Campaign reply - Stop the mass deportation to Jamaica on 18th May

Thank you very much for contacting me about deportation flights.

My constituents rightly expect that I support measures which remove those who have no right to be in the UK, including dangerous foreign criminals.

The Home Secretary is required by the UK Borders Act 2007 to deport any foreign national who has received a custodial sentence of at least 12 months and those convicted of serious crimes, are persistent offenders or who represent a threat to national security, unless a specified exception applies.

It is also the case that the UK only deports those whom the Home Office or courts, when a legal claim is raised, are satisfied do not need protection and have no legal basis to remain in the UK. I welcome the fact that every individual who meets the threshold for deportation is given access to legal advice and support and importantly has an opportunity to challenge their removal through the legal system.

The UK is one of the few countries in the world providing support to help people re-integrate upon their return. For example, the Home Office supports two non-governmental organisations in Jamaica who provide re-integration support to those who are deported. They provide initial support to those who may not have anyone to meet them at the airport or who need transport. They are also able to help with short-term accommodation for those without a place to stay. In the longer term, they can provide training, including recognised qualifications, to enable individuals to find employment and help with obtaining documentation.

While we may not agree on every point, I hope with this response I have been able to outline why and how deportations of this kind happen.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

Campaign reply - Write to your MP to support a #LiveableNHSBursary

Thank you for writing to me about financial support for medical students.

My understanding is that first time students on standard five or six year undergraduate medical and dental courses are eligible to apply for support on the same terms as other full-time students for the first four years. This allows medical students to access the tuition fee loan, living cost loan and targeted grants.  Students can also apply to Student Finance England for the non-income assessed reduced living cost loans for these years.

For years five onwards, students on a standard five or six year undergraduate medical and dental courses enter a bursary year whereby those eligible receive the NHS Bursary. Students benefit from having their tuition fees paid for by Health Education England and a non-means award of £1,000. Additionally there is an means-tested award of up to £3,191. In addition, there is also a reduced rate maintenance loan available via Student Finance England.

Furthermore, it is positive that maximum grants and loans for living and other costs for undergraduate courses and grants and loans for postgraduate courses will be increased by 2.3 per cent for 2022/23. This will mean that the support available for students on the lowest incomes will reach record levels in cash terms.

In addition, I understand that many providers have had hardship funds that students can apply to for assistance should the Covid-19 outbreak affect individuals’ finances in the academic year 2021/22. I would like to provide assurance that these arrangements - including the rates of payment for Travel and Dual Accommodation - are reviewed annually to ensure that students are appropriately supported.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

Campaign reply - Please prevent a painful death for farm animals

Thank you for contacting me about religious slaughter. 

I appreciate the depth of your feeling on this issue. As far as I am aware, no amendment relating to the non-stun slaughter of animals has been tabled to the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill. I know that The Government encourages the highest standards of animal welfare and would prefer that all animals are stunned prior to slaughter. However, Ministers accept the rights of Jews and Muslims to eat meat killed in accordance with their religious beliefs. 

I am aware that religious slaughter is only permitted to be carried out in approved slaughterhouses by licensed slaughterhouse workers and is not permitted in any other place, including for personal consumption. Animal welfare is monitored and enforced in all approved slaughterhouses in England by Official Veterinarians of the Food Standards Agency, including the use of CCTV in all areas where live animals are present. This ensures that all animal welfare requirements are met so that animals are spared avoidable pain, distress or suffering.

I understand that there are no regulations that require the labelling of method of slaughter, but where any labelling or information of this nature is provided voluntarily, it must be accurate and not misleading to the consumer. The Government expects the industry, whether food producer or food outlet, to provide consumers with the information they need to make informed choices about the food they eat.

I understand that the definition and certification of halal meat is a matter for the Muslim community and private businesses. I know that accreditation bodies can assist retailers by setting standards and ensuring that these standards are met, however these bodies are private organisations.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

Campaign reply - Local electricity bill

Thank you for contacting me about community energy.

There is no doubt that communities are key to decarbonising the UK economy, and I am glad that the Government is supportive of community energy. 

Ofgem has existing flexibility to award supply licences that are restricted to specified geographies and/or specified types of premises. Furthermore, following a consultation process, since February this year, Ofgem is welcoming applications from community-interest groups, co-operative societies and community-benefit societies to the industry voluntary redress scheme. This is enabling groups to apply for funds to deliver energy-related projects that support energy consumers in vulnerable situations, support decarbonisation and will benefit people in England, Scotland and Wales.

To support community energy projects, the Government has funded the Rural Community Energy Fund. This £10 million funding scheme was delivered through the Local Energy Hubs which support rural communities in England to develop renewable energy projects, which provide economic and social benefits to the community. Since its launch in 2019, the fund received 1,668 enquiries, 203 applications and awarded millions of pounds worth of grants to projects focusing on a variety of technologies, including solar, wind, low-carbon heating and electric vehicle charging. 

 

The Government has also introduced other UK-wide growth funding schemes, such as the Community Renewal Fund and the Towns Fund, through which it is enabling local areas to tackle net zero goals in ways that best suit their needs. In addition, I know the Government encourages community energy groups to work closely with their local authority to support the development of community energy projects within these schemes and plans to reintroduce the Community Energy Contact Group to strengthen engagement with the sector.

The Energy White Paper, published in December 2020, also committed government to review the overall retail market regulatory framework and, through this review, the Government will assess what changes may be needed to allow for new supply propositions to come forward. I understand the Government will engage with community stakeholders as part of the review and I will follow any developments closely.

 

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

Campaign reply - Speaking up for rivers

Thank you for contacting me about pollution in rivers.

I appreciate the depth of your concern about this issue. I am assured that the Environment Agency (EA) has been working with water companies on chemicals investigations which have included a range of pharmaceuticals discharges from in-treated sewage effluent. I am aware that the EA has developed a Prioritisation and Early Warning System for chemicals of emerging concern to ensure consideration of the potential risks of emerging chemicals including to surface waters (both freshwater and saline waters), groundwater and soils.

Further, this system allows the EA to sift and screen any chemical substance nominated using, where available, hazard data and environmental monitoring data to prioritise whether a substance may be a possible chemical of concern in England. I understand that many pharmaceuticals are included on this list.

I know that the Government will set up a working group on pharmaceuticals in the coming months. This will drive work forward, identifying evidence gaps, filling them where possible, and eventually forming evidence-based policy.

Regarding pollution from sewage discharges, the Government has made clear to water companies that they must significantly reduce sewage discharges from storm overflows as a priority. The Environment Act 2021 includes a duty on water companies to monitor the quality of water and secure a progressive reduction in the adverse impact of discharges from storm overflows. Finally, water companies will invest £7.1 billion on environmental improvements in England between 2020 and 2025. Of this, £3.1 billion will be invested specifically in storm overflow improvements.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

Campaign reply - Childhood Cancer Outcomes Debate

Thank you for contacting me about support for children and young people living with cancer.

I am very sorry to hear of families dealing with this issue. Please allow me to assure you that improving outcomes for patients diagnosed with this disease remains a key NHS priority.

Childhood cancers are thankfully extremely rare, accounting for 0.5 per cent of all cancers in the UK, with around one child in every 500 developing some form of cancer by the age of 14 years. My deepest sympathies go out to every family dealing with such a challenging situation.

Understanding the experience of children and young people with cancer is crucial for being able to improve their cancer treatment and care.  I am pleased to see that the first Under-16 Cancer Patient Experience Survey was published by NHS England in October 2021, following the campaigning of charities like Young Lives vs Cancer and Teenage Cancer Trust.

I strongly encourage children with cancer and their families to take part in the next survey that will take place in 2022.

It is also positive that the Government is currently developing a new 10 Year Cancer Plan, which provides an important opportunity to consider how we can improve cancer services for children, young people and their families.

I will continue to monitor this issue closely. Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

Campaign reply - Please tell Sajid Javid we need a diabetes care recovery plan

Thank you for contacting me about support and treatment for people with diabetes.

Diabetes is a leading cause of premature mortality, doubling an individual's risk of cardiovascular disease. With over 22,000 additional deaths each year, it costs over £10 billion every year to manage. That is why I believe it is important that high quality diabetes care is available.

NHS England has invested approximately £120 million of funding into local services to improve performance in the treatment and care of people living with diabetes since 2017/18. This is focused on improving attendance at structured education to increase understanding, improving achievement of NICE targets, reducing amputations through improved provision of multidisciplinary footcare teams, improving timelines of referrals from primary care for patients with diabetic foot disease, and reducing lengths of stay for diabetic inpatients through specialist nursing services.

I agree that it is important that people with diabetes can access the routine care and support that they need, and am glad that the Government is committed to supporting the NHS to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. An additional £23.3 billion has been announced to support the NHS in managing the ongoing impact of the pandemic. I understand that the Government is also analysing the impact of the pandemic on health conditions like diabetes, to inform how to recover the provision of routine care. I await the findings of this with interest and will seek an update from ministerial colleagues on the progress of this work.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

Campaign reply - Brazil's Indigenous people are under threat

Thank you for contacting my office. I very much appreciate you getting in touch about Brazil's Indigenous people.

 As one of the world's biggest and most important ecosystems, the Amazon is of vital importance to everyone. It is beholden on all nations to work together to address the underlying causes of its ongoing and gradual degradation, to ensure that it is protected and the way of life of indigenous peoples who live there is allowed to continue. 

 Ministers at both the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Department for International Trade are in regular discussion with their counterparts in the Brazilian Government, and British officials in country with indigenous communities, on how the UK can help to address the environmental challenges facing the Amazon. The UK has also committed significant sums of UK Climate Finance to support efforts to reduce deforestation in the Amazon, including measures to address its underlying drivers.

Halting and reversing forest loss worldwide was a COP26 priority for the UK, and resulted in the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use being agreed at the Summit. It now has 142 signatories and means that over 90 per cent of the world’s forests are covered by the commitment to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030. 

This is a landmark achievement, backed by over $19 billion USD of newly-mobilised public and private sector funding. It is very encouraging that Brazil and indeed every country wherein the Amazon is located has backed the Declaration (with the exception of Venezuela). The UK will commit £1.5 billion over five years to support the Declaration worldwide, including up to £300 million intended for the Amazon. This is part of a wider commitment by Government to double the UK’s international climate finance budget to £11.6 billion in 2021-2025, compared with the previous 5-year commitment of £5.8 billion.

The UK is also committed to promoting and defending the human rights of all individuals, including indigenous peoples, and I am assured that ministers and officials regularly make this clear to their counterparts in the Brazilian Government and others in South America.

 

Nevertheless, I would be happy to raise the issues you describe with the relevant ministers on your behalf and the earliest opportunity.

 

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

Campaign reply - Will you pledge to fight the anti-refugee laws?

Thank you for contacting my office. I very much appreciate you getting in touch about asylum seekers and refugee resettlement. 

I am aware of the campaign regarding the Nationality and Borders Act and its provisions for refugees and asylum seekers. It is, however, the case that the United Kingdom has a proud history of supporting those in need of protection; our resettlement programmes have provided safe and legal routes to better futures for hundreds of thousands of people from across the globe. This includes individuals from Hong Kong, Syria, Afghanistan, and Ukraine.

 

Regarding Afghanistan, in January 2022, the Minister for Afghan Resettlement announced the launch of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme, which will resettle up to 20,000 eligible people over the coming years. This is in addition to those who have been relocated under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy. It is particularly encouraging that the two remaining referral pathways onto the ACRS have now opened which means the UK will honour its commitment to eligible personnel who were called forward or specifically authorised for evacuation, but who were unable to board flights.

Since 2015, the UK has resettled over 27,000 refugees through safe and legal routes directly from areas of conflict and instability. Furthermore, the refugee family route, which enables the spouse or partner and children of a refugee sponsor who are under 18 years of age to join their family member in the UK, has provided more than 39,500 family reunion visas from the same year. 

I have always believed that resettlement is vital as a safe and legal pathway to protection for vulnerable refugees fleeing persecution. It is right, and I will continue to ensure, that the Government continues to offer safe pathways for those in need. The launch of a new global UK Resettlement Scheme will build on the success of previous schemes and continue our proud record of resettling refugees who need our help from around the world.

The Nationality and Borders Act allows the UK to continue to resettle genuine refugees directly from places of danger and to offer refugee family reunions. It improves support for refugees to help them build their life in the UK, integrate and become self-sufficient members of society. The legislation also introduces a new temporary protection status for those who do not come directly to the UK or claim asylum without delay once here, but who have, in any event, been recognised as requiring protection. 

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

Campaign reply - Extradition of Julian Assange

Thank you for contacting my office. I very much appreciate you getting in touch about Julian Assange.

I recognise that this is an issue about which many of my constituents care deeply. It is important to stress that extradition is a vital tool in the UK’s fight against transnational crime. There are also stringent legal protections in place to ensure a case does not raise any human rights issues and it is not incompatible with the five statutory bars to extradition.

Under the Extradition Act 2003, the Home Secretary must sign an extradition order if there are no grounds to prohibit the order being made. Extradition requests are only sent to the Home Secretary once a judge decides it can proceed after considering various aspects of the case.

When presiding over a case, a judge must decide whether the case raises any human rights issues and whether the case passes the five statutory bars to extradition. These include rules against double jeopardy, extraneous considerations (where it is considered that the person is being prosecuted because of their race, religion, nationality, gender, sexual orientation or political opinions) and historic offences.

In this instance, UK courts have not found that it would be oppressive, unjust or an abuse of process to extradite Mr Assange. Nor have they found that extradition would be incompatible with his human rights, including his right to a fair trial and to freedom of expression, and that whilst in the US he will be treated appropriately, including in relation to his health. The Home Secretary has therefore signed the extradition order.

As I understand it, Mr Assange has submitted a High Court appeal against the decision to extradite him to the United States. Please be assured I will be following developments on this matter closely.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

Campaign reply - Please support the Dying Matters campaign

Thank you for contacting my office. I very much appreciate you getting in touch about palliative and end of life care for people with terminal illnesses.  

I agree that we must ensure that people receive the most appropriate care personalised to their individual needs as they approach the end of their life. 

The NHS Long Term Plan, prepared by the NHS and published in 2019, builds on previous commitments made by the Government to personalise care through informed conversations between healthcare professionals and dying people. 

Part of this is a commitment to help people to live independently for longer, as well as a promise to give more people more say about the care they receive and where they receive it, particularly towards the end of their lives. I believe empowering people with terminal conditions in this way will better enable them to access palliative care when and where they most need it.

The establishment of the Personalised Care Institute has made training available to help staff identify and support patients and to introduce personalised care planning for everyone identified as being in their last year of life. Importantly, this enables meaningful conversations to take place and allows staff to help patients and families, address their concerns and to explain the breadth of services available in the local area.

On the funding of hospices, NHS England and NHS Improvement have recently provided funding to support seven strategic clinical networks to deliver palliative and end of life care. The Health and Care Act will also require Integrated Care Boards to commission palliative care and end of life services.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

Campaign reply - Renters are still waiting

Thank you for contacting my office. I very much appreciate you getting in touch about reforming the private rented sector.

The Government has set out plans to level up the private rented sector which will rebalance the relationship between tenants and landlords. This will provide tenants with more secure, higher quality homes and give councils the tools they need to crack down on the minority of non-compliant landlords.

Standards in rented accommodation will be driven up, including by ensuring all tenants have a right to redress and warranting well-targeted, effective enforcement that drives out criminal landlords. It is unacceptable that some households that rent privately pay a large proportion of their income to live in poor conditions. I am aware that the Government intends to introduce a legally binding Decent Homes Standard in the private rented sector for the first time.

In addition, Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions will be abolished and a more secure and simple tenancy structure will be brought in. Under the new system, a tenancy will only end if the tenant chooses to leave or if the landlord has a valid ground for possession. Not only will this improve security for tenants and protect them from having to move unexpectedly at short notice, but it will also empower tenants to challenge poor practice without the fear of retaliatory action. Repossession grounds will be strengthened to make sure that landlords with a valid cause can regain possession of their property.

To further support tenants, the Government will only allow increases to rent once per year and will increase the minimum notice period for rent increases to two months. The use of rent review clauses will also come to an end.

The creation of a single Ombudsman that all private landlords must join will strengthen tenants’ ability to hold their landlord to account. A new digital Property Portal will be established which will help landlords understand their obligations and support local authorities to crack down on poor practice.

These are important steps in ensuring that renters can benefit from more secure and higher quality homes. I understand that these measures will be translated into law through the Renters Reform Bill, which will be brought forward in this parliamentary session.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

Campaign reply - Pay campaign for junior doctors

Thank you for contacting my office. I very much appreciate you getting in touch about doctors in training, or junior doctors. 

I also would like to thank you for all your hard work at Royal Cornwall Hospital. The passion, commitment, and specialist knowledge of our NHS staff, including junior doctors, is part of what makes our NHS so special. Frontline NHS workers have played a vital and unique role throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and I know we are all grateful for their dedication.

In 2019 a multi-year agreement for doctors and dentists in training was reached. The deal means that all junior doctor pay scales will have increased by 8.2 per cent by the end of the deal, and in addition around £90 million is being invested to reform the contract, including to create a new, higher pay point to recognise the most experienced doctors in training.

While I note your comments around the inclusion of junior doctors in the pay review process, I understand the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) has not been asked to make a pay recommendation due to the multi-year agreement in place.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

Campaign reply - Please Support a Switch to Faux Fur for the Queen’s Guard’s Caps

Thank you for contacting my office. I very much appreciate you getting in touch the Queen's Guards ceremonial caps.

I am aware of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals’ (PETA) ongoing campaign to replace the real fur used in the bearskin Queen’s Guards ceremonial caps with faux fur.

Guardsmen take great pride in wearing the bearskin cap, which is an iconic image of Britain, and the MOD is very sparing in the acquisitions that it makes. Individual soldiers do not possess their own hats, rather they are cared for and shared within the Household Division and, despite their constant use, every effort is made to carefully prolong the longevity of each ceremonial cap. It is for this reason that they usually last for more than a decade, with some having been in use for as long as 60 years.

Nevertheless, I understand that there has been some confusion regarding the details of the supply chain relating to bear pelts used by the MOD for the Queen’s Guards ceremonial caps, in addition to conflicting understandings of the outcome of testing on ECOPEL’s faux fur product. In light of this, I was glad that the Minister for Defence Procurement, Jeremy Quin, asked that the relevant data and analysis procured by PETA on these matters be shared with the MOD during a recent Westminster Hall debate. At that time, the MOD had not had access to any of the data. I will be sure to follow these developments closely.

In the meantime, I can assure you that the MOD would like to find an alternative to bearskin should one prove acceptable. This is a commitment the MOD takes very seriously. Indeed, where sustainable, affordable and suitably appropriate faux material exists, the MOD has used it. The busby caps of the Royal Horse Artillery are a prime example. However, until that material is sourced and proven, the UK goes to great lengths to ensure that the pelts that make our caps are procured in the most responsible way possible.

Let me be clear, bears are never hunted to order for the MOD. Bear pelts used for the Queen’s Guards’ ceremonial caps are sourced exclusively from Canada precisely because it is a regulated market and a declared party to the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

 

Newspaper column 28 July - A busy week in Parliament

Parliament has now risen for Summer Recess, which means I will be spending the summer weeks working in our constituency.

I will again be running a village roadshow of constituency advice surgeries and look forward to meeting people across my patch over the coming weeks, more details of this to follow in future columns.

The final week in Parliament before Recess was a really busy one.

On Monday I hosted an event to boost climate-friendly critical mineral extraction in Cornwall.

This event was a fantastic opportunity to launch the Critical Mineral Association’s new paper, which makes a compelling case for building a green economy with responsibly sourced critical minerals. It was great to hear widespread agreement that as the world races ahead to secure critical minerals, the UK must lead the way towards securing responsible critical mineral supply chains.

Cornwall is playing a central role in developing this industry, with a long and successful mining history and a rich mineral endowment. It offers investment opportunities to explore and extract many commodities required to manufacture clean energy.

It is brilliant to see local companies embracing new technologies that allow more efficient extraction of critical raw material. Cornish Lithium, based in Penryn, is pioneering the low carbon extraction of lithium from hard rock and from geothermal waters in Cornwall.

This was very timely as Friday saw the launch of the Government’s Critical Mineral Strategy, with Cornwall heavily featured.

On Tuesday I asked health Minister Magie Maggie Throup MP to assure me that the Government will take action to increase the maternity workforce to deliver safer maternity care.

I recently chaired a joint All-Party group meeting for maternity and baby loss. We heard from bereaved parents and Donna Ockenden about the issues with providing safe and effective care for women and babies, and it was clear that we must get to the heart of the present staffing crisis.

I was pleased to hear the Minister confirm that the Government has invested £200million into maternity staffing following the Ockenden review and that the Women’s Health Strategy will be published shortly to deliver safer maternity care.

I also attended a meeting with parliamentary colleagues and Tim Pick, the Government's Offshore Wind Champion.

We discussed the enabling actions needed to unlock the potential of floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea.  In October 2021, the Government announced that up to £160 million would be made available for investment in port and manufacturing developments to support the deployment of floating offshore wind.

In light of the Celtic Sea's requirements and ambitions for floating offshore wind, we discussed the need to allocate investment to ports around the Celtic Sea region, which would deliver significant economic opportunities for the South west.

I look forward to continuing to work with the Government to highlight the opportunities for floating offshore wind in Cornwall.

Ahead of Cornwall Council’s Cabinet  on Wednesday, I wrote to them, requesting full devolution of Pendennis Headland, and Ships and Castles, to Falmouth Town Council.

It is vital that we protect the future of the headland and I have worked closely with Falmouth Town Council and Pendennis Leisure CIC on this.

I was pleased to see the Cabinet listen to the arguments made and allow Falmouth Town Council an additional six months to come up with a plan for the site – I will continue to work with all concerned to achieve this.

On my return from Parliament, the first order of business was an event with Deputy ambassador of Ukraine to the UK, Taras Krykun, and Heritage Minister Nigel Huddleston, joining Ukrainian refugees from Ukrainian cities including Kharkov, Kyiv and Lviv to mark the special confirmation of Grade two listed status for a Second World War-era Ukrainian Cross in Cornwall.

The cross represents Britain’s solidarity with the Ukrainian people and it was brilliant to see this firmly on display.

 

Finally on Friday I had the pleasure of welcoming Minister of State for Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency, Jacob Rees-Mogg MP, to Falmouth Docks.

 

We heard from A&P Falmouth about their vision for floating off-shore wind in the Celtic Sea, following the UK Government’s £160 million cash injection to kick-start new large scale floating wind ports and factories in the UK.

 

We also spoke about post-Brexit opportunities and what these will mean for Cornwall.

 

A really busy and varied week and I now look forward to working in Cornwall, for you, over the summer.

 

As ever, if you need my assistance with anything then my team and I are here to help. Please get in touch with me by email at Cherilyn.mackrory.mp@parliament.uk , or by telephone on 01872 229698. My regular constituency advice surgeries are held in a covid-safe environment at my office, so please do get in touch should you wish to meet me about any matters that I can be of assistance with.

 

 

Campaign reply - Will you support the call for a Dementia Medicines Taskforce?

Thank you for contacting my office. I very much appreciate you getting in touch about research and treatment for dementia.

Due to urgent parliamentary business, unfortunately I could not attend this debate. However, I read your proposal for a Dementia Medicines Taskforce with interest. I fully appreciate the passion with which you make your argument and I would be happy to discuss your suggestion with my Parliamentary colleagues.

An estimated one million people will be living with dementia by 2025, so research is crucial to understanding the condition and improving outcomes for those affected.

I was proud to stand on a manifesto that identified finding a cure for dementia as one of the Government's biggest priorities, which has been reflected in the development of the new 10-Year Plan for Dementia. It was positive to see the Government re-committing to publishing the 10-Year Plan later this year at the Alzheimer’s Society Conference 2022.

The 10-Year Plan will focus on the specific health needs of people with dementia and their carers covering prevention, diagnosis and research. It will also look at how new technology can be used to improve outcomes for dementia patients across the country. This will include exploring ways of building on the Government’s £375 million investment over the next five years, to improve understanding and treatment for a range of neurodegenerative diseases, including different types of dementia.

The 2021 Spending Review also saw £5 billion committed to health-related research and development and I understand that work is ongoing to identify ways to boost research on dementia significantly.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

Campaign reply - Make public sexual harassment a crime

Thank you for contacting my office. I very much appreciate you getting in touch about the sexual harassment of women and girls in public.

I agree that sexual harassment of women and girls, including in public places, is totally unacceptable. No one should be forced to change the way they live to avoid harassment and abuse. 

I am glad that action is already being taken in this vitally important area. The Law Commission has recently concluded a wide-ranging review into hate crime. In its final report, the Commission made a number of recommendations to provide greater protection on the basis of sex and gender, including extending the offence of stirring up hatred to cover stirring up hatred on the grounds of sex or gender. It is suggested this would help to tackle the growing threat of extremist misogynist “incel” ideology, and its potential to lead to serious criminal offending. The Government will now carefully review and consider the recommendations of the report before issuing a full response and any future action.

I am, however, encouraged that the Ministers have already taken action to implement some of the Law Commission's findings. As you may know, the Law Commission recommended that the Government launch a review into the need for a specific offence to tackle public sexual harassment, arguing that it would likely be more effective than adding sex or gender to the protected characteristics for aggravated offences and enhanced sentencing. 

 

Fulfilling this recommendation, a consultation on the creation of an offence of public sexual harassment has now opened. It asks where or not a specific criminal offence of public sexual harassment should be created, if such an offence were to be created what it should look like, and whether the Government should take additional non-legislative actions to tackle public sexual harassment (either instead of or in addition to a new criminal offence). The consultation is a targeted rather than a public one and has been sent to recipients in a variety of fields including victim-based charities, policing, and local government. It will close on 1 September 2022 so I would urge you to contact relevant organisations to make your feelings known.

Further information can be found at this address: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/creating-an-offence-of-public-sexual-harassment

I also welcome the publication of the tackling violence against women and girls strategy to ensure women and girls are safe everywhere - at home, online and on the streets. The strategy increases support for victims and survivors, will increase the number of perpetrators brought to justice and reduce the prevalence of violence against women and girls in the long-term. In addition, the Voyeurism (Offences) Act criminalises the reprehensible behaviour of up-skirting. There can now be no doubt that this activity is criminal and will not be tolerated. For the most serious offences, this law will ensure that the offender is also placed on the sex offenders' register.

I have also recently welcomed Government plans to provide £50 million of new funding to communities across England and Wales to make the streets safer for all.

 

The money forms part of the Safer Streets Fund, now totalling £120 million, which has already provided Falmouth with £60,000 to help tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG).

 

The money will go to police forces, local authorities, British Transport Police and eligible community groups across England and Wales to prevent violence against women and girls in public, neighbourhood crime and anti-social behaviour.

 

These projects will be able to roll out extra CCTV and streetlighting in their communities and expand work to change attitudes and behaviours and prevent these crimes happening in the first place.

 

You will also be pleased to learn that relationships education is now compulsory for all primary pupils and relationships and sex education compulsory for all secondary school pupils. This ensures that concepts such as healthy relationships, consent and boundaries are taught to children.

There is more to do, and I will be paying close attention to the important work which is underway.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

Campaign reply - Expert panel on Ban Conversion Therapy – please attend

Thank you for contacting my office. I very much appreciate you getting in touch about the Conversion Therapy Bill.

Due to urgent Parliamentary business, I could not attend this briefing. However, I am aware that this is a difficult and sensitive issue for many people. I welcome that the Government has introduced the Conversion Therapy Bill which strengthen existing criminal law by ensuring that violent conversion therapy is recognised as a potential aggravating factor upon sentencing, as well as making sure those found guilty of conversion therapy offences have any profit obtained from those crimes removed. Further, it will protect freedom of speech, ensuring parents, clinicians and teachers can continue to have conversations with people seeking support.

The Bill does not include a commitment to ban transgender conversion therapy, as this is to ensure that any legislative measures brought forward will not have any unintended consequences. I understand that this is a legally complex area, and the Government have a responsibility to ensure that these unintended consequences are not written into legislation, particularly in the case of under eighteens. This will make sure that children and young people are properly supported and protected when considering changing their gender.

I am positive about the steps that have been made so far in the UK to achieve LGBT equality, and this is an issue I will continue to monitor closely.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

Campaign reply - Urgent: Demand the Government Stop Arming Israel!

Thank you for contacting my office. I very much appreciate you getting in touch about military exports to Israel.

Her Majesty's Government takes its export control responsibilities extremely seriously and operates one of the most robust export control regimes in the world. All export licence applications are rigorously assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, based on the most up-to-date information and analysis available, including advice received from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Ministry of Defence, and other government departments and agencies as appropriate.

 

Licence decisions take account of prevailing circumstances at the time of application and include human rights and international humanitarian law considerations. I am assured that the Government will not issue export licences where to do so would be inconsistent with the criteria, including where there is a clear risk that the arms might be used for internal repression or in the commission of a serious violation of international humanitarian law.

I know that ministers continue to monitor the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories closely, and will take action to suspend, refuse or revoke licences – in line with the criteria – if circumstances require.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

Campaign reply - VAWG strategy seems discriminatory

Thank you for contacting my office. I very much appreciate you getting in touch about violence against women and girls.

I have always been clear that protecting women and girls from violence and supporting victims is of the utmost importance. I was glad to stand on a manifesto which pledged to continue the fight against the perpetrators of violence against women and girls.

I welcome the publication of the tackling violence against women and girls strategy to ensure women and girls are safe everywhere - at home, online and on the streets. The strategy will increase support for victims and survivors, increase the number of perpetrators brought to justice and reduce the prevalence of violence against women and girls in the long-term.

A number of measures in the strategy are focused on practical action to increase physical safety in public places. This includes the £5 Million ‘Safety of Women at Night’ Fund, in addition to the Safer Streets Fund, which focuses on the prevention of violence against women and girls in public spaces at night, including in the night-time economy. This could include targeting parks and alleyways, and routes from bars, restaurants and nightclubs. I am pleased Truro and Falmouth has received £65,000 from the Safer Streets Fund.

I also welcome the creation of a new online tool 'StreetSafe', which builds on the Safer Streets Fund and provides women and girls with a way to anonymously and quickly pinpoint areas where they have felt unsafe and say why – be it from a lack of lighting or CCTV or because of the people around them. I understand that more than 15,000 reports have been submitted to date.

It is vital that good practice is shared and the new tackling violence against women and girls strategy will make this happen. The Government has introduced a new national policing lead on violence against women and girls. The lead will be the point of contact for every police force and will ensure best practice is shared and that progress on improving the response to these crimes is being carefully monitored.

Furthermore, earlier this year, the Government announced that it would launch a public consultation by the summer recess on whether there should be a new offence of public sexual harassment. The Home Office has also launched the ‘Enough’ communications campaign which challenges public attitudes and tolerance towards crimes such as public sexual harassment and aims to ensure victims know how and where to report it.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

Campaign reply - Food Aid Network

Thank you for contacting my office. I very much appreciate you getting in touch about food poverty.

You are right that the affordability of food is a serious issue and everyone has a right to nutritious and adequate food supply. 

As foodbanks are independent, charitable organisations, I understand that there is no consistent and accurate measure of food bank usage at a constituency or national level. However, a member of my team also visits the Truro Foodbank regularly to offer advice and support.

The Government is taking action to help ease the cost of living pressures, which is worth over £22 billion in 2022/23 and includes £9.1 billion to help with fuel costs, the Holiday Activities and Food programme and the extension to the Household Support Fund. All households will receive a £400 rebate on their energy bills, as well as the £150 council tax rebate which was paid earlier this year.  Low-income households in receipt of certain benefits will be eligible to up to £1,500 in support this year. Further, the Government has increased the value of Healthy Start food vouchers from £3.10 to £4.25, helping eligible low income households buy basic foods like milk, fruit and vitamins.

Following the independent review of the food system last year, which analysed the challenges facing the food system, the Government’s Food Strategy will drive innovation, harness pioneering technology in farming, increase domestic production, spread jobs and grow the economy. My ministerial colleagues have assured me that the Food Strategy will set the UK on a path to boosted food production, ensuring that everyone has access to healthy, affordable and sustainably produced food.

I understand your anxieties over the cost of living and your concern regarding the level of support available. I will continue to keep this issue at the top of my agenda as local MP.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

Campaign reply - Will you support victims of modern slavery and human trafficking?

Thank you for contacting my office. I very much appreciate you getting in touch about modern slavery.

I am committed to supporting both the recovery of modern slavery victims and the prosecution of their exploiters. I agree with the Government’s core principle that victims' entitlements should be based on need; temporary leave to remain should be provided when there is genuine need.

The UK leads the way in the fight against modern slavery. The Modern Slavery Act 2015 has transformed our response on a national and international level, significantly increasing law enforcement activity against the criminals behind this abhorrent crime. Since 2016, £15 million has been invested to strengthen the police response through the Modern Slavery and Organised Immigration Crime Programme. This funding has also driven improvements in the police's understanding of modern slavery, increased prosecutions, and built new capabilities to combat organised immigration crime.

In 2018, the Government commissioned an independent review of the Modern Slavery Act, to ensure its relevance as modern slavery evolves over time. Notably, the review recommended that the Government strength its approach to organisations failing to comply with section 54 of the legislation. Section 54 established the UK has the first country in the world to require businesses to report annually on steps taken to prevent modern slavery in their operations and supply chains. It is good news that the Government committed to strength section 54, to ensure businesses and large public sector bodies report transparently on action they have taken to address modern slavery risks.

I was further encouraged by the Government's subsequent public consultation on proposals to drive greater transparency and compliance within the legislation, and whether the law should cover the public sector, not only businesses.  The Government has since committed to stronger measures, for example by: extending the reporting requirement to public bodies with a budget of £36 million or more; mandating the specific reporting topics that statements must cover; requiring statements to be published on the new Government digital reporting service; setting a single reporting deadline and taking forward options for penalties for non-compliance in line with the ongoing development of the Single Enforcement Body for employment rights. 

The Government has announced that a new Modern Slavery Bill will be introduced this parliamentary session which will put these commitments into law. The Bill aims to strengthen the protection and support for victims of human trafficking and modern slavery and increase the accountability of companies and other organisations to drive out modern slavery from their supply chains.   

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

Campaign reply - UK action over Nigerian Humanist President

Thank you for contacting my office. I very much appreciate you getting in touch about Mubarak Bala, President of the Nigerian Humanist Association.

I share your concern for Mr Bala, sentenced to 24 years in prison on charges of blasphemy, and I will ensure that my ministerial colleagues at the FCDO are aware of the strength of public feeling on this matter.

The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all, and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities. The UK regularly discusses the importance of FoRB with Nigeria, and works via multilateral fora, such as the UN and the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance, to promote and protect FoRB for all, including in Nigeria.

The UK is very concerned by the use of blasphemy laws as they generally limit freedom of expression and regularly applies diplomatic pressure on countries that misuse them.

The British High Commissioner has raised Mr Bala's case with the Nigerian authorities on numerous occasions. The Minister for Africa also raised concerns about Mr Bala's case, including the severity of his sentence, with the Nigerian Foreign Minister in May. I am assured that ministers and officials will continue to stress the importance of Mr Bala being treated in full accordance with his human rights, the rule of law, and the Nigerian constitutional right to FoRB.

I also note your call for sanctions. It is not appropriate for me to speculate on potential future designations as to do so may undermine their effectiveness. I know that the Government keeps all evidence under close review.

 

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

Campaign reply - Don’t Let the Government U-Turn: Support the animal Welfare Bills

Thank you for contacting my office. I very much appreciate you getting in touch about the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill.

The UK has long led the way on animal welfare. I know that Ministers are enhancing our world-leading standards with ambitious reforms, as outlined in the Action Plan for Animal Welfare. The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill will introduce some landmark protections for pets, livestock and kept wild animals. I look forward to supporting the Bill through its parliamentary passage.

Primates are highly intelligent, complex animals that require specialist care. Through the Bill, the Government will meet its manifesto commitment to ban keeping primates as pets, creating a rigorous licensing scheme to ensure higher protections for all primates kept privately in England. The Bill will update the Zoo Licensing Act 1981 to improve enforcement and strengthen conservation requirements for zoos.

Live animals can suffer distress and injury during excessively long export journeys. EU rules prevented any changes to these journeys, but the UK Government is now able to ban the export of live animals for slaughter and fattening. This Bill will ensure that the UK is the first European country to end this practice.

The Bill will also tackle puppy smuggling by reducing the number of pets, including dogs, cats and ferrets permitted to travel. The Bill enables the Environment Secretary to regulate the importation of cats, dogs and ferrets for the purpose of promoting their welfare. Further restrictions could include raising the minimum age that pets can travel into Great Britain and banning the import of dogs with mutilations such as cropped ears and docked tails. The Bill will introduce a new pet abduction offence to reflect the value that we all place on our pets.

Further, the Kept Animals Bill will also ban keeping primates as pets and improve zoo regulations, as well as creating new police powers to protect livestock from dangerous dogs. Further, I am aware that a new offence of taking and detaining a dog was added to the Bill at Committee Stage in the House of Commons, with a power to extend to other pets, if necessary. This Bill was carried over into the new parliamentary session and will return to the House as soon as parliamentary time allows. 

I am aware that both bills have been carried over into the new parliamentary session and will return to the House as soon as parliamentary time allows.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch.