As Parliament and the schools move into the final few days of the summer term, I’m sure many minds are turning to holidays, and how we’re going to keep the kids entertained.

The beginning of the summer period was a busy time for my office, with many Buckingham constituency residents getting in touch with me about delays to their passports. At the time of writing, we’ve managed to make successful arrangements for everybody who has contacted me, but I anticipate that this will be an ongoing issue for the next couple of weeks at least. It has been distressing for many who have made plans to go abroad, only to be confronted with the possibility that their passports might not arrive on time, but I’m hopeful that there is a light at the end of the tunnel for most.

On the subject of tunnels, after the summer holidays, it is likely that HS2 will come to the fore once again, with the Hybrid Bill Committee continuing to take evidence on the proposal. I anticipate that I will be called to give evidence at some stage, and I am looking forward to putting the views of local residents across to the committee members.

Last Saturday, as a break from my usual round of constituency meetings, I dropped into the Princes Risborough street fair, which was part of their annual town festival. As always, this was enormously enjoyable and I followed it up with a visit to Pitstone, for their “party in the park”. Although a great time was had by all, I confess to feeling a little bit sad that these will probably be the last summer events of the year for me. I am frequently struck by the sense of community when I attend the various fairs, summer parties, festivals and barbeques, and I always feel honoured to be invited.

Meanwhile, I plan to have some time off with my family over the summer, whilst continuing to undertake my obligations as local Member of Parliament. Whilst it is certainly true that the volume of calls, correspondence and emails drops off slightly during August, there is always plenty going on and my office will remain open.

I hope that all readers will have the opportunity to have a relaxing break, and that the weather stays pleasant for us.