I first want to address the concerns that many residents have contacted me about recently, which is the rising cost of heating oil.

I know this is a real concern for families, farmers and businesses across Monmouthshire who rely on oil to heat their homes and run their farms and businesses.

That’s why I wrote to the Treasury to raise these concerns directly and ask what action would be taken to support rural areas facing rising costs.

I’m pleased to share that since then, a £53 million support package has been announced to help households across the UK facing rising heating oil prices.

In Wales, this funding will be provided to the Welsh Government, which will decide how the support is distributed to households.

Farmers have been in touch too, saying they are particularly impacted by an increase in red diesel and fertiliser costs so I asked what further support may be available to them in Parliament.

I’m also pleased that the Government has already asked the Competition and Markets Authority to investigate potential overcharging in the heating oil market.

I will continue doing everything I can to support residents on this issue and will keep everyone updated as we hear more.

I also recently visited Llanthony to speak with residents, business owners and local farmers about the impact the recent landslide and road closure is having on the community.

The four-hour journey there and back via the highest mountain pass in South Wales showed me first-hand just how difficult the situation currently is.

Residents shared the impact the closure is having on their businesses and daily lives — including the challenge of simply getting children to school, which in some cases now requires a four-hour round trip.

I know Monmouthshire County Council is working as quickly as possible to address the issue and ensure the necessary works can be carried out.

In the meantime, I left the meeting with several actions for my team and me to follow up on, particularly to help provide clarity for residents about what happens next and to explore what support may be available for affected businesses. I will make sure to keep everyone updated.

Finally, thank you to everyone who came along to my recent Coffee Morning in Caldicot.

These sessions are a great opportunity for residents to come together with me and local councillors, raise issues affecting the area, and share ideas about how we can make our communities even better.

There were lots of fantastic suggestions raised during the discussion, including improving public transport and smartening up some areas of the town centre.

I’ll now be putting together a short report outlining the key themes and next steps so we can start taking action on them.

We will be hosting another Coffee Morning elsewhere in Monmouthshire soon - so keep an eye out.