I was delighted this week to invite Culture Minister Ed Vaizey to Brighton to find out about our Digital Festival and learn more about the growing digital, arts, and small business sector here.

I raised with him some of the needs of the digital sector, including the importance of small businesses being able to be properly included in government procurement practices.

We also discussed the important role played by schools and universities in delivering ICT education.

Brighton is not short of local projects with national significance, and this week I visited ‘The House That Kevin Built' at Brighton University.

This project first featured on the Grand Designs TV show, where presenter Kevin McCloud helped build a ground-breaking low-energy house, using entirely ecologically friendly materials, and minimising waste.

We're enormously fortunate that here in Brighton the house will be rebuilt, thanks to the involvement of the pioneering local architect who designed the house, Duncan Baker-Brown.

The project is exploring ways to build and live sustainably, and is planning that our schoolchildren, apprentices, students and community groups will all get a chance to join in. Check out progress on http://bit.ly/hZam79.