In the past week I have been contacted a number of constituents about how we go about getting exercise outdoors during lockdown.

We live in a beautiful part of the world and many of us have taken to walking in the countryside to help keep our fitness up and our mental health intact.

Of course there is nothing better than getting out and about but we must also remember that our countryside is a place of work for farmers and an important part of our local economy.

I am sure most of us follow the Countryside Code when we are on our walks but I hope you don’t mind me reminding you to always park carefully so gates and driveways are clear; always leave gates as you find them – farmers will have left them that way for a reason; follow waymarked paths – never trample crops – and give way to others where it is narrow.

Many of us walk with our dogs: please remember to keep you dog under control – especially as we move towards lambing season; bag and bin dog poo; and never leave litter.

It’s great to enjoy the outdoors but always follow advice, local signs and obey social distancing rules; and never feed farm animals – many are on specialist diets.

Aside from that this week I have:

• Asked the leader of the NHS, Sir Simon Stevens about cutting bureaucracy and red tape in the health service. You can see his answers to my questions in this video: https://www.drlukeevans.org.uk/news/health-and-social-care-select-committee-sir-simon-stevens
• Asked Foreign Office Minister Wendy Morton about the use of chemical weapons on British and Russian soil: https://fb.watch/3jVuMWfLu5/
• Had a briefing on the rollout of vaccines from Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi – and raised concerns about misinformation about vaccines.
• Spoke to the Chancellor to raise the request local businesses have made about a plan/roadmap for the future coming out of lockdown.
• Met with Inspector Jamie Osborne, Hinckley and Bosworth’s Local Policing Commander, to discuss how the pandemic has affected policing in my constituency, and raise issues of fly-tipping and speeding locally.
• Met with management at MIRA to talk about the Electric Vehicle research and their future plans and this fits the governments green agenda and supports local jobs.
• Met with the leadership and senior officer of Leicestershire County Council to discuss fairer funding for Leicestershire and how they will go about delivering essential services during and after the pandemic.