Last week the Chancellor delivered the details on government spending plans for 2015 where he laid out how the Government will continue to cut the deficit, prioritise investment in infrastructure and ensure fairness for people who work hard and want to get on. The statement was a stark reminder of how the world and Britain are still recovering from the biggest financial crisis since the Second World War, but it was also a reminder that this Government will not shirk its responsibility to take the tough decisions to secure the economy recovery through reform, fairness and growth.

He made welcome announcements on continuing to protect the NHS; prioritising social care; capping welfare; supporting councils like Wiltshire which continue to freeze council tax; and protecting the schools budget while also funding 180 new Free Schools and protecting the Pupil Premium.

Within all the detail, there was one item that we should all be cheering about locally – the commitment to consult on how to introduce a national funding formula for schools in 2015/16 so that the amount of funding a school receives will be based on a fair and rational assessment of the needs of its pupils. Our Wiltshire schools receive hundreds of pounds less per pupil than in neighbouring counties and this commitment means this unfairness can now be tackled.

The Spending Review was followed by the Government detailing plans for £100bn of funding for infrastructure projects including new homes, road repairs and improved flood protection.

I was especially pleased to receive confirmation earlier this week that the capital to build a replacement school for St Mary’s and St Peter’s in Marlborough has been secured and that detailed planning will commence in autumn 2014. I also took the opportunity to drop a reminder to the Chancellor that some of the extra money would be well spent on extending electrification from Newbury to Bedwyn earlier rather than later.

In the Constituency, I spent a lovely morning at Rushall Primary School talking politics and then opened the new crop circle information centre at Nursery Farm, Woodborough where visitors can buy an access pass and find out about local formations. I also caught up with the plans of Bag4Sport of Devizes, met Wiltshire’s Business in the Community co-ordinator and visited Herridge Racing Stables to see some of the recent Ascot winners.