My Easter recess from Parliament didn’t go as planned.

My constituency work continued as scheduled but my ministerial work changed dramatically, and my planned family break was cut short.

The reason? The strike threat by the fuel tanker drivers.

This has meant many meetings and calls with other ministers and in my department, often with twice daily teleconferences with officials from across Whitehall.

So, from leading the contingency planning for a strike to following the employer-union negotiations at Acas, it’s been hectic.

As I write, we still don’t know whether Unite will call the strike. It would be totally wrong if it does.

It can’t be right for a small number of people to seek to bring the country to a standstill. If Unite members do not accept the deal negotiated with employers we are now much better prepared to mitigate a strike’s effects.

As for my local work, there were three advice surgeries – in Surbiton, Hook and Norbiton. In total, more than 11 hours, with more than 30 different individuals or groups.

I think surgeries are a critical part of my work, so I’ve kept the same number of surgeries going, even after being appointed to the cabinet. I average about six or seven hours talking to residents, so it keeps my feet firmly on the ground.

This recess’s highlights included a visit to a business on one of Chessington’s industrial parks and evening at Kingston’s Tamil school seeing the children perform.

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