I hope all my constituents had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

It has been another difficult year, beginning with our third lockdown and ending with uncertainty over the new Omicron variant.

Thank you to our key workers who have kept vital services in Central Devon going throughout the year, to our emergency workers who will no doubt have been very busy over Christmas, and thank you to our brave servicemen and women, some of whom will be posted overseas and separated from their families on Christmas Day.

A summary of my work during 2021 can be found at www.melstridemp.com/2021. This includes:

Transport – I stayed in touch with GWR and Network Rail over the launch of The Dartmoor Line in November and I am now lobbying for funding for a second station on the eastern edge of Okehampton.

Healthcare – I organised a key ministerial meeting over the future of Moretonhampstead Hospital, securing an assurance that the hospital will be retained. I recently launched a petition to keep Pathfinder Village GP Surgery open.

Business – I have helped local businesses access support schemes and, as Chair of the House of Commons Treasury Select Committee, have fought for those who have fallen through the cracks in Government support.

Education – I have visited several local primary schools to discuss catch-up support with headteachers and talk to pupils about Parliament and the environment.

Climate Change – After chairing a major parliamentary inquiry into the decarbonisation of our economy, I published a report making several recommendations to the Government. I also attended COP26 in Glasgow.

Farming – I have lobbied Defra ministers during 2021 over issues including the Groupage Export Facilitation Scheme, the Sustainable Farming Incentive Scheme and funding for young farmers. I have also raised specific concerns about labour shortages which affect food distribution supply chains.