THIS week I had the pleasure of attending a meeting of the newly-formed ‘Mums and Dads Against Food Waste (MAD)’ group here in the constituency.

The group spoke of the challenges faced in tackling food waste and some of the simple changes which can be made in our own homes to reduce the amount of food waste.

I believe that all big changes start on a local level and it’s inspiring to see such a passionate group set up to tackle this important issue. The group is spreading its message through schools and community groups and I look forward to seeing their message across the community in the coming months.

One of the highlights of the week was attending the Wiltshire Business Breakfast in Bradford on Avon and having the opportunity to answer questions on a range of topics, from government investment, employment rights and of course Brexit.

I spoke of the need to ensure that, whilst government business has been rightly focused on EU negotiations, we also need to ensure that Wiltshire continues to have access to and benefit from national investment, which is so critical to local business success.

From access to super-fast broadband, improvements to the road and rail network, through to the £4m investment in the creation of the Corsham digital hub, investment is crucial to ensuring businesses have the infrastructure they need to grow.

Whilst uncertainty over our future relationship with the EU continues to be raised by local businesses, I am continually heartened by the number of businesses locally seeing the opportunities and seeking expansion beyond Europe and growing internationally.

I had the pleasure of visiting one such business last week, RTS Consultants Ltd, and discussing their expansion with an office in China and their future plans here in the constituency.

With Parliament now entering summer recess, I am looking forward to spending even more time in the constituency. I have a large number of visits planned to businesses across the constituency, to talk about their concerns, but also some of the fantastic opportunities in terms of job creation and growth coming out of the constituency.

I am also arranging a great deal of surgeries so if you would like an appointment please do email michelle.donelan.mp@parliament.uk or call 01249 704465.