LAST week gave me a fleeting taste of career progress when I was temporarily promoted to parliamentary private secretary to the minister leading the debate on Britain’s financial contribution to the European Union, Justine Greening.

I share her view that it is unacceptable for the EU to blithely vote itself a healthy increase in spending while local governments have to make cuts and hope her robust attitude lasts all through the negotiations.

Back in Wiltshire on Friday, I had meetings in Salisbury with the senior police team covering the south of my constituency, visited RAF Boscombe Down, held a busy surgery in Devizes and spoke at the Devizes Chamber of Commerce dinner on the importance of small businesses and competitive car parking charges to our market towns.

In Westminster this week there were two announcements of critical importance to Britain.

The first was Tuesday’s strategic defence and security review when I questioned both the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Defence and found there is much to welcome including the maintenance of battalion numbers and reservist strength, the determination to fully support our troops in Afghanistan and the commitment to local capital projects such as military housing in Bulford and the Tidworth Recovery Centre.

However, we need to know more detail before we can assess the full local impact of the decisions.

We were expecting the Comprehensive Spending Review yesterday, which will set out the tough decisions the Government has had to make across all departments.

I will post details and commentary on my website at claireperry.org.uk and, if you would like to discuss anything with me at one of my local advice sessions, please call my office on 01672 519198 for an appointment.

You can also always contact me at the House of Commons by letter, by phone on 0207 2197050 or by e-mail at claire.perry.mp@parliament.uk.