My weekly article on my activity in Parliament.

It’s been a busy week in Parliament! As well as fulfilling my regular Parliamentary duties, I am excited to announce that I have enrolled on the Royal Navy Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme. The scheme is designed to give politicians first-hand experience of the defence service. This week, I have taken part in an Introduction to Defence course that was led by senior military officers and civil servants at the Defence Academy. I will spend 22 days in service over the next year. I am honoured to have been chosen to participate and to gain an insight into the heroic work of our armed forces.

I had the pleasure of meeting with the Tunisian Ambassador to Britain at the Tunisian Embassy regarding the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tunisia, which I chair. We discussed several issues regarding British-Tunisian trade, security, and co-operation. The Tunisia APPG’s aim is to foster closer ties between our countries.

This week, I have also attended several important drop-in events including those for Muscular Dystrophy and Anthony Nolan. Muscular dystrophy is a very debilitating condition which manifests itself in many ways. Effectively managing and treating these rare conditions is a high priority for the NHS. Following on from a drop-in last week on Blood Cancer, I attended Anthony Nolan’s event to hear about their new campaign: ‘Communities vs Blood Cancer’. It is vital that more people register as potential stem cell donors and I encourage anyone to do so.

I also attended the British independent Retailers Association (BIRA) event. Small businesses are the lifeblood of our local economy here in Southport. Some of our businesses are struggling and so I was interested to hear more about BIRA’s proposals regarding business rates and rate relief. This is an issue that I have been monitoring closely and I will continue to work to see that Southport’s businesses receive the support that they need.

I was also interested to attend a drop-in event about Smart Meters. The Government’s smart meter programme will require every home in the UK to have been offered the device. Smart meters allow customers to view their energy use in real time so that they can better understand and control their energy usage. If you are interested in a Smart Meter, you should contact your energy supplier.

I also had further meetings with the Science & Technology and the Petitions Committees. I will be sure to keep you updated when a new report is released.

In the House, I voted with the Government to pass the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Bill as proposed by my Rt. Hon. Friend Ben Wallace MP. The bill makes important provisions regarding terrorism offences and sentencing as well as counter-terrorism powers. The bill will ensure that we are better able to counter terrorism and make Britain safer for everyone.