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Oh dear...just when I thought it was safe to go back into the water.

I rattled (by my standards) through the cold solve. Thanks Mr E for not making them too difficult. I would however be grateful for some help on parsing 2 down and 29 down.

I was about to start trying to draw some straight lines - not an easy thing to do with flippers - in the expectation that they would produce a three letter word.

I then turned to the thread and post 24 from hotelwhiskey suggests that I am on the wrong lines. Is it the first three letter of these clues or answers and why these three? Any help appreciated with thanks.

2d, thematic word removed; wordplay: the PM and his other ministers meet in this (not literally, they would be quite cramped), last letter missing

29, outpost is extra, LA (see) in SON (native)

Also the obvious 3-letter word which you have repeatedly removed reappears in the finished grid

Thanks Buddy - parsing is now fine. I'm ashamed to have not see 2d.

I'll battle on and come back mid-week if I haven't cracked it.

Could I seek some clarification on Merenz's post 37?

I thought I'd finished. I've a three letter word clearly highlighted by connecting lines through omissions. However, I can't see a 'message' between 1a and 3d nor another message 5d to 29d.

Clearly I must be missing something but what? Is it something do with the title? Thanks for any nudge

Having posted and looked again I think I now see it.

Sorry to have misled you in my post at 37 Williamseal. I probably ought to have referred to ‘extracted letters’ rather than ‘the message’. Glad you managed to sort it though.

I was late starting this, and found it quite difficult. But thanks to a few hints from the wonderful people on this Forum have managed to finish it.
But I am a bit confused by the reference to "foxes" in 22 Across. I presumed the answer was going to be/meant to be humorous re catching the wrong prey, but the wordplay having been explained in Posts 26 and 27, this doesn't quite seem to be the case.
Am I missing something obvious ? It's really been annoying me !
Thanks.

Samovar, doesn't the verb in the answer to 22 Across simply mean 'pursue foxes', as in hunting?

Thank you so much for your speedy response, Malone !
To my knowledge the verb in question doesn't mean "pursued foxes",
it means "pursued hares "..which is quite a different thing !