Parliament has now risen for the Summer Recess and I am now
looking forward to being able to spend the next few weeks working in
Mid-Cornwall without having to travel to and from London. I will be out and
about as much as possible, meeting as many of you as I can, as well as visiting
local businesses and organisations to find out what matters to you on both
local and national issues. If you would like me to meet you or visit your
business or charity please get in touch.
In the last week of Parliament I was pleased to be elected
as Chairman of two influential groups within Westminster, both of which work on
issues of great importance to Mid-Cornwall.
The first of these is the Rural Fair Share Campaign group.
This group of MPs from all parties supports an impartial, objective,
needs-based approach to funding local public services.
I initially joined this campaign following my election in
2015 and since then have worked closely with the group to push the Government
to give rural areas like Cornwall a fair deal in funding, where we have
historically missed out.
The campaign aims to change the current set up for funding,
which sees public services in rural areas receive up to 40% less than in urban
areas, whether this is for our schools, local government or police.
The second group I have been elected Chairman of is the Visitor
Economy All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG).
This group aims to actively support and promote the visitor
economy by working with the Government to bring forward measures and incentives
to support domestic and international in-bound tourism. The tourist industry is
a major economic force in Mid-Cornwall, and hospitality and tourism is the
fourth largest industry in the UK, employing 4.6 million people. This APPG provides an opportunity for MPs
from all parties to work with the tourism industry to make sure their voice is
heard loud and clear. This will be especially important during the vital Brexit
negotiations as we prepare to leave the EU.
The
APPG has already launched a successful report into skills and apprenticeships
in the tourist industry and following our recent inquiry into Coastal
Communities, we will be making representations to Government. We will also be
prioritising the impact of Brexit and the digital and sharing economy on
tourism in coming months.
I
am aware there are some big challenges ahead for both of these influential
groups in Parliament. But I am up for the challenge and will aim to use my
position as chairman to be a strong and effective voice for Cornwall.
As always, 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. If there is an issue you would like my assistance on
then please 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
