The Offensive Weapons Bill and the reclassification of certain firearms as “prohibited weapons” under section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968

I appreciate that this is naturally an issue of great concern to members of law-abiding shooting communities in Cornwall.

The bill proposes the prohibition of large calibre (0.50) ‘materiel destruction’ rifles and rapid-fire rifles under section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968.

A .50 calibre ‘materiel destruction’ rifle can shoot over a very long range. It was developed for use by the military and is designed to damage equipment such as vehicles. Rapid-fire rifles have a very fast rate of fire, which is greater than a conventional bolt-action rifle.

The Home Office estimates that there are 132 .50 calibre rifles and seven hundred rapid-fire rifles currently held by registered individuals or dealers in the UK. These types of firearms can currently be held on a standard firearms certificate issued under section 1 of the 1968 Act.

There is a risk of these firearms falling into the wrong hands if they are available for civilian use. In the Government summary of the consultation exercise on the bill, a significant number of respondents commented that the “risk to public safety from these weapons was high, and that the police have no suitable body armour to protect themselves against such high-powered rifles, should they fall into criminal or terrorist hands.” I also understand that the Home office is aware of at least one incident in which a .50 calibre rifle was stolen and subsequently recovered.

Rather than reducing the number of current incidents, the proposals are designed to prevent future incidents. Prohibiting ‘material destruction’ and rapid-fire rifles weapons will minimise the likelihood that these weapons could be obtained by terrorists or criminals in future.

Given the recent surge in gun crime in England and Wales (11% rise compared to previous year), I am keen to ensure that we get the balance right between making firearms available for sport and land management purposes, and protecting public interest and safety. Compared to many other developed countries however, the UK should be proud of its record. Gun murder rate in England and Wales is about one for every 1 million people. In the US, by contrast, there are about 160 times as many gun murders in a country that is only six times larger in population than the UK.

Newspaper column 27 June 2018 - The vote on Heathrow

On Monday we had a very important vote in Parliament on the expansion of Heathrow Airport.

I have been a strong supporter of the expansion for a wide variety of reasons and voted in favour of it.

Firstly, in general terms:

The extension will be good value. It will be delivered at no cost to taxpayers. The new runway scheme will be privately funded and we will work with industry to keep airport charges down.

The extension will provide a massive economic boost to the country, with new international routes, more than 100,000 new jobs, doubled freight capacity and benefits of up to £74 billion to passengers and the wider economy.

The extension will have environmental protection built-in. The expansion will be delivered within existing climate change and air quality obligations and a new six and a half hour ban on scheduled night flights.

Expanding Heathrow will give guaranteed benefits for the whole of the UK. We have committed to about 15 per cent of new slots for domestic routes, new rail links, and new global opportunities for regional business.

This last bit is particularly important for Cornwall, and Cornwall Airport Newquay in particular.

Cornwall Airport Newquay continues to be the UK’s fastest growing regional airport. In Parliament I am co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Regional Airports, a group of MPs from all political parties who work together to promote and highlight regional airports and the communities they serve. I am always proud to bring up Cornwall Airport Newquay’s positive success at the meetings of this group.

Heathrow’s expansion makes a potential Newquay-Heathrow route a real possibility.

In PMQ’s last Wednesday the Prime Minister specifically mentioned our airport when it came to potential beneficiaries of the Heathrow expansion.

The announcement last week by the Government that it will protect routes from Heathrow to regional airports is also a potential game-changer for or airport, and anther massive potential economic booster for Mid-Cornwall.

Last week I welcomed the Secretary of State for Transport to Newquay to continue to press the case for this important route, as well as provide an update on the A30 link road to St Austell progress, and numerous other transport infrastructure projects we are working on with Cornwall Council.

Monday’s vote was a momentous one that has been 50 years in the making and represents the biggest national transport decision in a generation. I will continue to do all I can to continue to ensure Cornwall benefits from Heathrow’s growth now and in the future. 

 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

‘Are you in to end homelessness?' campaign

I agree that homelessness is an issue that we must do all we can to tackle.

I recently welcomed confirmation that Cornwall will receive £437,489, part of a targeted £30m Rough Sleeping Initiative fund to support those sleeping rough and those at risk in 83 local authorities with the highest need.

I am pleased that the Government has released this further funding to Cornwall Council to help support those sleeping rough.

This represents a first significant step in the Government’s plans to reduce rough sleeping and will be followed by a cross-Government strategy, published in July, which will set out how it intends to meet our manifesto commitment of halving rough sleeping by 2022 and eliminating it altogether by 2027.

This funding nationally will provide for over 500 new staff focused on rough sleeping. This will include more outreach workers to engage with people on the streets, specialist mental health and substance misuse workers and dedicated co-ordinators to drive efforts to reduce rough sleeping in their areas. It will also provide over 1700 new bed-spaces nationally including both emergency and settled accommodation.

I look forward to seeing the detail of what Cornwall Council proposes to do with its funding, and look forward to working with them to ensure that it is used to provide the best outcome for the people that need it, the communities they are part of and is good value for the tax payer.

I hope this provides a reassurance that this is an issue I care deeply about and will continue to do all I can locally and in Westminster, to resolve.

EDM 1233 on Pub Closures.

The brewing and pub sector makes a huge economic contribution to Mid-Cornwall. Figures from a study commissioned by the British Beer and Pub Association show. The sector supports 3091 jobs and provides £86m in value to the local economy.

As a rule I do not sign Early Day Motions as they have no legislative affect and I believe change can be driven better through the other democratic processes available to us in Parliament.

I am very much involved in supporting the pub and hospitality industry both in Mid-Cornwall and across the country.

To this end I am a Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Beer Group, a group of cross-party MPs who campaign to promote and protect the industry in Parliament.

In the last month I have welcomed a delegation of MPs from the Group to Cornwall to promote the Pub is the Hub initiative, which seeks to promote the vital role pubs play, particularly in rural communities such as those we have in Mid-Cornwall as hubs for the towns and villages they are located in.

I’ve also previously been privileged to spend the day as a brewer at St Austell Brewery and have seen first-hand its importance as an employer here in mid-Cornwall.

I hope this shows just some of the work I have been doing in this area and I will continue to do all I can to promote and support the pub and hospitality industry.

Cladding on tower blocks

I am pleased that the Government is fully funding the removal and replacement of cladding on high rise buildings.

I do believe though, that it is correct that the monies for this should be sourced from within the existing budget of the DHCLG. Whenever monies have to be found to pay for something, it has to come from somewhere, and I believe the Secretary of State is acting appropriately and responsibly in sourcing it from within the budget he is already responsible for. As the Secretary of State has recently confirmed, the Government’s Affordable Homes Programme remains over £9 billion, with £400 million of that now available in 2021-22. He also confirmed that the programme will still deliver the same number of homes in the long term.

Therefore I believe the measures taken are appropriate in tackling the important safety issue as a priority, while still ensuring the building of affordable homes remains on track in the long term.

Regarding cannabis and the potential for its medicinal use.

Regarding cannabis and the potential for its medicinal use.

We have seen in recent months that there is a pressing need to allow those who might benefit from cannabis-based products to access them.

You may be interested to know that the Home Secretary has recently confirmed that there will be a review on the scheduling of cannabis.

This step is in no way a first step to the legalisation of cannabis for recreational use and the government has absolutely no plans to legalise cannabis and the penalties for unauthorised supply and possession will remain unchanged.

However, if the review identifies that there are significant medical benefits then the Government does intend to reschedule.

You can read the full announcement via the link below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/home-secretary-statement-on-medical-use-of-cannabis

I will watch this review, and its findings, with interest.

Reflections on the Windrush 70

Earlier this week I was pleased to welcome an announcement from the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government that a new national Windrush Day will take place on the 22th of June every year.


The announcement comes after I asked the Government what its plans were to commemorate the upcoming 70th anniversary of the arrival of HMS Windrush, at a Westminster Hall debate on the status of the Windrush Generation and their children that I led on the 30th of April.


The annual “Windrush 70” event will be overseen by a body of British Caribbean representatives, and a Windrush Day grant of up to £500,000 will be available each year to charities and communities seeking to hold commemorative and educational events.


The 70th anniversary is a fitting moment to officially recognise Windrush Day, as an annual acknowledgement of the positive contributions made by those who have come from overseas to our common home. This is an opportunity for the British public to be informed about the positive legacy of the Windrush pioneers and help younger generations to appreciate the sacrifices that they have made for this country.


We owe the Windrush Generation a huge thank you for coming to help our nation at a time of need, for the contribution they have made to our nation for the past 70 years, and for the vital part they played in shaping modern Britain as a tolerant and multi-cultural nation.