The MP for Redditch has entered her pet dog into this year's Westminster Dog of the Year competition which is taking place in London today.

Rachel Maclean is hoping her Jack Russell /Staffie Cross, Phoebe will come out on top in the contest which celebrates the unique bond between MP and dog.

Phoebe, who is a rescue dog, should win the award because "I doubt there is any dog with greater stamina, something that all Parliamentarians need in large quantities to endure this job!" says Ms Maclean.

One of our regular contributors, Paul Wilde, is the king of the close-up photo.

Here are some he took on Abbey Park gold course in Redditch, Worcestershire.

The MP for Redditch, Jacqui Smith, will chair the board of the trust that will take over the running of Sandwell's beleaguered children's services.

The local authority department has received two "inadequate" ratings from Ofsted in the last four years and in 2015 a report warned children were "at risk of harm".

Sandwell Council said the former home secretary would support the aim of "delivering rapid improvements".

PA

This is a really exciting opportunity to improve the lives of the most vulnerable children and families in Sandwell. When life gets tough for children, they deserve the best care and the best people to support them."

Plans were announced by the Government in October 2016 to introduce an independent trust to run Sandwell’s children’s social care services.

Rachel Maclean, the new Conservative MP for Redditch, has used her first speech in the House of Commons to talk about the future of the town's hospital.

She said the issue of what happens to the Alexandra Hospital dominated her general election campaign

BBC

A review said a maternity unit at the hospital would be downgraded, most children's services moved to Worcester and A&E changed to urgent care centre with more advanced cases treated in Worcester.

Four A&E consultants resigned en masse saying planned changes at the hospital meant it would have "neither an A&E service nor a safe service".

I raised this and the issue of the Worcestershire Acute Trust that runs the hospital on my very first day in this place and I will continue again and again and again to fight to protect and to strengthen local health services."

The new Conservative MP for Redditch, Rachel Maclean, has spoken in Parliament for the first time.

During Home Office Questions in the Commons, she asked about efforts to tackle cyber-crime.

BBC

In light of the recent cyber-attack on Parliament and the National Crime Agency's announcement that due to under-reporting the scale of cyber-crime is significantly underestimated, can I ask the Secretary of State to outline what specific steps the government is taking to tackle this threat?"

Here are the full results for each of the constituencies in Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

The new Conservative MP for Redditch, Rachel Maclean, says her party has "a duty" to try and form the next government, as it has the most seats in parliament and polled the most votes.

She held the seat for the Conservatives with a majority of 7,363.

BBC

Teresa May has got the most votes, the party has got the most votes, it is the biggest party. In the case where there is a hung parliament, the sitting prime minister who has the largest party does have a duty to form a government, or put forward to form a government."

Rachel Maclean has defended the Redditch Conservative seat with a higher number of votes than her predecessor.

The Conservatives held on to all the seats in Herefordshire and Worcestershire, polling more votes, but not increasing their majority in all seats.

Herefordshire:

• Hereford and South Herefordshire: Jesse Norman saw his majority decrease by almost 2,000 to 15,013
• North Herefordshire: Bill Wiggin increased his majority to 21,602

Worcestershire:

• Bromsgrove: Sajid Javid saw his majority increase by 44 votes to 16,573
• Mid Worcestershire: Nigel Huddleston increased his majority by around 3,000 to 23,326
• Redditch: new MP Rachel Maclean increased the Conservative majority by around 300 votes to 7,363
• West Worcestershire: Harriett Baldwin’s majority decreased slightly, to 21,328
• Worcester: Robin Walker saw his majority more than halved to 2,490
• Wyre Forest: Mark Garnier saw his majority increase to 13,334