OVER the past month, I have received an increasing number of emails on the issue of climate change. I know that this is a topic that is important to many constituents – particularly those under the age of 25.

In March, a group of local pupils demonstrated outside the Guildhall to highlight the importance of the issue. I do not support disrupting the school day to go on such protests, but I do understand the strength of feeling on climate change.

The good news for the protestors is that the UK government played a leading role in crafting the Paris climate change agreement, and we are committed to continuing to decarbonise the economy.

Since 1990, the UK has been the leading performer of the G7 group of nations, reducing emissions by 40 per cent. This has been the best performance on a per capita basis of any major developed economy. It is also important to recognise that this has not been achieved by throttling economic growth. We have managed to simultaneously grow the economy while reducing harmful emissions.

Over the Easter weekend we set a new record when our entire country went 90 hours without generating any electricity from coal. This was the longest such period since before the industrial revolution, and we are on track to phase out our last coal plants by 2025. I will be discussing these matters in more detail with a constituent on Friday afternoon who has booked a meeting with me to raise the profile of climate change and discuss what more can be done in the future.

Also on Friday, there will be an alignment of my ministerial and constituency worlds, as a group of senior civil servants from the Treasury spend the day in Salisbury with the Arts Council, looking at culture and infrastructure spending and what our city has to offer. I will be making the case for the important role that culture can play in economic regeneration in the wake of last year’s Novichok incident.

On Saturday, I will once again be taking part as a judge in the Schools Challenge event at the Stones Hotel, organised by the local Chamber of Commerce. I am sure that we will see another impressive set of presentations by local school pupils setting out their vision for Salisbury. On Sunday I will be attending the city’s St George’s Day celebrations with the Salisbury and South Wilts Scouts (St George is the patron saint of Scouting!)….