This week Wycombe MP Steve Baker writes exclusively to Bucks Free Press readers:

On Thursday there was voting in elections to Buckinghamshire Council and for the Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner.

Results are out today and I would like to offer my thanks to everyone who has taken part, and my congratulations to the successful candidates of all parties.

I’m hoping the newly elected councillors will continue the good work of the council, which has done so much to help people during the pandemic.

Once the new council is formed, there is likely to be discussion on what will happen with the unparished area in the centre of High Wycombe and whether there will be a town council. I have no formal say in that decision, but I will certainly be following the discussion closely.

After a Bank Holiday last weekend when the weather was much colder, wetter and more blustery than normal, I am sure we will all be looking to the next stage in the Prime Minister’s roadmap out of lockdown when we will be able to meet indoors and have drinks and meals inside. That is expected on May 17.

This has been made possible by the superb vaccination programme and the hard work of NHS staff, GPs, pharmacists, and volunteers who continue to offer vaccines to people over the age of 40.

I recently backed a campaign calling for £50 million over five years to target research into Motor Neurone Disease. In High Wycombe, there are people and charities actively supporting those with MND, and I have backed their campaign for a new Research Institute.

Research is needed to understand the causes and identify potential treatments for MND and help the UK consolidate its position as a world leader in MND research.

I am looking forward to the State Opening of Parliament on Tuesday, when we will hear the Government’s legislative programme for the coming session.