As the Arts Minister I am in charge of the Government Art Collection (GAC).

On Friday, 14th December I visited Parklands Nursery School and Playgroup to join some of the very young children and their parents for a festive Christmas sing along!

In the last fortnight I spoke, on behalf of the Government, at a Westminster Hall debate on the matter of town centre Heritage Acton Zones – which are programmes that help encourage growth in historic places and help heritage assets to be more productive.

In the last fortnight I have spoken on behalf of the Government on two occasions inside Parliament: at an appearance on the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee and also in the House of Commons chamber during questions to my Department of government.

I recently announced the findings of the annual Treasure Report at the British Museum, revealing the number of treasure discoveries that the public have made in the last year, and I am pleased to note that the figure was record-breaking!

I recently joined Lieutenant Colonel John Hanson MBE and other members of Her Majesty’s Armed Forces – both full-time and reservists – at a dinner at Northampton’s Clare Street Reserve Centre to celebrate the great work of our Armed Forces generally and the 103 Battalion Royal Electrical and Mech

Small Business Saturday is a grassroots, not-for-profit campaign designed to highlight the importance of small businesses in the community as well as providing them an economic boost on the day itself - which this year fell on Saturday, 1st December.

As regular readers will know, I have always been a keen supporter of all faith groups in Northampton. It is imperative that people of all faiths feel safe and welcome in our community, and I have been very concerned about the worrying rise of anti-Semitism in the country.

On Saturday, 1st December I visited The Silhouette Youth Theatre at their performance hub at the Weston Favell Shopping Centre in Northampton.

As the Government’s Arts Minister I work tirelessly to ensure that our national interest is maintained when it comes to art and heritage in this country.