Earlier today, I marked the start of construction of the new Heathside Walton-on-Thames school. This will be an excellent new secondary school for children in Walton and Molesey, serving children in that area and easing the pressure on school places right across the borough.

Well done to Anne Cullum and her team for reaching this milestone – and I look forward to the school opening next year!

Elsewhere this month:

• On Remembrance Day, I reflected on the huge sacrifices made by so many to preserve this country’s democracy, our freedoms and our way of life. Later in the week, on Remembrance Sunday, I joined the local community at Esher war memorial for a poignant service led by Reverend Darren McCallig, after a separate service at Christ Church Esher.
   
• I was out and about across the constituency, meeting residents and listening to their thoughts and concerns. I held successful drop-in surgeries at Squire’s in Hersham and Costa in Esher, and met early morning commuters at Walton Station. I also held a well-attended Q&A session on Facebook last Friday.
   
• I paid visits to Long Ditton Infant and Nursery School and Ashley Church of England Primary School – reading with the children, speaking to them about what it means to be an MP and answering their insightful questions. These visits were also valuable opportunities to catch up with the teachers and thank them for their efforts to keep learning going through the lockdowns.
   
• Together with Councillor Steve Bax, I dropped in on local businesses in East Molesey, including Hopscotch and Are You Fleur Real? It was great to hear from retailers about how they’re bouncing back from the pandemic, and to discuss the new support for businesses announced in the Budget last month.

In my role as Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary this month, it was a pleasure to welcome the new Lord Mayor of London at a ceremony in the City (pictured above).

With a trail-blazing career in law and finance and a passion for the arts, Vincent Keaveny will help London and Global Britain to build back better from the pandemic.
 
In other news this month:

• I announced Harper’s Law – which will mean mandatory life sentences for those who kill on-duty emergency workers – and explained why we’re taking this step in the Daily Mail. I pay tribute to Lissie Harper’s determination to change the law, after her husband PC Andrew Harper was killed in the line of duty in 2019.
   
• I took part in the topping out ceremony for a new prison at Glen Parva in Leicestershire, which will create 1,700 new prison places. This is part of the most ambitious prison building programme in a hundred years, which will create 20,000 extra places by the mid-2020s.
   
• I presided over the QC appointments ceremony, where barristers and solicitors who have demonstrated particular skill and expertise are recognised by being appointed as Queen’s Counsel. The ceremony also appointed Honorary Queen’s Counsel, who have made a major contribution to the law of England and Wales outside of practice in the courts.

• We galvanised international action to combat climate change at the COP26 Summit, keeping 1.5 degrees alive and making important progress on coal, cars, cash, and trees. It’s very positive news that 90% of the world’s economy is now committed to net zero, up from 30% when the UK took on the COP presidency in 2019.
   
• The government launched a new export strategy – Made in the UK, Sold to the World – with a 12-point plan to help UK businesses hit £1 trillion in exports.
   
• A new criminal offence will crack down on dog theft, putting people who steal much-loved pets behind bars for up to five years. There will also be a provision in the legislation to extend the offence to other pets in the future, should the evidence support this.
   
• We saw some key votes of confidence in the UK economy – including AstraZeneca unveiling its new global R&D facility in Cambridge, and Shell announcing plans to move its headquarters to the UK.