THIS week saw the Chancellor deliver the first Spring Statement, a chance to update the House and country on the latest Office for Budget Responsibility economic growth forecasts. In a break with tradition, there was no ‘mini-budget’, with no major policy or tax and spending announcements.

Instead, the Chancellor unleashed his inner ‘Tigger’ as he talked optimistically about how far the UK economy has come over the last eight years, with our economy growing strongly – OBR growth forecasts have been revised up, and disposable income per person is now 4.4 per cent higher in real terms than it was in 2010.

We have reached a turning point in our battle to reduce the deficit over the last eight years, and have recently experienced the first sustained fall in debt in 17 years, whilst also growing the economy by nearly 17 per cent over the last eight years.

The Chancellor also announced calls for evidence on a number of topics, including how the current VAT threshold affects business, and how the tax system can reduce single use plastics.

This week has also seen a worrying escalation of tensions with Russia following the incident in Salisbury, as the Prime Minister revealed on Monday that Mr Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent, of a type developed by Russia, meaning that it is highly likely the Russian state is behind the attack, or that they lost control of this dangerous chemical.

The Russian ambassador has denied the claims and refused to respond to our request for full disclosure within the deadline, meaning that we must conclude that the act in Salisbury amounts to an unlawful use of force against the United Kingdom.

The Prime Minister has been very firm in her condemnation, and has introduced a range of sanctions, including the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats, to send a clear message to Russia that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated. We have received support from the international community, and I will be watching closely as the situation unfolds over the coming days.

I know that when situations such as this arise, so too does the question of spending on defence and the armed forces. The UK currently spends two per cent of GDP on fefence, making us one of the few countries in Europe to meet the NATO target.

The Ministry of Defence is currently conducting a mini-defence review, the Modernising Defence Programme, which is looking at our defence capabilities, particularly the threat posed by cyber warfare – more important than ever given the situation with Russia. The Government will always make sure that we have an armed forces capable to dealing with the dangers of the modern world.