FOLLOWING the State Opening of Parliament in which the Queen laid out legislation for the new Parliamentary session I was encouraged by the government’s commitment to nuclear safeguarding, road and rail infrastructure, fairer funding for our local schools as well as reforming technical apprenticeships, which, for a skilled community like Copeland is crucial.

The government has also pledged to introduce a new mental health act, providing greater rights for those experiencing mental health problems and will be addressing the problems of social care for our ageing population.

Moving forward, a deal has now been made with the DUP which will support the Conservative Party on votes on the Queen’s Speech, the Budget, and on legislation relating to Brexit and national security and will allow the prime minister to govern in the national interest.

Last week I split my time between both Copeland and Parliament where I attended the Queen’s Speech in between meetings and briefings, before returning to Copeland and visiting various organisations, and local charity events across the constituency.

I attended the grand reopening of the Ravenglass Railway Museum; a fascinating and well thought-out project which I’m sure will bring many years of enjoyment to people of all ages as well as the Millom Bowls Tournament in aid of Hospice at Home West Cumbria who are celebrating 30 years of providing superb end-of-life care for the people of Copeland. I was pleased to meet volunteers and learn more about the wonderful work and care that is provided for those who need it. This absolutely commendable achievement is certainly something the town of Millom and all those involved can be very proud of and demonstrates just how important these services are.

I was delighted to be given an introductory bowls lesson by Mark Fell, the chairman of Millom Bowls Committee at Millom Park. The park has been at the heart of the local community for many years and to see it transformed into what it is today following a boost in investment is truly brilliant. The park now features multi-use games area and tennis courts, pop-up golf, a children’s play area and fitness trail along with lovely picnic spots, which I’m sure will come in use to all Millom residents over the summer months.

Bootle’s Church Fete took place over the weekend and welcomed families across the local community. Living in Bootle, this has been an annual event in our family calendar for many years, and I was thrilled to be a part of it again.

Back in Parliament I look forward to the extensive calendar of events and meetings. This week began with a meeting with the Chairman of the Friends of the Lake District, John Entwistle OBE, to discuss how best to protect our environments and landscapes, as well as meeting with executives from National Grid for an update on the North West Coast Connections project which would connect Moorside into the National Grid.

Trudy Harrison, Conservative MP for Copeland