Last week I spent time at the Conservative Party Conference,
the highlight of which was the Prime Minister’s closing speech.
Although I do not always agree with her, this was definitely
Theresa May’s best speech by a long way. Clear and passionate, it set out the
positive vision for the future, Brexit and all, that Mid-Cornwall voted for.
There were several headline announcements from the Prime
Minister’s speech that are good news for Cornwall.
One that will surely be welcomed by Cornwall Council is that
the Prime Minister freed local councils to spark a house building revival by
finally lifting the strict cap on their borrowing to fund new developments.
Cornwall already has ambitious housing targets but many
houses delivered on the open market are sadly out of reach for many people who
already live here. The removal of this cap will mean local authorities such as
Cornwall Council will now have the freedom to get more funds for building
affordable and social rental houses I hope that this will allow Cornwall
Council to help redress the balance and build more affordable houses for local
people to live in.
The Prime Minister also confirmed that Fuel Duty will be
frozen for the ninth year in a row, something that will be of particular
benefit to rural areas like Cornwall, where long car journeys are often a
necessity rather than a luxury for day to day living.
We also saw the announcement of a new cancer strategy for
the NHS, aimed at increasing early detection and improving survival rates in
the UK.
The Prime Minister said that the Government will lower the
age of bowel cancer screening from 60 to 50 and invest in new equipment as part
of a “step change” in how cancer is diagnosed.
Other announcements coming out of the conference include Secretary
of State for Housing James Brokenshire announcing that a New Homes Ombudsman is
to be appointed.
The role will specifically address problems of build quality
in new homes, and is one that I have campaigned for, including leading a debate
in Parliament on it, given that currently new home buyers have less legal
protection to them than people buying a mobile phone.
Along with Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling’s
announcement of continued Government support for the Newquay-Gatwick route,
this was an excellent conference for Mid-Cornwall.
This week I am heading to Strasbourg for my first session as
part of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. This will be my
first time attending and I look forward to finding more about my role and how I can bring my Cornish credentials to
bear there.
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
