I welcome the Government’s recently announced youth employment drive to create 200,000 jobs for young people, alongside the biggest transformation of apprenticeships in a decade.

Over the last ten years, the number of young people starting apprenticeships has dropped by 40%. These new measures will help tackle that decline and address the rising number of young people not in education, employment or training.

The package is backed by an additional £1 billion, taking total investment in youth employment and skills to £2.5 billion over the next three years. It is expected to support almost one million young people and help deliver up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn.

Having welcomed two school-aged students into my office on work experience last month, I know how important it is that young people are given the support they need to realise ambitions.

Despite the soaring temperatures on the hottest day of the year, we held a successful and well-attended Water Action Day at Abbeygate Sixth Form College with local residents, students, environmental campaigners, charities and other stakeholders. We were delighted to welcome Ash Smith as one of our panellists, whose work to protect our rivers inspired the recent Channel 4 docudrama Dirty Business.

Ash spoke powerfully about the failures of the current privatised water model, which is not working for consumers, public health, wildlife or water quality. He pointed to Thames Water as an example of a company where, since privatisation, shareholders have taken more out than they have put in.

I share Ash’s view that we need a different approach to water ownership – one that delivers the investment our infrastructure urgently needs, protects our rivers and chalk streams, and offers better value for billpayers.

Water Action Day was just one part of my wider campaign to clean up and protect our rivers and chalk streams. As well as securing an important debate in Parliament on the issue, I am also working across party lines to establish an All-Party Parliamentary Group on Chalk Streams.

May and June were both bumper months for celebrating Suffolk.

Festivities began at the Suffolk Show at the end of May, and the blue skies persisted for Suffolk Day 2026 in Bury St Edmunds under a blazing June sun.

Suffolk Day was a wonderful celebration of everything that makes our county special, from local food and businesses to our history, culture and community spirit. I confess I was especially taken by the beautiful vintage cars on display.

A highlight for me was watching students from Abbeygate Sixth Form College deliver the Suffolk Proclamation on behalf of the Lord Lieutenant. I was thoroughly impressed by their confidence and professionalism – they did themselves and their college proud.

It was an extra treat to welcome the students to Parliament the following day, where they met other Suffolk MPs, had a photograph with the Suffolk flag and enjoyed a tour of the Palace of Westminster.