Wednesday 27 March 2024

Newspaper column 27 March 2024 - State Pension updates

The State Pension has been in the news a lot recently for several reasons.

One of the main things I have campaigned on over the years is for the Government to retain the triple lock for the State Pension.

The triple lock is designed to ensure pensioners, especially if they rely solely on the state pension, are able to afford rising prices, or keep pace with the increases in the working population's wages.  It means the state pension rises in line with average earnings growth, inflation or 2.5% - whichever is highest.

It was introduced by the coalition government in 2010, but there has been debate over whether it can continue in the long-term future due to its costs.

I have been clear in conversations with colleagues in Government that retention of the Triple Lock, particularly while we are experiencing cost of living pressures, has never been more important.

The Government has listened over the past couple of years and kept the Triple Lock. Last year saw the largest ever increase of the State Pension, with a 10.1% increase in April 2023, and next month will see another significant increase, with a rise of 8.5% from April 2024. Combined this means the state pension will have risen by around £1800 in this time. It is absolutely right that we provide pensioners with these increases during these difficult times.

But now we are looking to the future, with a General Election due later this year, and I was delighted to see over the weekend that the Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, has now publicly committed to retaining the State Pension Triple Lock as a Manifesto commitment should the Conservatives win the next election.

The Chancellor said that although continuing the Triple Lock will be an "expensive commitment… You can only make that commitment if you're confident that you're going to deliver the economic growth that is going to pay for it." As we have seen with the continuing fall in inflation and economic growth indicators brought about by the Chancellor’s sensible management of the economy, this is happening and therefore I am pleased that the Government is doing the right thing and committing to the Triple Lock under a future Conservative Government.

I do understand that some people are frustrated that the Personal Allowance, the amount you can earn before paying tax, will not be going up this year. This is a difficult but necessary decision to maintain income tax thresholds until April 2028 to ensure the tax system supports strong public finances. That being said, the Government has increased the Personal Allowance by over 40 per cent in real terms since 2010, ensuring some of the lowest earners do not pay income tax. Thanks to the PA, in 2021-22 around 30 per cent of earners did not pay tax.

Also in the news last week was the outcome of the Ombudsman’s investigation into issues with the Department for Work and Pensions communicating with women born in the 1950’s over State Pension changes.

The Ombudsman’s report had previously concluded that maladministration under the last Labour Government between 2005-07 has caused injustice, and their report into the DWP’s communication of the changes is now complete and will be put before Parliament. The Government will consider the Ombudsman’s report and respond in due course, having cooperated fully throughout the investigation.

As ever, if I can be of assistance on any matter, my office is available for any constituents needing help, advice or guidance – tel: 01726 829379 or email: office@stevedouble.org.uk

Wednesday 20 March 2024

Newspaper column March 20 2024 - Pharmacy First

As we go through March, last week was another busy and productive one for me in Parliament, which saw me hold a debate on the need for the Government to do more to support our pollack fishermen on Monday, as well as speaking in the Budget debate and the debate on the Bill currently going through Parliament that will see National Insurance Contributions people pay cut from April this year.

As well as this it was also good to take part in a number of meetings, including with Heathrow Airport, one showcasing our Tri Service Safety Officers, and one on fairness of fuel prices, as well an event to promote the Pharmacy First initiative.

I have always been a passionate champion for our community pharmacies and the excellent health services they provide.

As former Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Pharmacies it was great to work with our brilliant pharmacies in Cornwall in piloting the Pharmacy First initiative.

Pharmacy First enables pharmacists to utilise more of their medical skills and training. Patients using the service can receive treatment for seven common health conditions from their local pharmacy without the need to visit a GP or have a prescription.

Their pharmacist helps with conditions include sinusitis, sore throat, earache, infected insect bite, impetigo, shingles, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women. Following the assessment, the pharmacist can then supply the prescription-only medicines, including antibiotics and antivirals, to treat the problem

The Pharmacy First approach not only speeds up access to essential care for patients, but also help to reduce pressure on local GP services by directing people to more appropriate places to be treated. Backed by up to £645 million, 95 per cent of pharmacies across England have opted-in so far, meaning that patients will be able to receive care more quickly without the need to wait for a GP appointment.

The Pharmacy First approach builds on the other measures outlined in the Primary Care Recovery Plan last spring, including tackling the 8am rush by giving GPs new digital tools and providing more GP staff and more appointments.

In combination, the Primary Care Recovery Plan aims to free up 10 million GP appointments a year nationally by next winter, and give the public more choice in where and how they access care.

As the Pharmacy First initiative has already been running in Cornwall successfully for some time, it’s great to see that the rest of the country will now be able to experience the exceptional service that we in Cornwall already have, and it was good to again highlight this at the event in Parliament last week. I will continue to work with the Government to support our pharmacies and the excellent teams that work there, in order to ensure they remain a pivotal part of our health care system.

With all my activity in Parliament it was nice to be recognised last week as the MP who has contributed more to Parliamentary debates in the first two months of the year than any other MP in the South West, and in fact, showed that I made the seventh highest number of contributions in January and February in Parliamentary debates among Conservative backbenchers nationally, and was ranked 11th overall among backbench MPs of all parties across the country.

Of course 2024 is only going to get busier, and I will continue to work hard both in Parliament and in Cornwall to ensure the voices of the people I represent are heard loud and clear.

As ever, if I can be of assistance on any matter, my office is available for any constituents needing help, advice or guidance – tel: 01726 829379 or email: office@stevedouble.org.uk

 

Wednesday 13 March 2024

Newspaper column 13 March 2024 - Looking back at the Budget

Last week saw the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt give his Budget Statement, with a number of positive developments that will make things better for people in St Austell and Newquay.

I think that most people will recognise the significant and unprecedented challenges that our country has faced in recent years following the COVID pandemic, and then the energy price spike as a result of the war in Ukraine. The Government has spent hundreds of billions of pounds supporting households and businesses through these tough times. Of course, this money has to be found, and this was the backdrop to this year’s Budget. It is a credit to the Chancellor that he has been able to navigate the challenging times and deliver a Budget that addresses these issues while also continues to provide support and relief where possible.

That the Chancellor has been able to take the positive steps that he took in last week’s Budget is also testimony to his sensible management of our country’s finances over the past year.  to help guide our country and economy through challenging times. Inflation is down from 11.1% to 4.0% and wages are growing.

This has allowed the Chancellor, in his Budget, to cut taxes for 27 million working people from April, by again cutting the main rate of employee National Insurance Contributions from 10% to 8%. Combined with the cut at the Autumn Statement, this gives the average earner the lowest effective personal tax rate since 1975.

As well as this, the Chancellor has cut taxes for 2million self-employed people, by cutting the main rate of Class 4 National Insurance Contributions from 9% to 6%.

The Chancellor has also announced support for half a million families through reforms to the High Income Child Benefit Charge by raising the threshold and halving the rate at which Child Benefit is withdrawn, benefiting some parents by an average of £1,260.

The Chancellor has also frozen alcohol duty, easing pressure on the hospitality sector, as well as maintaining the five pence cut to fuel duty and freeze rates for the fourteenth consecutive year, helping keep motoring costs down – a £3.1 billion tax cut for drivers.

It is also good to see the Chancellor recognise times are still tough, and in doing so, extend the Household Support Fund for another six months, as well as assisting people who need to claim Universal Credit by giving them more time to payback emergency budgeting advance loans.

As well as the headline announcements from the Budget I was also pleased to see my campaign to reform the taxes paid by holiday let owners pay off. This will encourage holiday let owners to instead let their properties to local families, all year round. I look forward to working with the Chancellor’s team on the detail of how this will be implemented to ensure it does not penalise anyone unfairly.

There is plenty more to do, but as we move into Spring, it is good to be doing so with a positive Budget behind as a sound foundation for the future.

As ever, if I can be of assistance on any matter, my office is available for any constituents needing help, advice or guidance – tel: 01726 829379 or email: office@stevedouble.org.uk

 

Wednesday 6 March 2024

Newspaper column 6 March 2024 - St Piran's Day and a busy week leading up to the Budget

On the week of St Piran’s Day, I hope you were all able to spend some time on 5 March reflecting on what makes our Cornwall so special, our unique culture, heritage and history.

On St Piran’s Day I was delighted in Parliament to host a ‘Taste of Cornwall’ event, to showcase some of the best food and drink companies from Cornwall on a national stage. From St Ewe Eggs to St Austell Brewery and Knightor Vineyard, there were a huge variety of Cornish businesses represented and suffice to say, the event was very popular. Thank you to everyone who made the journey and it is good to see ‘Brand Cornwall’ doing so well.

It was also good to see the Prime Minister wish the Cornish people and everyone who lives in Cornwall a Happy St Piran’s Day. This was part of his response to my question to him last Wednesday in Prime Minister’s Questions. My question was about the future of the Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund. The Shared Prosperity Fund is £132 million allocated to Cornwall to replace EU funding. It has supported dozens of businesses and organisations around Cornwall, as well as funded projects across the duchy, ranging from plans to fix the harbour gates in Charlestown which were successful last year, to an ambitious £2million Youth Employment Programme (Yep!) spearheaded by Cornwall Council and Careers South West which launched last week.  

The Shared Prosperity Fund is confirmed for this spending review period up to the end of March 2025 but, as with all Government funding, decisions regarding the fund’s future are a matter for the next spending review, hence my question. I was pleased in his reply to get assurances from the Prime Minister that the Government remains committed to an ambitious levelling-up agenda in Cornwall.

Last week I was also pleased to go to the launch of Keep Britain Tidy’s Great British Spring Clean campaign for 2024. The Great British Spring Clean is the nation’s biggest mass-action environmental campaign and this is its 9th year, as well as marking the 70th anniversary of the formation of Keep Britain Tidy.

Last year more than 400,000 bags of litter were pledged to be collected during the duration of the campaign. That’s a huge amount of rubbish removed from our environment! This year it is taking place from 15 - 31 March, and you can pledge to pick up a bag of litter – or more via their website on the link below:

https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/

After Parliament rose for the weekend on Friday I was delighted to visit Trenance Academy in Newquay, who have recently been recognised as an Oracy Centre of Excellence.

Oracy is the ability to articulate ideas, develop understanding and engage with others through spoken language.

In school, oracy is a powerful tool for learning; by teaching students to become more effective speakers and listeners they are empowered to better understand themselves, each other and the world around them.

It is also a route to social mobility, empowering all students, not just some, to find their voice to succeed in school and life.

Trenance Academy have recently been accredited as an Oracy Centre of Excellence in recognition of their commitment to developing their students’ confidence and competence in spoken language, embedding it across teaching and learning within the school. It was great to visit the school and talk to the staff and pupils about this excellent achievement.

This week, the headlines will be dominated by the Chancellor’s Spring Budget. I will go into this in more detail next week, as it will happen after I have to send my column in, but in the run up to the Budget I have asked the Chancellor to consider taking more measures to incentivise landlords to rent properties to families all year round instead of using them as holiday lets, as well as pushing for more support for our tourism and hospitality businesses. International challenges still mean that we are facing a lot of pressures around the costs of living, but I am sure the Chancellor will be looking at all options available in order to deliver a Budget that works for everyone.

As ever, if I can be of assistance on any matter, my office is available for any constituents needing help, advice or guidance – tel: 01726 829379 or email: office@stevedouble.org.uk

 

Wednesday 28 February 2024

Newspaper column 28 February 2024 - The Speaker and Lee Anderson

The conduct of the Speaker during the SNP’s Opposition Day Motion on Gaza was very much in the spotlight last week, prompting a large number of constituents to contact me expressing concerns about what they saw as a worrying break from longstanding parliamentary convention.

I was in the Commons on Wednesday evening when proceedings descended into chaos – due to the Speaker’s mishandling of Labour’s amendment to the SNP’s Opposition Day Motion, allowing Labour to hijack what should have been another party’s motion. By convention and as confirmed by a letter to him from the Clerk of the House of Commons, the Speaker should have selected the SNP motion for a vote before proceeding to allow a vote on any amendments.

Instead, the Speaker unilaterally decided, against the clear advice of his own officials, that MPs would first vote on Labour’s amendment to the SNP motion – following reports of an imminent rebellion among Labour MPs and alleged threats from Labour on the Speaker to replace him after the general election unless he selected their amendment for a vote.

Crucially, in his statement apologising to the House later that evening, the Speaker said his decision was primarily motivated by violent threats made against MPs.

This for me is the fundamental reason why I no longer have confidence in his role as Speaker: He has given a very clear message that threats of violence and abuse against MPs can change what happens in Parliament.

As legislators, we need to be free and able to speak our minds in Parliament without fear or favour. This is vital to our ability to represent our constituents effectively. Instead, the Speaker told the baying mob that you can threaten an MP and change how Parliament works. I am afraid this simply is not acceptable in our democracy.

I have therefore signed a motion expressing no confidence in the Speaker. Heeither succumbed to pressure to assist the Labour Party or given into threats of violence – indeed I believe it was likely a combination of the two – neither of which represents a valid reason to alter longstanding parliamentary protocol in such a drastic way to undermine our democracy.

I also believe Sir Keir Starmer has much to answer for due to his alleged part in influencing the Speaker, and I hope he will be giving a full account of his actions to the House this week.

The withdrawal of the whip from Lee Anderson MP over the weekend also captured the attention of some constituents. Lee was wrong to accuse Sadiq Khan and the senior Labour leadership of being under the control of Islamists without offering any evidence to support his claim.

In doing so he missed a far more important point, which is the left’s apparent tolerance and in some cases encouragement of extreme elements of all backgrounds taking to the streets to openly call for the abuse and intimidation of our democracy while causing illegal disruption to the public.

These groups include Just Stop Oil, Extinction Rebellion, and a number of pro-Palestinian marches in London of late, some of which were hijacked by militant Islamists expressing support for the actions of Hamas and calling for the destruction of the state of Israel, including projecting the antisemitic and arguably genocidal slogan “from the river to the sea” on to the side of Big Ben. The Speaker cited security threats posed by these violent extremists to MPs as the reason behind his decision to change Commons procedures on Wednesday.

No MP deserves to be intimated or harassed in the course of their work. In recent days many of my colleagues from both sides of the House have spoken bravely and openly about receiving death threats to them and their families as becoming part of the norm of working in Parliament. Last week also saw several so-called protestors affiliated with Greenpeace charged with criminal damage following their attempt to illegally invade the Prime Minister’s home in North Yorkshire in August.

Let me be very clear, I support the right to peaceful protest. This is why I supported legislation introducing by the Government enshrining the right to peaceful protest in statute, while bringing forward measures to protect the public from illegal and violent protests.

Emotions often run high in politics and people rightly want to have their say on important matters facing the country and the world. But there is a growing sense that a small but significant minority are trying to subvert the democratic process through violent means. This cannot be condoned and I will continue to call for our hard-won democracy to be protected in Parliament.

As ever, if I can be of assistance on any matter, my office is available for any constituents needing help, advice or guidance – tel: 01726 829379 or email: office@stevedouble.org.uk

 

Wednesday 21 February 2024

Newspaper column 21 February 2024 - New powers to control holiday lets

This Monday saw the announcement by Secretary of State for Levelling Up Michael Gove of new regulations and powers for councils to better control holiday lets.

The uncontrolled spread of holiday lets is a big issue in Cornwall, and has undoubtedly contributed towards the significant housing issues we are seeing in the Duchy, with many homes that could house local families instead occupied for only weeks or even days per year by holiday makers.

While tourism and hospitality are vital parts of our economy in Mid-Cornwall, both for those who work in tourism and hospitality businesses, and also those who supply them, there has to be a balance to this, and in recent years some communities have experienced this tipping too far in towards second homes and short term holiday let accommodation, meaning local people who would otherwise live and work in these towns and villages all year round are finding it increasingly difficult to do so.

The figures on this are stark, and in a debate in Parliament last year, I spoke about the numbers of short-term holiday let accommodation listings on Airbnb and the like in Cornwall (18,989) compared to long term rent listings on Rightmove (895), clear evidence of the scale of the problem we are facing.

Better controlling the number of holiday lets and second homes by regulation and addressing the imbalance of holiday lets in the communities most impacted by them has been a goal of mine for many years, and is something I have successfully campaigned on, leading the Government to include measures in the Levelling Up Act, which became law last year. This includes measure such as closing the business rates loophole, which allowed some holiday let owners to get away with paying neither domestic rates or business rates, and also charging double council tax to second home owners, something which Cornwall Council will be able to do from 2025.

As well as this, the Government consulted on measures to set up a register of holiday lets, and on introducing a requirement for property owners who want to change their properties to holiday lets to have to apply for planning permission under change of use. On Monday the Secretary of State confirmed that the Government will be adopting both of these proposals.

Under the reforms councils like Cornwall Council will be given greater power to control short-term lets by making them subject to the planning process. This will support local people in areas where high numbers of short-term lets are preventing them from finding housing they can afford to buy or to rent. This will apply to many of our rural and coastal communities in Cornwall.

Meanwhile, a new mandatory national register will give local authorities the information they need about short-term lets in their area. This will help councils understand the extent of short-term lets in their area, the effects on their communities, and underpin compliance with key health and safety regulations.

It is good to see the Government now taking decisive action to make these changes, which will allow councils to see the scale of the problem via the mandatory register, and then better manage the number of holiday lets in tourist areas through the planning system . This will allow councils to have the ultimate say on the numbers of holiday lets in the communities most affected. I look forward to seeing these changes brought in by Cornwall Council and used for the good of Cornish communities.

As ever, if I can be of assistance on any matter, my office is available for any constituents needing help, advice or guidance – tel: 01726 829379 or email: office@stevedouble.org.uk

Wednesday 14 February 2024

Newspaper column 14 February 2024 - Dental Plan!

Parliament has risen for February Recess which means that this week I am working in Cornwall and look forward to being out and about speaking to as many people as possible about my work and your priorities for me as your MP.

I am currently running a survey on your priorities for 2024, which readers are very welcome to fill out – you can find this on my website via the link below:

https://www.stevedouble.org.uk/st-austell-and-newquay-constituency-2024-priorities-survey

Last week was a really busy and varied one, and I was pleased to welcome two Ministers and the Prime Minister to our constituency to discuss a variety of issues, including apprenticeships, flooding, and, with the Prime Minister the launch of the Government’s NHS Dental Recovery Plan.

Access to NHS dentist services continues to be one of the issues raised with me most often by local people and this is something I have spent considerable time collecting evidence on and lobbying the Government for change.

The Prime Minister has listened, and last week the Government launched the NHS Dental Recovery Plan, which will create 2.5 million more NHS dental appointments over the next year.

This will have a big impact on the delivery and availability of NHS dental services in Cornwall. For example, the practice the Prime Minister visited, Gentle Dental, does treat NHS patients, some of whom I met last week, but is currently not taking new adult NHS patients, only children, due to lack of capacity, hence making waiting lists much longer – an issue we see throughout Cornwall. The changes and funding announced via the NHS Dental Recovery Plan will enable dentists to take new NHS patients on, reducing the waiting lists and making NHS dental treatments more widely available for all.

Backed by £200 million of new Government funding, the NHS Dental Recovery Plan sets out a package of measures to deliver 2.5 million additional NHS dental appointments over the next 12 months, ensuring they are where they needed most, and expanding preventative care for younger children to help reduce tooth decay.

To help improve access in the short term, new dental vans are being launched to help reach more isolated communities, including in rural and coastal areas. In the longer term, around 240 dentists will be offered one-off payments of up to £20,000 for working in under-served areas for up to three years, helping to attract new NHS dentists and improve provision of care in areas with the highest demand.

Further measures include introducing a New Patient Premium payment to incentivise dentists to treat around a million new patients who have not seen an NHS dentist in two years or more. The scheme will be introduced within weeks, ensuring that patients can benefit immediately. The minimum value of activity will also increase from £23 to £28 and high-performing practices will also be able to deliver extra work on top of their contracted activity, ensuring that NHS work is more attractive to dental teams.

Trainee dental places will be expanded by 40 per cent as part of the first ever NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, as the Government looks to target the expansion into areas of the country  such as Cornwall which are underserved by the dental workforce.

Expanded prevention care is also being rolled out for younger children to help reduce tooth decay and improve the nation’s oral health. The Smile for Life programme will offer parents-to-be further advice for baby gums and milk teeth with babies and toddlers in nurseries having tooth brushing as part of the daily routine, so that every child in primary school will see tooth brushing as a normal part of their day.

The Government will consult on wider reforms to the dental workforce and contract in 2024, taking the long-term decisions to ensure that dental services can be there for families for the years to come.

There is more to do and I will continue to push for further reform in order to ensure residents of Cornwall are able to access NHS dentists wherever they live, but in the meantime these steps will help in improving the access we currently have, and as ever, as your MP it is good to be able to highlight these concerns and push for the change that we need with the Prime Minister when he visited Cornwall.

As ever, if I can be of assistance on any matter, my office is available for any constituents needing help, advice or guidance – tel: 01726 829379 or email: office@stevedouble.org.uk