This weekend I had the pleasure of joining our hardworking local Conservatives team led by Cllr Jonathan Dulston and supported by myself, Peter Gibson MP and of course Ben Houchen - Tees Valley Mayor.
This week parliament is in recess. The Commons adjourned on Thursday 9 February and will next sit on Monday 20 February at 2.30pm.
For those who don’t know, recess is a break during the parliamentary session in which neither the House of Commons or the House of Lords meets to conduct business. During these periods, MPs can carry out their other duties.
For instance, this week I am heading to Norway as part of the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme. The aim of the scheme is to give Members, the vast majority of whom have no experience of life in the Armed Forces, an insight into military life that would not otherwise be available to us. It is then hoped that we will be able to make a more informed and useful contribution to defence debates as a result.
Next week I’ll be back in the constituency so please do not hesitate to contact me if you’d like to catch up.