AS we approach the end of the year, the action is hotting up in Westminster with lots of uncertainty every day.

Although my view is that we are getting closer to having the House of Commons support the PM’s ‘deal’ and thereby avoid either crashing out without a Brexit deal, or a second Referendum.

But it is certainly a vexatious atmosphere to work in and it is good instead to focus on important local issues and as always to help my constituents wherever I can.

It is incredibly satisfying when my hardworking team and I can help to resolve frustrating issues by raising a matter directly with a Ministerial colleague or another organisation, and while we are not successful in every case we always enjoy our ‘wins’!

Just last week, after several years of work, we heard from the Ministry of Justice that they will assume the cost of the upgrade of the roads at Victoria Park in Great Cheverell where former prison officers’ housing close to HMP Erlestoke is now in private ownership, but the Ministry of Justice remains responsible for the maintenance of the estate.

Thankfully, lots of lobbying of the MoJ, together with the Victoria Park Residents’ Association and Cllr Richard Gamble means that we have now secured the funding for the works to go ahead and adoption by Wiltshire Council to progress.

Earlier this year we secured almost £3 million of additional funding for the schools in the Salisbury Plain area which are seeing big increases in pupil numbers as a result of the 4,000 military personnel and their families moving to the area under the Army Rebasing programme.

We have also been working to support individual constituents such Major (ret’d) John Winskill of Durrington, who is being pursued by the Peruvian authorities in relation to a road traffic collision when he was a support driver in a veterans charity race in Peru in 2013 and, by working with Foreign Office Ministerial colleagues, we have been able to raise our concerns with the Peruvian Ambassador and get more information about the case which is so troubling to Major Winskill and his family.

I can’t always promise success, but my superb team and I are always willing to try to help so do let me know what I can do via my website www.claireperry.org.uk/help It helps me to have information about your concerns in writing, and also copies of correspondence with the relevant authorities as this enables me to work out how I might possibly be able to assist.