I know many of us are concerned about the impact social media is having on our younger generation, so to get a better picture of feeling across Monmouthshire, I launched a survey to understand more.

The first results are now in, thank you to everyone who has taken the time to share their views so far. The findings are very interesting.

The headline result is that 81% of respondents support banning social media for under-16s.

On top of this, 63% said they are “very concerned” about their children using social media, while only 4.2% said they are “not concerned at all”.

The biggest concerns raised were the impact on young people’s mental health, exposure to harmful content, and the addictive nature of social media.

Alongside this, many people also shared thoughtful ideas about how we can better protect children online - not just through a blanket ban, but through stronger safeguards and better education for both children and parents.

The survey is still open until 15th May, and I want to hear from as many people as possible. You can take part here.

I will be sharing these results with Ministers and raising them in Parliament as the UK Government’s consultation on social media and children progresses.

Onto the topic of rivers, I recently met with Roch Cheroux, the new CEO of Welsh Water/Dŵr Cymru, for an introductory meeting.

I used this meeting to clearly set out my priorities and expectations - particularly my focus on cleaning up our rivers, tackling pollution in all its forms, and addressing residents’ major concerns about rising water bills across Monmouthshire.

While I recognise that Welsh Water is investing over £100 million in improving infrastructure here in Monmouthshire to reduce pollution, I made it clear that if people are being asked to pay higher bills, they rightly expect to see clear improvements and no further pollution in our rivers.

Overall, it was a positive first meeting and a useful opportunity to better understand Welsh Water’s plans. Moving forward, I will continue to press Dŵr Cymru for a significant reduction in pollution across Monmouthshire and Wales.

Finally, thank you to those who attended my recent surgery in Abergavenny. It was great to meet with residents and help with a range of issues.

I regularly host surgeries across Monmouthshire, so if you have a specific piece of casework you’d like my support with, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with my office, and we’ll look at how we can help.