A busy day. Began with a virtual meeting with the NFU. Stuart Roberts hosted it and we discussed badger culling. There is no doubt that the cull has seen a significant reduction in bovine TB. The cull has always been controversial to animal welfare organisations, but, like all wild animals, to cull is to ensure animal health. It must also be said that TB has destroyed whole herds and businesses and that is unacceptable. There's a balance, like most things in life, and the countryside has to be maintained. No one wants to kill all badgers, just to control their numbers. At 1030 I logged on to the weekly CRG session, where we listened to Dr Raghib Ali. Most informative. A meeting with my parliamentary team followed, after which it was time for another session of our Defence Select Committee. We considered the strengths and weaknesses of the US-UK defence partnership and explored the concepts, doctrine and capabilities required to pursue shared strategic objectives in different theatres, regions and domains. Our three distinguished guests giving evidence were, Heather Conley, Senior Vice President for Europe, Eurasia, and the Arctic, and Director, Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Programme, CSIS; Dr Rob Johnson, Director of the Oxford Changing Character of War Centre, University of Oxford; and Professor Wyn Rees, Professor of International Security, University of Nottingham. You can read all about it on Hansard. At 1630, I joined a weekly gathering of like-minded MPs, where we all have a chance to speak our minds in confidence. Always illuminating and refreshing. Meanwhile, the search for an individual infected with the Covid variant first found in Brazil narrowed to 379 households in south-east England. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the batch of home testing kits in question had been identified and each household was being contacted. It is one of six cases of the P.1 variant found in the UK in February. Mr Hancock told MPs the UK's current vaccines had not yet been tested against this variant. On the business front, the minister said that support, including furlough and the VAT cut for hospitality firms, would continue "while lock-down persists". Ahead of tomorrow's Budget, Rishi Sunak said he would protect jobs using the "full firepower" at his disposal. But he also promised honesty about his plans to "fix" the public finances. Up north across the border, Nicola Sturgeon faced calls to resign after new documents raised further questions about her involvement in the Alex Salmond saga. The government has published emails showing it continued a doomed legal fight with Mr Salmond despite its lawyers advising it was likely to lose. Further evidence from two other witnesses also called into question Ms Sturgeon's version of events. Scotland's first minster is to face an inquiry into the affair tomorrow. Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said there was "no longer any doubt that Nicola Sturgeon lied to the Scottish Parliament and broke the ministerial code on numerous counts." The rather unpleasant internal SNP dispute continues!