You only get one education and we need to do everything we can to make sure that it is right for the individual child concerned. Over the last two years I have visited every secondary school and virtually every primary school in this area and I have seen some really good work going on and some really inspirational teachers.
I have always thought that a good education is the single most important thing that can increase social mobility and help the next generation to get on in life. We must constantly strive to strengthen primary education, bring greater rigour to both secondary education and the exams system and also support those who want to go on to university or take on an apprenticeship.
This week, Michael Gove announced changes to the exams system so that there will be a new “English Baccalaureate” to replace the old GCSE which will put greater emphasis on final exams and will create a new gold standard qualification at the age of 16. I think this is a positive move. There is evidence that the current emphasis on course work and modules gives children from middle class backgrounds an unfair advantage over other children and the growth of the internet means that it has become ever harder to ensure that course work done at home is genuine. If we are to compete with the best in the world then we need qualifications that are highly regarded throughout the world and this week represented a step forwards.
The government is also opening new schools, following the success of a similar policy in Sweden. Last week I visited the new St Michael’s Free School which has just opened in Camborne. This is a small, catholic school which is free and open to all children. In the old days, only wealthy parents with money could choose which school their child went to, but that is now changing. While it is likely that most children in the Camborne and Redruth area will continue to choose from the excellent, larger secondary schools in the area, for some, a small school like St Michael's will be the right option to nurture their talents and, in my view, we should not deny parents that choice.
Finally, we need to help young people who want to go to university or enter an apprenticeship. The government has created some 300,000 new apprenticeships where young people can learn a skill while earning an income. Meanwhile, Cornwall Council has announced a ground breaking new policy to introduce bursaries that will be made available to help young people from Cornwall attend university. Cornwall Council gets its fair share of criticism, but this is a really thoughtful policy aimed at helping the next generation get ahead and the Council deserves credit for bringing it forward.
George Eustice can be contacted at george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk or 1 Trevenson Street, Camborne, Cornwall TR14 8JD or by telephone on 020 72197032.
Thursday, 20 September 2012
Thursday, 13 September 2012
New developments
Last week I attended the opening of the new housing development at Trevu Road opposite the train station in Camborne. I think it is a great illustration of what can be achieved if people work together to overcome their differences and focus on what can be done rather than what can't be done. The development is a wonderful amalgamation of the old and the new, is unique and distinctive, a great place to live and the work has been done sensitively and celebrates the history of this old Holman’s site.
I have always been clear that I favour the development of brown field sites over green field sites in the Camborne, Redruth and Hayle area. We need to find ways of rejuvenating our towns and that means taking on difficult, derelict sites in the centre and finding a way to bring them back into use, not just leaving them to one side and going for the easy option of urban sprawl on the outskirts of towns. That’s why I got behind the harbour scheme in Hayle and the new road at Tuckingmill.
Next week, the Cornwall Council Cabinet will make its decision regarding the location of the new Cornwall Archive and Records Centre. This is an exciting project which will bring together all of Cornwall’s old records as well as some ancient manuscripts in one place. Redruth is the obvious location for the new Cornwall Archive and the Town Council has been working on some really creative proposals that would see the complete regeneration of the old brewery site in town.
Redruth is at the heart of the world wide Cornish diaspora which numbers some 8 million people. Of the people who emigrated from Cornwall in the late 19th century to take mining around the world, around a quarter came from Redruth alone. The town is already the county’s cultural heart and is home to initiatives like the Cornish Migration Project, the Cornwall Studies Library and Murdoch House so it makes sense to build on this.
However, last week, one advisory committee in County Hall suggested that the project should be based in St Austell apparently on the basis that the car park on which they propose to build it might be easier and involve less effort. We should not accept such complacency. The Cornish Archive will only happen if the project is able to attract the support of agencies like the Heritage Lottery Fund and EU regeneration funds and Redruth makes a far more powerful proposition than St Austell. We need a beautiful building that restores and celebrates our heritage, not a soulless building on some car park on the outskirts of St Austell. We need to be imaginative and ambitious for Cornwall, so let’s build it in Redruth.
George Eustice can be contacted at george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk or 1 Trevenson Street, Camborne, Cornwall TR14 8JD or by telephone on 020 72197032.
I have always been clear that I favour the development of brown field sites over green field sites in the Camborne, Redruth and Hayle area. We need to find ways of rejuvenating our towns and that means taking on difficult, derelict sites in the centre and finding a way to bring them back into use, not just leaving them to one side and going for the easy option of urban sprawl on the outskirts of towns. That’s why I got behind the harbour scheme in Hayle and the new road at Tuckingmill.
Next week, the Cornwall Council Cabinet will make its decision regarding the location of the new Cornwall Archive and Records Centre. This is an exciting project which will bring together all of Cornwall’s old records as well as some ancient manuscripts in one place. Redruth is the obvious location for the new Cornwall Archive and the Town Council has been working on some really creative proposals that would see the complete regeneration of the old brewery site in town.
Redruth is at the heart of the world wide Cornish diaspora which numbers some 8 million people. Of the people who emigrated from Cornwall in the late 19th century to take mining around the world, around a quarter came from Redruth alone. The town is already the county’s cultural heart and is home to initiatives like the Cornish Migration Project, the Cornwall Studies Library and Murdoch House so it makes sense to build on this.
However, last week, one advisory committee in County Hall suggested that the project should be based in St Austell apparently on the basis that the car park on which they propose to build it might be easier and involve less effort. We should not accept such complacency. The Cornish Archive will only happen if the project is able to attract the support of agencies like the Heritage Lottery Fund and EU regeneration funds and Redruth makes a far more powerful proposition than St Austell. We need a beautiful building that restores and celebrates our heritage, not a soulless building on some car park on the outskirts of St Austell. We need to be imaginative and ambitious for Cornwall, so let’s build it in Redruth.
George Eustice can be contacted at george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk or 1 Trevenson Street, Camborne, Cornwall TR14 8JD or by telephone on 020 72197032.
Thursday, 6 September 2012
Free Parking
For the next two months, you can park for free in Camborne. It is part of a new deal that has been struck by shops and traders in Camborne who are really pulling together to boost the town’s prospects and it is an idea that I have long wanted to see piloted properly in Cornwall because, if it works, it could drive broader policy on car parks in Cornwall. It is great to see Camborne leading the way with such creative thinking.
Cornwall Council car parks are not taking part in the scheme at this stage but the privately owned Trevithick Road Car Park behind Argos is. So make sure you go to the right one! The free car park is really close to the town centre and you can park there at absolutely no cost for the first two hours at any time of the day. To access the car park, you just have to turn down Wellington Road opposite Camborne Church and then, at the end, turn up Trevithick Road to the rear of Argos (there are unfortunately barriers which prevent vehicle entrance from the front).
Traders in Camborne have created what is called a “Business Improvement District”. In effect, all of the shops group together and contribute to a central fund that they can use in any way they choose to promote fresh ideas to get people into town. Solutions range from better marketing to improving the townscape. So far, the Camborne BID team have introduced free car parking, run a series of children’s activities over the summer and persuaded the Co-op to decorate the exterior of their building by Camborne Church.
A couple of years ago, I organised a conference on town centre regeneration. I think it is really important that, as we push forward major regeneration projects like Heartlands in Pool, we also ensure that our town centres are not forgotten and that we do all we can to make them vibrant public places. Sometimes this can involve regeneration through building new, modern retail space in the heart of towns to bring in larger retail chains and increase the footfall which helps everyone. One of the best ideas I have heard for Camborne is that the bus station be moved nearer the train station and the current site used to create a new retail hub in the heart of the town.
But quite often, we need to think afresh about what our town centres are for. Where building modern retail space is less of an option, we need to look at other options to make them vibrant public spaces with restaurants, coffee shops and pubs. Full marks to Camborne’s shops for showing some initiative and if you have not shopped in town for a while, why not try it while you can park for free!
George Eustice can be contacted at george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk or 1 Trevenson Street, Camborne, Cornwall TR14 8JD or by telephone on 020 72197032.
Cornwall Council car parks are not taking part in the scheme at this stage but the privately owned Trevithick Road Car Park behind Argos is. So make sure you go to the right one! The free car park is really close to the town centre and you can park there at absolutely no cost for the first two hours at any time of the day. To access the car park, you just have to turn down Wellington Road opposite Camborne Church and then, at the end, turn up Trevithick Road to the rear of Argos (there are unfortunately barriers which prevent vehicle entrance from the front).
Traders in Camborne have created what is called a “Business Improvement District”. In effect, all of the shops group together and contribute to a central fund that they can use in any way they choose to promote fresh ideas to get people into town. Solutions range from better marketing to improving the townscape. So far, the Camborne BID team have introduced free car parking, run a series of children’s activities over the summer and persuaded the Co-op to decorate the exterior of their building by Camborne Church.
A couple of years ago, I organised a conference on town centre regeneration. I think it is really important that, as we push forward major regeneration projects like Heartlands in Pool, we also ensure that our town centres are not forgotten and that we do all we can to make them vibrant public places. Sometimes this can involve regeneration through building new, modern retail space in the heart of towns to bring in larger retail chains and increase the footfall which helps everyone. One of the best ideas I have heard for Camborne is that the bus station be moved nearer the train station and the current site used to create a new retail hub in the heart of the town.
But quite often, we need to think afresh about what our town centres are for. Where building modern retail space is less of an option, we need to look at other options to make them vibrant public spaces with restaurants, coffee shops and pubs. Full marks to Camborne’s shops for showing some initiative and if you have not shopped in town for a while, why not try it while you can park for free!
George Eustice can be contacted at george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk or 1 Trevenson Street, Camborne, Cornwall TR14 8JD or by telephone on 020 72197032.
Thursday, 30 August 2012
Exam results...
The anxious wait that teenagers have to endure for their A Level and GCSE results is finally over and many young people locally have cause to celebrate. I was at Redruth School on the day their A Level results came in and they had achieved a 99.3 percent pass rate, with results that were significantly above both the national and the county average, with a couple of students on course for Oxford and Cambridge.
Redruth has made rapid progress in the last few years and is recognised by the Department for Education as one of the top 100 performing schools in the country based on sustained improvement in academic achievement. Camborne Science and International Academy also had another good year with all their students intending to go to university securing their places.
I have been really impressed by all of the secondary schools in this area. Hayle does good work on languages, Camborne has cut out a niche on international exchanges, Pool is consistently rated highly by Ofsted and Redruth has a strong sports department. There is a healthy but friendly competition that exists between all of our schools and they learn from one another. Three of the four schools have introduced new, smarter school uniforms in the last couple of years and all are doing more on science and languages, looking at international exchanges and trying new methods of intervention to support children falling behind. Most important of all, when you visit our schools, there is a real sense of pride and aspiration which is great to see.
There is also good work being done in primary schools. On a visit to Pool Academy last year with Michael Gove, we saw Year 8 pupils at Pool helping year 6 children from one of the local primaries learn to read. Quality primary education is vital because, unless you get the basics right by the time children start secondary school, they are in danger of falling behind and losing interest.
I think it is important to create a culture of excellence in the education system where schools are constantly striving to achieve more for all children, whether by stretching the most academic children so that they can go to university or giving additional support to help inspire those falling behind. The government has made a number of changes aimed at raising standards still further from making the inspection regime more demanding to creating a new “English Baccalaureate” to recognise schools who achieve good results in difficult subjects. Many schools have become independent academies and now control their own budget. Next term, there will be a new catholic school opening in Camborne under the “free schools” policy, giving local parents even more choice. You only get one education, so we must do all we can to make it a success.
George Eustice can be contacted at george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk or 1 Trevenson Street, Camborne, Cornwall TR14 8JD or by telephone on 020 72197032.
Redruth has made rapid progress in the last few years and is recognised by the Department for Education as one of the top 100 performing schools in the country based on sustained improvement in academic achievement. Camborne Science and International Academy also had another good year with all their students intending to go to university securing their places.
I have been really impressed by all of the secondary schools in this area. Hayle does good work on languages, Camborne has cut out a niche on international exchanges, Pool is consistently rated highly by Ofsted and Redruth has a strong sports department. There is a healthy but friendly competition that exists between all of our schools and they learn from one another. Three of the four schools have introduced new, smarter school uniforms in the last couple of years and all are doing more on science and languages, looking at international exchanges and trying new methods of intervention to support children falling behind. Most important of all, when you visit our schools, there is a real sense of pride and aspiration which is great to see.
There is also good work being done in primary schools. On a visit to Pool Academy last year with Michael Gove, we saw Year 8 pupils at Pool helping year 6 children from one of the local primaries learn to read. Quality primary education is vital because, unless you get the basics right by the time children start secondary school, they are in danger of falling behind and losing interest.
I think it is important to create a culture of excellence in the education system where schools are constantly striving to achieve more for all children, whether by stretching the most academic children so that they can go to university or giving additional support to help inspire those falling behind. The government has made a number of changes aimed at raising standards still further from making the inspection regime more demanding to creating a new “English Baccalaureate” to recognise schools who achieve good results in difficult subjects. Many schools have become independent academies and now control their own budget. Next term, there will be a new catholic school opening in Camborne under the “free schools” policy, giving local parents even more choice. You only get one education, so we must do all we can to make it a success.
George Eustice can be contacted at george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk or 1 Trevenson Street, Camborne, Cornwall TR14 8JD or by telephone on 020 72197032.
Tuesday, 28 August 2012
Getting back to work...
I have always been clear that economic regeneration is my number one priority locally. The towns of Camborne, Redruth and Hayle all made an astonishing contribution to the industrial revolution but in recent years, things have been harder, key industries went in to decline, there was a loss of confidence followed by the growth of welfare dependency which has trapped too many people in poverty.
Despite the gloom and doom that you hear in the news, when it comes to unemployment there have been some encouraging signs which might mean we have started to turn the corner. Unemployment has been falling for five months now, including here in Camborne and Redruth. For the first time we have started to see more young people between the ages of 16-24 finding jobs. This is important because youth unemployment started rising as long ago as 2005, even as the world economy was booming, and the longer people are out of work, the harder it is to start.
People sometimes say that there is high unemployment locally, but if you look at the facts we are actually about average and mid way down the table compared with other towns across the country. I am by no means complacent but we should not talk ourselves down. I would like to see more jobs and better paid jobs locally and I think there are a number of things that must be done. First we need to attract new industries and support the construction of new infrastructure that will unlock the potential of derelict land and create jobs.
Secondly we need to ensure that we have a skilled workforce to encourage employers to locate here and that is why I think the expansion of real apprenticeships has been so important so that young people can learn skills in a real working environment while also earning money.
Finally, we need really intensive support to help those who have been out of work for a long time, have lost their confidence and are trapped on benefits. Sometimes you see households where people have not worked for two or three generations and it is a really damaging cycle which leads to wasted human potential. In the long term, it does no favours to those condemned to a life on benefits.
Last week I met a new organisation which has recently started up in Cornwall which runs intensive courses to motivate people and raise their confidence and self esteem ready for work. They often encourage those attending the courses to do unpaid voluntary work initially and they are getting good results with the majority of those doing unpaid work trials being offered paid jobs afterwards. We need to cut through the defeatism and let it be known that Camborne, Redruth and Hayle are towns that get things done.
George Eustice can be contacted at george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk or 1 Trevenson Street, Camborne, Cornwall TR14 8JD or by telephone on 020 72197032.
Despite the gloom and doom that you hear in the news, when it comes to unemployment there have been some encouraging signs which might mean we have started to turn the corner. Unemployment has been falling for five months now, including here in Camborne and Redruth. For the first time we have started to see more young people between the ages of 16-24 finding jobs. This is important because youth unemployment started rising as long ago as 2005, even as the world economy was booming, and the longer people are out of work, the harder it is to start.
People sometimes say that there is high unemployment locally, but if you look at the facts we are actually about average and mid way down the table compared with other towns across the country. I am by no means complacent but we should not talk ourselves down. I would like to see more jobs and better paid jobs locally and I think there are a number of things that must be done. First we need to attract new industries and support the construction of new infrastructure that will unlock the potential of derelict land and create jobs.
Secondly we need to ensure that we have a skilled workforce to encourage employers to locate here and that is why I think the expansion of real apprenticeships has been so important so that young people can learn skills in a real working environment while also earning money.
Finally, we need really intensive support to help those who have been out of work for a long time, have lost their confidence and are trapped on benefits. Sometimes you see households where people have not worked for two or three generations and it is a really damaging cycle which leads to wasted human potential. In the long term, it does no favours to those condemned to a life on benefits.
Last week I met a new organisation which has recently started up in Cornwall which runs intensive courses to motivate people and raise their confidence and self esteem ready for work. They often encourage those attending the courses to do unpaid voluntary work initially and they are getting good results with the majority of those doing unpaid work trials being offered paid jobs afterwards. We need to cut through the defeatism and let it be known that Camborne, Redruth and Hayle are towns that get things done.
George Eustice can be contacted at george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk or 1 Trevenson Street, Camborne, Cornwall TR14 8JD or by telephone on 020 72197032.
Wednesday, 8 August 2012
The Olympics
Britain looks set to have its most successful Olympics ever, with athletes making history and, in some cases, winning events we have never won before. I spent last Saturday night with friends and watched what was undoubtedly the best night for British athletics in a lifetime, with Team GB collecting three gold medals in the space of just one hour. Mo Farah made history by being the first British man ever to win gold in the Olympic 10,000 metres, Greg Rutherford seemed to surprise himself with his extraordinary performance in the Long Jump and the determined performance by Jessica Ennis to win that final 800m metre event in her heptathlon and take overall victory was a priceless moment of the Games.
Cornish athletes have also played a big part in the success of Team GB with seven athletes in the team in all. It was great to see Helen Glover drive ahead to take Britain’s first gold of the Games and to watch the tenacious Ben Ainsley win the sailing for the fourth time, a remarkable achievement.
The pride across the country during these Olympic Games makes the riots which shamed some of Britain’s cities a year ago feel like a completely different era. Much has been said about the importance of a legacy from the Olympics but I hope that the most important legacy will be a whole new generation of young people inspired to take up sport and strive to do their best. In the space of just two weeks, we have seen the emergence of many new role models for young people and they come from all sorts of different backgrounds and reflect the diverse nature of Britain today. The great thing about sporting role models is that they are not just about celebrity for the sake of it, they are first and foremost about real achievement and excellence through hard work and dedication and their notoriety becomes incidental.
Earlier this summer, Cornwall held its second Schools Games where over three thousand young people from Cornish Schools took part in over 20 different sports and I presented the awards at the athletics contest at Carn Brea. It was like a mini version of the Olympics Games and I think it is a great way of raising the status of sport in our schools. I used to be a member of Cornwall Athletic Club when I was younger and running was my passion. I was not fast enough to make the Olympic Team but have fond memories of my time running for Cornwall and it is great to see Cornwall Athletic Club going strong today. At that time, the rivalry between Coe and Ovett boosted middle distance running for years. Let’s hope that these Olympic Games kick starts a golden era for British sport.
George Eustice can be contacted at george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk or 1 Trevenson Street, Camborne, Cornwall TR14 8JD or by telephone on 020 72197032.
Cornish athletes have also played a big part in the success of Team GB with seven athletes in the team in all. It was great to see Helen Glover drive ahead to take Britain’s first gold of the Games and to watch the tenacious Ben Ainsley win the sailing for the fourth time, a remarkable achievement.
The pride across the country during these Olympic Games makes the riots which shamed some of Britain’s cities a year ago feel like a completely different era. Much has been said about the importance of a legacy from the Olympics but I hope that the most important legacy will be a whole new generation of young people inspired to take up sport and strive to do their best. In the space of just two weeks, we have seen the emergence of many new role models for young people and they come from all sorts of different backgrounds and reflect the diverse nature of Britain today. The great thing about sporting role models is that they are not just about celebrity for the sake of it, they are first and foremost about real achievement and excellence through hard work and dedication and their notoriety becomes incidental.
Earlier this summer, Cornwall held its second Schools Games where over three thousand young people from Cornish Schools took part in over 20 different sports and I presented the awards at the athletics contest at Carn Brea. It was like a mini version of the Olympics Games and I think it is a great way of raising the status of sport in our schools. I used to be a member of Cornwall Athletic Club when I was younger and running was my passion. I was not fast enough to make the Olympic Team but have fond memories of my time running for Cornwall and it is great to see Cornwall Athletic Club going strong today. At that time, the rivalry between Coe and Ovett boosted middle distance running for years. Let’s hope that these Olympic Games kick starts a golden era for British sport.
George Eustice can be contacted at george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk or 1 Trevenson Street, Camborne, Cornwall TR14 8JD or by telephone on 020 72197032.
Friday, 3 August 2012
Pengegon
Parliament has now broken up for the summer which is a good opportunity to catch up with work in Cornwall. During August, I hold public meetings around the constituency so that people have an opportunity to ask questions or discuss individual problems they might need help with and I also try to visit as many parish and town councils as possible.
This week one of the meetings I held was at Pengegon. I have followed the growing confidence in Pengegon in recent years with interest. It is a great example of how having a few people in a community willing to make that initial effort can spread really quickly and inspire the rest of the neighbourhood too. I am not pretending that all is rosy in the garden. Pengegon undoubtedly has its share of poverty and these are difficult times. At my meeting this week, concerns about youth unemployment loomed large. But there is also growing pride and commitment within this community and that really matters.
Pengegon is often named as being the most deprived area in Cornwall. I have always thought that politicians and councillors should be careful when talking in broad terms about “deprived communities” because there is a danger they sound patronising. Many of those who live in Pengegon will have overcome adversity in their lives that a desk bound official could not understand and they are often more grounded and more resilient people because of that.
Last year when council officials published figures which cast Pengegon in a negative light, there was something of a backlash. Local residents called in the West Briton and let it be known in no uncertain terms that they were tired of seeing their community talked down and they highlighted some of the good work being done by local residents. Quite right too.
There are now some sixty young people taking part in football training sessions; there is a basketball team; a few weeks ago 22 people from the estate attended a training session at Stithians lake to learn about course fishing which looks set to continue; there are support groups for young parents and next Thursday the whole community will hold its annual family Fun Day which was really well attended when I went last year. Most important of all, people have become more neighbourly and look out for one another. Crime and anti-social behaviour in the area has tumbled.
There is more to do and top of the list is accelerating the plan to build a long awaited, new community centre to pull all the good work together under one roof and we also need to bring new industries and better paid jobs to Camborne. But the progress at Pengegon is proof that where there is a will, there is a way.
George Eustice can be contacted at george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk or 1 Trevenson Street, Camborne, Cornwall TR14 8JD or by telephone on 020 72197032.
This week one of the meetings I held was at Pengegon. I have followed the growing confidence in Pengegon in recent years with interest. It is a great example of how having a few people in a community willing to make that initial effort can spread really quickly and inspire the rest of the neighbourhood too. I am not pretending that all is rosy in the garden. Pengegon undoubtedly has its share of poverty and these are difficult times. At my meeting this week, concerns about youth unemployment loomed large. But there is also growing pride and commitment within this community and that really matters.
Pengegon is often named as being the most deprived area in Cornwall. I have always thought that politicians and councillors should be careful when talking in broad terms about “deprived communities” because there is a danger they sound patronising. Many of those who live in Pengegon will have overcome adversity in their lives that a desk bound official could not understand and they are often more grounded and more resilient people because of that.
Last year when council officials published figures which cast Pengegon in a negative light, there was something of a backlash. Local residents called in the West Briton and let it be known in no uncertain terms that they were tired of seeing their community talked down and they highlighted some of the good work being done by local residents. Quite right too.
There are now some sixty young people taking part in football training sessions; there is a basketball team; a few weeks ago 22 people from the estate attended a training session at Stithians lake to learn about course fishing which looks set to continue; there are support groups for young parents and next Thursday the whole community will hold its annual family Fun Day which was really well attended when I went last year. Most important of all, people have become more neighbourly and look out for one another. Crime and anti-social behaviour in the area has tumbled.
There is more to do and top of the list is accelerating the plan to build a long awaited, new community centre to pull all the good work together under one roof and we also need to bring new industries and better paid jobs to Camborne. But the progress at Pengegon is proof that where there is a will, there is a way.
George Eustice can be contacted at george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk or 1 Trevenson Street, Camborne, Cornwall TR14 8JD or by telephone on 020 72197032.
Friday, 27 July 2012
Transport
The Cornish economy has always had to contend with the challenge of its geography. There is no getting away from the fact that we are a peninsula located hundreds of miles away from the main population centres of the UK and this has always been a factor and a cost that businesses will take into account when deciding where to locate.
That is why communication and transport infrastructure is so important to the future success of our economy. It is why the decision last year by Cornwall Council to invest in superfast broadband was right because it gives Cornwall the edge in some of the emerging digital and technology industries for whom distance is less of a barrier.
But we also need to safeguard and upgrade our existing transport infrastructure to help overcome the barriers of distance. Firstly, we need to see the duelling of the A30 completed and representatives from Cornwall Council held a meeting with the Roads Minister last week to discuss plans to implement the much awaited duelling of the A30 around Temple. One plan is that you could “de-trunk” the road with Cornwall Council taking control of it and also being given some additional funding by central government to manage and upgrade it.
Secondly, Cornwall has one of the deepest natural ports in the world at Falmouth and it has great potential for the future but it needs investment and upgrading which would open up the possibility of making it accessible to cruise ships and boost the economy of West Cornwall. Reaching agreement over the environmental impact of any change has been a long, drawn out process but we might just be nearing a final agreement.
Newquay airport is also an important link for the business community and we should continue to work to secure its financial viability. Finally, and by no means least, we need to improve our rail infrastructure. This week, the government published the detailed franchise specification for the Great Western line connecting Cornwall to London. It has been a contentious issue and I, and other MPs, met the Rail Minister late last week to secure some 11th hour amendments to the original proposal.
It is excellent news that the vital sleeper service to London has been secured for another fifteen years but there was some alarm that the government initially appeared to be contemplating reducing the number of guaranteed direct services to London from nine down to six per day without any corresponding improvement in the quality or frequency of the local service. A compromise has left a number of options on the table during the franchise period which can be assessed once the bids are finally in. Such flexibility makes sense. I hope that we will not only be able to safeguard the existing service but improve it.
George Eustice can be contacted at george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk or 1 Trevenson Street, Camborne, Cornwall TR14 8JD or by telephone on 020 72197032.
That is why communication and transport infrastructure is so important to the future success of our economy. It is why the decision last year by Cornwall Council to invest in superfast broadband was right because it gives Cornwall the edge in some of the emerging digital and technology industries for whom distance is less of a barrier.
But we also need to safeguard and upgrade our existing transport infrastructure to help overcome the barriers of distance. Firstly, we need to see the duelling of the A30 completed and representatives from Cornwall Council held a meeting with the Roads Minister last week to discuss plans to implement the much awaited duelling of the A30 around Temple. One plan is that you could “de-trunk” the road with Cornwall Council taking control of it and also being given some additional funding by central government to manage and upgrade it.
Secondly, Cornwall has one of the deepest natural ports in the world at Falmouth and it has great potential for the future but it needs investment and upgrading which would open up the possibility of making it accessible to cruise ships and boost the economy of West Cornwall. Reaching agreement over the environmental impact of any change has been a long, drawn out process but we might just be nearing a final agreement.
Newquay airport is also an important link for the business community and we should continue to work to secure its financial viability. Finally, and by no means least, we need to improve our rail infrastructure. This week, the government published the detailed franchise specification for the Great Western line connecting Cornwall to London. It has been a contentious issue and I, and other MPs, met the Rail Minister late last week to secure some 11th hour amendments to the original proposal.
It is excellent news that the vital sleeper service to London has been secured for another fifteen years but there was some alarm that the government initially appeared to be contemplating reducing the number of guaranteed direct services to London from nine down to six per day without any corresponding improvement in the quality or frequency of the local service. A compromise has left a number of options on the table during the franchise period which can be assessed once the bids are finally in. Such flexibility makes sense. I hope that we will not only be able to safeguard the existing service but improve it.
George Eustice can be contacted at george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk or 1 Trevenson Street, Camborne, Cornwall TR14 8JD or by telephone on 020 72197032.
Friday, 20 July 2012
Dairy Farmers
Last week dairy farmers from across the country came to Westminster to highlight the plight of their industry in the face of a further cut of 2p per litre in the price they receive from processors which will push tens of thousands of farmers into heavy losses for the coming financial year.
One of my roles in parliament is as a member of the Select Committee on Environment and Rural Affairs and we took an emergency evidence session on Tuesday of this week to get to the bottom of the problem.
I grew up on a farm and spent ten years working in the farming industry before going in to politics and have therefore had first-hand experience of the problems that the industry faces. In a nutshell, farmers all too often end up being “price takers”: effectively given whatever price large dominant processors or supermarkets decide to pay them and with far too little clout to demand better. Nowhere is this problem more acute than in the dairy industry.
As a Conservative, I do not have a problem with market forces coming in to play but I do object to the anti-competitive, market fixing behaviour of many large processors in the dairy sector. These companies frequently force farmers into contract arrangements where the farmer is required to supply all of his production to a single firm for often as long as a year at a time, but with no guarantee about the price he will receive or even the basis on which the price he is paid will be calculated. That is wrong and it goes against all the principles of a free and fair market economy.
We need a situation where farmers are free to shop around week to week or, at the very least, month to month to ensure that they are getting the best possible price for their produce. This would force processors to compete for their supply and pay farmers what their production is worth.
The government will shortly bring forward its legislation to introduce a tough new Groceries Adjudicator which will police the behaviour of supermarkets and prevent them from breaking their code of practice and engaging in anti-competitive behaviour which is unfair on their suppliers. This is an important step forward but it will be of little help to dairy farmers because their problem is not so much with the supermarkets but with the middle men who process their milk. That is why I have argued that the Office for Fair Trading should step in to deal with market failure between the producer and the processor, not just between the consumer and retailer. It is time for them to take a look at the way some of these contracts operate.
George Eustice can be contacted at george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk or 1 Trevenson Street, Camborne, Cornwall TR14 8JD or by telephone on 020 72197032.
One of my roles in parliament is as a member of the Select Committee on Environment and Rural Affairs and we took an emergency evidence session on Tuesday of this week to get to the bottom of the problem.
I grew up on a farm and spent ten years working in the farming industry before going in to politics and have therefore had first-hand experience of the problems that the industry faces. In a nutshell, farmers all too often end up being “price takers”: effectively given whatever price large dominant processors or supermarkets decide to pay them and with far too little clout to demand better. Nowhere is this problem more acute than in the dairy industry.
As a Conservative, I do not have a problem with market forces coming in to play but I do object to the anti-competitive, market fixing behaviour of many large processors in the dairy sector. These companies frequently force farmers into contract arrangements where the farmer is required to supply all of his production to a single firm for often as long as a year at a time, but with no guarantee about the price he will receive or even the basis on which the price he is paid will be calculated. That is wrong and it goes against all the principles of a free and fair market economy.
We need a situation where farmers are free to shop around week to week or, at the very least, month to month to ensure that they are getting the best possible price for their produce. This would force processors to compete for their supply and pay farmers what their production is worth.
The government will shortly bring forward its legislation to introduce a tough new Groceries Adjudicator which will police the behaviour of supermarkets and prevent them from breaking their code of practice and engaging in anti-competitive behaviour which is unfair on their suppliers. This is an important step forward but it will be of little help to dairy farmers because their problem is not so much with the supermarkets but with the middle men who process their milk. That is why I have argued that the Office for Fair Trading should step in to deal with market failure between the producer and the processor, not just between the consumer and retailer. It is time for them to take a look at the way some of these contracts operate.
George Eustice can be contacted at george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk or 1 Trevenson Street, Camborne, Cornwall TR14 8JD or by telephone on 020 72197032.
Thursday, 12 July 2012
Banking Bill
Just when you thought the banks might have learned their lesson, yet another scandal emerges which underlines the need for root and branch reform of the banking industry. The scandal over the fixing of LIBOR interest rates, the rate at which banks lend money to one another and use to calculate interest charges to their business customers, is the latest crisis to rock this beleaguered industry.
Two weeks ago I took part in a debate in parliament which explored another banking scandal - how the banks bounced their business customers into accepting complicated "swap agreements" which were supposed to cap their interest charges but instead cost many businesses hundreds of thousands or even millions of pounds because it turned out the product they had been sold was not an insurance policy at all but instead a risky bet on the financial markets.
Later this year the government will set out its proposals for a new Banking Bill which aims to sort out some of these problems and it comes not a moment too soon. For too long, the banks appear to have carried on regardless, awarding themselves big bonuses despite being a loss making, down the pan industry. The big salaries at the top and so called "golden parachute" deals which reward failure have been out of control. They are not driven by market forces but instead by a high pay culture that is fueled by head hunter agencies who are paid commission.
I think we now need to look at breaking up the major banks to increase competition. There are too few banks and the ones we have are seen as too big to fail, so we are expected to bail them out in order to avert catastrophe. We need a system where we can let a bank go bust without there being a major crisis otherwise there is no incentive for them to exercise care and caution.
We should also separate the investment banking arms which speculate on world financial markets from the retail banking operations which manage funds for businesses and individuals because there has clearly been a serious conflict of interest in some cases and we also need a fundamental review of regulation of the banking sector.
Finally we need to look at the way banks behave when businesses experience difficulties and rebalance the law away from money lenders by strengthening the rights of businesses. I have argued that we should require banks to obtain a Possession Order from the courts before being allowed to seize and sell assets and the courts should also have the power to grant a moratorium to protects a business from lenders and give them the space and time they need to restructure or refinance their operations when things go wrong.
George Eustice can be contacted at george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk or 1 Trevenson Street, Camborne, Cornwall TR14 8JD or by telephone on 020 72197032.
Two weeks ago I took part in a debate in parliament which explored another banking scandal - how the banks bounced their business customers into accepting complicated "swap agreements" which were supposed to cap their interest charges but instead cost many businesses hundreds of thousands or even millions of pounds because it turned out the product they had been sold was not an insurance policy at all but instead a risky bet on the financial markets.
Later this year the government will set out its proposals for a new Banking Bill which aims to sort out some of these problems and it comes not a moment too soon. For too long, the banks appear to have carried on regardless, awarding themselves big bonuses despite being a loss making, down the pan industry. The big salaries at the top and so called "golden parachute" deals which reward failure have been out of control. They are not driven by market forces but instead by a high pay culture that is fueled by head hunter agencies who are paid commission.
I think we now need to look at breaking up the major banks to increase competition. There are too few banks and the ones we have are seen as too big to fail, so we are expected to bail them out in order to avert catastrophe. We need a system where we can let a bank go bust without there being a major crisis otherwise there is no incentive for them to exercise care and caution.
We should also separate the investment banking arms which speculate on world financial markets from the retail banking operations which manage funds for businesses and individuals because there has clearly been a serious conflict of interest in some cases and we also need a fundamental review of regulation of the banking sector.
Finally we need to look at the way banks behave when businesses experience difficulties and rebalance the law away from money lenders by strengthening the rights of businesses. I have argued that we should require banks to obtain a Possession Order from the courts before being allowed to seize and sell assets and the courts should also have the power to grant a moratorium to protects a business from lenders and give them the space and time they need to restructure or refinance their operations when things go wrong.
George Eustice can be contacted at george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk or 1 Trevenson Street, Camborne, Cornwall TR14 8JD or by telephone on 020 72197032.
Monday, 9 July 2012
A referendum is on the way
Last week David Cameron sparked a run of speculation about whether and when there might be a referendum on Britain’s relationship with the EU. Critics said that he didn’t actually give a firm commitment to hold one, gave no date and didn’t even suggest what the question might be. Therefore, their theory goes, his comments amounted to very little, right? Wrong.
David Cameron was intentionally moving the position of the Conservative Party. Having worked as his Press Secretary, I know there are times when stories appear in the papers because journalists, collectively, get a bit carried away but there are also times when stories appear because although, on the face of it, nothing very new has been said, the background briefing given to journalists by a spokesman means they understand something significant is happening. Last week’s announcement definitely fell into the latter category.
So why didn’t he just name the date and set the question? There is huge uncertainty about where current events in the EU will end. A partial break up the eurozone is still highly likely. Against that backdrop, it is events that will drive the timetable and events which will determine the final shape of any renegotiation. It would be foolish for any government to be too prescriptive about things at this stage. But they should be preparing the ground for change and last week, David Cameron confirmed that he was. For the first time, he explicitly said that the “status quo” of Britain’s relationship with the EU was no longer acceptable. That is a significant change.
The majority of people in Britain don’t want to leave the EU altogether but they do want a new relationship with many powers returned. At times of crisis, the future belongs to those with both a plan and the political will to drive that plan through. If the eurozone countries do decide to integrate politically and fiscally in order to save the single currency then our membership of the EU will have to be renegotiated because some of the measures we are already signed up to could start to act against our national interest. Alternatively, if the euro collapses or a number of countries leave it, we will be in a totally different situation anyway. Either way, change is on the cards.
Some say that you can’t renegotiate our membership of the EU but no one has really tried yet. I don’t think we should be defeatist about this issue because where there is a will, there is a way. The EU has accumulated too much power and the more competences it takes on, the less competent it becomes. It is time to clip its wings and take powers away from Brussels. Rather than the dogma of “ever closer union” we need to see powers passing back in the opposite direction to national governments.
There are already different tiers in the EU. There are currently 27 member states but only 17 of those are members of the euro. There are countries in the EU but not members of the Schengen agreement on border controls. There are some EU members who are neutral and have never worked with the EU on defence matters. The challenge now is to expand the “pick and mix” principle so that more policies in the EU become optional. We should aim to remain part of the single market which is what we signed up to in the first place but take powers back in many other areas.
It is sometimes argued that now is not the time to talk about re-negotiating Britain’s relationship with the EU because the euro is so feeble that it is not capable of withstanding democratic process or discussion about the EU’s future. But now is not the time to put our heads in the sand and ignore the failure of the euro. So, let’s negotiate.
David Cameron was intentionally moving the position of the Conservative Party. Having worked as his Press Secretary, I know there are times when stories appear in the papers because journalists, collectively, get a bit carried away but there are also times when stories appear because although, on the face of it, nothing very new has been said, the background briefing given to journalists by a spokesman means they understand something significant is happening. Last week’s announcement definitely fell into the latter category.
So why didn’t he just name the date and set the question? There is huge uncertainty about where current events in the EU will end. A partial break up the eurozone is still highly likely. Against that backdrop, it is events that will drive the timetable and events which will determine the final shape of any renegotiation. It would be foolish for any government to be too prescriptive about things at this stage. But they should be preparing the ground for change and last week, David Cameron confirmed that he was. For the first time, he explicitly said that the “status quo” of Britain’s relationship with the EU was no longer acceptable. That is a significant change.
The majority of people in Britain don’t want to leave the EU altogether but they do want a new relationship with many powers returned. At times of crisis, the future belongs to those with both a plan and the political will to drive that plan through. If the eurozone countries do decide to integrate politically and fiscally in order to save the single currency then our membership of the EU will have to be renegotiated because some of the measures we are already signed up to could start to act against our national interest. Alternatively, if the euro collapses or a number of countries leave it, we will be in a totally different situation anyway. Either way, change is on the cards.
Some say that you can’t renegotiate our membership of the EU but no one has really tried yet. I don’t think we should be defeatist about this issue because where there is a will, there is a way. The EU has accumulated too much power and the more competences it takes on, the less competent it becomes. It is time to clip its wings and take powers away from Brussels. Rather than the dogma of “ever closer union” we need to see powers passing back in the opposite direction to national governments.
There are already different tiers in the EU. There are currently 27 member states but only 17 of those are members of the euro. There are countries in the EU but not members of the Schengen agreement on border controls. There are some EU members who are neutral and have never worked with the EU on defence matters. The challenge now is to expand the “pick and mix” principle so that more policies in the EU become optional. We should aim to remain part of the single market which is what we signed up to in the first place but take powers back in many other areas.
It is sometimes argued that now is not the time to talk about re-negotiating Britain’s relationship with the EU because the euro is so feeble that it is not capable of withstanding democratic process or discussion about the EU’s future. But now is not the time to put our heads in the sand and ignore the failure of the euro. So, let’s negotiate.
Thursday, 5 July 2012
The EU...
This week David Cameron edged closer to renegotiating Britain’s membership of the EU and putting the outcome to a referendum which is a positive step in the right direction. At times of crisis, the future belongs to those with both a plan and the political will to drive that plan through and the crisis in the eurozone means that the whole situation in Europe is changing and this is a time for British leadership.
If the eurozone countries do decide to integrate politically and fiscally in order to save the single currency then our membership of the EU will have to be renegotiated because some of the measures we are already signed up to will start to behave differently and against our national interest. Alternatively, if the euro collapses or a number of countries leave it, we will be in a totally different situation anyway. Either way, change is on the cards.
Some say that you can’t renegotiate our membership of the EU but no one has really tried yet. I don’t think we should be defeatist about this issue because where there is a will, there is a way. As the Prime Minister has said, the status quo in Europe is not acceptable. The EU has accumulated too much power and the more competences it takes on, the less competent it becomes. It is time to clip its wings and take powers away from Brussels.
There are already different tiers in the EU. There are currently 27 member states but only 17 of those are members of the euro. There are countries in the EU but not members of the Schengen agreement on border controls. There are some EU members who are neutral and have never worked with the EU on defence matters. The challenge now is to expand the “pick and mix” principle so that more policies in the EU become optional. We should aim to remain part of the single market which is what we signed up to in the first place but take powers back in many other areas.
Some say that now is not the time to talk about re-negotiating Britain’s relationship with the EU because the euro is so feeble and the countries that use it so pathetic, that they are not capable of withstanding democratic process or discussion about the euro’s future. I say that now is not the time to put our heads in the sand and ignore the failure of the euro. The people who want to sweep discussion about the future of the EU under the carpet now are the same sorts of people who told us a decade ago to close our eyes and blindly join the euro. They were wrong then and they are wrong now.
George Eustice can be contacted at george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk or 1 Trevenson Street, Camborne, Cornwall TR14 8JD or by telephone on 020 72197032.
If the eurozone countries do decide to integrate politically and fiscally in order to save the single currency then our membership of the EU will have to be renegotiated because some of the measures we are already signed up to will start to behave differently and against our national interest. Alternatively, if the euro collapses or a number of countries leave it, we will be in a totally different situation anyway. Either way, change is on the cards.
Some say that you can’t renegotiate our membership of the EU but no one has really tried yet. I don’t think we should be defeatist about this issue because where there is a will, there is a way. As the Prime Minister has said, the status quo in Europe is not acceptable. The EU has accumulated too much power and the more competences it takes on, the less competent it becomes. It is time to clip its wings and take powers away from Brussels.
There are already different tiers in the EU. There are currently 27 member states but only 17 of those are members of the euro. There are countries in the EU but not members of the Schengen agreement on border controls. There are some EU members who are neutral and have never worked with the EU on defence matters. The challenge now is to expand the “pick and mix” principle so that more policies in the EU become optional. We should aim to remain part of the single market which is what we signed up to in the first place but take powers back in many other areas.
Some say that now is not the time to talk about re-negotiating Britain’s relationship with the EU because the euro is so feeble and the countries that use it so pathetic, that they are not capable of withstanding democratic process or discussion about the euro’s future. I say that now is not the time to put our heads in the sand and ignore the failure of the euro. The people who want to sweep discussion about the future of the EU under the carpet now are the same sorts of people who told us a decade ago to close our eyes and blindly join the euro. They were wrong then and they are wrong now.
George Eustice can be contacted at george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk or 1 Trevenson Street, Camborne, Cornwall TR14 8JD or by telephone on 020 72197032.
Tuesday, 3 July 2012
Police & Crime Commissioners
Next Friday, 6th July, everyone in Cornwall will have an opportunity to select the candidate who could become the first Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall as the Conservative Party holds a series of hustings open to the public.
I have always supported the proposal for elected Police and Crime Commissioners. They will replace the old Police Authorities which have been largely invisible and have had little impact. Who can name the current Chairman of the Devon and Cornwall Police Authority? An election will lead to more powerful commissioners who represent local communities and will be better placed to hold the Chief Constable to account and stop interference Whitehall.
The Conservatives are the only party to open up their candidate selection process to the whole electorate. Anyone who considers themselves a Conservative voter can choose who they think should be their candidate, whether or not they are a party member. If you are on the electoral roll, all you have to do is pre-register to attend the meeting at Kingsley Village next Friday evening to hear what the candidates have to say and then decide who you want.
There will be three candidates to choose from. Two are from Devon but one, Tony Hogg, is from Helston and in the preliminary selection round he gave a very powerful performance and showed that he had done his homework, understood the challenges in great detail and was ready for the task ahead.
Tony Hogg was a Commodore in the Navy and the Commanding Officer at RNAS Culdrose responsible for 3000 personnel and a budget of £80 million. I first met him shortly after being elected in 2010 when he was the Chief Executive of BF Adventure, an excellent charity which turns around the lives of young people who have lost their way or lost their confidence. I was immediately impressed by his commitment and enthusiasm.
One of Tony Hogg’s strengths is that he has a modest manner despite some incredible achievements during his career. He was decorated for his role as a helicopter pilot in an audacious air sea rescue operation in 1979. He was a veteran of the Falklands war and was one of the pilots in the brave operation to defeat the threat from exocet missiles. He captained five ships in all during his career and led the Royal Navy’s mine sweeping operation during the first Gulf War in the early 1990’s. So he is a tough cookie but his latter career at a youth charity means that he also understands the issues that contribute to the causes of crime. Why not come and see what he and the other candidates have to say?
To register to attend and vote at the Conservative open primary at Kingsley Village in Cornwall next Friday, call 01395 233503 or go to www.policeselection.co.uk
I have always supported the proposal for elected Police and Crime Commissioners. They will replace the old Police Authorities which have been largely invisible and have had little impact. Who can name the current Chairman of the Devon and Cornwall Police Authority? An election will lead to more powerful commissioners who represent local communities and will be better placed to hold the Chief Constable to account and stop interference Whitehall.
The Conservatives are the only party to open up their candidate selection process to the whole electorate. Anyone who considers themselves a Conservative voter can choose who they think should be their candidate, whether or not they are a party member. If you are on the electoral roll, all you have to do is pre-register to attend the meeting at Kingsley Village next Friday evening to hear what the candidates have to say and then decide who you want.
There will be three candidates to choose from. Two are from Devon but one, Tony Hogg, is from Helston and in the preliminary selection round he gave a very powerful performance and showed that he had done his homework, understood the challenges in great detail and was ready for the task ahead.
Tony Hogg was a Commodore in the Navy and the Commanding Officer at RNAS Culdrose responsible for 3000 personnel and a budget of £80 million. I first met him shortly after being elected in 2010 when he was the Chief Executive of BF Adventure, an excellent charity which turns around the lives of young people who have lost their way or lost their confidence. I was immediately impressed by his commitment and enthusiasm.
One of Tony Hogg’s strengths is that he has a modest manner despite some incredible achievements during his career. He was decorated for his role as a helicopter pilot in an audacious air sea rescue operation in 1979. He was a veteran of the Falklands war and was one of the pilots in the brave operation to defeat the threat from exocet missiles. He captained five ships in all during his career and led the Royal Navy’s mine sweeping operation during the first Gulf War in the early 1990’s. So he is a tough cookie but his latter career at a youth charity means that he also understands the issues that contribute to the causes of crime. Why not come and see what he and the other candidates have to say?
To register to attend and vote at the Conservative open primary at Kingsley Village in Cornwall next Friday, call 01395 233503 or go to www.policeselection.co.uk
Thursday, 21 June 2012
Murdoch Day
Despite some of the dire warnings, the weather just about held up for Murdoch Day in Redruth last Saturday. It was blustery and threatening to rain for most of the day but it was only towards the very end of the day that the heavy showers finally came in.
As well as the excellent procession in the morning involving many local schools, there were other impressive dance acts and bands performing throughout the day. I was particularly impressed by the a cappella singing of “Raising the Ruth”, in the bandstand outside Murdoch House during the afternoon.
It was also an opportunity to catch up with the team at Murdoch House – the former home of William Murdoch, the inventor and engineer who was one of the pioneers of steam power development in Cornwall and also famously invented the first ever gas light using piped gas. It is great to have such an important heritage asset right in the middle of the town and I have used it as a venue for a couple of events over the last year.
Last Saturday, they had a fascinating exhibition of old photographs and newspaper cuttings on show. It was a reminder of how much this town and the surrounding area gave to the rest of the world. Redruth is not just the industrial heart of Cornwall, it is also the home town for a great many of the seven million people around the world whose ancestors left Cornwall in the late 19th century to build the new world. Around a quarter of all the people who left Cornwall during this period came from the Redruth area and they travelled as far afield as Cape Town, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia and Wisconsin in the Unites States. Press cuttings from that time underline the human and social cost of this mass migration across the world in search of work with many instances of families separated for the rest of their lives and with wives and young families often left behind.
Cornwall Council will shortly decide where to locate the new Cornwall Records Office. It is an exciting idea which creates the opportunity to build on the resources which already exist in the county and could become a really important attraction for foreign tourists keen to trace their roots. Redruth is already home to the Cornish Studies Library and the Cornwall Migration project which helps people trace their Cornish ancestry. As the centre of the world-wide Cornish Diaspora, Redruth has a very strong claim to be the home of the new archive and there are currently some detailed proposals to perhaps locate it on the site of the old brewery so that we can transform that end of town and start the process of renewal and regeneration.
George Eustice can be contacted at george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk or 1 Trevenson Street, Camborne, Cornwall TR14 8JD or by telephone on 020 72197032
As well as the excellent procession in the morning involving many local schools, there were other impressive dance acts and bands performing throughout the day. I was particularly impressed by the a cappella singing of “Raising the Ruth”, in the bandstand outside Murdoch House during the afternoon.
It was also an opportunity to catch up with the team at Murdoch House – the former home of William Murdoch, the inventor and engineer who was one of the pioneers of steam power development in Cornwall and also famously invented the first ever gas light using piped gas. It is great to have such an important heritage asset right in the middle of the town and I have used it as a venue for a couple of events over the last year.
Last Saturday, they had a fascinating exhibition of old photographs and newspaper cuttings on show. It was a reminder of how much this town and the surrounding area gave to the rest of the world. Redruth is not just the industrial heart of Cornwall, it is also the home town for a great many of the seven million people around the world whose ancestors left Cornwall in the late 19th century to build the new world. Around a quarter of all the people who left Cornwall during this period came from the Redruth area and they travelled as far afield as Cape Town, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia and Wisconsin in the Unites States. Press cuttings from that time underline the human and social cost of this mass migration across the world in search of work with many instances of families separated for the rest of their lives and with wives and young families often left behind.
Cornwall Council will shortly decide where to locate the new Cornwall Records Office. It is an exciting idea which creates the opportunity to build on the resources which already exist in the county and could become a really important attraction for foreign tourists keen to trace their roots. Redruth is already home to the Cornish Studies Library and the Cornwall Migration project which helps people trace their Cornish ancestry. As the centre of the world-wide Cornish Diaspora, Redruth has a very strong claim to be the home of the new archive and there are currently some detailed proposals to perhaps locate it on the site of the old brewery so that we can transform that end of town and start the process of renewal and regeneration.
George Eustice can be contacted at george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk or 1 Trevenson Street, Camborne, Cornwall TR14 8JD or by telephone on 020 72197032
Wednesday, 20 June 2012
Leveson
Last week the Leveson Inquiry reached its peak with David Cameron, George Osborne, Gordon Brown and John Major all giving evidence. The inquiry has been uncomfortable for both politicians and the press, but I think it is a once in a generation opportunity to give good journalism the fresh start it needs and, hopefully, to reverse the decline in newspaper circulations.
Journalism has a crucial role in democratic society. At its best, it challenges the powerful, tests prevailing assumptions, gives voice to a plurality of competing views and provides a forum for national discussion on topical and important issues. If the public are to hold politicians to account at the ballot box, it is essential that they have access to reliable and accurate information. The role of the press is to give them that information.
But those who own the national press have not always been good custodians of journalism and have often elevated the commercial interests of papers above the interests of society. In some cases, they have provided the public with inaccurate information in order to promote their own agenda. Meanwhile, politicians from all parties got too close to newspaper proprietors.
When I was David Cameron’s Press Secretary, we pursued a strategy of quietly puncturing the arrogance of both editors and proprietors, and raising the status of what I termed real journalism. We wanted to take some of the swagger out of the press. We would spend less time having editors over for dinner but instead deal with journalists writing the stories and there would be fewer exclusive briefings to favoured papers. We were not going to pick a fight with the press, but we hoped that by behaving differently we could gradually change the culture in a way that would be healthier for all. But when a political party is subjected to a negative media frenzy, it is hard to ignore.
There is not much wrong with the Editors' Code which was used by the former Press Complaints Commission, the problem is that it was not really observed properly by some of the national newspapers. The phone hacking scandal and the widespread use of an illegal market in personal information happened because the definition of what is in the “public interest” has been too elastic and all too often has meant what the papers wanted it to mean, rather than being independently enforced.
I think that local and regional papers, like the Western Morning News, have done better and approached the Editors' Code conscientiously. They take complaints seriously, are much closer to their communities and tend to steer clear of gratuitous personal attacks. While they have clear views on issues, they tend to be more careful about taking sides politically because they need to appeal to the whole community. In contrast, I think that some national newspapers have regarded themselves as being above the Press Complaints Commission which has landed them in this mess.
If journalism is to operate in the public interest, it needs a credible public interest test. This will not only protect society but also journalists by giving them a valid defence in law for crossing boundaries to expose genuine wrongdoing or corruption. While I am sceptical about having a statutory regulator of press content, there is a powerful argument for some statutory underpinning to make self regulation actually work this time. For example, an auditor given powers to ensure that newspapers followed basic internal compliance procedures before invading someone’s privacy would be a step forward. But it is a difficult balance to get right and Lord Leveson has his work cut out.
Journalism has a crucial role in democratic society. At its best, it challenges the powerful, tests prevailing assumptions, gives voice to a plurality of competing views and provides a forum for national discussion on topical and important issues. If the public are to hold politicians to account at the ballot box, it is essential that they have access to reliable and accurate information. The role of the press is to give them that information.
But those who own the national press have not always been good custodians of journalism and have often elevated the commercial interests of papers above the interests of society. In some cases, they have provided the public with inaccurate information in order to promote their own agenda. Meanwhile, politicians from all parties got too close to newspaper proprietors.
When I was David Cameron’s Press Secretary, we pursued a strategy of quietly puncturing the arrogance of both editors and proprietors, and raising the status of what I termed real journalism. We wanted to take some of the swagger out of the press. We would spend less time having editors over for dinner but instead deal with journalists writing the stories and there would be fewer exclusive briefings to favoured papers. We were not going to pick a fight with the press, but we hoped that by behaving differently we could gradually change the culture in a way that would be healthier for all. But when a political party is subjected to a negative media frenzy, it is hard to ignore.
There is not much wrong with the Editors' Code which was used by the former Press Complaints Commission, the problem is that it was not really observed properly by some of the national newspapers. The phone hacking scandal and the widespread use of an illegal market in personal information happened because the definition of what is in the “public interest” has been too elastic and all too often has meant what the papers wanted it to mean, rather than being independently enforced.
I think that local and regional papers, like the Western Morning News, have done better and approached the Editors' Code conscientiously. They take complaints seriously, are much closer to their communities and tend to steer clear of gratuitous personal attacks. While they have clear views on issues, they tend to be more careful about taking sides politically because they need to appeal to the whole community. In contrast, I think that some national newspapers have regarded themselves as being above the Press Complaints Commission which has landed them in this mess.
If journalism is to operate in the public interest, it needs a credible public interest test. This will not only protect society but also journalists by giving them a valid defence in law for crossing boundaries to expose genuine wrongdoing or corruption. While I am sceptical about having a statutory regulator of press content, there is a powerful argument for some statutory underpinning to make self regulation actually work this time. For example, an auditor given powers to ensure that newspapers followed basic internal compliance procedures before invading someone’s privacy would be a step forward. But it is a difficult balance to get right and Lord Leveson has his work cut out.
Thursday, 14 June 2012
Dangerous Dogs
The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee of which I am a member recently launched an inquiry into the welfare of dogs. I have been arguing for this for some time. Two years ago I visited the National Animal Welfare Trust just outside Hayle and was shocked to hear about the problem of Staffordshire Bull Terriers being abandoned. I have also been struck by the excellent work done by the Cinnamon Trust, a national charity also based here at Hayle, which organises an army of volunteers to help exercise dogs whose owners are no longer able to and to re-home dogs whose owners have passed away.
There has been an appalling trend in recent years towards people breeding aggressive dogs to become so called “status dogs” which some young men now take with them, frankly, as an alternative to carrying a knife. In many cases, they lack the commitment to care for their dog or find that they cannot cope once the dog matures. As a result, dog kennels have been inundated with abandoned dogs which have often been reared to be aggressive and which, sadly, are usually unsuitable to be re-homed with families. All too often they have to be put down which is a shameful indictment on our society.
In the last year, there has been an increasing trend towards larger breeds, such as mastiffs, also being abandoned because their owners cannot handle them. And there have been a growing number of instances of gentle natured Labrador guide dogs being attacked by aggressive dogs on the street, prompting calls for a change in legislation.
I think we need to look again at the law in this area. The Dangerous Dogs Act was brought in over 20 years ago and sought to ban certain violent breeds of dog but it was always arbitrary and is increasingly out of date. During a recent visit to Battersea Dogs Home I was told the harrowing story of a young (and friendly) Pitbull Terrier which had been neglected and almost starved to death but had been rescued just in time. However, because of its breed, it would have to be put down anyway.
It’s not the dogs we need to target but their owners. I think we should require licensing for the breeding of certain types of dog which are intended to become guard dogs so that you have reputable breeders, not back street puppy farms. I would also be open to the idea of some basic vetting before people are allowed to own a dog to ensure they will provide a loving home. The RSPCA would not re-home a rescue dog without first assessing where it was going, so why do we allow unsuitable people to buy a puppy?
George Eustice can be contacted at george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk or 1 Trevenson Street, Camborne, Cornwall TR14 8JD or by telephone on 020 72197032.
There has been an appalling trend in recent years towards people breeding aggressive dogs to become so called “status dogs” which some young men now take with them, frankly, as an alternative to carrying a knife. In many cases, they lack the commitment to care for their dog or find that they cannot cope once the dog matures. As a result, dog kennels have been inundated with abandoned dogs which have often been reared to be aggressive and which, sadly, are usually unsuitable to be re-homed with families. All too often they have to be put down which is a shameful indictment on our society.
In the last year, there has been an increasing trend towards larger breeds, such as mastiffs, also being abandoned because their owners cannot handle them. And there have been a growing number of instances of gentle natured Labrador guide dogs being attacked by aggressive dogs on the street, prompting calls for a change in legislation.
I think we need to look again at the law in this area. The Dangerous Dogs Act was brought in over 20 years ago and sought to ban certain violent breeds of dog but it was always arbitrary and is increasingly out of date. During a recent visit to Battersea Dogs Home I was told the harrowing story of a young (and friendly) Pitbull Terrier which had been neglected and almost starved to death but had been rescued just in time. However, because of its breed, it would have to be put down anyway.
It’s not the dogs we need to target but their owners. I think we should require licensing for the breeding of certain types of dog which are intended to become guard dogs so that you have reputable breeders, not back street puppy farms. I would also be open to the idea of some basic vetting before people are allowed to own a dog to ensure they will provide a loving home. The RSPCA would not re-home a rescue dog without first assessing where it was going, so why do we allow unsuitable people to buy a puppy?
George Eustice can be contacted at george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk or 1 Trevenson Street, Camborne, Cornwall TR14 8JD or by telephone on 020 72197032.
Monday, 11 June 2012
Jubilee Celebrations
Last weekend’s celebrations to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee demonstrated the affection felt for the Royal Family throughout the country. Travelling around, it has been great to see so many union jack flags on display and so many local communities pulling together to hold a jubilee party.
I can just about remember the Silver Jubilee celebrations in 1977, or at least remember being given a commemorative mug as a gift. Sixty years makes the Queen one of the longest reigning monarchs ever and she has seen an era of extraordinary change both for our country and the world during that time. She has had no less than twelve different British Prime Ministers leading government’s under her reign, each coming in with big ideas to sort everything out. And she has so far seen eleven of them come unstuck for one reason or another.
But I think that is what is so special and unique about the British constitution. We separate our politics from the Royal Family. Politicians come and go. They take the decisions that they think and believe are right for the country at the time but when things go wrong they are thrown out. But, all the while, the monarchy provides consistency and continuity for the country and none more so than our current Queen. The monarch as head of state symbolises Britain’s staying power and its ability to unite in common endeavour.
Whatever political views people might have, they can still come together to celebrate the Queen’s jubilee. Our politics can be fought out on the issues of the day between rival political parties, but the Queen symbolises our country’s ability to unite. When the Queen delivers her speech to parliament at the start of each parliamentary session, it is the convention that the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition walk side by side from the House of Commons to the House of Lords making friendly conversation along the way and every MP must sign an oath of allegiance to the Queen on taking their seat in parliament.
The British constitution has, famously, evolved over many centuries in a rather unusual way. Cornwall’s special position in the United Kingdom as a Duchy is expressed through the Crown. When many other countries were throwing out their monarchies and introducing new, political presidents, Britain found a better way. The power of the Crown was not destroyed but was effectively loaned to democratically elected governments which meant we retained the best of both worlds. It means that no government can sign a treaty or take a decision which binds its successor and that is what guarantees Britain’s absolute independence as a nation. But it also means that ultimate power rests in a Head of State around whom everyone can unite.
George Eustice can be contacted at george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk or 1 Trevenson Street, Camborne, Cornwall TR14 8JD or by telephone on 020 72197032.
I can just about remember the Silver Jubilee celebrations in 1977, or at least remember being given a commemorative mug as a gift. Sixty years makes the Queen one of the longest reigning monarchs ever and she has seen an era of extraordinary change both for our country and the world during that time. She has had no less than twelve different British Prime Ministers leading government’s under her reign, each coming in with big ideas to sort everything out. And she has so far seen eleven of them come unstuck for one reason or another.
But I think that is what is so special and unique about the British constitution. We separate our politics from the Royal Family. Politicians come and go. They take the decisions that they think and believe are right for the country at the time but when things go wrong they are thrown out. But, all the while, the monarchy provides consistency and continuity for the country and none more so than our current Queen. The monarch as head of state symbolises Britain’s staying power and its ability to unite in common endeavour.
Whatever political views people might have, they can still come together to celebrate the Queen’s jubilee. Our politics can be fought out on the issues of the day between rival political parties, but the Queen symbolises our country’s ability to unite. When the Queen delivers her speech to parliament at the start of each parliamentary session, it is the convention that the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition walk side by side from the House of Commons to the House of Lords making friendly conversation along the way and every MP must sign an oath of allegiance to the Queen on taking their seat in parliament.
The British constitution has, famously, evolved over many centuries in a rather unusual way. Cornwall’s special position in the United Kingdom as a Duchy is expressed through the Crown. When many other countries were throwing out their monarchies and introducing new, political presidents, Britain found a better way. The power of the Crown was not destroyed but was effectively loaned to democratically elected governments which meant we retained the best of both worlds. It means that no government can sign a treaty or take a decision which binds its successor and that is what guarantees Britain’s absolute independence as a nation. But it also means that ultimate power rests in a Head of State around whom everyone can unite.
George Eustice can be contacted at george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk or 1 Trevenson Street, Camborne, Cornwall TR14 8JD or by telephone on 020 72197032.
Thursday, 31 May 2012
Pasties...
My main focus over the last two months has been working with George Osborne and others in the Treasury to find a solution to the problem of the “pasty tax”. The Cornish pasty has been an incredible success story over the last decade with a huge growth in demand across the country. I wanted to ensure that this success was not compromised.
In his budget in March, the Chancellor announced that we was seeking to close something called “borderline anomalies” to ensure that all hot takeaway food attracted VAT in future. The real target was the supermarkets who have exploited loop holes in the law to sell rotisserie chickens without charging VAT while the local cafe would. The initial proposal was that any food sold above ambient temperature would attract VAT but the Cornish pasty is unique in that it can be eaten hot or cold and is actually best eaten when lukewarm rather than hot. There was a big campaign locally.
As with all such issues, the easy bit is to point at the problem and complain, but the most important thing is to roll up your sleeves and do the serious thinking that might identify a workable solution. I met all of the major pasty producers in Camborne and Redruth to discuss the approach they took and I also studied all of the detailed case law dating back to 1988 to see how the courts had interpreted disputes in the past. My recommendation to the Treasury was that they should apply a simple principle: provided pasties were not kept warm in cabinets after being cooked and were simply freshly baked and being allowed to cool naturally, they should not attract VAT. That would deal with the problem of the supermarkets exploiting a loop hole to sell hot chickens without VAT but allow the Cornish pasty to escape and it would be easier for the HMRC to enforce than the original proposal.
In my discussions with the Treasury, the idea of introducing the further condition of an exemption for hot food that had not been cooked to order emerged. This works well for the Cornish pasty because it takes the best part of an hour to cook a pasty so no one would ever have one cooked to order. It was a neat compromise and I am delighted that the Treasury have finally given this idea the green light.
George Osborne has faced criticism over the last couple of months but I think it is to his credit that he listens to what people have to say and is not afraid of adjusting proposals when mistakes have been made. It makes a refreshing change from the old fashioned politics of ploughing on regardless which we endured under Gordon Brown.
George Eustice can be contacted at george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk or 1 Trevenson Street, Camborne, Cornwall TR14 8JD or by telephone on 020 72197032.
In his budget in March, the Chancellor announced that we was seeking to close something called “borderline anomalies” to ensure that all hot takeaway food attracted VAT in future. The real target was the supermarkets who have exploited loop holes in the law to sell rotisserie chickens without charging VAT while the local cafe would. The initial proposal was that any food sold above ambient temperature would attract VAT but the Cornish pasty is unique in that it can be eaten hot or cold and is actually best eaten when lukewarm rather than hot. There was a big campaign locally.
As with all such issues, the easy bit is to point at the problem and complain, but the most important thing is to roll up your sleeves and do the serious thinking that might identify a workable solution. I met all of the major pasty producers in Camborne and Redruth to discuss the approach they took and I also studied all of the detailed case law dating back to 1988 to see how the courts had interpreted disputes in the past. My recommendation to the Treasury was that they should apply a simple principle: provided pasties were not kept warm in cabinets after being cooked and were simply freshly baked and being allowed to cool naturally, they should not attract VAT. That would deal with the problem of the supermarkets exploiting a loop hole to sell hot chickens without VAT but allow the Cornish pasty to escape and it would be easier for the HMRC to enforce than the original proposal.
In my discussions with the Treasury, the idea of introducing the further condition of an exemption for hot food that had not been cooked to order emerged. This works well for the Cornish pasty because it takes the best part of an hour to cook a pasty so no one would ever have one cooked to order. It was a neat compromise and I am delighted that the Treasury have finally given this idea the green light.
George Osborne has faced criticism over the last couple of months but I think it is to his credit that he listens to what people have to say and is not afraid of adjusting proposals when mistakes have been made. It makes a refreshing change from the old fashioned politics of ploughing on regardless which we endured under Gordon Brown.
George Eustice can be contacted at george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk or 1 Trevenson Street, Camborne, Cornwall TR14 8JD or by telephone on 020 72197032.
Thursday, 24 May 2012
Olympic Torch comes to Heartlands
The fact that the Olympic Torch relay started in Cornwall was undoubtedly good for our county and helped put Cornwall on the map. The event was well managed and some of those from the Camborne and Redruth area who carried the torch for part of its journey have commended the good work of the organisers in conversation with me.
I know that the torch could not go everywhere but, without wanting to be churlish, I have to confess that it does still annoy me that officials working for the Olympics could decide to exclude Camborne and Redruth from the route. This is the biggest conurbation in Cornwall and at the heart of Cornwall’s history with links across the globe.
To make matters worse, when the Heartlands project initially tried to help and offered to organise a celebration off their own bat, officious Olympic organisers told them that they could not use the word "Olympic" or "torch" in any promotional material. That really wasn’t on.
The thing that grates most with me is the impression that Camborne and Redruth might have been passed over because they were not considered flash enough and that the organisers just wanted picture postcard scenes with beaches and the sea in the background instead. Such a narrow mentality fundamentally misunderstands Cornwall. The thing about Camborne and Redruth is that they are, and have always been, the one bit of Cornwall that can hold its own against any other major urban centre in Britain. This is where you find the companies that make things and the people who get things done. We don’t have second home owners in their yachts and yellow wellies around here but Camborne and Redruth are the towns that stop Cornwall being just another holiday destination. They make Cornwall a serious contender on the national stage and they should be valued for that.
You can't keep a good town down and I would argue that the best Olympic celebration in Cornwall actually took place at Heartlands anyway. The place was packed with children paddling in the red river and in the play area and with thousands visiting the site to take part. The Diaspora play by a local drama group went down particularly well. We showed them how it should be done.
But the star of the day was local girl Amy James, who I had the privilege of meeting at Heartlands. She had carried the torch for a leg of the relay in Rosudgeon. When she had finished she promptly told the organisers she was going straight back to her home towns with her torch because they had been left off the official route and she wanted them to share in the day. Good on her! So Camborne and Redruth got the torch after all.
George Eustice can be contacted at george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk or 1 Trevenson Street, Camborne, Cornwall TR14 8JD or by telephone on 020 72197032.
I know that the torch could not go everywhere but, without wanting to be churlish, I have to confess that it does still annoy me that officials working for the Olympics could decide to exclude Camborne and Redruth from the route. This is the biggest conurbation in Cornwall and at the heart of Cornwall’s history with links across the globe.
To make matters worse, when the Heartlands project initially tried to help and offered to organise a celebration off their own bat, officious Olympic organisers told them that they could not use the word "Olympic" or "torch" in any promotional material. That really wasn’t on.
The thing that grates most with me is the impression that Camborne and Redruth might have been passed over because they were not considered flash enough and that the organisers just wanted picture postcard scenes with beaches and the sea in the background instead. Such a narrow mentality fundamentally misunderstands Cornwall. The thing about Camborne and Redruth is that they are, and have always been, the one bit of Cornwall that can hold its own against any other major urban centre in Britain. This is where you find the companies that make things and the people who get things done. We don’t have second home owners in their yachts and yellow wellies around here but Camborne and Redruth are the towns that stop Cornwall being just another holiday destination. They make Cornwall a serious contender on the national stage and they should be valued for that.
You can't keep a good town down and I would argue that the best Olympic celebration in Cornwall actually took place at Heartlands anyway. The place was packed with children paddling in the red river and in the play area and with thousands visiting the site to take part. The Diaspora play by a local drama group went down particularly well. We showed them how it should be done.
But the star of the day was local girl Amy James, who I had the privilege of meeting at Heartlands. She had carried the torch for a leg of the relay in Rosudgeon. When she had finished she promptly told the organisers she was going straight back to her home towns with her torch because they had been left off the official route and she wanted them to share in the day. Good on her! So Camborne and Redruth got the torch after all.
George Eustice can be contacted at george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk or 1 Trevenson Street, Camborne, Cornwall TR14 8JD or by telephone on 020 72197032.
Thursday, 17 May 2012
A lot done, a lot more to do...
National headlines about the crisis in the eurozone paint a gloomy picture about the prospects for the economy but, locally, while things are undoubtedly hard, we are putting in place the building blocks for the future.
As you drive through our towns, you see a lot of important work underway. The regeneration of Hayle harbour is progressing well and will transform the town’s prospects over the next two years. The old Holmans site around the train station in Camborne has finally been rebuilt after years of dereliction but many of the original features and buildings have been retained. The first phase of regenerating the other Holmans site opposite Tesco is also complete. Last month the Heartlands project opened in Pool and Cornwall College are about to start the next phase of the face lift for their campus having already transformed the look of the new Tamar tower.
Last week the regeneration of the Tuckingmill and South Crofty areas of Camborne also came a step closer as Camborne Town Council finally removed their objection to the new East-West road link. I think this project has an important role to play in creating new industry and jobs in our area and, for the first eighteen months after I was elected, securing government funding for the project was my number one priority.
The junction at the top of East Hill actually became more difficult to navigate after they introduced the new dual carriageway to join the A30. There is a reason for this. The new road layout will only work properly once the scheme is complete. The East-West link road will offer a faster route to get to the A30 from Pengegon and Troon, reducing congestion in both the town and at East Hill junction.
I have always argued that, when it comes to new housing developments, we should build on brownfield sites before greenfield sites. The new road will provide the infrastructure that makes it possible to build new housing at the proposed Tuckingmill Urban Village. It will also mean that derelict land which was previously not viable to re-develop suddenly becomes attractive on which to build new industrial units. And it has allowed a land swap deal to go ahead so that South Crofty can build a modern, state-of-the-art mine at the bottom of the valley which could create up to 400 jobs over the next few years.
While a lot has been done, there remains much to do. In particular, my main focus is to try to get things moving on some of the derelict sites in Redruth, including the old brewery site, Avers roundabout and the bottom of Penryn Street. In all three cases, there must be a way forward if everyone turned their minds to it.
George Eustice can be contacted on george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk or at 1 Trevenson Street, Camborne, Cornwall, TR14 8JD or by telephone on 020 72197032.
As you drive through our towns, you see a lot of important work underway. The regeneration of Hayle harbour is progressing well and will transform the town’s prospects over the next two years. The old Holmans site around the train station in Camborne has finally been rebuilt after years of dereliction but many of the original features and buildings have been retained. The first phase of regenerating the other Holmans site opposite Tesco is also complete. Last month the Heartlands project opened in Pool and Cornwall College are about to start the next phase of the face lift for their campus having already transformed the look of the new Tamar tower.
Last week the regeneration of the Tuckingmill and South Crofty areas of Camborne also came a step closer as Camborne Town Council finally removed their objection to the new East-West road link. I think this project has an important role to play in creating new industry and jobs in our area and, for the first eighteen months after I was elected, securing government funding for the project was my number one priority.
The junction at the top of East Hill actually became more difficult to navigate after they introduced the new dual carriageway to join the A30. There is a reason for this. The new road layout will only work properly once the scheme is complete. The East-West link road will offer a faster route to get to the A30 from Pengegon and Troon, reducing congestion in both the town and at East Hill junction.
I have always argued that, when it comes to new housing developments, we should build on brownfield sites before greenfield sites. The new road will provide the infrastructure that makes it possible to build new housing at the proposed Tuckingmill Urban Village. It will also mean that derelict land which was previously not viable to re-develop suddenly becomes attractive on which to build new industrial units. And it has allowed a land swap deal to go ahead so that South Crofty can build a modern, state-of-the-art mine at the bottom of the valley which could create up to 400 jobs over the next few years.
While a lot has been done, there remains much to do. In particular, my main focus is to try to get things moving on some of the derelict sites in Redruth, including the old brewery site, Avers roundabout and the bottom of Penryn Street. In all three cases, there must be a way forward if everyone turned their minds to it.
George Eustice can be contacted on george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk or at 1 Trevenson Street, Camborne, Cornwall, TR14 8JD or by telephone on 020 72197032.
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