IN MY shadow ministerial role, I cover Europe and North America - and in recent weeks I’ve met government representatives from Ukraine, Spain, Hungary, North Macedonia, Italy, Germany, France, Bosnia and the US.

In a debate on Ukraine and British Diplomatic Support, I said: “The Shadow Foreign Secretary and I met with Ukrainian MPs last week and heard first-hand the devastating impact Russia’s illegal actions are having on civilians across Ukraine.

"May I bring the minister back to a point I have raised with him a number of times? We need to stay the course in our support for Ukraine, and the whole world needs to stay the course with Ukraine.

"That will involve substantial costs. Will he look again at not only freezing Russian assets but their seizure and repurposing to ensure we can support humanitarian and reconstruction efforts in Ukraine?”

And in a debate on Steel Safeguards, I said: “The secretary of state will be aware of the importance of Celsa Steel to jobs and the economy in my constituency, to crucial national infrastructure projects, and to our construction industry.

"If the energy price crisis continues or deepens, what new measures will the Government consider taking, particularly for those energy-intensive industries? What more is she going to do to boost procurement?

"Crucially, it is that procurement chain and long-term orders from within the UK, using UK-made steel, that will secure those jobs for the future.”

I also led for the Opposition in a statement by Jacob Rees-Mogg about EU Retained Law, saying: “This appears to be simply a vanity project. It is extraordinary that on a day when inflation has topped nine per cent, when the cost of energy is soaring, when families are facing massive pressures and wondering how they will put food on the table, and when prices are rising at the fastest rate in 40 years, the Government’s offer to the British people is a digital filing cabinet of existing legislation. The reality is that gimmicks do nothing to address the real challenges that the public face today.”

Locally I’ve attended events including a Refugee Week festival, a celebration of Windrush Day, the launch of a new home for a boxing club in Butetown and a new environmental community project in Splott.

It was also a pleasure to welcome Tim Hackett from Tabernacle in Penarth to the 2022 National Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast in Westminster Hall this week.