It has been another busy month in the constituency and Westminster – and our first Labour conference in government since 2009.

The message in Liverpool was clear: change has now begun. We have started to fix the Tories’ mess and lay the foundations for national renewal.

In our first 100 days, we have introduced legislation to boost workers’ rights, launch a publicly owned clean power company in GB Energy and return railways across Britain to public ownership.

I hope to play a part in this change as chair-elect of the Welsh Affairs Committee. I have pledged to be a “critical friend” of the Labour governments in Cardiff and Westminster and focus relentlessly on the everyday concerns of people in Wales.

One of the most pressing issues facing the country, and one which we began to scrutinise before the General Election, is the state of our prisons. I am particularly concerned about events at HMP Parc in Bridgend and I intend for the committee to resume these inquiries as a matter of urgency.

I have continued my work with animal welfare groups and this week led a debate on government support for the RSPCA – the first animal welfare organisation in the world.

Once again, I pay tribute to all the trailblazing efforts of the charity’s officials and volunteers.

Their work inspired a movement which turned us into the nation of animal lovers we are today. This government will deliver the biggest boost to animal welfare in a generation, ending the abhorrent trade of puppy smuggling and phasing out the use of animals in labs.

I will soon present a new piece of animal welfare legislation from the backbenches and I hope it will leave a legacy which makes all of us in Newport West and Islwyn proud.

Last week, I held an advice surgery in Crumlin with Councillor Kristian Woodland.

I visited Q-Bot’s training and operations base in Rogerstone to see their robot insulation technology in action and discuss its potential for retrofitting homes in Islwyn.

I visited Libanus Primary in Blackwood and Waunfawr Primary in Crosskeys and encouraged their fantastic pupils to continue our Valley’s democratic tradition by using their voice.

It was also “back to school” for me as I returned to my old school, The John Frost School in Duffryn, to watch Newport West Netball Club.

I spoke to club manager Chloe John about the profound difference the club has made in the community having taken on nearly 150 members in just three years.

I know from my time as a physiotherapist the health benefits of keeping fit and I commended Chloe for giving girls the chance to do just that with different teams for a range of ages and abilities.

I will always champion women in sport and this week met former Olympic swimmer Rebecca Adlington in Parliament, where we discussed the importance of female leadership – more women making better decisions for more women.