My weekly article on my activity in Parliament.

Conference recess is over, and the House is once again sitting.

This week the Agriculture Bill had its Second Reading. The Agriculture Bill rights several wrongs of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) that had set priorities for our national farming at a European level. For too long the CAP held our farmers back by stifling rules. This Bill will allow us to take back control. It will allow us to reward farmers for the work they do while promoting sustainability and enhancing the environment around us. The Bill will now pass to Committee Stage before coming back to the House for its Third Reading.

I attended a meeting with the Secretary of State for Transport, Chris Grayling. We discussed the continuing problems with the Southport-Manchester rail service and what progress can be made.

I was delighted to attend the Hospitality Day Reception in Parliament which was hosted by the newly formed trade body UKHospitality. Several leading lights from across the sector – casual dining, coffee shops, pubs, visitor attractions and more highlighted the importance of the sector in every constituency. Southport’s local economy is acutely dependent on the hospitality sector and so I was pleased to attend to hear more. I was also delighted to meet representatives from the Bliss Hotel group from Southport at the event, including Enda Ryland, who manages the hotel group in Southport.

In addition to my regular duties on the Science & Technology and Petitions Committees, as the Chair of the Tunisia APPG I welcomed the Tunisian Minister of Industry, Mr Slim Feriani to Westminster. I met with the Minister to discuss UK-Tunisian cooperation in areas of trade, investment, and energy.

As a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Armed Forces, I attended a welcome home parade outside of Westminster Hall. One hundred and twenty soldiers that had recently returned from overseas marched into Parliament. I was honoured to pay tribute to our valiant armed forces who do so much to uphold the fundamental values of our society - freedom, equality, and the rule of law.

I added my name to a letter to the Prime Minister regarding concerns that I and my colleagues have about providing veterans who served in Northern Ireland extra legal protections. I think that the process of reinvestigating veterans for incidents which were investigated at the time whilst terrorists are treated differently by the judiciary is unjust and unfair. It is our duty to stand up and defend those who defended us in Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan and those who may follow them in the future.

On Friday, I was pleased to host my first Seniors Fair. I believe that Southport is enriched by our senior citizens. This fair was a way to give back. The fair offered advice, support and exciting opportunities including free hearing tests! I hope to hold similar fairs annually if not more regularly so watch this space!