.

The tension in both will be unbearable and it may be interesting to do a comparison in the levels of public interest.