Roads minister Richard Holden has written to me about his department’s north-south strategic study which is likely to report soon.

Richard tells me the A350 south of Warminster is unlikely to be involved.
That’s hardly surprisingly given the challenges that would pose, notably at Melbury Abbas but also at Crockerton, Longbridge Deverill, East Knoyle, the long climb up Sem Hill at Semley and Shaftesbury.
However, he left open the possibility that the A36/46 through Bath or the A350 at Chippenham could be.
The former would be fascinating given the local council’s declaration of a Clean Air Zone in Bath and its unneighbourly shunting of traffic through Westbury.
Naturally, I will oppose any move that would put more traffic through the middle of Westbury or discommode my constituents along the way.

Well done Wiltshire Council leader Richard Clewer for standing up for Westbury and against Bath’s programme of shifting its traffic onto Wiltshire roads.
Still on roads, I’m pleased Highways England will impose a temporary 40mph limit through Chicklade for the duration of a road safety survey which will take about a year.
I hope it will be made permanent in due course to bring it in line with other settlements along the A303.
I also hope it will look at pavements in the village pending the bypass that will attend the top to tail upgrade of the road.
That’s presently being held up by challenges over the Stonehenge stretch.

It was a privilege to meet Ukrainians training on Salisbury Plain.
They are remarkable – the youngest 18, the oldest 68.
They are extremely able, grimly determined, full of fighting spirit.
As Bonaparte said, the moral is to the physical as three is to one. That’s why they will prevail.
Thank you to UK soldiers and civilians going the extra mile to train these extraordinary people.
Slava Ukraini.