Parliament doesn’t sit every day of the year. At certain times - most noticeably during school holidays - MPs are in what’s called recess.

Unfortunately, despite how it sounds, this isn’t time off. It’s when we’re back in our constituencies, meeting local people, listening to concerns, and really getting to grips with the issues that matter most to our communities.

The same applies every Friday. From Monday to Thursday I’m in London, but by Thursday evening I make sure I’m home, ready for a full day out and about locally.

Those days are packed with visits and meetings - everything from schools and sports clubs to businesses and care homes. Everyone has a view on the issues that affect them, and Fridays are when I get to hear those views directly, not through an email or a phone call, but face to face.

This week, I had the pleasure of visiting the Year 2 pupils at Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School in West End. Standing up in Parliament to question the Government can feel daunting, but let me tell you, having forty-odd schoolchildren looking up at you and asking how we can improve local parks with things like pump tracks is just as challenging.

I might not have all the answers on the spot, but knowing these children will be the voting generation in 10 years’ time makes it all the more important to listen and represent their interests. I was genuinely impressed by how well they knew their local area, and how much they cared about issues like the environment and local shops.

That’s really the point of Fridays. Whether I’m talking about green spaces for children or meeting someone on the high street in Camberley who’s frustrated by local businesses closing, my job is to take those concerns back with me to Parliament. There’s little point in standing up and debating issues that have no relevance to people in Surrey Heath.

Instead, I focus on pushing for debates that can make a real difference to my constituents. Take driving tests, for example.

Every week I hear from young people, parents and teachers about how difficult it is to secure a test. For months, I applied for a debate on the issue, until The Speaker finally granted me the opportunity to lead one.

It proved incredibly positive - MPs from across the South East took part, and we received an honest response from the Minister about the DVSA’s failings, including the dismissal of its chief executive.

It’s because of those Fridays, and time spent in recess, that I’m able to take issues raised in Surrey Heath and give them national attention.

That’s why I always encourage as many meetings and visits as possible. If you’d like me to come and see you, if there’s an issue you want to raise, or if there’s something you’d like me to highlight in Parliament or on my social media channels, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Just email my team at [email protected], and we’ll see what we can do.