I HAVE made many ministerial visits, but can’t remember being as happy to jump on a train as I was on Saturday when I travelled to Liverpool to attend the ‘Hull in the Water’ ceremony of the royal research vessel Sir David Attenborough, along with Sir David himself.

The ship, aka 'Boaty McBoatface', captured the imagination of people up and down the country as the largest civilian shipbuilding project in Britain in 30 years, backed by £200 million of government funding.

I am proud that this world-leading ship is being built here by British shipbuilders in Merseyside, at the famous Cammell-Laird yard, securing hundreds of jobs and apprenticeships.

The state-of-the-art ship, equipped with on-board laboratories and cutting-edge technologies to monitor polar activity, will enable more ambitious expeditions to reach previously inaccessible areas of the Antarctic and Arctic, allowing UK researchers and international collaborators to tackle global issues, including climate change, future sea level rises and marine biodiversity.

Sir David made a stirring speech about the vital need to understand what is happening at the Poles, as we will all be affected by the melting of the ice caps and the changes in ocean currents that could result.

As the country that has dominated polar exploration and science, it was wonderful to see this great legacy strengthened through this investment, and indescribably wonderful to spend time with Sir David - the gentleman who arguably has done more to inspire us to cherish and improve the natural environment than anyone else in the UK.

Before travelling to Merseyside, I enjoyed a busy Constituency day, starting with a fun visit to the Devitera microbrewery in Rowde to see the hand-crafted artisan beer made there by Glen Upward using many local ingredients, and sold in pubs and shops around Devizes and further afield. Devitera has secured a Government-backed start-up business loan, and we discussed his plans for the future and desire to see reduced regulation for small businesses, which I have taken back to Westminster to discuss with my colleagues in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Afterwards, I joined representatives from local businesses including Haydens Bakery, Wadworth and Marlborough College at the Wiltshire College Leadership Academy Forum. The event showcased the support that Wiltshire College can offer to businesses to help grow the higher level skills of their employees and the recruiting and developing of apprentices and we were all able to see the transformation of the college over recent years based on new leadership and the £22m of Government funding to invest in its Salisbury and Lackham campuses.