Newspaper column 22 November - the fight against plastics in our seas

This week Parliament is focussing on the Budget, which the Chancellor will be giving today.

I spent the run up both in Mid-Cornwall and in Parliament, including a busy constituency advice surgery in Newquay and the Anti-Social Behaviour summit in St Austell

I had a packed time in Parliament, speaking in a number of debates, including one on Fatherhood and the importance of the role of fathers in today’s society, and on the role of the UK in combatting marine pollution.

Along with this second debate, I was also pleased, in my capacity as Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Protecting Our Waves, to host the Plastic-free Coastlines Reception in Westminster. Those who have followed my work will know this is an issue I have been campaigning on since I was first elected.

Along with Surfers Against Sewage, the reception took place to highlight the issue of marine plastic pollution and promote innovative government, business and community based solutions to protect our oceans and beaches from the rising tide of plastic.

In 1950, the world’s population of 2.5 billion produced 1.5 million tons of plastic; in 2016, a global population of more than 7 billion people produced over 320 million tons of plastic. This is set to double by 2034. Every day approximately 8 million pieces of plastic pollution find their way into our oceans and there may now be around 5.25 trillion macro and microplastic pieces floating in the open ocean, altogether weighing up to 269,000 tonnes.

UK-wise, approximately 5000 items of marine plastic pollution have been found per mile of beach and on average over 150 plastic bottles litter each mile of UK beaches.

On top of this, recent studies have revealed marine plastic pollution in 100% of marine turtles, 59% of whales, 36% of seals and 40% of seabird species examined. 100,000 marine mammals and turtles and 1 million sea birds are killed by marine plastic pollution annually.

These are all shocking statistics and clearly something needs to be done. With this in mind, it was great to get so many inspirational charities, businesses and government agencies together in Parliament to see just how far we have come in our fight against plastic pollution of our seas.

The Government is listening to the hundreds of thousands of people who have got involved and is taking forward ideas including the consultation on the deposit return scheme for single use plastic bottles and we are very much hoping for more news on this issue in the budget. There is still much more to do, both in terms of raising awareness of this issue and the serious nature of the problem, and in providing solutions to the tide of plastic that is blighting our seas.

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

Child refugees

I strongly support the principle of family unity, but it is important to note that there are already legal routes for families to be reunited safely that are not dependent on our EU membership. The UK's family reunion policy is generous, granting over 23,000 family reunion visas over the last five years, and I can assure you that the Government will continue to reunite refugees with their immediate family.

The EU Dublin Regulation determines the Member State with responsibility for assessing an asylum claim. Under the Regulation unaccompanied children present in another EU Member State can be transferred to the UK to have their asylum claim assessed where they have a qualifying family member or relative legally present and transfer is in their best interests. I do expect cooperation on asylum and migration with our European partners to continue after the UK leaves the EU, and will follow this topic with interest as the exact nature of this cooperation becomes clear during the negotiations.

Britain has a proud record of helping the most vulnerable who are fleeing conflict and danger, and I know the Government is committed to upholding this fine tradition. That is why its response to the migrant crisis has indeed been to establish resettlement schemes from the refugee camps in the region. This allows support to be targeted to the most vulnerable people affected by the crisis, while not creating a strong incentive for refugees to undertake dangerous journeys. By 2020, the UK will have resettled 20,000 refugees through our Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme, as well as a further 3,000 of the most vulnerable children and their families from the Middle East and North Africa region under the Vulnerable Children's Resettlement Scheme.

Green Belt

I am exceptionally fond of the British and Cornish countryside. While it is up to local authorities to determine the development of new homes through local plans, I would like to reassure you that the Government is acting to protect the Green Belt from inappropriate development.

The Housing White Paper, published earlier this year, emphasised the Government's continued commitment to protecting the Green Belt. Ministers want to amend and add to national policy to make it clear that: Green Belt boundaries should only be amended in exceptional circumstances, when local authorities can demonstrate they have fully examined all other reasonable options for meeting their identified housing requirements; and where land is removed from the Green Belt, local policies should require the impact to be offset.

Planning policy also guarantees strong protection for National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Sites of Special Scientific Interest. The Green Belt also enjoys protection against erosion from caravan and traveller sites. The Government also has an ambitious programme to bring brownfield land back into use in England and is working closely with local authorities to drive this forward. This will ensure that development is prioritised on brownfield sites rather than at the expense of our countryside.

Newspaper column 15 November - Waste and Recycling in Cornwall

The second week of November was another interesting one for me.

In Parliament I was delighted to host a reception for the charity Shared Lives, so my MP colleagues could come along and see for themselves some of the brilliant work this group is doing. Shared Lives provide residential care in family homes for adults with special needs, and following a visit to one of their providers in St Austell earlier this year, I am pleased to have been able to highlight their work in Westminster.

On Friday it was also great to see the Prime Minister announce that the date and time we will be leaving the EU - 11pm on 29^th March 2019 will be set in law. We can now set our Brexit alarm!

As Parliament rose early it has been great to spend more time than usual at home in Mid-Cornwall, and I have been able to attend Remembrance Services in St Austell, Newquay and St Columb Major, visit several local businesses including the award winning Old Barn at Tregonetha, meet with the Leadership Team  at St Mawgan in Pydar School to discuss their plans for the future, welcome the new Vicar at St Goran Church and hold a lively and informative Meet the MP session at the Safe Harbour in Fowey.

One of the issues local people have raised with me recently is the situation with Cornwall Council and their proposed move to fortnightly waste collections with a possible limit to two black sacks per household per collection.

At a time where the powers that be at Cornwall Council got a ton of flak last week for using a consultancy firm from upcountry, at a cost of £75,000 to tell us that we think Cornwall is a great place to live, you would have thought they would have steered clear of any more controversial decisions for a while. However it appears they already have another one lined up!

It is clear that Cornwall does have some work to do to catch up with the rest of the country in terms of recycling. However the needs of Cornwall, with its unique geography and large number of small rural communities, are very different to more urban areas that often have higher recycling rates. Have Cornwall Council actually thought about the issues households would face with overflowing waste sacks and food being left in situ for two weeks at a time? The seagulls would have a field day at least.

You would have thought that Cornwall Council would have consulted with their public before putting such a big decision on their Cabinet’s agenda for this week but aside from a few posts on social media, this seems to have been lacking. It is telling perhaps that the new/old Liberal Democrat/Independent regime at the council are more willing to spend thousands of pounds asking consultants from upcountry what they think, than they are asking their own electorate, the people of Cornwall, what we think.

Cornwall Council is, of course there to represent and serve of the people who live in Cornwall. Sadly it seems that once again those in charge are focusing elsewhere instead of what really matters.

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

Newspaper column 8 November - Changes to letting and service charges

Last week was a busy one for me. In Parliament I spoke in a number of debates, including leading one on proportional representation via my role on the Petitions Committee, and also contributed to the tax on beer and pubs debate, which with St Austell Brewery a major employer in Mid-Cornwall is particularly important to us ahead of the upcoming Budget.

Following this, I came back to Mid-Cornwall for a packed few days, including meetings with Cornwall’s leadership board, filming my slot on BBC’s Sunday Politics, a busy constituency advice surgery in St Austell and selling poppies with the Royal British Legion ahead of Remembrance Day this coming weekend.

Meanwhile last week also saw the introduction to Parliament of a new draft bill to ban letting fees.

While the Government is taking many positive steps to increase and encourage home ownership, it is also crucial that we protect those in the rented sector, which has long been under regulated and has not provided enough protection of both tenants and landlords alike. Whilst many letting agents provide a good service, it is clear that there are some who do not.

The draft Tenant Fees Bill will set out the Government’s approach to banning letting fees for tenants, helping millions of renters by bringing an end to costly upfront payments.

Evidence shows the level of fees charged are often not clearly or consistently explained, leaving many tenants unaware of the true costs of renting a property.

This latest action will help improve transparency, affordability and competition in the private rental market. It will also prevent agents from double charging both tenants and landlords for the same services.

As well as these changes, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Sajid Javid last week announced plans to crack down on letting and management agents who make tenants, leaseholders and increasingly home owners on new estates, pay overpriced service charges.

Government data estimates that services charges paid to management companies total between a staggering £2.5 billion and £3.5 billion a year, a vast amount of money.

Many leaseholders and home owners share the cost of maintenance and repairs, including for open spaces, paying service charges. I have had many complaints about landlords and letting agents arbitrarily increasing service charges.

The Government is in the process of bringing measures to protect consumers from unfair costs and overpriced service charges as well as providing ways to place more power in the hands of consumers by giving leaseholders and owners more say over their agent.

As ever with Parliamentary Bills, its passing through Parliament will be a lengthy process and the devil will be in the detail. I will be closely monitoring this Bill as it proceeds to ensure concerns that have been raised with me by tenants and landlords in Mid-Cornwall are reflected in the finished legislation.

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

Newspaper column 1 November - The Bloodhound

Last week I had the privilege of seeing the Bloodhound Supersonic Car (SSC) during its test run at Newquay.

The Bloodhound SSC is designed not only to go faster than the speed of sound (supersonic) but to over 1,000mph, smashing the current land speed record, which is 746mph. The Bloodhound will cover a mile in just 3.6 seconds. The Car is powered by both a jet engine and a rocket, which together produce more than 135,000 horsepower: that’s more than six times the power of all the Formula 1 cars on a starting grid put together.

The Bloodhound came to Cornwall Airport Newquay because of the length of its runway – something that makes it an ideal place to trial the car ahead of its full attempt.

It is particularly good to see that all of the schools in Cornwall have been invited to visit the Bloodhound during its time at Cornwall Airport Newquay. One of the stated aims of the Bloodhound project is to inspire the next generation about science, technology, engineering and mathematics, also known as STEM subjects.

It is crucial that future generations embrace and do well in STEM subjects, to ensure the UK remains at the cutting edge of global science and technology development. I hope that witnessing the tremendous achievements of the Bloodhound first-hand will ignite or fan the flames of creativity among our pupils from schools in Mid-Cornwall and set some of these children up for having a lifelong love of STEM subjects.

Also while I was with the Bloodhound team I had the chance to have a good chat with Richard Noble, the project director and former world record holder behind the project. Richard is an inspirational character and it was great to be able to talk to him about his ventures, previous achievements and future plans. His enthusiasm for innovating and pursuing such an extraordinary goal is plain to see and something which I would love to see grow with similar high tech ventures in Mid-Cornwall.

With our world now an increasingly digital one, I have always championed bringing new businesses to Cornwall whose work forces can work remotely from our beautiful county. It is important that we get not just more jobs for Mid-Cornwall, but jobs that are highly skilled and better paid, therefore improving our economy and the living standards of all of us who live here.

Attracting high-tech investment in the spirit of the Bloodhound project is a good start but there is much more to do. I will continue to do all I can both locally and in Westminster to realise this goal.

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

Newspaper column 25 October - Housing

There is no doubt that one of the biggest challenges facing our country is that of housing. We feel this here in Cornwall probably as much as anywhere else in the country with the ratio of average wages to average house prices one of the biggest in the country.

I am very encouraged that Theresa May has made tackling this crisis her top domestic priority. A recent survey showed that 86% of people aspire to own their own home. We need to do all we can to enable people to attain to this desire.

In recent weeks we have seen a number of announcements introducing policies that begin to address this issue. From more money for social housing, to a new Help to Buy scheme and measures to address service charges charged by management companies.

This weekend saw further announcements of a consultation on how the government can make buying a house cheaper, faster and less stressful. These are all good news and I welcome this renewed focus on housing. As always we need to see these announcements result in action and changes to legislation and I will continue to keep a watchful eye as things develop.

There are two issues particularly I would like to see addressed.

One is that of stamp duty. This tax on house purchases is often a barrier particularly to first time buyers and those seeking to move up the property ladder. I would like to see stamp duty abolished completely for first time buyers. One of the ways we could achieve this is by switching stamp duty to the house seller rather than the buyer.

I also believe we need to provide greater protection for those buying new homes. We clearly need to build more houses to meet the current demand. These need to be in the right locations and with the supporting infrastructure, jobs and services in place. But we also need to address the issue of the quality of construction today.

There is a disturbing trend of defects and faults during construction that is increasing at an alarming rate. Around 30% of those who purchase new build properties today report that they are dissatisfied with the level of defects they find.

I have been contacted by a number of local constituents who have not only faced an unacceptable level of problems with their new homes but have also failed to get the protection and support from the warranty company.

Most new build houses today are sold with a 10 warranty in place. The most common of these are provided by the National House Building Council (NHBC) who have around 80% of the market.

It seems unacceptable to me that consumers today have more protection when buying a new mobile phone than they do, for what is for most people the biggest purchase of their life, a new home.

As a result, last week, I was pleased to secure a debate in Parliament to specifically address this matter.

It is clear to me that the current system of warranty is failing too many people and needs to be reviewed. Too often there appears to be a too cosy relationship between the warranty company and the builders. I also believe we should consider an independent Ombudsman to act in the new build housing market to hold developers to account for the quality of their work.

With a renewed emphasis on housing it is vital that we ensure all new houses are of a quality that will mean they will be the family homes for the future.