I hope you
all had a wonderful Christmas and were able to enjoy a break with your friends
and family. This column continues my
review of progress to date on my six point plan for this constituency. One of
my priorities is to support families, charities and communities.
The changes
to Tax Credits proposed in the Summer Budget was an issue that generated much
debate and controversy and many of you contacted me. I met with the Chancellor personally to push
the case for reconsideration. I was therefore pleased when the changes
were scrapped. The Tax Credits will now be replaced by Universal Credit during
this Parliament and the immediate impact of the reduction in benefits will be
delayed until the benefit of the rises in the new National Living Wage and
increases in the personal tax allowance are felt.
An issue
that was first raised with me by the Newquay Chamber of Commerce, several
months before the election, is the impact that the changes to school attendance
rules are having on families in Cornwall. So many of you have made your
feelings clear that as your MP, I simply could not ignore the force of feeling
in Mid-Cornwall. Many people here work in the tourist industry and therefore
are unable to take a family holiday during school holidays. Additionally many
families are simply unable to afford a holiday during the peak season. My job
is to represent you and so I have worked to do just that. In October I lead the Parliamentary debate
that re-opened this issue. While the
debate did not result in any immediate change, the issue has received wide
coverage and I will work to ensure that momentum is maintained.
The
historic Deal for Cornwall signed in June this year represents a first step on
the road to devolution of more powers to Cornwall from Westminster and then of
powers from Cornwall Council to a more local level. High on the agenda for me in this area is
the issue of public toilets. Cornwall
Council has been looking to hand responsibility for the running of public
toilets off to local councils and so I have been lobbying in Westminster for
the removal of business rates on toilets.
Finally,
young people and their future in mid-Cornwall is a topic that is close to my
heart. I have been lucky to spend my
whole life working in Cornwall, but I know too many of our young people have no
option but to leave Cornwall to pursue the career they want. I am working to
support the creation of better career opportunities in mid-Cornwall through
attracting companies to bring jobs to this area. We need to provide new times
of career opportunities and I see the chance of the UK Spaceport coming to
Newquay as the best opportunity Cornwall has had for many years to achieve
this. I have been and will continue to
promote Newquay as the best location for this new exciting facility in
Westminster.
Representing
St Austell and Newquay as your MP is the greatest honour of my life. But for me
the real honour will be in helping to bring about the positive change we need.
I have tried to use my first few months to make a start but I know there is
much more to do.
