Thursday 27 February 2020

West Briton column 27 February - February Recess activities


I am now back in Parliament following the recent week of Recess. It was good to spend some time here in Truro and Falmouth meeting with local people and businesses to discuss the challenges you face and how I can best represent you as your Member of Parliament, as well as spending some time with my family.

Last week I was pleased to meet with a number of local groups to discuss environmental concerns.
I met with Rob and Emily Stevenson, a father and daughter duo who founded Beach Guardian CIC, a Community Interest Company whose mission is to Engage, Educate and Empower Against Plastic Pollution.

Over the years Beach Guardian has organised and promoted regular beach cleaning to collect and remove rubbish from the beaches; mainly plastics washing in from the ocean on the tide, as well as organising community beach cleans and conduct educational workshops with schools and other groups to connect people with the environment, to improve health and well-being of both people and planet.

These goals are all things I can heartily support and it was good to meet with them and North Cornwall MP Scott Mann to discuss how we can all work together to further drive the need to cut down on plastics, particularly single-use plastics, in the future.

Speaking of single-use plastics, on Saturday I was delighted to join Plastic Free Falmouth for their mass unwrap at Sainsbury’s.  Originating from St Agnes-based Surfers Against Sewage, mass unwraps see groups of people working with supermarkets to discard all single use plastic packaging from goods purchased at the point of purchase.  They are a great way to visually show the sheer scale of plastic packaging.

Just to put it into perspective, 59 billion pieces of plastic packaging are distributed every year. That’s 112 thousand pieces every minute! So it’s absolutely vital that we do everything we can from community grass-roots action such as this, up to the policymakers in Government, such as we are seeing come forward with the Environment Bill in Parliament at the moment.

It was good to see so many people joining in at the mass unwrap, a powerful statement of community action, and thanks also to Sainsbury’s for hosting it.

Last week it was also good to meet with the St Agnes Chamber of Commerce to discuss issues ranging from Brexit and EU funding, to tourism, waste collection and broadband infrastructure in rural areas. It was good to have such a robust and wide-ranging discussion and I look forward to working with all of St Agnes in the future to ensure their concerns are met.

This week in Parliament we have got stuck in on the Environment, and as of writing this column I am hoping to give my Maiden Speech – my first proper speech in Parliament, during the course of the debate on this Bill this week. Once I have done this I will be able to contribute more regularly in Parliament and look forward to continuing to do so in the coming years for the residents of Truro and Falmouth.

Wednesday 26 February 2020

Campaign – A & E Waiting Times


A number of constituents have written to me regarding their concern about waiting times in Accident and Emergency Departments.

The Prime Minister recently announced the Government’s intention to provide the NHS with an additional £33.9 billion by 2023/24; this is the largest, longest funding settlement in the history of the NHS. This landmark investment to help secure the long-term future of our NHS is extremely welcome.

The NHS Long Term Plan (LTP) laid out how this funding will be invested, with a focus on primary, community and mental health services, helping to deliver prevention and to manage demand. For example, all smokers who visit hospital will be offered access to an NHS smoking cessation programme, and better integrated local care will help to support patients to make healthy choices to prevent diabetes and cardiovascular disease. These preventative measures will help to reduce the number of people in need of secondary care services, enabling better access for patients in need.

Alongside this, the NHS was asked to undertake a clinical review of standards relating to waiting times. This must be clinically led to enable the best, and safest, delivery of care for patients. I understand that NHS England has now prepared proposals, covering waiting times across the service, including mental health, cancer, and A&E. 

I am aware that A&E targets were missed in a number of areas of the country in December, which is why I support steps being taken by the Government and NHS to recruit 50,000 more nurses, 6,000 new GPs, and 6,000 more primary care professionals in addition to the 7,500 further nurse associates and 20,000 primary care professionals announced previously. I also welcome the commitment to upgrade 20 existing hospitals and build 40 new ones across the country, providing much needed space and infrastructure, reducing the burden on current staff and facilities.

The Government will now carefully consider the proposals before taking any next steps, and in the meantime will continue to hold the NHS to account on its existing standards. 


Wednesday 12 February 2020

Campaign reply - Clear Air and Healthy Lungs in Truro and Falmouth

Many constituents have written to me expressing concerns and in support of this campaign to improve air quality.
Poor air quality is the greatest environmental risk to our health. Our air is now cleaner than at any point since the industrial revolution, but there is more work to be done if we are to protect the health of our nation.
The Government’s Clean Air Strategy aims to cut air pollution and save lives, backed up by new primary legislation. The Strategy details how the UK will go further and faster than the EU in reducing exposure to particulate matter pollution. It sets out a goal to halve the number of people living in locations with concentrations of particulate matter above WHO guidelines, legislate to give councils more powers to improve air quality and ensure only the cleanest domestic fuels and stoves can be sold. I am encouraged that it has been described by the WHO as 'an example for the rest of the world to follow'.

The Environment Bill will build on this Strategy, and highlight our drive to go further to clean up our air and fight air pollution so children and young people can live longer healthier lives.
The Bill will set an ambitious, legally-binding target to reduce fine particulate matter, and increase local powers to address sources of air pollution, enabling local authorities to work with families to cut harmful pollution from domestic burning by using cleaner fuels. This target will be among the most ambitious in the world and improve the quality of millions of people’s lives.









Campaign reply - Teachers Pay and increased starting salaries


Several constituents have contacted me regarding the starting salaries for teachers. 

Teachers have a huge impact on children’s futures and so I want all our children to be taught by the brightest and best. We must therefore attract the best candidates to teach in our schools and I am pleased by the Government’s action on teachers’ pay to ensure teaching remains an attractive career choice.

Under plans for the biggest reform to teachers’ pay in a generation, the salaries for new teachers are set to rise to £30,000 by 2022/23. This will make starting salaries for teachers among the most attractive on the market and build on the above average pay increases for teachers in 2017/18 and 2018/19.

Teachers also received an above inflation pay rise of 2.75 per cent for the 2019/20 academic year, effective from 1 September 2019. This increase in pay is supported by an additional £105 million, to be paid through the teachers’ pay grant, and will mean a £1,000 increase to average classroom teacher pay and a £1,620 increase in the average pay of school leaders.

These increases to teachers’ pay are made possible by the funding settlement for the next three years, which will see an extra £14 billion going into our schools.

In addition, teachers’ pensions are among the most generous available. It is right that increased contributions to the teachers’ pension scheme will be fully funded, meaning that teachers will get an employer contribution of 23.6 per cent on top their salary towards their pension every year.

I believe that children in Truro and Falmouth deserve the very best start in life and I therefore welcome the significant increases to teachers’ pay that will allow us to attract and retain talented and inspiring teachers.

Campaign reply - APPG on Motor Neurone Disease


Thank you to those constituents who have taken the time to contact me regarding the parliamentary drop-in/report launch as well as the AGM of the APPG on MND.  I will be attending this event should other parliamentary business allow.

It is crucial that people who have a terminal illness receive support when they need it, and that the process for retrieving this support does not involve unnecessary stress. Special Rules for Terminal Illness mean that if you are living with a terminal illness you can have your benefit claim fast-tracked and paid at an enhanced rate, and many charities have campaigned for the rules to be further improved.

I will be paying close attention to the review of the benefits system for terminally ill claimants. I want to make sure the recommendations of this review are implemented so that the most vulnerable people can access the support they need. Along with my colleagues, I will ensure that the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) conducts an honest evaluation of our benefits system so that people with severe conditions get the best possible support.


Campaign reply - End Our Pain "Please help severely ill children still being denied NHS access to medical cannabis".


I have been contacted by a number of constituents as part of the campaign End Our Pain "Please help severely ill children still being denied NHS access to medical cannabis".

The Home Secretary last year confirmed that there will be a review on the scheduling of medicinal cannabis.

If the review identifies that there are significant medical benefits then the Government does intend to reschedule.

It is crucial that this country keeps in step with the latest scientific evidence, so that patients and their families have access to the most appropriate course of medical treatment.  My Ministerial colleagues have also been clear that given the nature of the medicine, it should only be prescribed be specialist doctors and on a case-by-case basis. I believe these controls are necessary to develop clinical expertise and an evidence base for this treatment’s effectiveness.

Notwithstanding the above, however, I absolutely understand the concerns and anguish of patients and their families.  The decision whether to prescribe an individual with medicinal cannabis is therefore not a political or financial decision, but a decision by a medical expert, who will have considered whether it is the most effective treatment based on an individual’s particular condition.

I was unable to attend the drop-in session in Parliament this week but I will continue to closely monitor the roll-out of medicinal cannabis.


Thursday 6 February 2020

Campaign reply - Smart Motorways

 I have received many emails regarding concerns over smart motorways and I appreciate these concerns.

It is essential that people feel safe and indeed are safe on smart motorways, and road safety remains an absolute priority for the Government.

Ministers recognise that there are issues with smart motorways around awareness, information, the positioning of refuges, as well as vehicle monitoring and the safety of vehicles re-entering the highway.

While work has already gone into remedying some of these issues, for example through the decision to reduce the spacing of emergency areas from one and a half miles to one mile, a wider range of actions needs to be taken.

I therefore welcome the fact that in October last year the Secretary of State for Transport asked officials to carry out an evidence stocktake to gather facts on the safety of smart motorways and to make recommendations for a package of measures to deal with this issue.

Ministers have reassured me that this work is being undertaken at pace and that the results will be published very soon.

Campaign reply - Government’s Rail Review

 Many constituents have contacted me about Northern Rail and the Government’s Rail Review.

Whilst I believe that privatisation of the railways has been a success, with passenger journeys having more than doubled from 735 million in 1994-5 to 1.73 billion in 2016-17, I recognise that accommodating this growth in demand for rail travel is challenging. I, therefore, welcome that Ministers have launched a root-and-branch review into rail operations.

 The review is being independently chaired by Keith Williams, who brings valuable experience as deputy chairman of John Lewis and as a former chief executive of British Airways.

The review will make recommendations aimed at ensuring the best possible delivery of services for passengers. It has been exploring a wide range of areas, including the current franchising model, the industry’s structures, industrial relations, innovation, as well as value for money and accountability.
Ministers have committed to producing a White Paper in 2020 informed by the recommendations of the review, to deliver genuine and lasting reform.

In the meantime, the Government will continue to take steps to improve passenger experiences, further implementing key elements of its Strategic Vision for Rail. This includes enhancing services and upgrading infrastructure, as well as rolling out smart ticketing and establishing a Rail Ombudsman.

Over the next five years, £47.9 billion will be invested in the rail network to ensure it provides the modern customer services that passengers expect.

Dementia Care Campaign

 I get many emails from constituents worried about Dementia care and understanding of this condition.

I therefore, want to assure you that dementia is a priority for the Government. In 2015, the Challenge on Dementia 2020 was launched and I know that the Government remains committed to delivering this. This sets out the vision for dementia care, support, awareness, and research to be transformed by 2020. I fully support the ambition to ensure England offers the world’s best dementia care.

Progress in the care, support and treatment of people with dementia has been made, with more people receiving a diagnosis of dementia than ever before. Over 660,000 NHS staff have received dementia training with further training opportunities rolled out to all NHS staff by the end of 2018. Over 100,000 social care workers have received some form of dementia awareness training. Since 2015, new care staff have been trained to receive the Care Certificate, which equips them with the knowledge and skills to provide safe and compassionate care, including for those with dementia.
I believe it is important to increase public awareness and understanding of dementia among the wider public to ensure that people are supported to live well with the condition and I am encouraged that there are almost 2.5 million Dementia Friends.

Research is crucial to understanding and tackling dementia, which is why the Government has doubled research spending on dementia and remains committed to maintaining the current expenditure on dementia research of at least £60 million a year through to 2020. I am encouraged that over £83 million was spent on dementia research by the Government in 2016/17, the latest year for which figures are available, well in excess of the £60 million target.

The Government is integrating and improving health and social care to protect people at every stage of their lives. I am informed that the Government is committed to publishing a Green Paper this year, which will outline a new social care policy, which is financially sustainable, accessible, and properly integrated with the NHS.

Clear Access, Clear Waters Campaign

A number of constituents have contacted me about the “Clear Access, Clear Waters” campaign.

I am enthusiastic about promoting sport and recreation in the countryside, and understand the positive benefits outdoor activities can have both physically and mentally. However, I am also mindful of the rights of communities and people who live or work on land adjoining water, and of the need to maintain our rivers' environmental integrity. We must seek to maintain this delicate balance and the enjoyment of our rivers and inland waterways by all users and interests. I believe this is best achieved through consensus and by local agreement.

I therefore support continuing to use locally agreed, voluntary agreements to increase river access for walkers, swimmers and non-powered craft. The rights of other users, as well as protection for wildlife and the environment, are important considerations. These sensitive issues can best be dealt with at a local level rather than through a one size fits all approach decided in Westminster.

I also fully support my Ministerial colleagues' aim to make this the first generation which leaves the environment in a better state than we found it. I share concerns about the health of our rivers, but I am glad to say that the Government has improved more than 5,300 miles of rivers since 2010. This means our water environment is in the healthiest state for 25 years with otters, salmon, sea trout and other wildlife returning to many rivers for the first time since the industrial revolution.

As well as this, since the water industry was privatised, around £25 billion has been invested to reduce pollution from sewage, covering improvements in sewage treatment and in sewer overflows keeping our rivers clean.

Campaign reply - Animal Cruelty Sentencing

A number of constituents have contacted me regarding animal welfare and cruelty sentencing.

There is no place in this country for animal cruelty, and we must ensure that those who abuse animals are met with the full force of the law. I am therefore pleased that the Government remains committed to reintroducing a Bill to the House of Commons which will increase maximum sentences for animal cruelty from six months to five years’ imprisonment.

I believe that this increase in sentencing will send a clear message that this behaviour will not be tolerated. The maximum five-year sentence will become one of the toughest punishments in Europe, strengthening the UK’s position as a global leader on animal welfare.

I am aware that a public consultation found 70 per cent of people supported the proposals for tougher prison sentences. I am encouraged that the planned change in law means the courts will be able to take a tougher approach to cases such as dog fighting, abuse of puppies and kittens, or gross neglect of farm animals.

These increased maximum sentences will act as a serious deterrent against cruelty and gross neglect in the future, and builds on recent positive action to protect animals, including plans to ban third party puppy and kitten sales and banning the use of wild animals in circuses.

I am pleased that recent legislation passed in Parliament saw Finn’s Law offer stronger protection for the many brave service animals that help to protect us and will be meeting Finn shortly.

As an animal lover and a dog-owner it was great to visit the Generation Kind event in Parliament recently to find out more about the excellent work of the RSPCA, both nationally and in Truro and Falmouth. I was pleased to hear about the three focuses of the campaign: working with schools to teach young people about the importance of animal welfare, offering young people from
disadvantaged backgrounds the opportunity to engage with animals, and expanding their work to rehabilitate young offenders. I have asked to join an RSPCA Inspector for a day in Cornwall to see first-hand the issues they face and look forward to working with the RSPCA in the future on this campaign and many more. Teaching children about the importance of caring for animals and tougher sentencing for those who engage in despicable acts of cruelty will continue to be a priority for this Government. We must all send the clear message that cruelty and neglect will not be tolerated.

Friends of the Earth Climate Pledge Campaign

A number of constituents have contacted me regarding the Friends of the Earth Climate Pledge campaign. I do not sign pledges but I can assure you that I recognise the importance and urgency of public debate on this issue.

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges we face, and the threat of global warming has never been more apparent, as highlighted by the sobering conclusions of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s special report on global warming of 1.5°C.

However, I am proud of the UK’s world-leading role in tackling climate change and the transition to Clean Growth, with the UK being the first country to legislate to eliminate our contribution to climate change by 2050, and the fastest in the G20 to cut emissions. Since 1990, the UK has cut emissions by more than 40 per cent while growing the economy by more than two thirds, and we are a world-leader in offshore wind.

To continue this momentum, the Government has announced around £2 billion for new policies since setting the Net Zero targets and a new Prime Minister-chaired Cabinet Committee on Climate Change has been set up to ensure all arms of Government are focussed on tackling this challenge. The UK will also continue to use its position as a global leader by hosting the UN Climate Change Summit in Glasgow in 2020 and will ask international partners to match the UK’s ambition.

At the same time, the ambitious Environment Bill is being introduced to protect and improve the environment for future generations, enshrining in law environmental principles and legally-binding targets. Our Agricultural Bill ensures that the farm payments system beyond Brexit will migrate to ensure our farmers are also rewarded to be the stewards of our environment.

Ultimately, I am assured that under this Government’s leadership, action will be taken so that future generations will look back on climate change as a problem that was solved with the UK leading from the front, protecting our planet for centuries to come.

Campaign Reply – Huawei and 5G

A number of constituents have written to me regarding Huawei and 5G.

I am assured that the Government’s decision on Huawei and other high risk vendors was taken on the basis of national security. Widespread deployment of 5G and full fibre networks is of course a primary objective of Government policy, however I am clear that this must not be achieved in a way that compromises our national security. I know that Ministers share this view.

It is essential that our digital networks are both secure and resilient, and this is why the Government undertook a comprehensive review of the supply arrangements in our 5G and full fibre networks. The Review concluded that it will be necessary to put in place additional controls on high risk vendors, such as Huawei, that pose a higher risk to our 5G and full fibre networks. For both of these networks, high risk vendors should be excluded from those parts of the network that are critical to security. The presence of high risk vendors should also be limited in other parts of those networks, such as sensitive geographic locations.

I am pleased that this decision has been taken with national security as the foremost consideration. It will allow us to deliver world leading digital infrastructure for the UK, meaning our economy will be best placed to take advantage of the many opportunities of the digital economy. Further, I understand that over time it is the intention for the market share of high risk vendors to be reduced, as market diversification takes place.

Tuesday 4 February 2020

Newspaper column 6 February 2020 - Brexit, farming and fishing


As of 11pm last Friday evening we have officially left the European Union.

This fulfilled the result of the 2016 referendum on our membership of the EU, where the country and Cornwall voted to leave. During the recent election campaign, the majority of people I spoke with in our Truro and Falmouth constituency were democrats who respected this democratic decision and just wanted us to get on with it. Now we have, and have left the EU, we can move forward. We can negotiate with our friends in the EU on our future relationship from the position of having already left, and we can also forge new bonds with international trading partners free from Brussels.

As well as our future trading agreements, this week we are going through the Agriculture and Fisheries Bills in Parliament, two landmark bills which put the regulation of our farming and fishing communities back in the hands of the UK.

The Agriculture Bill will provide a boost to the industry after years of inefficient and overly bureaucratic policy dictated to farmers by the EU.

It sets out how farmers and land managers in England will in the future be rewarded with public money for “public goods” – such as better air and water quality, higher animal welfare standards, improved access to the countryside or measures to reduce flooding. This will contribute to the government’s commitment to reaching net zero emissions by 2050, while at the same time, helping to boost farmers’ productivity.

This will replace the current subsidy system of Direct Payments which pays farmers for the total amount of land farmed, skewing payments towards the largest landowners rather than those farmers delivering specific public benefits.

Instead, the new measures will provide a better future for agriculture in this country, maximising the potential of the land for food production and for delivering public goods.

With the Agriculture Bill, I see a future where farmers are properly supported to farm more innovatively and protect the environment. The reforms set out in the Bill are supported by the manifesto commitment I stood under, to maintain overall annual funding for farm support at current levels for the duration of this Parliament. I am clear that this funding, if properly managed within the UK, will not only maintain the current levels but will also be easier to access and more effective for our farmers.

The Fisheries Bill delivers a legal guarantee the UK will leave the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) at the end of the Transition Period, in December 2020 - allowing the UK to control who may fish in our waters, and on what terms, for the first time since 1973.

The Bill ends current automatic rights for EU vessels to fish in British waters. In future, access to fish in UK waters will be a matter for the UK to negotiate and we will decide on the rules that foreign vessels must follow.

As well as powers to implement new deals negotiated with the EU and other coastal states, set quotas, fishing opportunities and days at sea, the Bill includes new measures for Devolved Governments and a single set of UK-wide fisheries objectives to ensure that fish stocks, and the marine environment, are better protected.

I met with representatives from both our farming and fishing communities in Parliament last week to discuss how I can best support their industries as these Bills go through Parliament, and am determined that they will be able to head into the post-Brexit future better managed and with better prospects than has been the case in the past.

Finally, I am in the process of recruiting my team to support me in my work as MP for Truro and Falmouth. I have already recruited some excellent people but do still have a vacancy for an office junior position at my constituency office. If you are interested and want to find out more, please email my office manager at jordan@cherilynmackrory.org.uk for more information.

Campaign reply - 'Climate emergency education'

A number of constituents have contacted me as part of the campaign 'Climate emergency education'

Climate change is an important part of the national curriculum, with the fundamental concepts taught at primary school, before progressing to the causes and consequences at secondary school.

For instance, in primary school science, pupils are taught to observe changes across the seasons, including the weather, and they look at how environments can change as a result of human activities. In secondary school science, pupils are taught about biodiversity, ecosystems, the atmosphere and the carbon cycle, as well as about the production of carbon dioxide by human activity and the effect this has on the climate.

Science GCSE gives pupils the opportunity to consider the evidence for additional anthropogenic causes of climate change. Furthermore, a new environmental science A Level was introduced in 2017 which will enable young people to study topics that will enhance their understanding of climate change and how it can be addressed.

The geography curriculum at Key Stages 3 and 4 includes content designed to enable pupils to understand ways in which human and physical processes interact to influence and change the climate, as well as environments and landscapes. It also includes content on the change in climate from the Ice Age to the present day. GCSE geography gives pupils an opportunity to consider the causes, consequences of and responses to extreme weather conditions and natural weather hazards.

More broadly, I was pleased that the manifesto I stood on pledged further action on climate change, including a pledge to invest £9.2 billion in improving the energy efficiency of our homes, schools and hospitals.

Campaign reply - Generation Sea

A number of constituents have contacted me as part of the campaign Generation Sea.

I do not sign pledges but I am wholly committed to protecting our environment and have long been an organiser and partaker in beach cleans and litter picks. My husband is a local hook and line commercial fisherman who has first hand experience of the problems of oil and plastic pollution at sea, in our estuaries, and on the shoreline.

I will help Truro & Falmouth accelerate the process of de-carbonising by supporting innovative local and national projects including improving the network of cycle paths and cycle lanes, promoting jobs that allow working from home, encouraging electric vehicle use and lobbying for investment into housing developments that are more energy efficient and environmentally conscious.

This Conservative majority government will embark on an era of “true 21st century Conservativism” by tripling tree-planting rates and creating a new £500 million fund to protect the world’s oceans to help meet its 2050 net zero target. The new £640m Nature for Climate fund will increase tree planting in England and we will work with the Devolved Administrations to triple UK tree-planting rates to 30,000 hectares every year – space for at least 30 million more trees – in line with recommendations from the independent Committee on Climate Change.

The Government will also launch a £500 million Blue Planet fund, resourced from the International Aid budget, to export UK expertise in marine science around the world, supporting developing countries to protect marine habitats and restore their potential to support biodiversity and tackle climate change. The fund will also improve conditions for fishermen who rely on healthy oceans and
plentiful fish stocks for their livelihoods.

These measures sit alongside our world-leading commitment to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Conservatism and conservation are natural allies and our goal continues to be a healthy and beautiful natural environment which we can all enjoy, and which we can be proud to pass on to the next generation. In Parliament, Surfers Against Sewage run the Ocean Conservation All Party Parliamentary Group, a group of MPs from different political parties who work together for cleaner seas. I look forward to both joining this group and doing more locally with Surfers Against Sewage in the future towards our shared goals of doing all we can to preserve and enhance our beautiful seas and beaches.

Campaign reply - Abortion Act

A number of constituents have contacted me asking for my view on the Abortion Act

I completely understand what an incredibly emotive issue this is, and I appreciate the strength of feelings on both sides. It is for this reason that, as with other matters of conscience, the Government adopts a neutral stance on abortion, allowing Conservative MPs to vote freely according to their moral, ethical, or religious beliefs. This is a convention which I support wholeheartedly.

The approach to abortion in Great Britain is set out in the Abortion Act 1967, which states that two doctors must certify that, in their opinion, a request for an abortion meets at least one and the same ground laid out in the Act. These grounds include “risk to the life of the pregnant woman”, and “substantial risk that if the child were born it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped”.

I am encouraged that guidance for doctors on how to comply with the Act has been issued, which stipulates that registered medical practitioners should be able to show how they have considered the particular facts and circumstances of a case when forming their opinion. Full details can be found online at www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-for-doctors-on-compliance-with-the-abortion-act

Campaign reply - Trophy Hunting

A number of constituents have contacted me as part of a campaign on stopping trophy hunting.

I truly believe that as sentient beings who can experience fear and pain, all animals should be treated with thought and care. Trophy hunting involves pursuing another animal in conditions which causes stress, fear and pain, with hunters killing as a form of entertainment, not for food, to control pests or to protect other species.

I understand there are arguments for conservation hunting. Some individuals and organisations make the case for conservation hunting as a way of bringing income into countries with rich wildlife populations, but poor economies. They also argue that commercial hunting provides a strong incentive to manage and safeguard wildlife populations and protect other valuable natural resources from exploitation. I also recognise that occasionally there is a need to cull some species to keep nature in balance and the control of predators to protect other species.

However, I cannot see how those justifications can be used to defend hunters who kill an animal which has been bred in captivity for the specific purpose of being hunted for entertainment. I believe action is needed to stop this sort of exploitation, and to establish how defensible the arguments for conservation hunting are. I am therefore pleased that a call for evidence on trophy hunting has recently been announced.

This call for evidence will evaluate whether countries with rich wildlife populations can make just as much income from wildlife tourism than from hunting. The Government will also look closely at other nations such as Australia and the Netherlands, which have much tighter restrictions on importing trophies.