Campaign reply - 'Strengthen the Safety Net '

I have recently been contacted by a number of constituents about funding for children services at local authorities as part of the Strengthen the Safety Net campaign.

The decisions on budgets for all services run by local authorities, including Cornwall Council, are rightly local decisions made by councillors and officers.

Clearly there are many pressures on public spending and ever increasing demand in a number of areas including this one.

Ultimately the decision on the level of funding for these services is a matter for Cornwall Council within their £1.4billion budget.

Clearly we want to see children's services properly funded within the overall level of funding available but it is for Cornwall Council to set the Budget responsibly, which Councillors have a chance to vote on every year.

I would also advise that you contact your own Cornwall Councillor, who will be able to feed in direct to this process.

You can find out who your Cornwall Councillor is by following the below link:

https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/my-area/

I hope this is helpful in outlining my position on this matter and giving further steps that residents can take to highlight this with Cornwall Council.

Newspaper column 10 July 2019 - More funding for Cornwall's heritage

As the heatwave continues, last week saw a number of events that I took part in both locally and in Westminster as your Member of Parliament, as well as some great announcements for Mid-Cornwall.

In Parliament I co-hosted and spoke at the Faith and Society All Party Parliamentary Group event, looking at the issue of loneliness. Loneliness is a major and growing challenge across the country and faith communities can provide part of the solution.

I was thrilled to see the success of St Dennis Primary Academy’s bid for funding, which I have worked with colleagues in Westminster to ensure an announcement was made on ahead of the summer holidays. Their success in getting £300,000 combined with £100,000 local funding from the Cerc St Dennis Community Fund, will undoubtedly have a major positive impact on children in St Dennis and the surrounding communities.

Over the weekend I was honoured to join councillors in Newquay for the annual civic parade and service, and also call into VetFest at Lanescot in Par to support our armed forces and veterans, hopefully the first of many!

On Friday another one of our Cornish campaigns had a positive outcome, as Communities Minister, Lord Bourne, speaking at the UK National Minority Summit in Cornwall announce that the Government is giving another £200,000 to promote our Cornish language, heritage and culture.

The funding will help deliver Cornish language education for adults and young people, tackle barriers to education around the traditions and heritage of Cornwall, and provide media and technology opportunities for learners and speakers of Cornish.

This is in recognition of Cornish culture's unique place in the nation and will help the delivery of Cornish language and education, and provide media and technology opportunities for learners and speakers of Cornish.

This is something that myself and the other Cornish MPs have worked for, and which I have raised a number of times in Parliament, as recently as last week. I am delighted to see the funding announced.

I will now work with Cornwall Council to ensure that the funding is spent sensibly, for the lasting benefit of this and future generations.

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: One million children trapped. We must protect them

Recently some constituents have written to me to draw my attention to the plight of civilians and in particular the children in Syria who are fearing for their lives as Assad’s government forces closes in rebel-held territories in the province of Idlib. They ask for my assurance that I would do all that I can to speak up and support Syrian children trapped in war.

I am happy to inform constituents that I am more than happy to lend them and children in Syria my support. I am very much concerned about the current escalation of violence in Idlib, and appalled by reports of attacks on innocent civilians in schools and hospitals.

The UK has been at the forefront of the humanitarian response to the Syria crisis and continues to be one of the largest international donors, having now committed more than £2.8 billion since 2012. Across Syria and the region, UK aid has provided over 27 million food rations, over 14 million medical consultations, and over 10 million vaccines since the conflict began.

I have repeatedly spoken up in favour of our aid and humanitarian efforts to assist countries such as Syria, and will continue to do so.

In March the FCO announced that the UK will step up its humanitarian contribution to the conflict in Syria by pledging an additional £100m which will go towards:

• Helping vulnerable Syrians access clean drinking water;
• Delivering food, clothing, tents, hygiene kits and other essential survival items to those in need;
• Providing access to medical care, including vaccinations against deadly diseases and counselling for those traumatised by the conflict; and
• Helping Syrian refugees find jobs and access education.

I welcome this latest announcement and will continue to monitor the impact of our aid to Syria to ensure its effectiveness and efficiency.

Additionally, many civilians including children have been made refugees as a result of the ongoing conflict in Syria.

In general, refugees are best helped when they are able to find places of sanctuary in the region close to their homes, in order that they may return to the their country after the war, which is the desire of the vast majority of Syrian refugees according to the UNHCR.

However, a small number of the most vulnerable refugees will need to be resettled in countries away from the region for their protection. The UK Government is committed to resettling 23,000 refugees from the region (including 3,000 unaccompanied or vulnerable children and their families) by 2020 and is on track to meeting that commitment. In June the Home Secretary announced that as a result of the success of the Syrian resettlement programmes, it will be aiming to welcome another 5,000 – 6,000 refugees by 2021.  

Ultimately what we need to resolve the conflict in Syria is a political solution between the two sides. In the Commons on Wednesday the Prime Minister confirmed that in her meetings with the Turkish and Russian presidents she reiterated her concerns about the need to come to a peace settlement in Syria and raised specific concerns about the situation in Idlib and the need to ensure there is a de-escalation in the province.

I will continue to monitor closely the situation in Syria and the UK Government’s response, and speak up for the most vulnerable, oppressed and persecuted victims of the humanitarian situation in Syria.  

Campaign response – Please vote against abortion amendments next week

In recent days a number of constituents concerned about proposed amendments to liberalise and extend abortion provision in Northern Ireland, which may be debated and voted on at the second reading of the Northern Ireland bill this week.

I understand what an important issue Abortion 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.

While my views as a pro-life MP are well known to constituents, I believe a more important issue to consider when it comes to abortion laws in Northern Ireland is how we respect the devolution settlement in Northern Ireland.

The legislative process in Northern Ireland has been devolved since the creation of the Northern Ireland Assembly in 1998 as a result of the Good Friday Agreement. Abortion laws in Northern Ireland is a domestic policy issue that primarily affects the people of Northern Ireland. 

Recent polling shows that two-thirds of women in Northern Ireland (and 70% of 18-34 year olds) believe that the law on this issue should be a decision for the people of Northern Ireland and their elected representatives, and is not for Westminster to decide.

In May the Women and Equalities Committee released two separate reports following their Inquiry into abortion law in Northern Ireland.

It is important to note that close to 90% of the submissions to the Inquiry did not want Westminster to change the law on abortion in Northern Ireland.

It is also worth noting that the Northern Ireland Assembly has considered the issue of abortion more recently than any other parliament in the United Kingdom. In 2016, a cross-community vote in the Northern Ireland Assembly upheld the law on abortion as it currently stands.

While abortion campaigners have been focussing on changing the law in Northern Ireland, their proposals would also introduce radical changes to abortion legislation in England and Wales, removing most of the current legal safeguards around abortion. This is out of touch with the views of the British public, with polling showing strong support across a number of policy areas for more safeguards around abortion: (https://wheredotheystand.org.uk/press-release-pre-election-poll-shows-7-10-women-support-reducing-abortion-time-limit-20-weeks/).

In my view the UK Government should not undermine Northern Ireland’s devolved status by imposing any change to abortion law in Northern Ireland.

I will continue to oppose any move by Westminster politicians override the devolution settlement in Northern Ireland, but instead encourage the government to focus its efforts on the re-establishment of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Campaign reply - ‘Please write to DWP to end the £3.5 billion Pension Credit scandal’ .

A number of constituents have recently contacted me as part of the campaign ‘Please write to DWP to end the £3.5 billion Pension Credit scandal’ .

I am committed to ensuring that older people receive the support they are entitled to, so they can enjoy dignity and security in their retirement. That is why I am glad the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) engages with people who may be eligible to benefits at pivotal stages, such as when they claim State Pension or report a change in their circumstances.

The DWP uses a wide range of channels to communicate information about benefits to potential customers, including information on https://gov.uk/, in leaflets and by telephone. DWP staff in Pension Centres and Jobcentres including visiting officers are able to provide help and advice about entitlement to benefits, as are staff in Local Authorities who administer Housing Benefit. People can also use the Pension Credit calculator (https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit-calculator) to check if they are likely to be eligible and get an estimate of what they may receive. People wishing to claim Pension Credit can do so by calling 0800 99 1234.

One of the best ways to reach eligible customers is through trusted stakeholders working in the community, which is why the DWP developed the Pension Credit toolkit as an online tool for them to use in order to encourage take-up.

It can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pension-credit-toolkit

The toolkit contains resources for anyone working with pensioners and includes guides to Pension Credit. It also contains publicity material and guidance designed to help older people understand how they could get Pension Credit and help organisations support someone applying for Pension Credit as well as ideas for encouraging take-up. The toolkit also provides links to information about disability and carers benefits.

The DWP is forecast to spend over £120 billion on benefits for pensioners in 2019/20, this includes over £99 billion of expenditure on the State Pension. The Triple Lock will stay in place for the remainder of this Parliament, guaranteeing that up to the full amounts of the basic and new State Pensions will rise by the highest of average earnings growth, price inflation, or 2.5 per cent and in 2019/20 the increase was 2.6 per cent. The full rate of the basic State Pension will be worth over £1,600 more in 2019/20 than in 2010 in cash terms - £675 more than if it had been increased only in line with earnings. From April 2019, the Standard Minimum Guarantee in Pension Credit has also been increased by earnings. This will be the equivalent of over £1,800 per year higher in cash terms for single people and over £2,700 per year higher in cash terms for couples than it was in 2010.

Most recently the DWP has provided a fact sheet to relevant organisations about Pension Credit and the recent changes for mixed age couples to ensure that accurate information is available in the places where people are most likely to seek information.

I hope this reassures constituents of the efforts being made to encourage people to find out if they are eligible for Pension Credit, but I will continue to engage with the DWP and follow this issue very closely.

Campaign reply - Obesity Health Alliance parliamentary reception

A number of constituents have written to me and asked if I am able to attend an Obesity Health Alliance parliamentary reception this week looking at measures that help make healthier choices easier.

This is an area that is of interest to me, particularly with the recent figures released that highlight obesity as now the biggest cause of cancer in the UK.

I will endeavour to attend this reception, Parliamentary business allowing, and look forward to finding out more about this important issue.

Newspaper column 3 July 2019 - PACE

Last week, I travelled to Strasbourg, France as part of a delegation of British parliamentarians to attend a session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). I was first appointed to the PACE by the Prime Minister last year, as the first ever Cornish MP member of the Assembly. The Council of Europe is an international organisation bringing together European leaders and politicians to work together to uphold human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe. Not to be confused with the European Council, the Council of Europe is not part of the European Union, and unlike the EU, the Council of Europe cannot make or impose binding laws on member states.

The idea of creating an international body to rebuild and maintain peace was first set out by the late and great Sir Winston Churchill in 1943, when Britain and most of the continent were still engulfed in a war the scale of which the world has never seen. Over the past seven decades, the Council of Europe has played a vital role in promoting and protecting basic human rights and the rule of law – From abolishing the death penalty across Europe to establishing the European Convention and Court of Human Rights. Following years of campaigning from Cornwall, in 2014 the Council of Europe granted official national minority status to the Cornish people under the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, which continues to be the main vehicle through which we push for genuinely equal recognition with other minorities in the UK. After Brexit we will continue to work with our European neighbours as part of this important organisation.

As the Council celebrated its 70^th anniversary this week, the PACE had the opportunity to debate and vote on a resolution to restore the voting rights of the Russian delegation, a matter which has received much international attention lately. As a result of Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, their delegation were stripped of their voting rights in the PACE. In retaliation, the Russian delegation has not participated in PACE sessions since 2016, and since 2017 has stopped paying its obligatory annual contribution to the Council.

During an 8 hour debate on this subject on Monday evening, I argued that if we were to roll out the red carpet for the Russians, we would be meeting their demands for an unconditional return to the Council of Europe, when it is Russia who should be meeting the demands of the Council for their actions in Ukraine and more recently on British soil, changing their aggressive behaviour internationally and domestically. It was argued by some in the Council that allowing the Russian delegation to return to the Assembly would give us a chance to engage with, perhaps even criticise them directly. But Russia has shown no indication that it is willing to change its ways, to be a responsible member state and pay their outstanding dues to the Council.

Despite opposition from the British, the Ukrainians and several Baltic countries, the resolution was passed 118-62. I returned to the UK on Wednesday evening with a sense of disappointment, knowing that the latest capitulation to Russian pressure sends the wrong message to the rest of the world about the credibility of the Council of Europe and sets a dangerous precedent for engaging with states with little regard to peace, the rule of law and democracy. However, there are many other avenues through which the UK will continue to apply pressure on Russia, such our diplomatic, financial and trade sanctions regime which will continue to be in force after we leave the European Union. In Parliament, I will continue to speak up against Russian aggression and work to ensure that Russia is playing by the rule book of the international community.

On a personal note, it was also a very special day for our family on Saturday as our youngest son Jacob got married to Danielle Bazeley, at Lusty Glaze beach in Newquay. Anne and I want to say a big thank you to all our family and friends, as well as the staff at Lusty Glaze, who helped us make it such a great day.