PARLIAMENT has now prorogued. This is a fancy way to say that this parliamentary session has now ended, writes MP Siobhan Baillie. 

It is all very formal with announcements in the House of Lords and Commons and it is the period between the end of a session of Parliament and the State Opening of Parliament by the King that begins the next session on November 7.

This will be the fourth session of the 58th Parliament and I think it will probably last until a general election is called at some point next year.

The opening of the new parliamentary session is marked by a King’s Speech which sets out the government’s legislative programme for the next session. Some bills from the old session will be rolled over into the new one but much legislation will be new.

I am not a member of the government, so I have no knowledge of what new laws will be proposed but here are a few things I would like to see in the speech. Rogue and un-transparent property management companies make tenants’ and homeowners’ lives a misery. I would like to see legislation clamping down on their operations along with leasehold reform.

I undertake a lot of work on wetlands as the WWT is based at Slimbridge and I am chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Wetlands so I would like to see a focus on nature to help these environments expand and flourish.

I would also like to see more on SEND and apprenticeships but in fairness the government has done a lot in these areas recently so the focus should perhaps be on ramping up existing initiatives and reforms.

A transport bill - looking for specifics for rural areas that need a mix of public transport and driver friendly measures - would be a good addition too.

Finally, a big shout out to Woodchester Mansion trustees and volunteers as their Halloween event was epic and great fun for my little girl, and me too if I am going to be honest.

We went to see the cellars and take part in the golden pumpkin hunt. It was brilliant and may be the spookiest place in the Cotswolds.