* AS Parliament resumes after the conference recess, the naval-gazing debates on internal matters seem to have attracted more attention than the important legislative agenda. We had a debate on the use of hand-held devices in the Chamber where I spoke in favour of tweeting; and a long overdue debate on MPs’ pensions which finally means they will be reformed in line with the rest of the public sector.

We have also been finalising the general Pensions Bill and there was an extremely welcome £1billion concession from the government for which many of us have been lobbying which helps to make transitional arrangements fairer for women.

We have also finished the parliamentary inquiry into online child protection which I have been leading and will report next month to the Prime Minister.

* Education has been high on the local agenda and John Glen MP and I were able to meet with a group of headteachers from all over south Wiltshire to discuss the challenges facing local schools. I also saw education of a different sort when I visited the hugely impressive army cadet force at Larkhill last Thursday and saw the fantastic range of activities on offer. The polish and commitment of the young cadets was exemplary.

* John Glen and I, along with Dr Andrew Murrison MP, were among the civic guests at the enthronement ceremony for the new Bishop of Salisbury last weekend – an extraordinary and historic event which brought the cathedral alive. I had not been in the cathedral since the funeral of Horatio Chapple and, along with hundreds of others, I will be taking part in the great range of fundraising activities on offer in Salisbury during the weekend of November 5 and 6 to support the new Horatio’s Garden atSalisbury Spinal Injuries Unit.

* The final news of the week was an unexpected promotion to become Parliamentary Private Secretary to Philip Hammond, the new Defence Secretary.

I am very much looking forward to the challenge.