Newspaper Column 28th May 2024 - The General Election

It is a privilege to have been your Member of Parliament. It gave me the ability to fight for the issues that we, as Conservatives, care about here in Cornwall.

Locally, we’ve delivered on my promise to be approachable and hard-working. My office have helped nearly 50,000 constituents and counting. There are success stories all around, from the re-opening of the Hall for Cornwall with government funding, to UK Infrastructure Bank’s investment in Cornish Lithium to revive our mining industry, the near-complete A30 dualling and many smaller issues like the saving of St Mawes Pharmacy or successfully opposing the imposition of the Gerrans Bay Seaweed Farm.

I am so proud we are building our new Women & Children’s Hospital at Treliske, due to open in 2028. It will have maternity, paediatrics, obstetrics & gynaecology and neonatal facilities. This is Levelling-Up in action and a serious step to increasing the healthcare capacity for Cornwall.

Nationally, those successes are many. Those that I am most proud of include recruiting 20,000 new police officers since we pledged to do so in 2019. 600 of those new officers are on the streets of Devon & Cornwall right now. We have been there when people needed us, most memorably with the Furlough scheme which prevented destitution for many as the economy ground to a halt with Covid. People forget, because of the freedoms of Brexit and the decisive action of the Conservative government, Britain had the world’s first Covid vaccine programme which saved lives and returned us quickly to normal life.

We have supported Ukraine to fend off Russian aggression and we have increased our defence spending to 2.5% of GDP. We are responsibly handling the economy, with inflation down towards the 2% target, which allows us to make the tax cuts we all want starting with 4% off National Insurance. Vitally, we have finally passed the Safety of Rwanda Bill, in the teeth of fierce opposition from Labour and the other minor parties. We should see flights taking off in the near future, which should play a key part in stopping the boats.

On a personal note, part of the reason I came into politics was because of the grief of losing my daughter, Lily, whilst still unborn. I feel there is still a huge taboo around discussing baby loss and there simply isn’t enough support for families who lose children in the womb.

Given my own experiences, I was incredibly proud to champion the government’s 2024 Pregnancy Loss Review, which made 73 recommendations to help families losing children before 24-weeks gestation. Importantly, this included registration and issue of a “Baby Loss Certificate” for children lost before 24-weeks pregnancy as a recognition of a life lost, to give comfort to parents at their lowest point.

But there is much more to do and I am seeking to be re-elected on 4 July to continue my positive and proactive work for the good people of Truro and Falmouth locally, as well as part of part of a Conservative Government that has delivered for Cornwall time and time again.

Newspaper Column 20th May 2024 - Protecting our Environment

I hope everyone had a great weekend and was able to enjoy some of the sunshine.

Of particular note for me last weekend I had an amazing time at Gylly Beach in Falmouth on Saturday morning joining in the Surfers Against Sewage paddle out.

And where better than on our brilliant beach, which last week was awarded a blue flag for cleanliness, water quality, and safety. With pale sand and a blue sea on Saturday, it was easy to see why!

I joined Surfers Against Sewage in 2010 and am still a member today – back then under the last Labour Government only 7% of sewage outflows were monitored, they simply did not know the scale of the problem. Thanks to the Conservative Government and the world leading Environment Act we now have 100% of outflows monitored. There’s still a lot to do but through the Environment Act we have passed laws to allow water companies to be given unlimited fines if they don’t clean up their acts, and given Ofwat the powers they need to stop dividends for water companies unless they can prove they are actively working to improve water quality I also sit on the Environmental Audit Committee in Parliament where we are currently doing an investigation into water quality. There is always more to do, but this Government has taken more steps than any before to better understand the water pollution problems we face and then hold the water companies to account on it.

Massive thanks to Giles Bristow and Surfers Against Sewage for hosting this event, and to everyone who came along. The beach was packed, and it was a fantastic atmosphere!

Another highlight of my work for you in Parliament last week was speaking in the debate on support for the South West’s Under 10 metre fishing fleet.

In the debate I spoke about the recently welcomed pollack compensation scheme, which I campaigned hard for along with my Cornish MP colleagues and the need to recognise the importance of the livelihoods of our fishermen against the recreational angling sector. I also reiterated my call for the need for more apprenticeships for the sector to allow more young people to get into this career, and the importance of having local auction sites to sell the fish and ensure our fishermen get the best price for their quality catch.  They work ridiculously hard in often dangerous conditions and I believe they should be recognised for this effort.

It was great to see a good cross party debate on what more can be done to support this important fishing fleet made up of small boats which support so many businesses around Cornwall and further afield.

As always, I am fully focused on the job at hand and if there is ever anything at all I can do to help, then please do not hesitate to contact me. 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 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.

Newspaper Column 13th May 2024 - Improving Water Quality and protecting our Environment

This Government is taking more steps than any other to improve our environment and boost water quality. Last week, to go along with the many measures already announced and at work, the Government announced 180 new projects with £11.5m extra funding to boost tree planting, habitat restoration and flood management across England through the Water Environment Improvement Fund.

The funding, which includes money from the Nature for Climate Fund, will also unlock up to an extra £11.5 million from organisations including the National Lottery, local rivers and wildlife trusts or from private investment, bringing the total possible investment to £23 million.

Overall, the additional funding is expected to lead to an additional 300km of English rivers being protected and improved. It will also support the creation and restoration of around 160 hectares of inland and coastal waters.

Catchment partnerships take a collaborative approach to improving river quality and enhancing biodiversity at a catchment level, using local knowledge and expertise.

They bring together government, local authorities, landowners, local eNGOs, regulators, farmers, academia, local businesses and water companies.

This announcement includes four projects in Cornwall and builds on recent measures to clean up our rivers including consulting on a ban on water company bonuses, launching a new Water Restoration Fund to reinvest water company fines and penalties back into the water environment, and a fourfold increase in Environment Agency inspections.

Last week’s announcement follows recent measures delivered to improve the water environment, including:

• A new £11m Water Restoration Fund to reinvest water company fines and penalties back into the water environment.
• Requiring companies to monitor 100% of storm overflows in England - providing a complete picture of when and where sewage spills happen.
• Removing the cap on civil penalties for water companies and broadening their scope so swifter action can be taken against those who pollute our waterways.
• Requiring the largest infrastructure programme in water company history - £60 billion over 25 years – to revamp ageing assets and reduce the number of sewage spills by hundreds of thousands every year.
• Increasing protections for coastal and estuarine waters by expanding the Storm Overflow Discharge Reduction Plan, prioritising bathing waters, sites of special scientific interest and shellfish waters.
• A targeted plan to better preserve and protect the River Wye, including £35m in funding.
• Speeding up the process of building key water supply infrastructure, including more reservoirs and water transfer schemes.

I will continue to do all I can to ensure Cornwall gets its fair share of funding announced in schemes like this, as well as working with my Cornish MP colleagues to continue to hold South West Water to account.

As always, I am fully focused on the job at hand and if there is ever anything at all I can do to help, then please do not hesitate to contact me. 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 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.

Newspaper column 7th May 2024 - Welfare Reform in Truro and Falmouth

I would like to thank our Jobcentre teams in Truro and Penryn and their associated charities for the time and commitment they give to people, who are looking for work. I know that, in some cases, it can take months of careful one to one coaching to get someone to the point of an interview. When that person succeeds, it’s all worth it.

Recently the Government announced reforms to the benefit system, which will see support targeted to those who need it most, while ensuring people who abuse the system do not get away with it.

Last week, the first step to these reforms took place as The Modernising Support Green Paper was published, which explores how our welfare system could be redesigned to ensure people with disabilities and long-term health conditions get the support they need to achieve the best outcomes, with an approach that focuses support on those with the greatest needs and extra costs.

The caseload and costs for the benefit are now spiralling. There are now 2.6 million people of working age claiming PIP and DLA – with 33,000 new awards for PIP each month which is more than double the rate before the pandemic. This is expected to cost the taxpayer £28 billion a year by 2028/29 – a 110% increase in spending since 2019.

The Green Paper sets out proposals across three key priorities to fundamentally reform the system:

• Providing the right support to the people who need it most.
• Targeting our resources most effectively.
•   Supporting disabled people and people with long-term health conditions to live independently and reach their full potential.

You can access the Green Paper and read the proposals in depth by searching for ‘Modernising support for independent living: the health and disability green paper’. I would be interested in hearing the views of the people of Truro and Falmouth on these proposals as they proceed.

The Green Paper is the latest of the government’s welfare reforms to ensure disabled people and people with long-term health conditions can live full and independent lives. It builds on last year’s Health and Disability White Paper and the £2.5 billion Back to Work Plan which will break down barriers to work for over one million people. 

 

The Government is also delivering the largest expansion in mental health services in a generation, with almost £5 billion of extra funding over the past five years, and a near doubling of mental health training places

 

Finally I couldn’t pass this past week without congratulating the re-elected Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall Alison Hernandez for her superb election result last Thursday. Alison and I have worked together on numerous issues around Truro and Falmouth, including the reopening of police station front desks and in particular accessing more funding to combat violence against women and girls in Penryn and Falmouth, and I was delighted to see this result. I look forward to working with Alison for the good of our communities in the future.

 

As always, I am fully focused on the job at hand and if there is ever anything at all I

can do to help, then please do not hesitate to contact me. 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 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.

Newspaper Column 29th April 2024 - Increasing Armed Forces Spending

As last year’s successful National Armed Forces Day events demonstrated, Cornwall has many, many strong links with our fantastic armed forces. Last week the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the biggest strengthening of the UK’s national defence in a generation, with a fully funded plan to grow the defence budget to 2.5% of GDP by 2030.

With last week’s announcement, UK defence spending will increase immediately and then rise steadily to reach £87 billion at the end the decade – hitting 2.5% of GDP by 2030.

The Prime Minister has set out three areas of focus for our bolstered defence budget:

·         Firing up the UK defence industrial base: Investing at least an additional £10 billion over the next decade on munitions production, delivering high-quality jobs and investment across the UK and ensuring we have rapid production capacity and stockpiles of next-generation munitions.

·         Modernising our Armed Forces: Radically reforming defence procurement and creating a new Defence Innovation Agency to ensure the UK is at the cutting edge of modern warfare technology, with at least 5% of the defence budget to be committed to research and development.

·         Backing Ukraine’s defence: Ukraine’s security is our security. As part of this plan, the Government will commit an additional £500 million this year for the ammunition, air defence and drones Ukraine needs; the largest-ever single delivery of military equipment to Ukraine’s frontlines; and a cast-iron commitment to maintain existing levels of support to Ukraine for as long as it Is needed.

Falmouth in particular will benefit from the Prime Minister’s announcement because of its long and enduring relationship with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), a naval auxiliary fleet which provides logistical and operational support to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. The RFA ensures the Royal Navy is supplied and supported by providing fuel and stores through replenishment at sea, transporting Royal Marines and British Army personnel, providing medical care and transporting equipment and essentials around the world. In addition the RFA acts independently providing humanitarian aid, counter piracy and counter narcotic patrols together with assisting the Royal Navy in preventing conflict and securing international trade.

A&P Falmouth is responsible for maintaining and supporting Argus, HMS Scott, Lyme Bay, Mounts Bay and Cardigan Bay under the terms of the Future In-Service Support contract which runs until 2028, and is a major employer for the town.

As Member of Parliament for Truro and Falmouth I will be doing all I can over the coming months to ensure that Cornwall and our constituency in particular gets its fair share of defence investment, so we can do our bit in ensuring our armed forces continue to be world leading.

As always, I am fully focused on the job at hand and if there is ever anything at all I can do to help, then please do not hesitate to contact me. 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 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.

Newspaper column 22nd April 2024 - Secretary of State for Education Gillian Keegan visits Truro and Falmouth

Last week I welcomed the Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan to Truro. One of the things I have been most proud of to promote during my time as Member of Parliament for Truro and Falmouth is the fantastic education opportunities available in our constituency. Whether at primary, secondary, further education or our wonderful university campuses, Truro and Falmouth offers something for everyone, at every stage of the learning journey.

One education institution that is certainly leading the way, not just in Cornwall, but across the whole country, is Truro and Penwith College, Cornwall’s leading academic further education setting. As such I have always been keen to promote the top class work that is done there to my colleagues in Government, last year memorably welcoming the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to see the facilities.

I believe that our children deserve the best education we can provide, and Truro and Penwith college has set the benchmark by providing local, quality courses. It was a privilege to visit with the Secretary of State, and to show her the fantastic work we have done to make sure our children can access the best possible education right here in the community.

During our visit we were given a tour of the faculties by Principal Martin Tucker, where we had the chance to see the new innovations introduced by his team employed.

The Secretary of State was shown art and design, engineering, and the college’s new construction unit. Students can use this facility to learn practical skills including bricklaying and carpentry as part of their education and are working to construct a building to completion which will be finished later this year.

As a former apprentice the Secretary of State conversed knowledgably with the students about their courses and experiences at the college. She was particularly impressed with the diverse training available, as well as the accessibility of the courses, and the opportunities for local high-paid employment to follow. A very positive visit and one which I know will have given the Secretary of State a good impression of what we do so well in Cornwall.

Combined with the official opening of the STEM and Health Skills Centre Bodmin, which I also attended on the same day, which is part of Truro and Penwith College group, and heavily recommended by staff at Treliske, it is clear that in Cornwall we have an impressive, cutting edge and growing further education offer, and I will continue to do all I can to ensure those delivering it get the support they need to do so.

As always, I am fully focused on the job at hand and if there is ever anything at all I can do to help, then please do not hesitate to contact me. 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 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 - Alcohol Duty

Thank you for contacting me about alcohol duty.

On 1 August 2023, the alcohol duty system became much simpler and fairer, taxing all alcoholic drinks based on their alcohol by volume (ABV). I welcome the Government’s commitment to supporting pubs through increasing draught relief from 1 August 2023 as announced at Spring Budget 2023. This freezes the duty charged on a typical pint of beer in the pub and ensures this will always be lower than in the supermarket.

To further support alcohol producers, pubs, and the hospitality sector, and to help consumers with the cost of living, the Government will freeze alcohol duty from 1 August 2024 until 1 February 2025, extending the six-month freeze announced at Autumn Statement 2023. This will result in 2p less duty on an average pint of beer, 1p less duty on an average pint of cider, 10p less duty on an average bottle of wine, and 33p less duty on an average bottle of spirits, than if the planned duty increase had gone ahead.

All tax categories, such as beer and wine, have been moved to a standardised set of bands, with rates for products between 1.2 and 3.4 per cent ABV, 3.5 and 8.4 per cent ABV, 8.5 and 22 per cent ABV, and above 22 per cent ABV. Above 8.5 per cent ABV, all products across all categories pay the same rate of duty if they have the same proportion of alcohol content.

Registration and payment have also been simplified, and the practice where individual products have different administrative rules has ended. The new progressive manner in which alcohol is taxed will ensure higher strength products incur proportionately more duty, and these rates will be the same across all product categories. This change addresses the problem of harmful high-strength products being sold too cheaply, and the new rates for low-strength drinks below 3.5 per cent ABV will encourage manufacturers to develop new products at lower ABVs, giving consumers greater choice and greater options to drink responsibly.

I welcome the introduction of a new Small Producer Relief, which builds on the previous success of the Small Brewers Relief and benefit cidermakers and other producers of lower ABV drinks. This will allow small producers to diversify their product range to other products below 8.5 per cent ABV while still benefitting from reduced rates.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.

Campaign reply - Abortion

Thank you for contacting me about abortion.

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 and allows 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”.

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.

I am aware that all independent sector abortion clinics in England have been reapproved, which will ensure that abortion services continue to be available to women across the country. I understand that all current approvals are valid until 31 July 2026.

I know that making a decision regarding abortion can be extremely difficult, and I believe that we must do all we can to support women to make an informed decision, taking into consideration all their options, with medical professionals offering impartial advice. I will continue to do all I can to ensure plenty of information is available to women making enquiries relating to abortion including all options available to them.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.

Campaign reply - Pensioner Poverty

Thank you for contacting me about Government support for pensioners.

 

The Government is fully committed to enabling older people to live with the dignity and respect they deserve. In April last year, the State Pension was increased by 10.1 per cent, in line with inflation. As a result, the full yearly amount of the basic State Pension is over £3,050 higher, in cash terms, than in 2010. 

 

Regarding the uprating of the State Pension, the Government is maintaining the Triple Lock in full for 2024/25, meaning that in April 2024, the basic State Pension, new State Pension, and Pension Credit minimum guarantee will be uprated in line with September 2023 average earnings growth- 8.5 per cent.

 

Additionally, I am confident that the Government is providing substantial support for pensioners through the welfare system. The Government provides free bus passes and prescriptions; Winter Fuel Payments; and Cold Weather Payments for those in receipt of Pension Credit. 

Moreover, as set out at Spring Budget, the Government is providing an additional £500 million of funding to enable the extension of the Household Support Fund in England to September 2024, bringing the total funding to £3 billion since October 2021.

 

I hope that this response reassures you that pensioners in the UK are being adequately supported and that the most vulnerable will continue to be protected.

 

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.

Campaign reply - Free School Meals for Children

Thank you for contacting me about the campaign to provide free school meals to all children in educational settings. 

 

I believe it is imperative that children have regular healthy and balanced meals throughout the day to ensure they are able to thrive in the classroom. The Government is also keenly aware of the impact that the cost of living crisis is having on families across the country. 

 

Over two million pupils are currently eligible for benefits based free school meals. Close to 1.3 million additional infants receive free and nutritious meals under the Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM) policy.

 

The Department spends over £1 billion each year on free school meals, including through the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme and school breakfast clubs. This includes around £600 million on UIFSM.

 

Furthermore, the Government funds over £200 million a year on HAF, which provides healthy meals and holiday club places to children from low-income families. In the summer of 2022, the HAF programme reached around 600,000 children across England, including over 475,000 children eligible for free school meals.

 

The Government is allocating £30 million over two years for the National School Breakfast Programme (NSBP) until the end of the summer term in 2024, which benefits over 2,000 schools across the country. Family Action estimates that 270,000 children are currently receiving breakfast from the NSBP on an average school day. 

 

In 2023/24, the Free School Meal factor of the National Funding Formula designates £480 per eligible pupil. This is increasing to £490 in 2024/25. Schools are allocated un-ringfenced funding through their core budgets to provide these free meals for disadvantaged pupils. This system recognises that schools are best placed to make decisions about how they use their funding and gives them considerable freedom in how they best deliver educational provision to their pupils.

 

Additional funding for schools announced since Spending Review 2021 totalled more than £2.4 billion in 2023-24 and will be more than £2.8 billion in 2024-25. This will bring per pupil funding for 5-16 year olds to its highest ever level in real terms in 2024-25 – and represents a cash increase in average funding per pupil from £5,920 in 2019-20 to £7,690 in 2024-25.

 

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.

Campaign reply - Fuel Duty and Prices

Thank you for contacting me about fuel duty.

To support people with the cost of living, the Government is maintaining the rates of fuel duty at the current levels for a further 12 months by extending the temporary 5p cut and cancelling the planned increase in line with inflation, saving the average car driver £50 in 2024-25. This freeze represents a tax cut worth over £3.1 billion.

This support is being maintained at a time when many other European countries have ended their fuel duty cuts: it represents around £13 billion of support over the three years from the cut being introduced.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.

Campaign reply - Snares

Thank you for contacting me about the use of snares.

I appreciate your concerns about this issue. The management of predators plays an important role in supporting the recovery of some of our most vulnerable species.

The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 states that it is illegal to set in position any trap or snare calculated to cause bodily injury to any wild animal mentioned in section six of the Act. This includes badgers, otters, red squirrels and hedgehogs.

The Deer Act 1991 makes it an offence to set in position any trap or snare calculated to cause bodily injury to any deer coming into contact with it, or to use any trap or snare for the purpose of killing, taking or restraining such an animal.

The law states that snares set in position must be inspected once a day. The use of a self-locking snare is illegal and the Animal Welfare Act 2006 prohibits causing any unnecessary suffering to any animal.

While laws are in place, my ministerial colleagues recognise that there have been cases of snares being used indiscriminately and not being checked, and the code of practice not being followed. When used incorrectly, they can cause significant injuries and suffering to animals. Anyone using snares must act within the law to ensure that their activities do not harm protected species. Penalties are in place when the law is not followed, including an unlimited fine or a custodial sentence. Anyone who suspects that snares have not been used properly should contact the police.

As part of the Government’s drive to maintain its high animal welfare standards, officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs are in regular contact with colleagues from the devolved administrations to consider how snares are regulated.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.

Campaign reply - Ending Rough Sleeping

Thank you for contacting me about ending rough sleeping.

Let me assure you that there is a firm commitment across Government to end rough sleeping once and for all. The Government has set out its plans to do so in its strategy ‘Ending Rough Sleeping For Good’. This reiterates the goal that rough sleeping will be prevented wherever possible and where it does occur it will be rare, brief and non-recurring.

 

At the heart of this strategy is a ‘prevention first’ approach which focuses on preventing people from sleeping rough in the first place. I was encouraged to see the Government set out an ambition for no one to leave a public institution, such as a prison or hospital, homeless. Already, legislation has been passed to reduce numbers of prisoners released on Fridays to help with better access to essential services. 

 

The Government's rough sleeping strategy is backed up by £2 billion worth of investment between 2022-23 and 2024-25. As part of this, the Rough Sleeping Initiative is being expanded to further support people off the street and into longer-term housing-led solutions. Tailored support may include helping individuals find work, manage their finances and access mental and physical health services. In January 2024, the Government announced £13.1 million in additional funding for the Rough Sleeping Initiative, taking the total to over £547 million. A further £4 million has also been announced in Rough Sleeping Winter Pressures funding for local authorities facing the greatest pressures in rough sleeping in England.

 

In addition, in February 2024 the Government provided a further £220 million of funding to councils. £107 million is to provide more than 800 homes for rough sleepers. The money is being made available immediately to councils to purchase or rent properties to give rough sleepers a safe space to stay whilst they rebuild their lives off the streets. £109 million is a boost to the Homelessness Prevention Grant, the funding can be used by councils to prevent evictions before they occur or fund temporary accommodation. This brings the total fund to £1.2 billion, it has supported more than 160,000 people since the scheme opened in 2022. 

Rightly, Government funding for different types of accommodation reflects the fact that there is no one size fits all approach to supporting rough sleepers. For example, the £10 million Night Shelter Transformation Fund will increase the availability of quality single-room provision within the night shelter sector. Meanwhile, investment in longer-term housing solutions includes the £200 million Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme which will deliver up to 2,400 homes and wrap-around support. 

 

I am confident that, together, these measures and the whole system approach that will bring them together will help end rough sleeping for good.

 

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me. 

Campaign reply - Protection of Badgers

Thank you for contacting me about the protection of badgers.

In the UK, the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 restricts the killing, injuring or taking of badgers, or interference with their setts. The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 provides protection against certain methods of killing or taking.

Badger persecution is one of seven UK wildlife crime priorities. Priority areas are those which are assessed as posing the greatest current threat to either the conservation status of a species or which show the highest volume of crime and therefore they are assessed as requiring an immediate UK-wide response.

The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 brought in tougher sentences for animal cruelty, raising the maximum prison sentence from six months to five years. As well as a prison sentence, offenders can also receive an unlimited fine. This means that the UK has some of the toughest sentences for animal cruelty in Europe, ensuring that courts are able to enforce extended penalties for those who cruelly mistreat any animal, sending a clear message that animal cruelty will not be tolerated.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.

Campaign reply - Plastic Pollution

Thank you for contacting me about plastic pollution.

The Resources and Waste Strategy for England sets out the Government’s plans to reduce, reuse, and recycle more plastic and Ministers have committed to work towards all plastic packaging on the market being recyclable or reusable by 2025.

Significant progress has already been made to address plastic pollution, including a ban on microbeads and restricting the supply of plastic straws, plastic drink stirrers, and plastic-stemmed cotton buds. The use of single-use carrier bags in supermarkets has reduced by over 98 per cent.

Further, restrictions on a range of single-use plastics, including plastic plates, trays, bowls, cutlery, balloon sticks and certain types of polystyrene cups and food containers have now come into force. I understand that England uses 2.7 billion items of single-use cutlery and over 700 million single-use plates per year, but only 10 per cent are recycled. This new ban is the next step in cracking down on harmful plastic waste.

Through the Environment Act 2021, the Government has set a target is to halve residual waste by 2042. This refers to waste that is sent to landfill, put through incineration, or used in energy recovery in the UK or overseas. This is an intentionally broad target, which will include the most environmentally harmful materials like plastics, rather than banning a single type of material and risk producers moving to a different, more harmful material. 

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.

Campaign reply - Furnished Holiday Lets

Thank you for contacting me about Furnished Holiday lettings. 

Holiday lets contribute to the economy, create jobs, and support tourism.  Let me be clear that the Government backs small businesses, including responsible short-term holiday letting, which I recognise brings significant investment to local communities. At the same time, it is important to acknowledge the impact that large numbers of holiday lets concentrated in an area can have on local communities. 

The Government will abolish the Furnished Holiday Lettings tax regime. Importantly this will eliminate the tax advantage for landlords who let short-term furnished holiday properties over those who let residential properties to longer-term tenants. This does not stop people conducting short term lets, but rather ensures that the system is equal for those letting long term or short term. I understand your disappointment at this decision, however, it will level the playing field between short- term and long-term lets and support people to live in their local area. 

Campaign reply - Hedgerows

Thank you for contacting me about hedgerows.

Hedgerows are important ecological building blocks in our farmed landscape, providing distinctive character to our countryside and crucial habitats and food for wildlife. Hedgerows can store carbon, improve local air quality and benefit the rural economy by boosting job creation for hedgerow planting and management in local communities.

Protection of hedgerows is a key component of the Government’s Environmental Land Management Schemes. Through the Countryside Stewardship schemes, Ministers are supporting farmers to maintain and restore over 10,000km of existing hedgerows while planting an additional 4,000km across the nation. I understand that as of January 2024, there were around 35,000 Countryside Stewardship agreements. 

Further, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' (Defra's) new Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) hedgerow standard will pay farmers to assess the condition of hedgerows and manage them in a way that will work for wildlife and improve biodiversity. I am pleased that SFI payments were increased by ten per cent at the beginning of this year. 

I am assured that this increased support for farmers will result in the creation of more hedgerows and flower-rich grass areas on headlands, assisting the UK' progress on environment targets including halting biodiversity loss by 2030.

I am aware that cross compliance rules ended at the end of last year. This is because gaps between cross compliance rules and regulatory requirements are already covered by existing and ongoing strong domestic legal framework, such as through generalised provisions in Farming Rules for Water and the Water Resources Act, guidance like the Code of Practice for the use of Plant Protection Products, and standards in the Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme. As a result of these, my Defra colleagues do not believe farmers will lower standards and there will not be significant negative environmental impacts in these areas. 

Following a Defra consultation on maintaining and improving existing protections, the Government has set out plans for domestic hedgerow regulations. The regulations will include a two metre ‘buffer strip’ from the centre of hedgerows with no cultivation or application of pesticides or fertilisers, and a hedge cutting ban between 1 March and 31 August to protect nesting birds. 

The regulations will support the efforts of many farmers already carrying out vital work to protect hedgerows, providing important ecological benefits including wildlife habitats, slowing soil erosion and water run-off, supporting crop pollinators and absorbing carbon.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.

Campaign reply - Animal Welfare Legislation: Kept Animals Bill

Thank you for contacting me about the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill. 

As the highest ranked G7 nation on World Animal Protection's Animal Protection Index, the UK is a world leader on animal welfare. In 2021, the Government's Action Plan for Animal Welfare set out reforms for this Parliament and beyond, many of which the Government has since enacted. This includes passing the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act, recognising the sentience of vertebrate animals and some invertebrate animals. In addition, the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act introduced tougher sentences for cruelty, increasing maximum sentences. The Ivory Act came into force in 2022 and was recently extended to cover five more endangered species. In April, the Government made cat microchipping compulsory.

I am assured that the Government remains fully committed to delivering its manifesto commitments on animal welfare. I am aware that the scope of the Kept Animals Bill, introduced in June 2021, was becoming increasingly broad. In light of this, and the successful progress made so far with single-issue legislation in this Parliament, the Government is supporting several Private Members’ Bills which individually deliver on animal welfare measures in the Kept Animals Bill. Ministers believe this to be the quickest and most effective way of achieving our aims.

In the King’s Speech, the Government announced the Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Bill, which will ban the export of cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and horses for slaughter and fattening from Great Britain, stopping unnecessary stress, exhaustion and injury caused by exporting live animals. This Bill will ensure that animals are slaughtered domestically in high welfare slaughterhouses in the UK, reinforcing the UK’s position as a world leader on animal welfare.

My ministerial colleagues in Defra are committed to animal welfare and to delivering continued improvements, both in this Parliament and beyond.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.

Campaign reply - Trophy Hunting

Thank you for contacting me about trophy hunting.

I appreciate the strength of feeling around this issue. Around a million animal and plant species are threatened with extinction and the abundance, diversity and connectivity of species is declining faster than at any time in human history. Ministers take the welfare of all animals extremely seriously and are committed to strengthening and supporting long-term conservation of animals both internationally and at home.

In 2019, the Government held a consultation on the scale and impact of the import and export of hunting trophies. Over 44,000 responses to the call for evidence and consultation were received and 85 per cent of responses were in favour of further action. The Government’s response to the consultation set out plans to ban imports of hunting trophies from thousands of endangered and threatened species.

The Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill was introduced to Parliament in June 2022, the last parliamentary session, as a Private Member’s Bill by Henry Smith MP to ban the import of hunting trophies from around 6,000 species, including lions, elephants, rhinos, and polar bears. My ministerial colleagues and I were disappointed that despite the overwhelming support from MPs and the public, this Bill failed to progress through Committee stage in the House of Lords. I understand that accepting the amendments proposed by Peers would have undermined the Government’s important commitment in this area.

Campaign reply - Caged Farm Animals

I would like to assure you that my ministerial colleagues and I take the welfare of all animals seriously. Since publishing the Action Plan for Animal Welfare, the Government has delivered an ambitious legislative programme, bringing significant improvements for animals both in the UK and abroad. Ministers are firmly committed to maintaining the UK’s strong track record on animal welfare and to delivering continued improvements, both in the course of this Parliament and beyond.

I understand that my ministerial colleagues do not believe that the time is right to consult on cage reforms, recognising some of the challenges that numerous sectors have faced in recent years. I am informed that the market is already driving the move away from using cages for laying hen production, with over 60 per cent of eggs coming from free range production. Regarding pigs, the UK also has a significant outdoor pig sector, with 40 per cent of the national sow breeding herd farrow freely on outdoor pig units with no option of confinement.

I am assured that the Government will continue to work with the sector to maintain and enhance high standards of welfare. For example, the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway will prioritise areas for additional improvement in the health and welfare for pigs, cattle, sheep and poultry. I know that one of the Government’s priorities for the pathway includes supporting producers to transition away from confinement systems. 

Of course, if you have specific concerns about the welfare of an animal, I recommend reporting it to the police or the RSPCA.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.