THIS week has been an exceptionally busy one in Parliament, with the return from recess coinciding with the debate and passage of the European Union Repeal Bill. The Bill certainly stirred passions, with constituents on both sides of the argument getting in touch with me to let me know their thoughts and concerns.

I am proud to have voted in favour of the legislation as it provides much needed stability and certainly to local businesses and employers, who can now feel assured that when we leave the EU current legislation will remain the same.

Whichever side of the referendum you chose, I believe we need to come together to support local business and individuals who are concerned about the impact the vote could have on them and fight for the best deal for Britain.

I appreciate many constituents have ongoing concerns around our withdrawal so please do get in touch and as always I will seek to provide as much assurance and clarity as possible. I might have voted remain but I do think that we now have an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shape a better, bolder and more prosperous Britain that will benefit all residents.

Outside of Parliament I had the privilege of visiting Glentham Life Sciences in Corsham. This fantastic business has just been awarded a Queens Award for International Trade, taking their brand global and really embodying the great British export tradition. With our exit from the EU it becomes even more essential that businesses seek opportunity to expand into markets outside of our traditional continental focus and it was truly inspiring to meet a business which faces future challenges with such positivity. I really look forward to seeing this business expand further and I am sure there are many more awards to follow.

Finally I would like to extend a huge congratulations to all the runners who completed the Chippenham Half Marathon this past weekend. Whether running to raise money for the fantastic array of charities represented, or to reach a personal goal, it was humbling to hear so many of the individual stories people had and the challenges they overcame to cross the finish line.

The event seems to be getting bigger and better every year and the money raised does so much good both locally and nationally, so thank you also to all the organisers who put so much of their own time into making the event a success.

Throughout September I am running my usual weekly surgeries and a number of local community forums. If you would like to raise something with me then please email michelle.donelan.mp@parliament.uk or for a face-to-face appointment please phone the office on 01249 704465. I always like to hear the views of constituents and of course if I can help support you in any way then please do get in touch.