Last week was another busy and significant week in
Parliament. As the first week that Parliament had sat since we left the EU we
were able to focus on delivering what the country needs to ensure a positive
future independent of the EU.
The Agriculture Bill passed its second reading – this lays
out the framework for how we will continue to support our farmers as we leave
the Common Agriculture Policy. We also passed the NHS Funding Bill, which will
now go to the House of Lords. This sets into law the record increase in funding
we will be providing for the NHS. By the end of this Parliament the NHS will
receive an additional £33.9billion every year – the biggest cash increase in its
history. This amounts to an additional £651million per week – almost double the
amount that was written on the side of that bus!
I was also pleased to meet with Education Minister Lord
Agnew to discuss the future of Further Education provision through Cornwall
College. This was a meeting I was due to have in the Autumn but was delayed due
to the General Election. It was a very positive meeting and I was pleased to
receive his support to work with me to ensure that FE provision is not just
secured but improved for the future.
One of the biggest challenges facing our country is
ensuring that we have the housing we need to meet the demands of our
population, particularly the 83% of people who currently do not own their own
home but aspire to do so. Nowhere is this challenge felt more strongly than
here in Cornwall.
We will all be familiar of the difficulty our young people
face in finding a home they can afford to purchase, particularly those who
desire to live the in communities they grew up in when those places are popular
for tourists and holiday homeowners.
Very often the biggest obstacle is saving enough for a
deposit. Very often couples who are renting from a private landlord find that
the monthly cost of a mortgage would be less than the rent they pay, but are
unable to save for the deposit due to the cost of renting.
In recent years the government has sought to help first
time buyers get onto the property lander through various schemes, such as Help
to Buy, which have had some success. But the challenge is a very large one and
more clearly needs to be done.
Therefore I was pleased that the Conservative Manifesto
contained a commitment to bring forward further schemes to enable first time
buyers to buy their first home and that one such scheme was launched last week.
The First Homes scheme will enable first time buyers to buy their first home
with 30% discount that will count towards a deposit and assist in obtaining a
mortgage. The scheme is specifically aimed at enabling local people to purchase
a property in the place they currently live.
I believe this could be a game changer in enabling local
people to own their first home. As with all these type of schemes we need to
watch the detail closely as it is rolled out. But I am pleased to see the
government getting to grips with the real challenges that face people in our
communities and coming forward with plans to address them.
