The last day before Parliament broke for recess was an incredibly busy one, with two Urgent Questions put to the Government by Members, and a lengthy general debate.

At Transport questions, I again pressed the Government to provide greater support to the aviation industry, who have been hard-hit over the past 18-months. You can read a transcript of my question and the Secretary of State’s response in Hansard, or watch it on ParliamentTV.

The first UQ, to the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, focused on what further support could be provided to businesses by the Government. I took this opportunity to highlight the plight faced by many in the music industry and asked them to make changes to the Government backed insurance scheme for cancelled events. You can read a transcript of my exchange with the Minister in Hansard, or watch it on ParliamentTV.

The next UQ covered recent media reporting that the Foreign Office were planning to make substantial cuts to its diplomatic staff. I asked whether these plans included support to staff who would be facing increased stress levels in the face of more work but no associated pay increase. You can read a transcript of my exchange with the Minister in Hansard, or watch it on ParliamentTV.

Next the Leader of the House came to give his usual Business Statement, followed by questions. Here I highlighted recent difficulties I had faced in securing a meeting with the Secretary of State for BEIS, despite his offer in the Chamber some months prior to discuss a constituency case. You can read a transcript of my exchange with the Minister in Hansard, or watch it on ParliamentTV.

We then moved to the lengthy annual pre-recess general debate, where MPs are invited to speak on any topic they wish. I spoke to issues such as the Afghanistan crisis, and highlighted the essential work of many organisations that operate in my constituency, such as Men’s Shed, the Beacons, Samaritans, and SOC. You can read a transcript of my speech in Hansard, or watch it on ParliamentTV.

Finally, I was pleased to secure the final adjournment debate of the year, where I spoke at length on the issue of poor Government oversight of animal testing. You can read a transcript of the full speech in Hansard, or watch it on ParliamentTV.