AS the minister responsible for Britain’s “energy intensive industries” I made a quick trip this week to visit steel mills in South Wales, both to discuss how the industrial strategy can help British steelmakers be more productive and thrive in a post-Brexit environment, and also what the emerging Government position papers on our Brexit positions will mean for them. 
For example, Businesses have welcomed the proposal of a customs deal with the EU that keeps trade as frictionless as possible; avoids a ‘hard border’ between Ireland and Northern Ireland; and is based on an independent international trade policy, and also the proposal for a time-limited interim period for a temporary customs union with the EU to prevent a cliff edge and disruption for businesses. 
As we get through the Brexit negotiations I think it is imperative that we have as much communication and dialogue with our businesses, large and small, as it is their future health and investment plans that allow us to continue to thrive and grow as we exit the formal constraints of the EU.
I have also spent much of the last week in London attending to ministerial business and so after all the travel I am relishing the prospect of spending the next few days at home with the children and catching up on my mountain of home admin tasks. 
The garden is a bit of a write-off so I am pulling out the worst weeds and comforting myself with the thought that the most majestic thistles that have sprung up in my borders are a useful late summer nectar source for the bees. 
We have dreadfully anthropomorphised our four colonies and named them after British queens based on the temperaments of the inhabitants. For example, Elizabeth II’s bees are extremely hard working, stable and impressive producers, while Boadicea’s team are aggressive, pursue us all round the garden and appear to be trying to murder their queen and replace her.
My first act at my home desk this week was to check my broadband speed, which is so vital for communications, using the excellent website www.broadbandspeedchecker.co.uk. I am now routinely getting the promised 24mbps thanks to the Wiltshire Council led super-fast broadband investments that bought our green cabinet to Rushall a couple of years ago, and while it is a huge improvement from the 4mps we had in the slow-lane connection days, I am going to see if there are other offers for even faster speeds. I will feel extremely satisfied when I cross that off my to-do list!