Hot on the heels of confirmation of funding for Wiltshire College’s redevelopment in Chippenham, I was back in the college last week to track the progress of their planning application and speak to students.

We discussed ways to help make public transport more affordable for young people – particularly those in education and training. It’s something that has previously been raised with me by the young people on Corsham Youth Council.

We clearly need to make sure that the cost of transport doesn’t get in the way of young people studying or in training getting on in life. If the Coalition Government cannot do more to help, then I’m pressing for a commitment to do so in my party’s plans for after the next election.

The young people I spoke to were also relieved that Wiltshire’s youth services have been saved from cuts proposed by the Conser-vatives at County Hall. Fortunately, an amendment to the Budget put forward by the Liberal Democrat Councillors will see £250,000 more invested in youth services than the Conservatives were proposing, with £100,000 coming from stopping printing unnecessary paperwork for councillors.

Since becoming an MP, I’ve repeatedly raised in Parliament the problems my constituents have faced with the Work Capability Assessment and the contractor that provides them, Atos. The same company is now inflicting long waits on some of my constituents applying for the new disability benefit, Personal Independence Payment.

I raised this in Work and Pensions Questions and urged that the service providers responsible face penalties. It’s fair enough that people applying for disability benefit should first have a face-to-face assessment, but currently too many are having to wait too long.

I also asked the Energy and Climate Change Minister about the Coalition Government’s new plans to encourage communities to take the lead in developing new renewable energy projects in their area.

These are important measures that will help clean our energy supply as well as sustaining local communities, including setting up a One-Stop Shop providing information for community energy groups and working with the renewables industry to increase shared ownership of new developments.

My next constituency surgeries will be at The Pound Arts Centre, Corsham today (Friday) from 11am-12.30pm and at Bradford on Avon Library on Saturday, 10-11.30am.