I was very pleased to combine my interests as a Wiltshire MP and defence minister on Friday during a visit to Larkhill to discuss the Salisbury Plain super garrison.

This is being established to accommodate the return of the Army from Germany by the end of the decade and its reorganisation under the Government’s plan Future Force 2020.

It’s a rare example of a win-win since soldiers and their families will be able to look forward to domestic stability during careers, the cost to the public purse will be less and Wiltshire’s economy will be boosted.

Wiltshire Council has been working hard with the military to make all this work both for the Army and for the local civilian community and is consulting the public widely.

We certainly need to ensure that infrastructure is in place that will suit the new arrivals and assure existing residents that services will not be overloaded.

This means particularly primary and secondary schools, general medical and dental practices and secondary healthcare, notably the maternity services at Salisbury.

Next week we have the budget to look forward to. I’m not expecting massive giveaways since the Government’s primary task is to deal with the deficit.

However, I can’t help noticing that the economic indicators have all been promising since the turn of the year and UK growth is near enough the best in the EU.

It’s clear to me that the economies instituted in 2010 have been vindicated but we cannot let up now or we will be back to square one.

I suspect the Chancellor will want to do what he can to boost business further, particularly small business to promote jobs, and cut tax where possible, especially for the low paid.

So my crystal ball points to income tax thresholds and fuel duty but sadly as a minister in a spending department I can boast no inside knowledge and we will have to wait and see.