Regular readers of this column will know that I spend time with the armed forces as part of an organisation called the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme. The AFPS was designed to allow those MPs who had no practical experience of our armed forces to be able to spend some time embedded with them to learn more about them. With no military experience of my own, this has been an opportunity to be informed about detail of military life before voting on war.
Mark Garnier MP is once again supporting musicians and film-makers from Wyre Forest by encouraging local artists to enter Parliament's two largest creative competitions, Rock the House and Film the House
The starting gun has been fired on the EU referendum. Negotiations completed, the date of the decision about Britain's future is set for the 23rd June.
In an effort to improve bus services across Worcestershire, Worcestershire County Council have withdrawn a small number of Diamond Bus Limited's contracts to allow the bus company to concentrate on other routes.
Last week the disagreement between the government and the junior doctors reach a peak. As they embarked on yet another round of strikes, the government's negotiator finally accepted that the British Medical Association would not reach an agreement, and so the government has imposed a pay deal on junior doctors.
Figures released yesterday by the Office for National Statistics show that the national employment rate was 74.1% from October to December 2015. This is the highest level of employment since records began in 1971. As well as this, average weekly earnings for employees in Great Britain increased 2.0% excluding bonuses, compared with a year earlier.
The EU referendum moved a stage closer this week, with the proposed deal from EU president Donal Tusk being announced on Tuesday. David Cameron has been negotiating on our behalf on four key areas designed to improve not just our relationship with the EU, but the EU in its entirety.
Corporate tax has hit the headlines again, in a big way. US internet giant Google has reached an agreement over its tax affairs between 2005 and 2011 and has settled with a £130 million payment. A row has erupted over whether this is enough or not.
There was a little piece of Parliamentary history last week. For the first time since the creation of the Union, Scottish and Welsh MPs were excluded from a vote on issues exclusive to English constituents.
Figures released today by the Office for National Statistics show that the total number of claimants in Wyre Forest during December 2016 was 202 fewer people than a year earlier.
