The House of Commons resumed sitting this week and I am pleased that the sensible decision has been taken not to break again for party conferences this year.

As part of the government’s Plan for Jobs, a new £2 billion Kickstart Scheme will create hundreds of thousands of new, fully subsidised jobs for young people across the country.

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Employers of all sizes are being invited to apply for generous cash incentives to help them take on new apprentices and get more people into work, Apprenticeships and Skills Minister, Gillian Keegan has announced today (1 September).

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Schools and colleges will benefit from a new multi-million training programme run by mental health experts, to help improve how they respond to the emotional impact of the coronavirus pandemic on their students and staff.

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Reception-age children will benefit from a multi-million pound package of funding to boost their early language skills.

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People needing additional follow-on care after being discharged from hospital – including older people and those with disabilities – will be supported by a £588 million fund to cover adult social care or the immediate costs of care in their own home.

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I’d like to wish the very best of luck to everyone getting their GCSE grades today. It may feel as if the eyes of the nation are on you but, whatever the noise in the media may be doing, I hope each and every one of you gets the grades you need to move onto your next set of ambitions.

More than 180 colleges will receive a share of £200 million to begin immediate work from this September to repair and refurbish buildings and campuses so they continue to be great places to learn for the local communities they serve. Yeovil College is set to receive £530,115.

Millions of self-employed people whose livelihoods have been affected by coronavirus will be able to claim a second payment of up to £6,570 from today – as the government continues to help drive the UK’s recovery.

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Good news at the end of last week as Holyrood Street in Chard was reopened following the temporary closure to encourage social distancing measures.