DESPITE this constituency being by no means one of the furthest flung from Westminster, there are weeks when I feel I am clocking up more than my share of miles.

Today, the Defence Select Committee is taking part in a visit to Hereford, following which I will be quick to hit the road, hopefully in plenty of time to join the Bishop of Salisbury and cllr Jose Green at tonight’s discussion forum in the Chalke Valley.

I am looking forward to the opportunity to discuss the areas where faith and politics work together and the role of the church in creating and nourishing successful communities.

Then I will be back behind the wheel of my car, heading up to Wroughton to spend the night with relatives ahead of Friday morning’s UKTI export seminar.

I am pleased to have been able to organise this countywide event – an opportunity for more than 50 Wiltshire businesses (including several from Salisbury) which either export goods or aspire to do so, to discuss what needs to be done to enable small-scale manufacturers and service companies realise their ambitions.

I hope the government’s announcements this week concerning loans for businesses will be a helpful component of enabling opportunities to be seized.

Then it will be a mad dash back to Salisbury for an afternoon of meetings, including catching up with Wiltshire’s Public Health team and the Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership following my speech in last week’s mental health debate in parliament.

I will then be attending the opening of the Railway Club in Fisherton Street before moving on to The Close to support the work done by the Unit to promote peer-led arts projects.

I am pleased to do my bit to help launch its latest drive for much-needed funding by speaking at a fundraiser for them. The Unit works hard to break down barriers to participation in the arts and I want to see it given every opportunity to find a route to self-sufficiency.

Finally, I will be off to Wilton to meet some local residents before driving home to the family (and emails).