Please attend NI briefing on devolution & abortion + vote against abortion 10 Minute Rule Bill campaign reply

Some of my constituents have recently contacted me to ask me to vote against Diana Johnson MP’s Ten Minute Rule Bill on abortion and inviting me as attend a briefing session for MPs on the bill. This Bill would have the effect of making the Abortion Act 1967, along with all the legal safeguards it provides, void through to at least 24-weeks, i.e over five months, gestation.

I understand what an important Abortion this is for many people. This is an incredibly delicate area of law and, regardless of the views of individual MPs, one which is treated with the utmost rigour.

With regards to this bill, I would not vote to increase the availability of abortions, nor would I vote to make it easier to have one. My personal opinion is the limit should be decreased from the current 24 weeks. I find it absurd doctors fight to save premature babies born in one part of a hospital at 23/4 weeks which are now viable with the advance in medical technology, and in an another part of the hospital a 24 week foetus is being aborted.

I work and have regular contact with pro-life groups and always seek to accommodate their work as they seek to influence and inform Parliamentarians so that we can make progress with the vital message of pro-life. I recently spoke at a meeting in Newquay organised by the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC), arguing proposals such as Ms Johnson’s bill are aiming to liberalise and decriminalise abortion outright, which would lead to abortion up to birth, sex-selective abortion and abortion on grounds of disability: https://www.spuc.org.uk/news/news-stories/2018/june/decrim-would-have-far-reaching-consequences

Although my diary is already full I will be doing my very best to attend this important debate, vote against the bill, and attend the briefing session. I will continue to do everything I can to see off any extension or further loosening of the rules making it easier to have an abortion.

Changes to Universal Credit campaign

I have recently been contacted by a number of constituents about changes to Universal Credit.

I was sorry to hear of the issues highlighted.

I have now raised this with Sarah Newton MP, Minister for Disabled People and asked her to confirm what exactly is happening with this issue. I will post her reply on my blog once I receive it.

New mothers' mental illness - please write to the Minister for Public Health and Primary Care campaign

I have been contacted by a number of people as part of a campaign about mental illness, new mothers and the renegotiating of the GP Contract.

I was concerned to hear of the points raised.

I am pleased at the good work this Government is doing in bringing parity to the treatment of mental health conditions.

However, I am more than happy to raise concerns with the Minister for Public Health and Primary Care. I have now written to them raising these concerns and asked whether they can be taken on board for the negotiations, as well as asking about the current steps being taken to support new mothers at what can be a very difficult time for them. I will post the response on my blog once I receive it.

Newspaper column 17 October 2018 - My first week at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

Last week I was deeply honoured to sit for the first time on the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. By doing so I also became the first ever Cornish Member of Parliament to do this.

The Council of Europe is an international organisation whose stated aim is to uphold human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe. Founded following inspiration from Churchill in 1949, it has 47 member states, covers approximately 820 million people and operates with an annual budget of approximately half a billion euros.

Unlike the EU, the Council of Europe cannot make binding laws, but it does have the power to enforce select international agreements reached by European states on various topics particularly with regards to human rights.

Although we are leaving the EU next year, we are not leaving the Council of Europe and will continue to be an integral member of this organisation.

At last week’s session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the main issues raised were surrounding Russia and its continual recent flouting of international guidelines. This relates as to whether, given these actions, Russia should be allowed to remain a member of the Council.

During the session I was also able to speak on two other unrelated matters.

Firstly on Thursday I spoke in a debate on the reunification of refugee families. I have always been clear that when people are in very difficult situations such as this, often at their most vulnerable, we should do everything possible to help them.

The Council ended up recommending, among other points, that families must not be torn apart and they should not be prevented from reuniting after an often dangerous departure from their country of origin.

On Friday I thanked the Council of Europe for granting Cornish people protected Minority status in 2014, but highlighted the subsequent lack of progress by successive governments in following through with the Council’s recommendations.

I also raised the current campaign for a Cornish Tick Box as part of the next national census, which along with my Cornish MP colleagues I have been leading the charge on.

It was an interesting week and I look forward to continuing to bring my Cornish perspective to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in future sessions.

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

Campaign response - An open letter for Kweku

Over the past few weeks I have received a number of emails from constituents expressing their concerns about the deportation of Kweku Adoboli, a former investment manager and rogue trader who was convicted of illegally trading away $2 billion as a trader for the Swiss investment bank UBS.

Mr Adoboli was due to be deported to Ghana on Tuesday 18 September.

This is because under UK law, if a foreign national is sentenced to more than four years in jail, deportation is deemed to be in the interest of the public “unless there are very compelling circumstances”. Mr Adoboli was found guilty at Southwark Crown Court of two counts of fraud by abuse of position in 2012 and sentenced to seven years for fraud.

Commenting on Mr Adoboli’s case, the Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes MP said: “Although Mr Adoboli’s offence was not one of violence, he committed a serious offence and this was reflected in the length of his sentence. Financial crime, like all crime, has an impact on the society that we live in and the public expects robust action to be taken against foreign nationals who abuse our hospitality by committing crime.”

On the day he was due to be deported, Mr Adoboli was granted a last-minute injunction blocking his deportation. The outcome of his case will now depend on the conclusion of a judicial review on the matter, scheduled for 23 October.

I fully appreciate my constituents’ concerns for Mr Adoboli and will be following the developments of his case closely.

Newspaper column 10 October 2018 - A good conference for Cornwall

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

Newspaper column 3 October 2018 - Newquay-Gatwick route future secured!

This week I am heading off to Birmingham for the Conservative Party Conference.

Conferences are where each of the main political parties holds a national event to discuss its policies for the years ahead.

At Conference I will be looking, as ever, to feedback my experience as Member of Parliament for St Austell and Newquay onto the national scene.

On Monday I was delighted to welcome the announcement by Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling MP, at the conference, that the Government is renewing the Public Service Obligation (PSO) for the Cornwall Airport Newquay to London Gatwick route for another four years.

Public Service Obligation routes are used to subsidise vital air connections and economic and social development in peripheral regions, where a clear business case is put forward.

Cornwall Airport Newquay, continues to grow, with around 460,000 passengers using it in 2017, making it the airport’s best year ever and the fastest growing airport outside of London.

If the PSO had been withdrawn and the service was lost, £50 million could be wiped from Cornwall’s economy with the potential loss of airport and other jobs. 

I have worked long and hard, together with senior officers at Cornwall Council, who are also backing this route to make the case for continuing the Government support for this vital route to Cornwall, meeting the with the Secretary of State and his Ministerial team on numerous occasions at Cornwall Airport Newquay, and am pleased to see they have made the right decision for Cornwall.

The Cornwall Airport Newquay to London Gatwick service will continue to be operated by Flybe and will see daily flights between the two airports, with 3 return flights on weekdays and 2 per day at weekends.

Along with this year’s announcement of the spaceport, and the confirmation that this PSO will include modern jet aircraft, this is all brilliant news for Newquay and Cornwall as a whole.

This is a great endorsement of Cornwall Airport Newquay and the transformative affect its continued growth and success has on Cornwall.

As well as the safeguarding current routes, I am also keen to explore other opportunities.

As Chairman of the Regional Airports All Party Parliamentary Group, one thing of particular interest to me, with around 15% of the new runway capacity set to be used for domestic flights, is that Cornwall will be among the regions with the opportunity to get direct links to Heathrow. In fact that Prime Minister mentioned Newquay specifically when she made her announcement on the third runway, and I will certainly continue to do all I can to ensure we are kept in strong consideration for this additional route in the future.

As well as continued investment in our roads and railway, this is further evidence of this Government’s continued investment in transport infrastructure in, and going to and from Cornwall.

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