Newspaper column 31 May 2023 - Support with energy

 

 

As we now head into Summer and the warmer months, most of us will be using less gas and electricity. I am aware that for households in the constituency the soaring energy costs we have seen not only here, but around the world following Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, have been a serious concern.

 
I, and the government have worked to ensure households receive the help they need and that no one has been left struggling with their energy costs. Last year the government introduced a package of support measures, worth billions of pounds,s to ensure households didn’t suffer through the winter months.

One of those measures included the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG), which has meant that people have been protected from Ofgem’s energy price cap because of the government scheme. This has kept bills for a typical household to around £2,500, saving people £900 over the winter months.

Last week regulator Ofgem announced that from July 1 the energy price cap will fall to £2,074 per year for average households. The new cap figure compares to the £3,280 level set by Ofgem for March to June, meaning a £1,206 reduction in the cap from July and a reduction in average bills by £426 a year.

I am pleased to see that for the first time since the global gas crisis took hold that prices are falling for customers on default tariffs. Government support has already cut the typical family energy bill by over £1,300 since October, stopping the average household energy bill hitting £4,279 at its peak, which would have been impossible for most people to pay.    

The government continues to recognise the pressure many people are under to pay their bills and so earlier this year extended the EPG by another three months until June. This has helped to bridge consumers into the summer and saved a typical household a further £160.

We understand that while the price cap has dropped from its winter peak, the most vulnerable people will still find their bills difficult to pay and I am pleased but not surprised to see the government continuing to support those who need it.   

The Government is providing cost of living payments of varying size to different recipients. From last month, those eligible households on means tested benefits will receive payments totalling £900; people on non-means-tested disability benefits will receive a £150 payment and pensioner households will receive a £300 payment later this year.

The Government has already delivered an unprecedented package of measures which has helped more than eight million families deal with the global consequences of Putin’s illegal war and the aftermath of the pandemic.

This includes £400 off energy bills for all households; £650 for households receiving means-tested benefits; £300 for pensioner households and £150 for people receiving disability payments. The government has also given a £150 council tax rebate for households in council tax band A to D and extended the 5p cut to fuel duty into 2023/24.

The support provided through the government’s Energy Price Guarantee and £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS), which I know was a lifeline for many last winter, have covered around half of a typical household’s energy bills.

The EBSS saw every household with a domestic electricity connection given a £400 discount on their energy bills, amounting to £66 or £67 per month. This was also later opened up to those households without a direct relationship to an electricity supplier, such as those living in park homes and care homes after concerns were raised to me by constituents that they would miss out on the £400.

I called on ministers to set up a system by which they could apply and then ensure this support could be sent out as quickly as possible. I am pleased that the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding (EBSS AF) has now been received by the majority of eligible households.  

Similarly with the government’s Alternative Fuel Payment scheme, I had numerous residents contact me regarding concerns about the period of time that applicants could evidence purchase of alternative fuels.

Many had bought fuel ahead of winter price rises and so were unable to provide a receipt from September 2022 which was part of the eligibility criteria. Once again the government listened to concerns and agreed to extend this to June 2022, so no households were penalised.

The government has also provided Cornwall Council with more than £9 million of additional support to help families that needed support as part of the Household Support Fund to help vulnerable families struggling to cover essential costs.

 

This funding took the total level of support provided to Cornwall Council for this fund to nearly £23 million which is locally targeted and spent to enable it to reach those who need it the most.

I want to make it very clear that I and the government will always support and stand by households who have been hit hard by the impact of Putin’s illegal war on Ukraine. I do not believe that any other government would have provided as much support as we have to help households through the energy crisis and want to reassure people in St Austell and Newquay that we will continue to review the situation as we have been doing and act if necessary.

As ever, if I can be of assistance on this matter, or another, please get in touch with my office by calling 01726 829379 or email office@stevedouble.org.uk

Newspaper column 24 May 2023 - Enjoying the sea

I hope everyone managed to enjoy the nice weather we had at the weekend. I was able to spend some time enjoying the sea, and saw many people swimming and making the most of our beautiful beaches and coastal waters.

As you will know, the cause of looking after our beaches and waters is one very close to my heart as a keen swimmer myself and as an MP of a coastal constituency where we are fortunate to have some of the very best beaches in the country, if not the world.

With that, of course, comes renewed thoughts on how we treat our marine environment. I have long since taken an interest in improving the quality of our coastal waters and continue to raise this matter with South West Water and the government, working closely with charities such as Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) for many years in my former role as Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Ocean Conservation. I know this has increasingly become a key issue for many local people as we have been able to better understand the issues around sewage discharge and pollution.

That is why I was pleased to see water companies in England apologise last week for not acting quickly enough on sewage spills and also glad to see their commitment to ‘put things right’, starting with a £10 billion investment. This latest step has come as a direct result of the work the government has been doing to put legislation in place to hold the water companies to account. This work is now seeing results with this latest response.

This is more than triple the current level of investment and will be used as part of a new National Overflows plan to enable the biggest modernisation of sewers since the Victorian era and also the most ambitious programme on sewage spills in the world, which I am sure all will welcome.

It is only right that more should be done to address this issue, which I raise with South West Water during our regular meetings. It is good to see that the water companies have listened to those concerns and come up with a plan to put it right.

Water companies have confirmed they will invest what is needed to deliver the Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan. Last year during my time as a Government Minister in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) as Water Minister, I was able to launch this Plan, which will revolutionise the way water companies tackle the number of discharges of untreated sewage and provide the means for us to hold them to account the deliver on these improvements.

If the plan is approved by regulators, waters companies say they expect that by 2030 they will have cut sewage overflows by up to 140,000 each year compared to the level in 2020. This will be the start of a transformation programme across 350,000 miles of sewer, a length that would stretch 14 times round the world.

Water companies will also aim to install thousands of new Olympic swimming polls to hold surges of rainwater that would otherwise overload the system and increase the capacity of sewage treatment works.

A detailed National Overflows Plan will be published later this summer outlining each water company’s approach to improving their overflows which I will be looking at closely.

A new independently-overseen National Environment Data Hub will also be set up to provide the public with up-to-date information on the operation of all 15,000 sewage overflows in England. This means that for the first time in the world, people will be able to get national near real time information on what is happening.

Earlier this year South West Water launched a new water quality map, known as WaterFit Live, that shares open information and also allows people to have their say on how we all protect and improve our local beaches.

At Mawgan Porth, for example, I can now see that the number of storm overflow discharges has been reducing since 2020 and South West Water has earmarked £1.24 million of investment until March 2025 to improve water quality.

Figures from WaterFit also show that storm overflow discharges have halved at Gorran Haven beach since 2020 and South West Water will be making more than £900,000 available until March 2025 to improve water quality and mitigate environmental impact.

It is also good to see that there are currently no storm overflows impacting a number of beaches in the constituency, including Tolcarne, Lusty Glaze and Crinnis, although I am still regularly contacted about storm overflow discharges at those locations. That is why it is good that we now have access to real time information so people can check the facts for themselves rather than relying on misinformation.

I know that some people will never be satisfied with government’s efforts on this matter, but they underestimate the challenge ahead. Overflows are a result of the Victorian sewage infrastructure and act as a safety valve that stops water from backing up into the streets and our homes during heavy rain. If we were to stop overflows tomorrow, we would see sewage backing up into people’s homes and on the streets. Plus, it would cost up to nearly £600 billion to eradicated overflows meaning household water bills would go up to nearly £1,000 a year.

As I have previously said, it is simply not an option I could support. However, this is first government to take action to tackle sewage overflows. The government published its Plan for Water in April which sets out increased investment, tougher enforcement and tighter regulation to tackle every source of river pollution – including bringing forward £1.6 billion investment, with £1.1 billion being targeted on storm overflows. 

Good progress has been made in recent years in both raising awareness of these issues and putting measures in place to hold the water companies to account. It is now vital that the government continues to work with South West Water and other water companies as they are the only ones who can resolve the issues we face.

However, we do need to be realistic. This will not be resolved overnight. It is a step in the right direction though and while I am pleased to see all that the water companies are doing, we do also need to remember that we are all part of the problem.

For now, I will continue to do all I can to work with the Government and South West Water to ensure we continue to make progress in reducing sewage discharges and maintaining our excellent water quality.

If I can be of assistance on this matter, or another, please get in touch with my office who will be happy to help - email: office@stevedouble.org.uk or call 01726 829379.

 

Newspaper column 17 May 2023 - More for our primary care services

I am very much aware that one issue that many local people have concerns about is the availability of face-to-face GP appointments. I understand how important it is for people in Mid-Cornwall to be able to get a GP appointment when they need one and have regularly been raising constituent concerns with Ministers.

I also regularly meet with local GPs, so also recognise the pressures they are up against. I believe it is important to highlight that GPs across the country are facing unprecedented demand, with more than 30 million appointments booked in March this year alone.  Demand for GP appointments is up by 30% since the COVID pandemic.

However, despite the pressures on our GPs, they are working hard to maintain access with a million appointments delivered every day and half a million more appointments delivered every week compared to pre-pandemic. This represents a rise of over 10% in the availability of GP appointments, but it is clear this is not meeting the increase in demand.    

While we are also spending more money on general practice than ever before, I and the government recognise that we must do more to help general practice through the record levels of demand it now faces.

That is why I am pleased to see the government has now launched a new plan which will modernise the way primary care works and enable it to keep up with patient demand as well as cut waiting lists. 

The Primary Care Recovery Plan, announced last week, builds on the government’s Urgent and Emergency Care plans, which I covered earlier this year, and means patients in St Austell and Newquay will be able to access care more quickly for their health needs through their GP or pharmacy services.

The plan focuses on three main areas to make it easier for people to get the help they need: tackling the 8am rush for GP appointments; funding pharmacists to offer more treatment to free up GP appointments; and also providing more GP staff.

I appreciate how frustrating it can be when you’re stuck on hold to your GP practice waiting to book an appointment. That is why I am glad that this new plan will make sure patients are either given an appointment immediately when they call or signposted to a more appropriate service such as NHS 111 or their local pharmacy.

The government will be investing £35,000 per practice to provide new technology for GPs to make it easier to get through and get a response on the same day. This means investing in better phone systems so that you won’t get the engaged tone and improving digital access so that many more issues can be dealt with online, freeing up phone lines for those who need to call.

I am also pleased to see the government will be introducing a new NHS service, Pharmacy First, backed by £645 million over the next two years to enable pharmacists to provide treatment for minor illnesses. This will help to take some of the pressure off GPs and also provides a convenient alternative route for patients.

Pharmacists will be able to supply prescription-only medicines for common illnesses such as ear pain; severe sore throat; skin infections and urinary infections. They will also be able to start courses of oral contraception and help people manage blood pressure.

This is something Cornwall is already leading the way with as last year pharmacies in the Duchy began offering face-to-face assessments for a wide range of minor ailments, and NHS treatment as required – the first service of its kind in England – following a successful pilot scheme in 2021.

It is great to see Cornwall trail-blazing yet again and our pharmacies showing the rest of the country how successful this service can be. We are leading the way on this here in Cornwall, so I know just how crucial community pharmacies’ services are, not only as part of the solution to the NHS pressures in primary care, but also for patients as it is timely and convenient. Hopefully the rest of the country can now follow our lead.

Recruiting more staff in general practice and delivering more appointments are also a vital part of the government’s plan, which will ensure we have an extra 26,000 clinicians and 50 million extra appointments by March next year. 

The forthcoming NHS workforce plan will set out plans to expand GP training while the recent reforms to pension rules will also help us to retain senior GPs rather than retiring early.

The government will be cutting bureaucracy to free up GP time by reducing unnecessary targets, improving communication between GPs and hospitals, and reducing GPs having to do work that non-GPs can do. Patients will also now be able to self-refer for some services, including physiotherapy, hearing tests, and podiatry, without seeing their GP first. This will save around £37,000 of resources per practice meaning our GPs can spend more time caring for patients. 

The actions set out in the plan are expected to free up around 15 million GP appointments over the next two years for patients who need them most.

More details about the government’s plan can be found on the gov.uk website.

This summer, the NHS will mark 75 years of service and that is why it is important that we continue to support primary care services so that they can adapt and innovate to meet the needs of both patients and GPs so that they can still be around in another 75 years.

As I like to remind people, there are no quick fixes to solving the serious long-term challenges facing GPs, but for now I will continue to work with the local NHS and government to ensure we make the most of this plan and patients in Cornwall receive the care they need and deserve.

As always, if I can be of assistance on this matter or any other, please get in touch with my office on 01726 829329 or email office@stevedouble.org.uk

Newspaper column 10 May 2023 - Looking back at the coronation

At the weekend we saw the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. This was the first such event that many of us will have ever seen, with the last Coronation taking place on 6 June 1953 when Queen Elizabeth II was crowned.

Last year we mourned the sad death of our Queen. For many of us she was the only monarch we had ever known. Her passing was one of the most significant moments we have shared as a country and while it was a very sombre time, it also saw people of all ages come together to celebrate her unparalleled reign and life.

The Coronation on Saturday saw the nation unite once more, along with people from across the world, to mark this historic day. Present at the Coronation were representatives of the Houses of Parliament, Church and State. Prime ministers and leading citizens from the Commonwealth and representatives of other countries also attended.

I had the huge privilege of being invited to be a part of the Coronation of King Charles from outside the Palace of Westminster.

For the last 900 years, the ceremony has taken place at Westminster Abbey in London and is conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Coronation of a new Sovereign takes place in the months after their accession, following a period of mourning. In a similar but simpler ceremony, Queen Camilla was also crowned alongside His Majesty The King as part of the service.

During the ceremony, the Sovereign takes the coronation oath. The form and wording have varied over the centuries. For example, Queen Elizabeth II undertook to rule according to law, to exercise justice with mercy - promises symbolised by the four swords in the coronation regalia (the Crown Jewels) - and to maintain the Church of England.

Following the oath the Sovereign is then 'anointed, blessed and consecrated' by the Archbishop, whilst the Sovereign is seated in King Edward's chair, which was made in 1300, and has been used by every Sovereign since 1626.

After receiving the orb and sceptres, the Archbishop places St Edward's Crown on the Sovereign's head.

While the Coronation centred around a solemn religious ceremony and has remained largely unchanged for more than a thousand years, this was also an event full of firsts. One of those was the first Homage of the People where members of the public were invited to pledge their allegiance to the King, or swear an oath, which replaced the traditional Homage of Peers.

I appreciate that some people do not believe we should retain our Monarchy and question whether its traditions have a place in our modern society. However, I believe the Coronation was a fantastic event, uniting the country once again and providing continuity, which I was glad to see after the turbulent and difficult times we have faced over the last year or so.

 

We in Cornwall have, of course, a strong connection to King Charles. Having been our Duke for many years, we have become used to him visiting regularly. Last week the King came to visit Parliament and I had the honour to have a few minutes to talk with him, for the first time since he became our Monarch. There is no doubt he retains a real interest in Cornwall and I look forward to him visiting as King in the future. 

Following the Coronation, on Sunday a spectacular Coronation Concert was performed at Windsor Castle with iconic locations across the UK lit up using projections, lasers, drone displays and illuminations.

And on Monday a special Bank Holiday was proclaimed by the Prime Minister in honour of the Coronation, which gave everyone the opportunity to join in with their communities and good causes through Big Help Out activities and was great to see.

Events over the past year to mark both our late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations and then with great sadness, her funeral, show that no one does the pomp and pageantry of these events like Great Britain.

I hope you were all able to take some time to witness, or take part in, these historic events and celebrations locally or around the country over the long weekend.

As ever, if I can be of assistance on any matter, my office is available for any constituents needing help, advice or guidance – tel: 01726 829379 or email: office@stevedouble.org.uk

Newspaper column 3 May 2023 - Progress with NHS dentistry

An issue that is often raised with me during my work on behalf of the people of St Austell and Newquay constituency is around NHS dentists.

Cornwall has historically suffered from issues with NHS dentist provision for a variety of reasons, including our rural nature, but also more recently the NHS dental contract that was negotiated by the previous Labour Government, which essentially does not incentivise dentists to treat NHS patients.

This is something I have done an awful lot of work around, both behind the scenes with Ministerial colleagues at the Department of Health and Social Care, but also by doing survey work last year with local people to better understand dental priorities and the scope of the problems we are facing.

Last week it was good to get an update from the  National Director, for Primary Care and Community Care at NHS England, the body that is responsible for NHS dentistry about this important area.

Last summer, NHS England enacted the first substantial reforms to the NHS dental contract in 16 years, bringing in a series of initial changes that are already making a difference to patient’s and dentists’ experience of the service. These reforms include changes that mean:

NHS dentists are paid more for treating more complex and high needs patients, including fillings, root canal and teeth extraction, providing the incentivisation that has previously been needed for dentists to treat NHS patients

They are increasing dental capacity by making dental therapists, as well as dentists, able to accept patients for NHS treatments, providing fillings, sealants, preventative care for adults and children. This will free up dentists’ time for urgent and complex cases, as well as treating children.

They now requir contractors to maintain and update their details on NHS.uk to support patients to find an NHS dentist who can deliver care locally.

They have granted high-performing dental practices the opportunity to increase their activity by a further 10% and to see as many patients as possible.

Through these changes and the hard work of the profession, NHS England say they are starting to see the early signs of recovery in dentistry. Over the last financial year, NHS dentists have delivered 30.8 million courses of treatment, up from 26.6 million treatments during the year before, which is a 16% increase. And in March, thanks to our reforms to incentivise high-performing practices to increase their NHS activity, 101% of contracted activity was delivered on a month-by-month basis, up from 71% in December.

While this is a step in the right direction, there is still plenty more to be done. Access to vital services in some parts of the country, including Cornwall is still challenging. Last summer’s reforms are the first step in a programme of reform, and NHS England have already identified the focus for their next steps in this area.

Their focus moving forward will be to continue to improve the system to better incentivise dentists to treat NHS patients, support patients who don’t currently have access to an NHS dentist, and finally supporting the professional development of dental teams to help make the NHS a rewarding place to practice dentistry

The next steps in reform will also consider what more can be done to move to introduce a preventative approach and an overall improvement of the nation’s oral health.

NHS England have allocated £3.1 billion to NHS dentistry services. But as ever with the NHS, it isn’t just about how much money is provided for a particular issue, it is about ensuring that this money is spent in a way that is good value for the public and deliver an effective service, and I have been reassured that they are taking steps to release their funding earlier so it can be spent in a timely manner in delivering front line support.

Just last week I attended a debate in Parliament on the progress of reforms to NHS dentistry and I will continue to work locally with NHS organisations in Cornwall, as well as with the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and Ministerial colleagues to ensure we get a lasting solution for NHS dentistry that works for local people.

As ever, if I can be of assistance on any matter, my office is available for any constituents needing help, advice or guidance – tel: 01726 829379 or email: office@stevedouble.org.uk