The big day. Up early and into committee room 19 for the day's only meeting of our European Scrutiny Committee. It lasted until 1045, giving me time to drop down to the Chamber and take my seat for both PMQs, where I had a question, and the Chancellor's Autumn Statement, which followed. At PMQs I had a pre-planned question on former Marine Sergeant Alexander Blackman, jailed in 2013 for killing a fatally wounded insurgent in Afghanistan in 2011. I am very much part of the campaign to get his case reheard and my role is to keep it as high in the public's mind as I can. The Prime Minister have as good an answer as he was able to do and I was grateful to him for the trouble he'd taken. Clearly, politicians cannot interfere with the judiciary, but we can help to get a case back into court if we think an injustice has occurred and our team believes that to be the case. Mr Blackman's wife must have been watching on TV as she sent me a sweet note of thanks. Claire is a remarkable lady, a loyal wife and a tough and determined fighter. I've already joked with her that she'd make a superb Royal Marine herself! Then, at 1230, George Osborne rose to give his Autumn Statement. I think it lasted about an hour, but much of what he said was extremely good news for South Dorset. First, after years of campaigning, Mr Osborne said the Government would review the education funding formula, which has been so unfair on counties like Dorset for too long. A real win. Then, we learnt that Purbeck District Council's bid for enterprise zone (EZ) status at Dorset Green near Wool had been successful. This is fantastic news and could generate thousands of jobs on the site. EZ status provides a range of benefits for businesses, including a five year business rate holiday for companies relocating to the site, allowing business rates to be spent locally to support the site, access to superfast broadband and streamlining planning permission. The Dorset LEP was supporting the bid and both its chairman Gordon Page and Richard Wilson's office at PDC, who I called after the statement, were simply delighted. Another win. The Government is also increasing apprenticeship funding by 15 per cent per place, although there will be a new levy on large employers to help pay for it. Not such good news for the latter, but apprentices are vital for the future of our economy. The Chancellor took us all by surprise by announcing that he had binned plans to cuts to tax credits. Many of us had written to Mr Osborne, asking him to soften the blow by reducing benefits more gradually. We had not expected him to drop the policy altogether. And I, personally, was delighted at the news that the police budget would not be cut further. Dorset Police are down to the bone and with all the threats we face today I think the Chancellor wisely listened to the many arguments to leave the police alone. He did. Another win. There's much more and I could go on, but overall we were pleased with the statement and when called by the Speaker took the chance to thank Mr Osborne, especially for supporting the EZ bid. At 1700, the Chancellor came to talk to the '22 Backbecnch Committee, where he was warmly welcomed. The meeting's in confidence, but I will say it was a happy one! The last vote was at 1900, but I had a lot of work to do so stayed at my desk until about 2000. An interesting day.