It has certainly been a busy first week back at Parliament
after the Summer Recess.
I spoke in the Chamber of the House of Commons every day, on
subjects from the Shared Prosperity Fund that will replace the EU structural
funding after Brexit, to the all-important European Union (Withdrawal) Bill,
asking questions of the Government on your behalf.
Away from the Chamber, I was delighted to be elected by my colleagues
to one of the four Conservative positions from nine candidates on to the Select
Committee for Transport.
The Transport Committee operates in the House of Commons to
scrutinise the work of the Department for Transport. Its formal remit is to
examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the Department of
Transport and its associated public bodies.
The Committee is made up of eleven Members of Parliament,
appointed by the House of Commons and drawn from the three largest political
parties.
Despite what some would have you believe, Cornwall is
currently in the midst of the biggest transport infrastructure investment ever
– new roads, new trains and improvements to the railways, new buses and support
and opportunities for our airport.
For our railways, we are seeing investment in the signalling
system which will create more capacity on the mainline to London as well as
cutting about 15 minutes of the travel time, as well as a £400m investment from
Hitachi with new intercity bullet trains with much better onboard facilities.
Air travel-wise I will continue to champion Cornwall Airport
Newquay as the best location for the first UK Spaceport. This is an amazing
opportunity for the investment and better paid jobs we need in mid-Cornwall. It
is clear with our prime location, Aerohub Enterprise Zone, proximity to
Goonhilly Earth Station and existing infrastructure that Newquay is the
frontrunner.
And for our roads, in July we saw the completion of the
dualling of the Temple stretch of the A30, which saw Highways England and the
Department for Transport, along with Cornwall Council, invest £59 million into
improving this vital stretch of the road. I will be working with all of these
stakeholders to get on with dualling the next stretch, as well as the crucial
link road from the A30 to St Austell and the surrounding area and Phase 2 of
the Newquay Strategic Route.
As a member of the Transport Select Committee, I will be a
strong voice for Cornwall and the South West. I will speak up for Cornwall and
our transport infrastructure, to ensure we continue to get the investment we
need in our road, rail and air networks.
My team and I are here to serve
the whole constituency and work hard to make a real difference to the lives of
everyone needing support. The office is open to the public Monday – Friday
10.00am – 4.00pm (no appointment necessary). If there is an issue you would
like my assistance on then please, either visit the office or contact me on
either 01726 829379 or office@stevedouble.org.uk. Additionally, I hold regular, appointment only, advice
surgeries across the constituency. Dates of these can be found at: www.stevedouble.org.uk/events
