IT was extremely disappointing to hear of the decision to relocate substantial elements of Public Health England from Porton Down to Harlow.

This was a battle I fought long and hard and I have no doubt this decision was delayed as a result of that scrutiny.

However, now that the outcome is known, my first priority has to be to secure the most beneficial compensatory measures for the long-term future of this area and its highly-skilled and internationallyrespected workforce.

Within an hour of the announcement I met with George Osborne, who indicated he would look sympathetically on measures to secure Porton as an attractive prospect for private sector investment in the bioscience sector.

I met with senior officers at Wiltshire Council last week, as we work to put together a strong bid to protect and even improve Porton Down as a centre for high-value, high-quality jobs.

Last week I also wrote to key individuals on the area board, city council, cathedral, BID and the business community to convene a task force for Salisbury – with the aim of bringing greater focus to important projects around the city.

I hope this forum will allow us to act swiftly to galvanise progress on investment in Churchfields and The Maltings, developments at Wiltshire College and infrastructure improvements for the city.

These will include creating a Wilton Parkway station and securing an important upgrade to Salisbury railway station – both of which I see as key priorities for the next five years.

During the conference recess, I will be meeting local businesses and conducting surgeries as normal. I will also be continuing my work with the DWP select committee, taking meetings in London and joining colleagues on a field visit to Cambridge.

I look forward to attending a meeting in Shrewton to discuss ongoing traffic challenges