THE week kicked off with an exceptionally busy constituency surgery.

For some time, I have adopted a policy of scheduling surgeries according to demand at very regular intervals.

Although Parliament doesn’t rise until December 19, I will be squeezing in a few more surgeries before Christmas. However, they are filling up fast, so if you need to see me urgently, please give my office a call.

It was a great pleasure before leaving for London to be able to witness the excellent turnout for the 4th Battalion The Rifles homecoming parade on Monday.

The typically enthusiastic Salisbury public lining the streets gave a warm welcome that was richly deserved and, I’m sure, very deeply appreciated.

The major news emanating from Westminster over the past week has centred around the Autumn Statement.

I was pleased to see that, as well as the greatly improved outlook for the wider economy, there were a number of muchneeded positives for the high street.

The Chancellor has capped business rate increases at two per cent next year, cut £1,000 off every retailer’s rates with a rateable value up to £50,000 and extended the Small Business Rates Relief to April 2015.

To further revive the high street, he has also proposed 50 per cent rates relief for 18 months where people occupy retail premises left empty for a year or more and, by scrapping employer NICs for under 21s, the cost of giving someone their first job will be cut.

I sympathise with those who felt we should have gone further but, as the national chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses said, the statement is still a “sobering reminder about the scale of the deficit the country faces and the tough choices which need to be made”.

Of course, I am not presenting any of these measures as a panacea but they are all steps in the right direction. As the economy picks up further, I look forward to the government being able to do even more.

Back in the constituency, carol service season is getting into full swing and I will be attending as many as possible between now and December 25, starting with the Salvation Army’s Christmas celebration on Friday.