I HAVE been utterly sickened by the horrific attacks in Afghanistan in the last few weeks, which have killed many civilians, including the deliberate attack on humanitarian workers from Save the Children and civilians in a major hotel.

The speaker granted my request for an Urgent Question in the Commons on Monday, and I asked the Foreign Secretary to make a statement on the recent Taliban and ISIS/Daesh attacks, and the UK Government’s response.

Attention to events in Afghanistan has waned in the last year despite a significant ongoing UK military, diplomatic, development and NGO presence.

Recent events suggest the situation is becoming increasingly violent and volatile. One cannot help but feel the world has turned its focus away, but we need to do all we can to support the people of Afghanistan against terror and violence.

I often receive complaints about delayed and cancelled trains (as a regular traveller I fully understand the frustration), and other rail network related problems. Last week in Parliament I met representatives of GWR (the train company) and Network Rail (who run the tracks and infrastructure) to discuss concerns that constituents have raised with me about main line services.

It was a constructive and helpful meeting, and touched on a wide range of concerns including: ticket prices and the possibility of offering more and earlier advance fares; new trains and concerns over comfort and catering; cancellations and delays which they accept have increased recently; engineering work in the year ahead that will inevitably cause major disruption; the Carillion collapse, although so far this hasn’t impacted on work locally; and the importance of expanding and improving Cardiff Central.

The local Wales and Borders service which covers trains to and from Penarth (currently run by Arriva), and the proposed South Wales Metro, are matters for the Welsh Government – but please contact me if you ever have concerns about intercity rail services and the main line.

Last Saturday was Holocaust Memorial Day – on the 73rd anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi German camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, the site of the largest mass murder in history.

We must never forget the utter evil of the Holocaust, nor the modern genocides that have tragically followed, and we must always stand robust against all forms of anti-Semitism, racism and hatred from wherever they come - whether from the extremes of religion or ethnic hatred, or from the left or right of politics.