On Monday, I held a surgery in Westhill where I met with constituents and listened to their concerns.

On Wednesday, I had a Finance and Constitution Committee meeting at which we discussed the EU Withdrawal Bill and the impact of Brexit on the budget. I asked specific questions about the common frameworks for withdrawal negotiations, the impacts of Brexit on the oil and gas sector in the North East, and the costs of running the new income tax system. Later, I joined the Conservative MSP group in meeting with Bethany Christian Trust to donate clothing to their charity and learn more about the work they do to combat homelessness. I also met with campaigners from the charity Shelter Scotland to learn more about their efforts to tackle the causes and consequences of homelessness.

On Thursday morning, I had the chance to meet with Paul Togneri from the Scottish Beer and Pub Association. Later, I attended First Minister’s Questions and met with the energy services company Centrica. In the evening, I went to the Scottish Green Energy Awards in Edinburgh. This was a great event that celebrated the diverse technology of the Scottish renewables market and recognized new innovations in the field. I was glad to be able to attend.

On Friday, I held a surgery at Banchory Business Centre where I spoke with various constituents about their concerns.

Over the weekend I celebrated Small Business Saturday. It was great to see so much support for our local small businesses, and I hope that we can continue to encourage more people to shop locally in the future.