End the caging of pheasants and partridges

I rarely sign EDM's as apart from costing tax payers huge amounts of money they never achieve anything.

The points you raise are of concern. Whilst we need to recognise that UK farming methods and welfare standards are amongst the highest in the World that should not preclude efforts to ensure continuing improvement.

I note the points you raise and will be sure to mention them when next I see the Minister.

An independent public inquiry into UK complicity in torture and rendition.

Torture and rendition are serious matters. The UK stands firmly against the use of torture. We do not participate in, solicit, encourage or condone the use of such techniques for any purpose and we have robust oversight arrangements in place.

With regards to the demand for a new inquiry, the Government has made clear that a balance needs to be struck between the “transparency that accountability normally entails and the secrecy that security demands” in the investigatory work carried out by agencies and courts.

I will certainly bear your comments in mind and carefully consider them should this issue come up for debate in Parliament again.

I hope this is helpful in outlining my position and thanks once more for getting in touch.

Respecting the will of the people

Regarding the need for politicians to respect the will of the people as expressed in the referendum on European Union membership by ensuring that we do leave the European Union in March 2019. 

I voted to leave the European Union in the June 2016 referendum. Since becoming your Member of Parliament in 2015, I have always made my Eurosceptic views clear. I believe that by leaving the European Union, the British people will be taking back control of our borders, laws, trade policy and avoid being part of an ever-closing union, which has yield nothing but social and economic disaster for many of its members.

I, along with vast majority of my colleagues in Parliament, are of the opinion that the referendum on the UK’s membership of European Union was a clear and fair vote, demonstrating that we as a nation are in favour of leaving the European Union. 

To delay, reverse or force a second referendum on the British public would therefore not only be a betrayal of will of the British people, but also undermine trust in our nation’s democratic institutions.

Like you, I am a democrat and I believe that in order to safeguard our democracy we need to implement the will of the nation, as expressed in the results of the referendum, by leaving the European Union. I will continue to do whatever I can to ensure we leave the EU in March 2019 and will be voting against any bills or amendments that seek to undo the results of the EU referendum.

The ‘hostile environment’ immigration policy

We have a proud history in the UK of welcoming people into this country, and we value their vital contributions to our economy, culture and society. We certainly do not wish to see anyone who has a right to live and work in the UK being refused a tenancy or a job opportunity based on their race, religion or belief.

I agree with the Home Secretary when he said in his first statement before Parliament that the phrase hostile environment sends a message this “is unhelpful and it doesn’t represent our values as a country”. 

With Brexit fast approaching, we have been given a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn from past mistakes and build a fair and non-discriminatory immigration system that works for everyone. We have to send clear a message to discourage illegal migration, and indeed previous governments have made great strides in tackling illegal migration. At the same time, this new immigration system needs to be fair and humane to people legally seeking to enter or remain in this country.

I believe there needs to be a change of culture at the heart of the Home Office, because the focus has been on policy and process and not people. We must never lose sight of the fact that at the heart of these polices are people: individuals and families who deserve to be treated fairly, with dignity and respect.

I agree that where there are cases of mistreatment that has resulted in undue harm or wrongful denial to employment, housing, or services, we need to ensure that individuals are given the proper channels to seek redress and compensation for these mistakes. However, I do not believe that calling for a wholesale review of immigration policies and practices is a sensible option going forward.

Such an exercise would only impose unnecessary costs on taxpayers and distract government officials from carrying out the vital work required to right wrongs. There needs to be a change in Home Office policy and culture, not a review or an inquiry.

The Offensive Weapons Bill and the reclassification of certain firearms as “prohibited weapons” under section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968

I appreciate that this is naturally an issue of great concern to members of law-abiding shooting communities in Cornwall.

The bill proposes the prohibition of large calibre (0.50) ‘materiel destruction’ rifles and rapid-fire rifles under section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968.

A .50 calibre ‘materiel destruction’ rifle can shoot over a very long range. It was developed for use by the military and is designed to damage equipment such as vehicles. Rapid-fire rifles have a very fast rate of fire, which is greater than a conventional bolt-action rifle.

The Home Office estimates that there are 132 .50 calibre rifles and seven hundred rapid-fire rifles currently held by registered individuals or dealers in the UK. These types of firearms can currently be held on a standard firearms certificate issued under section 1 of the 1968 Act.

There is a risk of these firearms falling into the wrong hands if they are available for civilian use. In the Government summary of the consultation exercise on the bill, a significant number of respondents commented that the “risk to public safety from these weapons was high, and that the police have no suitable body armour to protect themselves against such high-powered rifles, should they fall into criminal or terrorist hands.” I also understand that the Home office is aware of at least one incident in which a .50 calibre rifle was stolen and subsequently recovered.

Rather than reducing the number of current incidents, the proposals are designed to prevent future incidents. Prohibiting ‘material destruction’ and rapid-fire rifles weapons will minimise the likelihood that these weapons could be obtained by terrorists or criminals in future.

Given the recent surge in gun crime in England and Wales (11% rise compared to previous year), I am keen to ensure that we get the balance right between making firearms available for sport and land management purposes, and protecting public interest and safety. Compared to many other developed countries however, the UK should be proud of its record. Gun murder rate in England and Wales is about one for every 1 million people. In the US, by contrast, there are about 160 times as many gun murders in a country that is only six times larger in population than the UK.

Newspaper column 27 June 2018 - The vote on Heathrow

On Monday we had a very important vote in Parliament on the expansion of Heathrow Airport.

I have been a strong supporter of the expansion for a wide variety of reasons and voted in favour of it.

Firstly, in general terms:

The extension will be good value. It will be delivered at no cost to taxpayers. The new runway scheme will be privately funded and we will work with industry to keep airport charges down.

The extension will provide a massive economic boost to the country, with new international routes, more than 100,000 new jobs, doubled freight capacity and benefits of up to £74 billion to passengers and the wider economy.

The extension will have environmental protection built-in. The expansion will be delivered within existing climate change and air quality obligations and a new six and a half hour ban on scheduled night flights.

Expanding Heathrow will give guaranteed benefits for the whole of the UK. We have committed to about 15 per cent of new slots for domestic routes, new rail links, and new global opportunities for regional business.

This last bit is particularly important for Cornwall, and Cornwall Airport Newquay in particular.

Cornwall Airport Newquay continues to be the UK’s fastest growing regional airport. In Parliament I am co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Regional Airports, a group of MPs from all political parties who work together to promote and highlight regional airports and the communities they serve. I am always proud to bring up Cornwall Airport Newquay’s positive success at the meetings of this group.

Heathrow’s expansion makes a potential Newquay-Heathrow route a real possibility.

In PMQ’s last Wednesday the Prime Minister specifically mentioned our airport when it came to potential beneficiaries of the Heathrow expansion.

The announcement last week by the Government that it will protect routes from Heathrow to regional airports is also a potential game-changer for or airport, and anther massive potential economic booster for Mid-Cornwall.

Last week I welcomed the Secretary of State for Transport to Newquay to continue to press the case for this important route, as well as provide an update on the A30 link road to St Austell progress, and numerous other transport infrastructure projects we are working on with Cornwall Council.

Monday’s vote was a momentous one that has been 50 years in the making and represents the biggest national transport decision in a generation. I will continue to do all I can to continue to ensure Cornwall benefits from Heathrow’s growth now and in the future. 

 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

‘Are you in to end homelessness?' campaign

I agree that homelessness is an issue that we must do all we can to tackle.

I recently welcomed confirmation that Cornwall will receive £437,489, part of a targeted £30m Rough Sleeping Initiative fund to support those sleeping rough and those at risk in 83 local authorities with the highest need.

I am pleased that the Government has released this further funding to Cornwall Council to help support those sleeping rough.

This represents a first significant step in the Government’s plans to reduce rough sleeping and will be followed by a cross-Government strategy, published in July, which will set out how it intends to meet our manifesto commitment of halving rough sleeping by 2022 and eliminating it altogether by 2027.

This funding nationally will provide for over 500 new staff focused on rough sleeping. This will include more outreach workers to engage with people on the streets, specialist mental health and substance misuse workers and dedicated co-ordinators to drive efforts to reduce rough sleeping in their areas. It will also provide over 1700 new bed-spaces nationally including both emergency and settled accommodation.

I look forward to seeing the detail of what Cornwall Council proposes to do with its funding, and look forward to working with them to ensure that it is used to provide the best outcome for the people that need it, the communities they are part of and is good value for the tax payer.

I hope this provides a reassurance that this is an issue I care deeply about and will continue to do all I can locally and in Westminster, to resolve.