I AM RETURNING to this column after a few weeks’ break over the summer; I hope Penarth Times readers had the opportunity, as I did, to catch up with friends and family – even if we haven’t had the best weather this year.

First of all I’d like to congratulate all our local students who received A-level, AS-level and GCSE results in August. Pupils (and of course staff) at our schools have worked incredibly hard and deserve every success.

Along with my fellow MPs, I returned to Parliament this week – and we have been straight back to business, with meetings and debates filling the diary. My commitments this session will include my new role as a member of the influential Home Affairs Select Committee, membership of numerous All Party Parliamentary Groups, and continuing to raise the issues that matter to local people at every opportunity.

There will of course be much debate on Brexit, as negotiations continue. I have written previously about how I believe this Tory Government is recklessly driving us towards a hard Brexit, with no thought for the consequences that will affect generations to come. Their conduct of the negotiations over the summer has been shambolic and arrogant - as if the General Election never happened.

I’m therefore pleased that my colleague Keir Starmer, Labour’s shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the EU, has set out our support for staying in the single market and customs union in the interim. I think we should stay permanently and will continue to argue this case.

It has never been more important that the Government and ministers are held to account, and I will continue to do that on behalf of my constituents (a majority of whom voted to remain in the EU) and others who – while accepting the result of the referendum – want to ensure we leave in a way that does not jeopardise the future of this country and its people.

I submitted Parliamentary questions ahead of my return to Westminster, asking the Secretary of State for Exiting the EU David Davis how he plans to consult with the public on the Brexit negotiations; and asking the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on exiting the EU.

I await their answers.