AS I MENTIONED in my column two weeks ago, I am now a member of the Home Affairs Select Committee.

A huge amount of parliamentary work takes place in committees, which consider policy issues, scrutinise the work and expenditure of the government, and examine proposals for primary and secondary legislation.

Select committees operate largely via an investigative process, seeking written and oral evidence from a wide range of groups and individuals according to the subject of inquiry, and at the end of an inquiry the Committee usually produces a report setting out its findings and making recommendations to Government – which they must respond to within two months of publications.

The Home Affairs committee is extremely influential as it examines the expenditure, administration and policy of the Home Office and its associated public bodies.

It covers a whole range of important issues, relevant to the constituency as well as country-wide, including policing, immigration, extremism, hate crime and drugs.

The current inquiry is focused on the running of Brook House Immigration Removal Centre, following a BBC Panorama investigation which uncovered serious and shocking problems including allegations of assault, racial abuse and mocking of detainees by staff of G4S (which is contracted by the Home Office), cases of self-harm and attempted suicide among detainees, bullying among staff and of detainees, understaffing, endemic drug use, and procedural reporting failures.

We held our first Committee sessions last week, and heard some deeply concerning allegations about the conduct of some G4S staff and the wider culture that appears to permeate the organisation. There are serious questions to be answered, and our inquiry will seek to get to the bottom of exactly what is going on, and what the Home Office needs to do to improve matters.

On Sunday, it was a privilege to attend the Penarth Branch of the Royal Air Forces Association’s annual wreath-laying service at Alexandra Park, to commemorate the 77th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

It was an honour to lay a wreath on behalf of all constituents, and to stand alongside forces personnel, Air Cadets from 1148 Penarth Squadron, other local representatives including Vaughan Gething AM, and members of the public, to pay our respects to the fallen, and to pay tribute to the good work done locally and across the country by armed forces support organisations and charities like RAFA.