Last week the Chancellor George Osborne came to Redruth to meet some of our area’s businesses and to look round the Teagle machinery factory at Blackwater. His visit coincided with new figures that put unemployment in Camborne, Redruth and Hayle at its lowest level for years. George Osborne took tough decisions early in this Parliament and those difficult decisions are now bringing results with growth back in the economy. Whilst there is still a long way to go I know that some of our leading businesses were interested to hear his plans for the future and ask their own questions.
Decisions on a national level directly influence the regeneration of our area and nationally the economy has turned a corner. The deficit has been reduced by a third and income tax has been cut by approximately seven hundred pounds for over twenty five million people. Employment at its highest level since records began, with 1.6 million new jobs created since the general election. Welfare is also being reformed so no working family can be earning less than those on benefits. Considering the problems we were facing only a few years ago, this is quite an achievement and something to build on.
I want to make sure local firms are taking advantage of the recovery, employing new people and expanding their businesses because we actually have some fantastic innovation in our area that we should be proud of. I have always said this is the part of Cornwall where good ideas are made and the work gets done and a stronger local economy will deliver important social change.
We have businesses which are at the cutting edge of a modern economy despite our remote location. Large Diameter Drilling, Fugro Seacore and Severn Subsea all manufacture complex parts for the oil and gas industry, whilst other precision engineering firms such as DP Engineering in Redruth and Rigibore in Hayle work in aerospace and hydraulics. We have other success stories in many different industries, whether it be food processors such as Roddas Creamery or Falfish in Redruth or housing specialists such as Frame UK.
New sectors in IT and clean energy have also based themselves here, making good use of the superfast broadband now on offer. The Pool Innovation Centre has accommodated many of these, and it is now home to 48 companies employing 250 people. WaveHub in Hayle has also recently found its final investor and will soon be at the forefront of testing capabilities for wave energy.
I am not saying everything in the garden is rosy, but we are getting there and with forward-thinking business we can secure a strong and diverse local economy. We should be proud of our achievements on that front.
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, 22 May 2014
Thursday, 15 May 2014
European Elections
With euro elections just around the corner, debate has once again returned to the EU and Britain's role in Europe. If the pollsters are to be believed, UKIP will do well. It is a debate I have always followed closely. I first got involved in politics campaigning for James Goldsmith's Referendum Party in 1997. I then stood as a UKIP candidate in the 1999 euro elections and, after leaving them, went on to spend four years campaigning for the anti-euro No Campaign which de-railed Tony Blair's ambitions to force Britain into the euro.
I left UKIP after about six months because I actually thought they were too defeatist about the prospects of changing our relationship with Europe and because their activity often undermined the very cause they claimed to believe in. For instance, in the euro debate, they insisted on claiming that it was impossible to keep the pound but stay in the EU. It was exactly the same argument that was being used by the campaign to abolish the pound and, after ten years being in the EU while happily maintaining our own currency, we now know that UKIP were wrong. Ironically, UKIP still have the pound sign as part of their logo even though they were a counter-productive liability to the anti-euro campaign.
Today, the same sorts of people who said we couldn't keep the pound and stay in the EU are saying that it is impossible to renegotiate our relationship with the EU. I disagree. Britain was one of the early members of the EU and is still one of its largest. It's our EU too and if we want to change it then it can be changed. We have global reach when it comes to diplomatic ties and we are an important market for Europe just as they are for us. They wants us to stay and will accommodate our needs because the rest of Europe would be hugely diminished without the power and influence that Britain brings to the table.
Two years ago I founded the Fresh Start Group of MPs which argued for a renegotiation of Britain's relationship with the EU and the return of some powers. It is a view shared by David Cameron who took up the idea in a landmark speech at the beginning of last year. In it he pledged to renegotiate Britain's relationship with the EU and then have a referendum so that the people could decide whether to stay in or not. It was the most important speech any Prime Minister has given on Europe since we joined. But once again, the party most likely to deny David Cameron a majority and therefore scupper a referendum is UKIP.
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 left UKIP after about six months because I actually thought they were too defeatist about the prospects of changing our relationship with Europe and because their activity often undermined the very cause they claimed to believe in. For instance, in the euro debate, they insisted on claiming that it was impossible to keep the pound but stay in the EU. It was exactly the same argument that was being used by the campaign to abolish the pound and, after ten years being in the EU while happily maintaining our own currency, we now know that UKIP were wrong. Ironically, UKIP still have the pound sign as part of their logo even though they were a counter-productive liability to the anti-euro campaign.
Today, the same sorts of people who said we couldn't keep the pound and stay in the EU are saying that it is impossible to renegotiate our relationship with the EU. I disagree. Britain was one of the early members of the EU and is still one of its largest. It's our EU too and if we want to change it then it can be changed. We have global reach when it comes to diplomatic ties and we are an important market for Europe just as they are for us. They wants us to stay and will accommodate our needs because the rest of Europe would be hugely diminished without the power and influence that Britain brings to the table.
Two years ago I founded the Fresh Start Group of MPs which argued for a renegotiation of Britain's relationship with the EU and the return of some powers. It is a view shared by David Cameron who took up the idea in a landmark speech at the beginning of last year. In it he pledged to renegotiate Britain's relationship with the EU and then have a referendum so that the people could decide whether to stay in or not. It was the most important speech any Prime Minister has given on Europe since we joined. But once again, the party most likely to deny David Cameron a majority and therefore scupper a referendum is UKIP.
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, 8 May 2014
New boat shuttle connects Hayle and St Ives
These are exciting times for Hayle with work now well underway to regenerate South Quay and the Foundry end of town. All my lifetime and even further back, people have talked about rejuvenation. Some years ago a local resident drew my attention to a book written around the time of the First World War. In it he said was a prescient sentence, "work to regenerate Hayle harbour has been delayed until after the war." We would hear that many more times in the decades that followed and one of my objectives on becoming an MP was to break this endless cycle of failure and make it happen.
We got there in the end and, now that the work is underway, it's time to think about how we can make the most of our town's new offer. Two years ago I called for a new shuttle boat link between Hayle and St Ives. In future, many people on holiday in St Ives will want to come to Hayle for a day out on one of the best beaches in the country or to visit attractions like Paradise Park. Likewise, those in the holiday parks in Hayle need an easier way to spend an evening out in St Ives. Parking in St Ives has always been a nightmare and there is often congestion in the summer. It’s crazy that people have to drive all the way around the bay when a boat service could easily hop across the water.
I am thrilled that local entrepreneur John Johnson and his family have taken up the challenge and last Saturday I had the privilege to experience the new service myself. The boat used is a high speed rib which departs from North Quay. Although at full pelt the boats can make the journey in less than five minutes, they have decided to make it less of a white knuckle ride although we still completed the trip in a little over ten minutes. We travelled out into the heart of the bay and cut back in towards the beautiful coast around Carbis Bay. You get a different perspective of the bay shared by our two towns and it's a great reminder that St Ives boasts one of the most beautiful bays in the country, framed by St Ives point at one end and Godrevy Light House at the other.
The tides around Hayle are a limiting factor on the hours the service can run but there will typically be two periods of 3-4 hours each day when the tides will be right. My wife has always liked to visit St Ives during summer and in future it will be made a whole lot easier and enjoyable. I will definitely be using the service again. Why not give it a go yourself? It's best to book in advance and details can be found at www.stivesboatrides.co.uk or telephone 07786782352.
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.
We got there in the end and, now that the work is underway, it's time to think about how we can make the most of our town's new offer. Two years ago I called for a new shuttle boat link between Hayle and St Ives. In future, many people on holiday in St Ives will want to come to Hayle for a day out on one of the best beaches in the country or to visit attractions like Paradise Park. Likewise, those in the holiday parks in Hayle need an easier way to spend an evening out in St Ives. Parking in St Ives has always been a nightmare and there is often congestion in the summer. It’s crazy that people have to drive all the way around the bay when a boat service could easily hop across the water.
I am thrilled that local entrepreneur John Johnson and his family have taken up the challenge and last Saturday I had the privilege to experience the new service myself. The boat used is a high speed rib which departs from North Quay. Although at full pelt the boats can make the journey in less than five minutes, they have decided to make it less of a white knuckle ride although we still completed the trip in a little over ten minutes. We travelled out into the heart of the bay and cut back in towards the beautiful coast around Carbis Bay. You get a different perspective of the bay shared by our two towns and it's a great reminder that St Ives boasts one of the most beautiful bays in the country, framed by St Ives point at one end and Godrevy Light House at the other.
The tides around Hayle are a limiting factor on the hours the service can run but there will typically be two periods of 3-4 hours each day when the tides will be right. My wife has always liked to visit St Ives during summer and in future it will be made a whole lot easier and enjoyable. I will definitely be using the service again. Why not give it a go yourself? It's best to book in advance and details can be found at www.stivesboatrides.co.uk or telephone 07786782352.
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, 1 May 2014
CORNISH STATUS
Cornwall has always held a special place within the UK. We are proud of our culture and history and in recent years there has been a strong revival of interest in both the Cornish language and a growing number of people celebrating St Piran's day in March.
Last week, the government added another string to our bow when the Prime Minister announced that Cornwall would now be added to the list of national minorities alongside Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales on the Framework Convention submitted to the Council for Europe. Although we shouldn't get carried away by the implications of this decision, it is recognition of Cornwall's historic, special status inside the UK.
Never before has this country had a Prime Minister with such a strong affinity for Cornwall. When asked about British cuisine last week, David Cameron cited the Cornish pasty. He has been to Cornwall every single year since becoming Prime Minister which must be a first for any Prime Minister. Last year he visited Frame Homes in Redruth to see some of the world class manufacturing in this part of the world. He has not always been lucky with the weather but has promised to return again this year. However, most of all, he has a Cornish daughter, Florence Endellion, which just might have been a decisive factor behind his decision last week.
There will now be debate about what happens next. I hope we will use this new designation to celebrate Cornwall's self confidence and distinctive identity within the UK. There will be those who seek to use it as a means to encourage separation and division but we should not allow our pride in our Cornish identity to be used to fuel negative and antagonistic attitudes towards the English. After all, we are all British and we all form part of the same British nation. There will also be those who will now call for a new Cornish Assembly to be built but I do not think it is right to have the cost of another tier of politicians in yet another parliament.
Last weekend we all celebrated Trevithick Day, despite the rain. Richard Trevithick was Cornwall's greatest inventor but he also looked out to the rest of the world. He spent much of his career working around the country bouncing ideas off other leading engineers and he worked abroad for many years. He was Cornish but took huge pride in what he contributed to the industrial revolution in Britain. As we consider what this new recognition means, we could learn from Richard Trevithick.
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.
Last week, the government added another string to our bow when the Prime Minister announced that Cornwall would now be added to the list of national minorities alongside Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales on the Framework Convention submitted to the Council for Europe. Although we shouldn't get carried away by the implications of this decision, it is recognition of Cornwall's historic, special status inside the UK.
Never before has this country had a Prime Minister with such a strong affinity for Cornwall. When asked about British cuisine last week, David Cameron cited the Cornish pasty. He has been to Cornwall every single year since becoming Prime Minister which must be a first for any Prime Minister. Last year he visited Frame Homes in Redruth to see some of the world class manufacturing in this part of the world. He has not always been lucky with the weather but has promised to return again this year. However, most of all, he has a Cornish daughter, Florence Endellion, which just might have been a decisive factor behind his decision last week.
There will now be debate about what happens next. I hope we will use this new designation to celebrate Cornwall's self confidence and distinctive identity within the UK. There will be those who seek to use it as a means to encourage separation and division but we should not allow our pride in our Cornish identity to be used to fuel negative and antagonistic attitudes towards the English. After all, we are all British and we all form part of the same British nation. There will also be those who will now call for a new Cornish Assembly to be built but I do not think it is right to have the cost of another tier of politicians in yet another parliament.
Last weekend we all celebrated Trevithick Day, despite the rain. Richard Trevithick was Cornwall's greatest inventor but he also looked out to the rest of the world. He spent much of his career working around the country bouncing ideas off other leading engineers and he worked abroad for many years. He was Cornish but took huge pride in what he contributed to the industrial revolution in Britain. As we consider what this new recognition means, we could learn from Richard Trevithick.
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 April 2014
The importance of sport
Last week I visited RedYouth, a really successful dance group which has gone from strength to strength in recent years. The current trend for talent shows on TV has inspired a number of such groups to set up, including the ‘TR14-ers’ in Camborne but RedYouth actually has its origins in the negative public perceptions about Redruth caused by the media portrayal of the pilot "curfew" project about 5 or 6 years ago. A group of volunteers came together to create a community group that could promote the talents of young people in the town.
Today, the group engages over 400 children and young people ranging from under the age of five to teenagers and even some family groups to get parents involved as well. Their activities have also moved beyond just dance and during the summer they run other activities and visits, promoting interests and hobbies as diverse as cooking, photography and jewellery making as well as community days at the beach. RedYouth also offers days to introduce children and young people to a range of alternative sports. The group employs Jen, a trained instructor, but it is then supported by a number of truly dedicated volunteers who liaise closely with schools in the area. They are also supported by a qualified SEN assistant, which ensures that no child is left out or feels excluded.
The development of groups like RedYouth has been really positive. Meeting the young people involved last week it was clear that many had developed self confidence from their involvement in the group and had also made new friends. With debate this week about sport in schools, it is also important to remember the role of alternatives like dance to conventional sports. Sport has an incredibly important role in developing confidence in young people and establishing a healthy lifestyle with exercise from a young age. However, competitive sport is not for everyone. In particular, too many teenage girls drift away from sport later in school, but dance groups like RedYouth can provide a really inspiring alternative.
RedYouth is just one of the many great sports clubs and community groups that offer opportunities to young people. I will never forget the support that I had from volunteers at Cornwall Athletic Club when I was growing up, and I fought hard to make sure the new running track will be located in the CPR area because in doing so it offers the most to all of our community athletics groups. Above all it is volunteers today who keep all of our sports clubs going from rugby and football to cricket, swimming and dance.
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.
Today, the group engages over 400 children and young people ranging from under the age of five to teenagers and even some family groups to get parents involved as well. Their activities have also moved beyond just dance and during the summer they run other activities and visits, promoting interests and hobbies as diverse as cooking, photography and jewellery making as well as community days at the beach. RedYouth also offers days to introduce children and young people to a range of alternative sports. The group employs Jen, a trained instructor, but it is then supported by a number of truly dedicated volunteers who liaise closely with schools in the area. They are also supported by a qualified SEN assistant, which ensures that no child is left out or feels excluded.
The development of groups like RedYouth has been really positive. Meeting the young people involved last week it was clear that many had developed self confidence from their involvement in the group and had also made new friends. With debate this week about sport in schools, it is also important to remember the role of alternatives like dance to conventional sports. Sport has an incredibly important role in developing confidence in young people and establishing a healthy lifestyle with exercise from a young age. However, competitive sport is not for everyone. In particular, too many teenage girls drift away from sport later in school, but dance groups like RedYouth can provide a really inspiring alternative.
RedYouth is just one of the many great sports clubs and community groups that offer opportunities to young people. I will never forget the support that I had from volunteers at Cornwall Athletic Club when I was growing up, and I fought hard to make sure the new running track will be located in the CPR area because in doing so it offers the most to all of our community athletics groups. Above all it is volunteers today who keep all of our sports clubs going from rugby and football to cricket, swimming and dance.
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, 22 April 2014
BETTER TRAINING, MORE JOBS
A couple of weeks ago I visited the new premises of Questions and Answers, a Community Interest Company who have recently moved to Station Road in Redruth. Questions and Answers offer specialist adult training and apprenticeships across Devon and Cornwall either through individual tuition tailored to the needs of the client or through a variety of established courses focusing on employability. A lot of the courses on offer are free and they will also work with companies to help them further develop employees.
I was really impressed by Q & A’s new offices, complete with public access PCs, a young enterprise zone and dedicated training rooms for a wide variety of courses. It is clear that adult training is a growing market, and as the workplace becomes increasingly IT dominated many adults want to take advantage of courses helping their computer literacy. There are also young adults who really want to get to grips with a subject before embarking on a career or who feel they need that little bit extra training after leaving school or college.
Training and improved skills offer the best route to new job opportunities. I have always been clear that delivering economic regeneration and creating more and better paid jobs is the number one priority for this part of Cornwall. We are making progress and in Camborne, Redruth and Hayle recent published figures show that the number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance has fallen by 500 since the beginning of last year. Despite perceptions to the contrary, we actually have a level of unemployment that is about average for the UK at 3.4 percent.
Whilst better training is one way to find a job, we also need to make sure young people or those who have been out of work for a while can find the right experience to make them more employable. The work experience scheme has been a real success nationally and overall has helped over half a million 18 to 24 year olds find placements in the past couple of years. In plenty of cases employers have been so impressed with the young people involved they have gone out of their way to find them paid employment. There is also the Work Programme, administered by Working Links and Prospects in our area which helps the long-term unemployed find lasting jobs and gets them off benefits.
We need to do more and as the economy turns a corner we need to make sure we create better paid jobs for this part of Cornwall. As new companies arrive I want to see them become successful and profitable enough to offer higher wages so that we encourage people to stay in work.
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 was really impressed by Q & A’s new offices, complete with public access PCs, a young enterprise zone and dedicated training rooms for a wide variety of courses. It is clear that adult training is a growing market, and as the workplace becomes increasingly IT dominated many adults want to take advantage of courses helping their computer literacy. There are also young adults who really want to get to grips with a subject before embarking on a career or who feel they need that little bit extra training after leaving school or college.
Training and improved skills offer the best route to new job opportunities. I have always been clear that delivering economic regeneration and creating more and better paid jobs is the number one priority for this part of Cornwall. We are making progress and in Camborne, Redruth and Hayle recent published figures show that the number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance has fallen by 500 since the beginning of last year. Despite perceptions to the contrary, we actually have a level of unemployment that is about average for the UK at 3.4 percent.
Whilst better training is one way to find a job, we also need to make sure young people or those who have been out of work for a while can find the right experience to make them more employable. The work experience scheme has been a real success nationally and overall has helped over half a million 18 to 24 year olds find placements in the past couple of years. In plenty of cases employers have been so impressed with the young people involved they have gone out of their way to find them paid employment. There is also the Work Programme, administered by Working Links and Prospects in our area which helps the long-term unemployed find lasting jobs and gets them off benefits.
We need to do more and as the economy turns a corner we need to make sure we create better paid jobs for this part of Cornwall. As new companies arrive I want to see them become successful and profitable enough to offer higher wages so that we encourage people to stay in work.
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, 14 April 2014
DAWLISH
Last weekend saw the reopening of the railway line at Dawlish in time for the Easter holidays and the reconnection of Cornwall to the rest of the country by rail. Credit where credit is due it has been a huge effort by First Great Western and Network Rail and it is a great achievement to have the line up and running two weeks ahead of schedule. Every weekend I travel down from London to Camborne on the sleeper and I will be just one of many in our area who are welcoming this news.
The last few weeks at Dawlish have seen a large team of engineers, known as the 'Orange Army' for their fluorescent vests, work around the clock to get the line restored. It has been a massive job because overall around eighty meters of the track was deemed unusable and the logistics of working so near the sea made it even more difficult. There was also further bad weather to deal with and a landslide had to be forced just south of Dawlish when a large chunk of earth became dangerously exposed at Teignmouth. Overall it is estimated that the initial costs are around £35 million, although the costs to our local economy meant we needed to see the line restored as soon as possible.
We now need to look at what can we can do to further improve our rail link and to make sure that this kind of thing never happens again. There has been a lot of talk around developing an existing line via Okehampton as an additional emergency line in case of further damage, or as an alternative main line in the future. There are also other ideas around further tunnelling on the existing route. Network Rail has commissioned a report to look at these and I think that is a good first step. No one doubts that more should be done but we need to make sure change is sensitive to the places like Dawlish whose economy has grown up around the railway.
We also need to make sure we get a better deal for Cornwall and I have always pushed for fairer funding to allow this to happen. Finally we are making some progress and there are discussions taking place that could see an extensive sleeper upgrade as well as a huge improvement to signalling on the tracks. This in turn could see far more frequent services from Penzance to Plymouth and with more rolling stock becoming available in the next couple of years it would also mean more capacity.
I think this is encouraging news because these targets are achievable in a short timeframe and will make a real difference. As we are on a Peninsula the journey to London is always going to be a long one, but we need to keep prices down and offer more flexibility.
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.
The last few weeks at Dawlish have seen a large team of engineers, known as the 'Orange Army' for their fluorescent vests, work around the clock to get the line restored. It has been a massive job because overall around eighty meters of the track was deemed unusable and the logistics of working so near the sea made it even more difficult. There was also further bad weather to deal with and a landslide had to be forced just south of Dawlish when a large chunk of earth became dangerously exposed at Teignmouth. Overall it is estimated that the initial costs are around £35 million, although the costs to our local economy meant we needed to see the line restored as soon as possible.
We now need to look at what can we can do to further improve our rail link and to make sure that this kind of thing never happens again. There has been a lot of talk around developing an existing line via Okehampton as an additional emergency line in case of further damage, or as an alternative main line in the future. There are also other ideas around further tunnelling on the existing route. Network Rail has commissioned a report to look at these and I think that is a good first step. No one doubts that more should be done but we need to make sure change is sensitive to the places like Dawlish whose economy has grown up around the railway.
We also need to make sure we get a better deal for Cornwall and I have always pushed for fairer funding to allow this to happen. Finally we are making some progress and there are discussions taking place that could see an extensive sleeper upgrade as well as a huge improvement to signalling on the tracks. This in turn could see far more frequent services from Penzance to Plymouth and with more rolling stock becoming available in the next couple of years it would also mean more capacity.
I think this is encouraging news because these targets are achievable in a short timeframe and will make a real difference. As we are on a Peninsula the journey to London is always going to be a long one, but we need to keep prices down and offer more flexibility.
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, 7 April 2014
HELPING WITH PERSONAL DEBT
One of the challenges of economic growth is to make sure everyone benefits. It is why the reforms to the benefits system so that work pays are so important and also why we need intensive support to help those who have been out of work for a long time get their confidence back. It's also why we need to maintain momentum when it comes to local regeneration.
We also need to recognise the demoralising affect that personal debt can have on those on the bottom rung and it isn’t just those on benefits. Many people who work hard also have debt problems and shouldn't be overlooked. It can start with a one off bill like a repair to the car or an unexpected tax bill but end up with court costs and thuggish bailiffs at the door adding huge cost and stress. Some people turn to loan sharks or payday loan companies who seem to offer a quick fix but actually end up compounding the problem. There are few things more demoralising to people than having bills and debts that stalk them.
There is good work being done to help. The Citizens Advice Bureau regularly offers debt advice to those at their wits end. In extreme cases they can help people apply to the court for a Debt Relief Order to remove some of the burden. Last week I met the local organiser for Christians Against Poverty to discuss their work locally. CAP was founded by someone who had worked in finance but then suffered his own debt problems. Volunteers with experience visit families at home and help them put together a budget. If there are difficult debts overhanging them, CAP will manage the relations with those companies, sometimes securing a write off of some of the debt and a consistent payment plan which they manage on behalf of the family. Their service is free to those in need.
In 2012 the Government set up the Money Advice Service with the key objective to encourage people to better manage their money and prevent them from getting into unmanageable levels of debt. The MAS offers free and impartial information on money matters and they can be contacted online, by telephone or even face-to-face. There has been a crackdown on loan sharks. The Financial Conduct Authority is strengthening the rules, by making sure payday loan companies research whether their clients can actually pay back the money and is also considering a cap for the loans.
There are better ways for people to manage their money. Two years ago I became a member of the Kernow Credit Union. Unlike other lenders they don't judge people through credit agencies. Those who are in greatest need know that "subject to status" means "not you." With a credit union people earn their credibility. Those who save regularly each month can, after three months, borrow around three times the amount they have saved.
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.
We also need to recognise the demoralising affect that personal debt can have on those on the bottom rung and it isn’t just those on benefits. Many people who work hard also have debt problems and shouldn't be overlooked. It can start with a one off bill like a repair to the car or an unexpected tax bill but end up with court costs and thuggish bailiffs at the door adding huge cost and stress. Some people turn to loan sharks or payday loan companies who seem to offer a quick fix but actually end up compounding the problem. There are few things more demoralising to people than having bills and debts that stalk them.
There is good work being done to help. The Citizens Advice Bureau regularly offers debt advice to those at their wits end. In extreme cases they can help people apply to the court for a Debt Relief Order to remove some of the burden. Last week I met the local organiser for Christians Against Poverty to discuss their work locally. CAP was founded by someone who had worked in finance but then suffered his own debt problems. Volunteers with experience visit families at home and help them put together a budget. If there are difficult debts overhanging them, CAP will manage the relations with those companies, sometimes securing a write off of some of the debt and a consistent payment plan which they manage on behalf of the family. Their service is free to those in need.
In 2012 the Government set up the Money Advice Service with the key objective to encourage people to better manage their money and prevent them from getting into unmanageable levels of debt. The MAS offers free and impartial information on money matters and they can be contacted online, by telephone or even face-to-face. There has been a crackdown on loan sharks. The Financial Conduct Authority is strengthening the rules, by making sure payday loan companies research whether their clients can actually pay back the money and is also considering a cap for the loans.
There are better ways for people to manage their money. Two years ago I became a member of the Kernow Credit Union. Unlike other lenders they don't judge people through credit agencies. Those who are in greatest need know that "subject to status" means "not you." With a credit union people earn their credibility. Those who save regularly each month can, after three months, borrow around three times the amount they have saved.
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, 27 March 2014
REFORMS IN THE BUDGET
Last week’s budget brought positive news and a strong sense that the country has well and truly turned the corner. There was good news for Cornwall and some radical ideas to reward those who save for their own retirement. George Osborne announced at the beginning of his speech that the economy was going to grow even more than at first thought, with growth this year set at 2.7%, the biggest revision in the budget forecast for over thirty years. Not only that, it is now predicted our deficit will be down by a halve next year and by 2018 the country will even be running on a surplus.
There is still plenty more to do and no one is saying these forecasts mean we can rest on our laurels. That said, economic growth means the government can now feel more confident in offering further economic incentives and help to those who have been hit hardest by the downturn. Some of the measures the Chancellor announced do just that.
Firstly the personal tax allowance will be raised even further to £10,500, starting next year. This should lift almost thirty thousand people in the South West out of tax altogether and importantly it will make sure low and middle earners are hit by as little tax as possible.
Secondly savers will see some crucial changes to how their savings are taxed and how they can invest their hard-earned money. The 10p starting rate on savings income will now be abolished and replaced with a zero pence rate, helping expand savings of up to £5,000. As well as this, a new pensioner bond, which people can invest in more than before, will also offer better returns than any on the market today and people will be able to invest more in ISA’s. I am often approached by savers who have felt that the economic recovery is passing them by despite their efforts and these new measures are a step in the right direction.
Finally there will be more flexibility in the pension system, which is news that will be welcomed by many. If you pay a certain defined amount into your pension, no longer will you be forced to buy an annuity, unless you have decided you want to. On top of this, if you have pensions savings of £30,000 or less you can now take these pots as a cash lump sum which is double the threshold it is now. There will also be a cut in the amount of income you need to access your pension’s savings flexibly, down from £20,000 to £12,000. All these changes will make it easier and cheaper for people to withdraw money from their pension pots and they represent some pretty fundamental reform.
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 is still plenty more to do and no one is saying these forecasts mean we can rest on our laurels. That said, economic growth means the government can now feel more confident in offering further economic incentives and help to those who have been hit hardest by the downturn. Some of the measures the Chancellor announced do just that.
Firstly the personal tax allowance will be raised even further to £10,500, starting next year. This should lift almost thirty thousand people in the South West out of tax altogether and importantly it will make sure low and middle earners are hit by as little tax as possible.
Secondly savers will see some crucial changes to how their savings are taxed and how they can invest their hard-earned money. The 10p starting rate on savings income will now be abolished and replaced with a zero pence rate, helping expand savings of up to £5,000. As well as this, a new pensioner bond, which people can invest in more than before, will also offer better returns than any on the market today and people will be able to invest more in ISA’s. I am often approached by savers who have felt that the economic recovery is passing them by despite their efforts and these new measures are a step in the right direction.
Finally there will be more flexibility in the pension system, which is news that will be welcomed by many. If you pay a certain defined amount into your pension, no longer will you be forced to buy an annuity, unless you have decided you want to. On top of this, if you have pensions savings of £30,000 or less you can now take these pots as a cash lump sum which is double the threshold it is now. There will also be a cut in the amount of income you need to access your pension’s savings flexibly, down from £20,000 to £12,000. All these changes will make it easier and cheaper for people to withdraw money from their pension pots and they represent some pretty fundamental reform.
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, 24 March 2014
NEW HOUSING
Last weekend I officially opened a new housing development at Carharrack that has been built by Ocean Homes. The housing was exactly the sort that we need more of in our area, with shared ownership and equity on offer as well as social housing and others available on the open market. It is these affordable and mixed developments that are helping first time buyers get on the first rung of the property ladder and it was clear during my visit just how popular the housing is with younger families and couples who want a place of their own.
We need to make sure this aspiration becomes a reality and over the past couple of years the government has been doing a lot to help people get their foot in the door. The ‘Help to Buy’ scheme, which comes in two parts, has already helped thousands. The mortgage guarantee part underwrites some of the lenders exposure to enable mortgage companies to offer 95 percent mortgages and a deposit of just 5 percent. Until the credit crunch, 95 percent mortgages were very common and I actually remember using them to buy my first flat. Even with the economy in recovery first time buyers are being given the impossible task of raising around a 30 percent deposit so this part of the scheme can really help.
The second element of ‘Help to Buy’ provides an equity loan for the deposit of households looking to buy a new build home. As well as helping about 25,000 people already, it also makes sure new houses are being built because it provides the security for housing developers to get building and not sit on land reserves. This week the Chancellor announced that the scheme will be extended until 2020 and I believe this is another step to make sure home ownership in Britain is the norm and not the preserve of the privileged few.
It is clear that we need to be building new and affordable housing in Cornwall to help those who dream of their own home and want to get on in life. The development at Carharrack was also an example of one sensitive to the area, adding just a small extension to the village and not disruptive to the original community. I have always said that there needs to be a balance when it comes to new housing that makes sure the community is involved, and certainly that we should build on brownfield instead of greenfield whenever possible.
I want to make sure that we get these developments right but also that we encourage affordable housing to be built. Young families moving in to an area can really add to the economy and dynamic of a community and I look forward to opening my next development.
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
We need to make sure this aspiration becomes a reality and over the past couple of years the government has been doing a lot to help people get their foot in the door. The ‘Help to Buy’ scheme, which comes in two parts, has already helped thousands. The mortgage guarantee part underwrites some of the lenders exposure to enable mortgage companies to offer 95 percent mortgages and a deposit of just 5 percent. Until the credit crunch, 95 percent mortgages were very common and I actually remember using them to buy my first flat. Even with the economy in recovery first time buyers are being given the impossible task of raising around a 30 percent deposit so this part of the scheme can really help.
The second element of ‘Help to Buy’ provides an equity loan for the deposit of households looking to buy a new build home. As well as helping about 25,000 people already, it also makes sure new houses are being built because it provides the security for housing developers to get building and not sit on land reserves. This week the Chancellor announced that the scheme will be extended until 2020 and I believe this is another step to make sure home ownership in Britain is the norm and not the preserve of the privileged few.
It is clear that we need to be building new and affordable housing in Cornwall to help those who dream of their own home and want to get on in life. The development at Carharrack was also an example of one sensitive to the area, adding just a small extension to the village and not disruptive to the original community. I have always said that there needs to be a balance when it comes to new housing that makes sure the community is involved, and certainly that we should build on brownfield instead of greenfield whenever possible.
I want to make sure that we get these developments right but also that we encourage affordable housing to be built. Young families moving in to an area can really add to the economy and dynamic of a community and I look forward to opening my next development.
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, 17 March 2014
St Michael’s Free School
Last weekend I was privileged to open the new school building at St Michael’s Catholic Secondary School in Camborne. The building will be providing some brilliant new teaching facilities, with new science laboratories, design and art classrooms as well as drama, music and ICT suites. It was great to officially open such an important resource for the school and take a look round the new facilities.
I first visited St Michael’s about eighteen months ago when it opened with just 45 pupils. Today it has 122 on the roll and it is growing, with aims to reach over 300 pupils in the next few years. It is not easy starting anything new, least of all a school, but this new Free School has made a very strong start.
Parents have been attracted to the school because of its high standards, small classroom size and encouraging environment to students of all backgrounds and interests. I was really interested to learn that at St Michael’s pupils from many different backgrounds were progressing at the same rate, with early data indicating the school has little or no attainment gap for those pupils on free school meals when compared with others.
The government has been keen to support the opening of new schools like St Michaels because the simple truth is that all children are individuals and will respond to different approaches in education. We want young people to find something they are passionate about and then have the support to really excel. For some that might mean a school that has a major focus on science or languages or indeed a focus on numeracy or sport. Some pupils flourish in larger schools but others will best develop their confidence if they have the support and nurturing environment provided by a smaller school.
We should not deny parents the choice if they feel that for their children a smaller school would be better at nurturing their individual talents. In the old days, only wealthy parents could choose where their children were placed but the opening of schools like St Michael’s prove that is now changing. Whilst it is likely that most will attend and be given the opportunity to thrive at our larger secondary schools, giving parents different options can only be a good thing.
I think it is so 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’s reforms are a really positive step because a good education is the single most important thing to increase social mobility and help the next generation to get on in life.
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 first visited St Michael’s about eighteen months ago when it opened with just 45 pupils. Today it has 122 on the roll and it is growing, with aims to reach over 300 pupils in the next few years. It is not easy starting anything new, least of all a school, but this new Free School has made a very strong start.
Parents have been attracted to the school because of its high standards, small classroom size and encouraging environment to students of all backgrounds and interests. I was really interested to learn that at St Michael’s pupils from many different backgrounds were progressing at the same rate, with early data indicating the school has little or no attainment gap for those pupils on free school meals when compared with others.
The government has been keen to support the opening of new schools like St Michaels because the simple truth is that all children are individuals and will respond to different approaches in education. We want young people to find something they are passionate about and then have the support to really excel. For some that might mean a school that has a major focus on science or languages or indeed a focus on numeracy or sport. Some pupils flourish in larger schools but others will best develop their confidence if they have the support and nurturing environment provided by a smaller school.
We should not deny parents the choice if they feel that for their children a smaller school would be better at nurturing their individual talents. In the old days, only wealthy parents could choose where their children were placed but the opening of schools like St Michael’s prove that is now changing. Whilst it is likely that most will attend and be given the opportunity to thrive at our larger secondary schools, giving parents different options can only be a good thing.
I think it is so 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’s reforms are a really positive step because a good education is the single most important thing to increase social mobility and help the next generation to get on in life.
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 March 2014
ST PIRAN’S DAY
Last Saturday I attended the St Piran’s day celebrations in Redruth. Although, due to my weekly surgery, I missed the start of the parade, the event was a fantastic success with the police estimating that around 5000 attended and with over 200 children and young people from our local schools taking part.
Redruth has really led the way in using civic events and celebrations of this sort to bring people into the town and to bring the community together. Together with the pasty festival, the Christmas lights procession and, of course, Murdoch Day, there is something every few months. It is really heartening to see so much support from the local schools and it's a vote of confidence in the future of the town. Children from Trewirgie Junior School were even going around completing questionnaires about the event to see how it could be improved in future years.
It is great to see such a steady and consistent revival of interest in Cornwall's unique culture and events like this are a really important way of celebrating what is distinct and special about Cornwall. Redruth is at the heart of Cornish history with the vast majority of the six million strong international Cornish diaspora tracing their roots back to our town. That is why Redruth was the natural home for the new Cornwall Archive Centre of Kresen Kernow which is currently going through the various stages of planning. It was a major breakthrough for the town to be designated as the chosen location and the project will regenerate the old brewery site and kick start the revival of the town.
Plans for the Kresen Kernow project were on display last Saturday and there are other events planned to get community feedback on the project. Like many others, I took a trip down memory lane watching some fascinating TV news archives about the final years of the old Devenish Brewery between 1986 and 1991. Growing up in the eighties in Cornwall, the familiar Devenish branding and those green Lorries were all around and, when I was older, I remember the famous Newquay Steam Bitter. Devenish was finally finished off by some sharp practice in the City by Whitbread and Boddingtons who were aiming to launch a hostile takeover bid. A management buyout followed by a further extended period under the current owner of the site, Horace Yao, gave the brewery a few more years, but in the end they couldn't continue. The Trevithick Society were there too having rescued some final cans of the beer (now very out of date!) along with beer mats and other branding which they are preserving.
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 really led the way in using civic events and celebrations of this sort to bring people into the town and to bring the community together. Together with the pasty festival, the Christmas lights procession and, of course, Murdoch Day, there is something every few months. It is really heartening to see so much support from the local schools and it's a vote of confidence in the future of the town. Children from Trewirgie Junior School were even going around completing questionnaires about the event to see how it could be improved in future years.
It is great to see such a steady and consistent revival of interest in Cornwall's unique culture and events like this are a really important way of celebrating what is distinct and special about Cornwall. Redruth is at the heart of Cornish history with the vast majority of the six million strong international Cornish diaspora tracing their roots back to our town. That is why Redruth was the natural home for the new Cornwall Archive Centre of Kresen Kernow which is currently going through the various stages of planning. It was a major breakthrough for the town to be designated as the chosen location and the project will regenerate the old brewery site and kick start the revival of the town.
Plans for the Kresen Kernow project were on display last Saturday and there are other events planned to get community feedback on the project. Like many others, I took a trip down memory lane watching some fascinating TV news archives about the final years of the old Devenish Brewery between 1986 and 1991. Growing up in the eighties in Cornwall, the familiar Devenish branding and those green Lorries were all around and, when I was older, I remember the famous Newquay Steam Bitter. Devenish was finally finished off by some sharp practice in the City by Whitbread and Boddingtons who were aiming to launch a hostile takeover bid. A management buyout followed by a further extended period under the current owner of the site, Horace Yao, gave the brewery a few more years, but in the end they couldn't continue. The Trevithick Society were there too having rescued some final cans of the beer (now very out of date!) along with beer mats and other branding which they are preserving.
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, 27 February 2014
Reform of the Common Fisheries Policy
This weekend I will be visiting fishermen in Newlyn to discuss the problems they have had over the last six weeks as a result of the stormy weather which has severely restricted the number of days they have been able to spend at sea as well as causing considerable damage to boats and fishing equipment.
While it has undoubtedly been a very difficult start to the year for Cornish fishermen, I think the longer term outlook gives some grounds for optimism because, at the beginning of January, the EU finally put into law a new reform of the Common Fisheries Policy which has the potential to deliver radical change as well as become a potential model for further reform in other areas of European policy.
There are a number of really important aspects to the new CFP deal. Firstly, there is a commitment to ban the discard of good fish. It has always been a disgraceful practice that perfectly healthy fish are thrown dead back into the sea simply because the fisherman who landed them did not happen to have the right quota. That will now end.
Secondly, to help make the discard ban work in practice, fishermen will receive a quota uplift so they can land more. They will also be granted much greater flexibility so that if they unexpectedly land more of one species for which they have no quota, then they will be allowed to count it against quota for another species instead rather than be forced to throw it dead back into the sea. If they happen to do better than expected at the end of the year, then they will also be allowed to borrow some quota from the following year.
The third key aspect of the new policy is that there is now a legally binding commitment to fish sustainably or at what scientists call Maximum Sustainable Yield. This means that we have a policy that focuses on the outcome rather than getting too bogged down in process and all member states in the EU have accepted this approach.
Finally, the new CFP has moved away from a centralised model where the entire EU sets out prescriptive policies. In future small groups of member states who have a shared interest in a particular fishery will decide on the management measures that will deliver sustainable fishing. Because they all have an interest in the future of the fishery, they are more likely to put thought into getting things right.
Taken together, these reforms have the potential to be a radical reform. I really hope both the industry and all EU governments will roll their sleeves up to make this 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.
While it has undoubtedly been a very difficult start to the year for Cornish fishermen, I think the longer term outlook gives some grounds for optimism because, at the beginning of January, the EU finally put into law a new reform of the Common Fisheries Policy which has the potential to deliver radical change as well as become a potential model for further reform in other areas of European policy.
There are a number of really important aspects to the new CFP deal. Firstly, there is a commitment to ban the discard of good fish. It has always been a disgraceful practice that perfectly healthy fish are thrown dead back into the sea simply because the fisherman who landed them did not happen to have the right quota. That will now end.
Secondly, to help make the discard ban work in practice, fishermen will receive a quota uplift so they can land more. They will also be granted much greater flexibility so that if they unexpectedly land more of one species for which they have no quota, then they will be allowed to count it against quota for another species instead rather than be forced to throw it dead back into the sea. If they happen to do better than expected at the end of the year, then they will also be allowed to borrow some quota from the following year.
The third key aspect of the new policy is that there is now a legally binding commitment to fish sustainably or at what scientists call Maximum Sustainable Yield. This means that we have a policy that focuses on the outcome rather than getting too bogged down in process and all member states in the EU have accepted this approach.
Finally, the new CFP has moved away from a centralised model where the entire EU sets out prescriptive policies. In future small groups of member states who have a shared interest in a particular fishery will decide on the management measures that will deliver sustainable fishing. Because they all have an interest in the future of the fishery, they are more likely to put thought into getting things right.
Taken together, these reforms have the potential to be a radical reform. I really hope both the industry and all EU governments will roll their sleeves up to make this 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.
Monday, 24 February 2014
Children’s Literacy
A couple of weeks ago it was National Libraries Day, which has been set up to promote and celebrate the role of libraries up and down the country. As the Camborne Library is just moments away from my constituency office I was able to pop in after I had finished my weekly surgeries. Despite the terrible weather some people had managed to make it over there and during my visit it wasn’t difficult to see just how important the library is to the community and how dedicated the small team of staff are to running a really useful service. I even signed up myself.
Jim Walters, the senior Librarian, took me through the users of the service and what books people are reading at the moment. Those above sixty probably form the most regular customers and especially utilise the internet facilities, whilst I was also interested to learn that crime and detective authors remain the most sought after.
However I was also really heartened to hear that primary school children are amongst the highest users. This is because various schools are involved in a government led reading competition which encourages students between the ages of seven and twelve to read a book a week. The schools work with county libraries on this and in Cornwall the scheme is flourishing. It is a great idea because alongside getting children reading it introduces them to the library. We have some fantastic libraries in Camborne, Redruth and Hayle and we need to make sure they are supported with the right funding but also that they are used regularly.
Reading is a vital part of a child’s education and in our area it is clear that schools and academies know this. Trevithick Primary School, which educates most of the children who live in Pengegon, places a strong emphasis on reading and literacy with one to one tuition outside the classroom where teachers develop the reading skills of individual pupils. I think this is so important because unless children learn to read and write at primary school and develop basic numeracy skills, then they will struggle to keep up at secondary school and before you know it, their morale suffers and they start to conclude that school is not for them. I have also seen some good work in our secondary schools including a project at Pool Academy where year 7 and 8 children new to the school help mentor children from local primary schools who are about to start secondary school.
Although I don’t have much time anymore to sit down and read a good book I want to make sure our libraries and our education system allow children to do just that. Developing an ability to read well is a crucial stepping stone in a child's education and libraries have a vital role to play.
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.
Jim Walters, the senior Librarian, took me through the users of the service and what books people are reading at the moment. Those above sixty probably form the most regular customers and especially utilise the internet facilities, whilst I was also interested to learn that crime and detective authors remain the most sought after.
However I was also really heartened to hear that primary school children are amongst the highest users. This is because various schools are involved in a government led reading competition which encourages students between the ages of seven and twelve to read a book a week. The schools work with county libraries on this and in Cornwall the scheme is flourishing. It is a great idea because alongside getting children reading it introduces them to the library. We have some fantastic libraries in Camborne, Redruth and Hayle and we need to make sure they are supported with the right funding but also that they are used regularly.
Reading is a vital part of a child’s education and in our area it is clear that schools and academies know this. Trevithick Primary School, which educates most of the children who live in Pengegon, places a strong emphasis on reading and literacy with one to one tuition outside the classroom where teachers develop the reading skills of individual pupils. I think this is so important because unless children learn to read and write at primary school and develop basic numeracy skills, then they will struggle to keep up at secondary school and before you know it, their morale suffers and they start to conclude that school is not for them. I have also seen some good work in our secondary schools including a project at Pool Academy where year 7 and 8 children new to the school help mentor children from local primary schools who are about to start secondary school.
Although I don’t have much time anymore to sit down and read a good book I want to make sure our libraries and our education system allow children to do just that. Developing an ability to read well is a crucial stepping stone in a child's education and libraries have a vital role to play.
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, 13 February 2014
DAWLISH
The huge storms that have battered the South West over the past couple of weeks have dominated our area and it is clear that the damage being left behind is going to take quite an operation to sort out. The exceptional weather has been relentless and first and foremost my sympathy goes out to all those affected. People have lost their homes and livelihoods and we need to make sure they can get their lives back on track as quickly as possible. Nowhere is the evidence of the scale of the destruction more obvious than the images of the hanging railway at Dawlish which has cut off Cornwall and much of Devon from any train route to London.
The facts at Dawlish make stark reading. To repair the damage along the 80 metre stretch of sea wall will cost an estimated £30 million. Not only is it a huge expense but Council Workers and the Environment Agency are giving estimates of at least six weeks for the line to be up and running again. This is so frustrating for all rail passengers and especially commuters who are now having to change the way they are getting in and out of work. It is an absolutely vital link for our overall economy and every day the line is down loses money for Cornwall.
The main question is what now needs to be done to make sure this doesn’t happen again and what should we expect in the future. In the short term we need to repair the line as it now stands and the immediate wall. This is difficult because of the ongoing weather but repairs have already started and it will at the very least mean services can start running again.
We then need to look into what else we can do. I think a defensive wall further out could help break the waves and act as an important initial check in future bad weather. We should also look at the possibility of a diversionary route in case of further bad weather. Network Rail is already looking into this option via Okehampton and I will be interested to read their conclusions.
These are good ideas but we also need to make sure that whatever is done is not a knee-jerk reaction despite the current situation. I want to make journey times to Cornwall shorter and any changes further up the line need to make sure that happens. As a regular on the sleeper myself I also know how important that service is and current plans for its upgrade, including two new carriages, should still go-ahead. I will be doing my best to make sure that our railway also gets the investment it needs.
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.
The facts at Dawlish make stark reading. To repair the damage along the 80 metre stretch of sea wall will cost an estimated £30 million. Not only is it a huge expense but Council Workers and the Environment Agency are giving estimates of at least six weeks for the line to be up and running again. This is so frustrating for all rail passengers and especially commuters who are now having to change the way they are getting in and out of work. It is an absolutely vital link for our overall economy and every day the line is down loses money for Cornwall.
The main question is what now needs to be done to make sure this doesn’t happen again and what should we expect in the future. In the short term we need to repair the line as it now stands and the immediate wall. This is difficult because of the ongoing weather but repairs have already started and it will at the very least mean services can start running again.
We then need to look into what else we can do. I think a defensive wall further out could help break the waves and act as an important initial check in future bad weather. We should also look at the possibility of a diversionary route in case of further bad weather. Network Rail is already looking into this option via Okehampton and I will be interested to read their conclusions.
These are good ideas but we also need to make sure that whatever is done is not a knee-jerk reaction despite the current situation. I want to make journey times to Cornwall shorter and any changes further up the line need to make sure that happens. As a regular on the sleeper myself I also know how important that service is and current plans for its upgrade, including two new carriages, should still go-ahead. I will be doing my best to make sure that our railway also gets the investment it needs.
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, 10 February 2014
Shuttle Service
Last week brought the welcome news that a new shuttle boat service will be opening up for people wishing to travel between Hayle and St Ives. It will be running from April this year and throughout the summer it will be operating on a trial basis to gauge the feasibility of the project for the long term. I have been really pushing for such a scheme for the last couple of years and the organisers have kindly offered me a place on the first ride. I am really looking forward to it.
A new shuttle boat is a great idea because it will boost tourism and trade in both towns and provide a really unique and exciting way to travel between them. St Ives Rib Rides, who will be providing the service have worked together with the harbour authorities to get the project off the ground and whilst there are still the finer details to work out they have really shown some fantastic initiative. When I first looked into this I mentioned the potential of a Hovercraft, inspired by the Portsmouth hover-link to the Isle of Wight. Although the ribs that will be used may not be quite of the same scale they are far more manageable and already proven to be hugely popular. The holiday camps in Hayle have also been very supportive of the scheme and the availability of a shuttle service will add another attraction to their business.
Overall the shuttle boat is another step in the right direction of regenerating the area. The idea has already been floated that once construction on South Quay is complete the shuttle boat can operate from there. Plans for South Quay are already coming to life and construction is well underway. The shuttle boat could one day moor near the new supermarket that will create hundreds of local jobs but crucially not drag customers away from the town centre. It could also drop diners off near the new restaurant or indeed homeowners who have taken advantage of the affordable housing being planned. If visitors from St Ives then want to visit the many independent and older shops Hayle has to offer, they could use the planned footbridge between the Quay and the town and be there in less than five minutes.
The next couple of years will see many changes in Hayle.
It is not just in Hayle where major projects are underway. The new Camborne link road that will regenerate derelict land at Tuckingmill and boost business is making good progress. The Cornish Archive Centre at the site of the old brewery in Redruth will also deliver important local jobs and transform the area. These are the big projects that will kick start the revival of our towns but the many smaller initiatives like the shuttle boat service have a role to play too
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.
A new shuttle boat is a great idea because it will boost tourism and trade in both towns and provide a really unique and exciting way to travel between them. St Ives Rib Rides, who will be providing the service have worked together with the harbour authorities to get the project off the ground and whilst there are still the finer details to work out they have really shown some fantastic initiative. When I first looked into this I mentioned the potential of a Hovercraft, inspired by the Portsmouth hover-link to the Isle of Wight. Although the ribs that will be used may not be quite of the same scale they are far more manageable and already proven to be hugely popular. The holiday camps in Hayle have also been very supportive of the scheme and the availability of a shuttle service will add another attraction to their business.
Overall the shuttle boat is another step in the right direction of regenerating the area. The idea has already been floated that once construction on South Quay is complete the shuttle boat can operate from there. Plans for South Quay are already coming to life and construction is well underway. The shuttle boat could one day moor near the new supermarket that will create hundreds of local jobs but crucially not drag customers away from the town centre. It could also drop diners off near the new restaurant or indeed homeowners who have taken advantage of the affordable housing being planned. If visitors from St Ives then want to visit the many independent and older shops Hayle has to offer, they could use the planned footbridge between the Quay and the town and be there in less than five minutes.
The next couple of years will see many changes in Hayle.
It is not just in Hayle where major projects are underway. The new Camborne link road that will regenerate derelict land at Tuckingmill and boost business is making good progress. The Cornish Archive Centre at the site of the old brewery in Redruth will also deliver important local jobs and transform the area. These are the big projects that will kick start the revival of our towns but the many smaller initiatives like the shuttle boat service have a role to play too
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 January 2014
Superfast Broadband
I have always been enthusiastic about the potential for modern fibre optic infrastructure like Superfast Broadband to put Cornwall ahead of the pack and to help overcome some of the geographical challenges we face as a peninsula. Infrastructure today is not just about roads and rail (important though those are), it is also about digital connection. The way that many modern industries like computer software operate means that, if we get the fastest broadband speeds, we are ahead.
Cornwall has so much beauty that many entrepreneurs actually want to set up their business here provided they have the right infrastructure. A couple of months ago I visited Head-Forwards Software which is one of a number of new computer software companies that are bringing new jobs to this part of Cornwall. Evidence suggests that almost 90 percent of the economic benefits of investment in broadband flow to areas outside the South East and the Home Counties. That makes a change and it is why investment in digital infrastructure is one of the best regional policies you can have.
The project to install Superfast Broadband across Cornwall is moving to its final stages. By end of this year they hope to reach their target of 95% of businesses and homes connected. Much progress has been made with over 80% of Cornwall now having access to fibre broadband. This equates to 210,000 premises, 21,000 of which are businesses. By the end of the year, with enough fibre optic cable to circle the globe three times 95% of Cornwall will have access to superfast.
What makes the project even more innovative is that alongside the normal superfast broadband being installed there is a further roll out of an even more advanced system that gives people even greater speeds, known as fibre to the premises or FTTP. Cornwall is now home to half of all the households in the country that have this cutting edge technology which increases internet speeds by up to forty times what we now experience. That's worth repeating: half of all the homes in the UK that have fibre to the premises can be found in Cornwall.
This is really positive news, and whilst I know some people are concerned that their house or business is not yet covered it is reassuring that the vast majority will finally have access by the end of the year. For the last remaining 5% where it is too difficult, the provider is going to make sure they will still see a boost in speeds using alternative methods such as advanced copper wiring or satellite. It is important this is done properly because I want to see every home; even those in the most remote areas see a difference from this investment.
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 has so much beauty that many entrepreneurs actually want to set up their business here provided they have the right infrastructure. A couple of months ago I visited Head-Forwards Software which is one of a number of new computer software companies that are bringing new jobs to this part of Cornwall. Evidence suggests that almost 90 percent of the economic benefits of investment in broadband flow to areas outside the South East and the Home Counties. That makes a change and it is why investment in digital infrastructure is one of the best regional policies you can have.
The project to install Superfast Broadband across Cornwall is moving to its final stages. By end of this year they hope to reach their target of 95% of businesses and homes connected. Much progress has been made with over 80% of Cornwall now having access to fibre broadband. This equates to 210,000 premises, 21,000 of which are businesses. By the end of the year, with enough fibre optic cable to circle the globe three times 95% of Cornwall will have access to superfast.
What makes the project even more innovative is that alongside the normal superfast broadband being installed there is a further roll out of an even more advanced system that gives people even greater speeds, known as fibre to the premises or FTTP. Cornwall is now home to half of all the households in the country that have this cutting edge technology which increases internet speeds by up to forty times what we now experience. That's worth repeating: half of all the homes in the UK that have fibre to the premises can be found in Cornwall.
This is really positive news, and whilst I know some people are concerned that their house or business is not yet covered it is reassuring that the vast majority will finally have access by the end of the year. For the last remaining 5% where it is too difficult, the provider is going to make sure they will still see a boost in speeds using alternative methods such as advanced copper wiring or satellite. It is important this is done properly because I want to see every home; even those in the most remote areas see a difference from this investment.
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, 23 January 2014
THE MINIMUM WAGE
As each month goes by, there is growing evidence that the economy has turned a corner. Growth is predicted at 2.4 percent. There have been 400,000 new businesses created since 2010 and over 1 million new jobs. Unemployment is falling and now stands at its lowest rate since 2009. In Camborne and Redruth, unemployment is at 3.3%, lower than the national average.
One of the main priorities for the government has been to make work pay again. I have met too many people who say that if they work more than, say 16 hours a week, they lose more in benefits than they would gain in wages. We have to reform the benefits system so that it always pays to work longer hours. The new Universal Credit will have a tapered system so that you avoid sudden drops in benefit entitlements and by placing a cap on the maximum amount any one household can claim in benefits and reducing benefits like Housing Benefit, you increase the incentive to work.
However, the other side of the equation is trying to raise the income on those who are low paid and on the minimum wage. At the moment almost one and a half million people receive the minimum wage which is set at £6.31 per hour. Those who are at the lowest end of the pay spectrum have also had to grapple with the spiralling inflation left behind by the last Labour government. Inflation is now decreasing but the previously high rate has meant that even though there has been a strengthening of our national economy in real terms this hasn’t been allowed to really hit home and find its way into people’s pockets.
At the end of last week George Osborne said that it was time to consider increasing the national minimum wage because the returning strength to our economy means an increase can now be afforded. It's a difficult to get the balance right in a place like Cornwall. On the one hand, we know if we want to make work pay and help those on the minimum wage, we should be trying to increase the pay of those at the bottom. On the other hand we have a larger number of small businesses who are themselves struggling and we don't want to make it harder for them to take people on and create new jobs.
Both George Osborne and the Low Pay Commission, who advise the government on the minimum wage, have signalled that the rate should stand at £7 an hour which would be slightly above the rate of inflation and would see the wage return to its proper value before the recession hit. This will be a welcome boost in income for those on the minimum wage and should also increase the incentive to get off benefits and get into work.
One of the main priorities for the government has been to make work pay again. I have met too many people who say that if they work more than, say 16 hours a week, they lose more in benefits than they would gain in wages. We have to reform the benefits system so that it always pays to work longer hours. The new Universal Credit will have a tapered system so that you avoid sudden drops in benefit entitlements and by placing a cap on the maximum amount any one household can claim in benefits and reducing benefits like Housing Benefit, you increase the incentive to work.
However, the other side of the equation is trying to raise the income on those who are low paid and on the minimum wage. At the moment almost one and a half million people receive the minimum wage which is set at £6.31 per hour. Those who are at the lowest end of the pay spectrum have also had to grapple with the spiralling inflation left behind by the last Labour government. Inflation is now decreasing but the previously high rate has meant that even though there has been a strengthening of our national economy in real terms this hasn’t been allowed to really hit home and find its way into people’s pockets.
At the end of last week George Osborne said that it was time to consider increasing the national minimum wage because the returning strength to our economy means an increase can now be afforded. It's a difficult to get the balance right in a place like Cornwall. On the one hand, we know if we want to make work pay and help those on the minimum wage, we should be trying to increase the pay of those at the bottom. On the other hand we have a larger number of small businesses who are themselves struggling and we don't want to make it harder for them to take people on and create new jobs.
Both George Osborne and the Low Pay Commission, who advise the government on the minimum wage, have signalled that the rate should stand at £7 an hour which would be slightly above the rate of inflation and would see the wage return to its proper value before the recession hit. This will be a welcome boost in income for those on the minimum wage and should also increase the incentive to get off benefits and get into work.
Monday, 20 January 2014
Compassion and Charity in CPR
I have always hated the way some people talk down my home towns. Camborne, Redruth and Hayle have undoubtedly had their share of knocks in recent decades but this is also the part of Cornwall where the work gets done and where stuff gets made. There is real talent here, we can hold our own against any other urban centre in the country and we have an amazing industrial heritage to be proud of.
So I was very annoyed to read a recent article written for the Guardian newspaper by an academic who basically set out to trash our area and claim, extraordinarily, that there was a lack of small local charities. What makes it especially irritating is that I met the author, James Mumford, a year ago because he contacted me about his project. I gave him a whole list of excellent charitable organisations all doing their bit and encouraged him to see their work.
The community at Pengegon he cited is rightly proud of what has been achieved in recent years with antisocial behaviour down dramatically and a strong community spirit. I attended the community fun day last August organised by Claire Arymar and the atmosphere was great. Andy Richards, the local PCSO not only polices the area but runs football and basketball teams for younger residents in his spare time and he and the other members of the neighbourhood policing team have become highly respected.
If he had taken my advice, the author could have visited groups like Home Start, where volunteers offer practical support in the home for struggling parents. He could have visited WILD which supports girls trying to cope with the responsibilities of motherhood. He could have visited Young Mums Will Achieve which raises aspiration among single mothers. He could have visited charities like CN4C, the Redruth North Partnership or the All Saints Community Centre at Tuckingmill which each in turn host many vibrant social enterprises and charities on the front line. He could have visited some of the food banks run by volunteers from our churches. He could have visited great charities like Penhaligon's Friends where volunteers support children who have suffered bereavement. Or he could have visited small youth groups like Searchlight where he would find local children, who haven't got much for themselves, regularly donating some of their modest pocket money to help less fortunate children in developing countries. This part of Cornwall doesn't need lectures on charity.
As for his comments about our schools, I have visited over thirty schools in the Camborne and Redruth area in the last couple of years. Many have opted to become academies and standards are rising with interventions to ensure primary school children learn to read and write and with new school uniforms and a renewed focus on maths, science and languages in all our secondary schools. We can be proud of our schools and the next generation coming through.
The main argument of the article was that small charities have an important role to play in helping to get communities back on their feet. I don't disagree with that. However, there is another factor that holds some parts of the country back: low self esteem. I want to see our towns get their confidence back because we can beat the best of the rest and what we don’t need are people only expressing defeatist and negative sentiments about our area.
So I was very annoyed to read a recent article written for the Guardian newspaper by an academic who basically set out to trash our area and claim, extraordinarily, that there was a lack of small local charities. What makes it especially irritating is that I met the author, James Mumford, a year ago because he contacted me about his project. I gave him a whole list of excellent charitable organisations all doing their bit and encouraged him to see their work.
The community at Pengegon he cited is rightly proud of what has been achieved in recent years with antisocial behaviour down dramatically and a strong community spirit. I attended the community fun day last August organised by Claire Arymar and the atmosphere was great. Andy Richards, the local PCSO not only polices the area but runs football and basketball teams for younger residents in his spare time and he and the other members of the neighbourhood policing team have become highly respected.
If he had taken my advice, the author could have visited groups like Home Start, where volunteers offer practical support in the home for struggling parents. He could have visited WILD which supports girls trying to cope with the responsibilities of motherhood. He could have visited Young Mums Will Achieve which raises aspiration among single mothers. He could have visited charities like CN4C, the Redruth North Partnership or the All Saints Community Centre at Tuckingmill which each in turn host many vibrant social enterprises and charities on the front line. He could have visited some of the food banks run by volunteers from our churches. He could have visited great charities like Penhaligon's Friends where volunteers support children who have suffered bereavement. Or he could have visited small youth groups like Searchlight where he would find local children, who haven't got much for themselves, regularly donating some of their modest pocket money to help less fortunate children in developing countries. This part of Cornwall doesn't need lectures on charity.
As for his comments about our schools, I have visited over thirty schools in the Camborne and Redruth area in the last couple of years. Many have opted to become academies and standards are rising with interventions to ensure primary school children learn to read and write and with new school uniforms and a renewed focus on maths, science and languages in all our secondary schools. We can be proud of our schools and the next generation coming through.
The main argument of the article was that small charities have an important role to play in helping to get communities back on their feet. I don't disagree with that. However, there is another factor that holds some parts of the country back: low self esteem. I want to see our towns get their confidence back because we can beat the best of the rest and what we don’t need are people only expressing defeatist and negative sentiments about our area.
Monday, 13 January 2014
The Triple Lock
Over the weekend David Cameron made a really important pledge to continue the ‘triple lock’ protection for pensions if the Conservatives win the next election. This promise was one of the key Conservative manifesto commitments during the election almost three years ago and an election victory would mean it would continue to at least 2020. I think this pledge is really important because the idea is straightforward and because it offers huge peace of mind to people drawing pensions up and down the country and especially in Cornwall.
The ‘triple lock’ is simple. It ensures that state pension pay rises by whichever is higher out of inflation, wages or 2.5%. It also protects the state pension from variation in the economy, because it doesn’t attach payments in any way to average earnings which can fluctuate all the time. By April this year, the basic state pension will be £440 a year more than if it had been pegged to average earnings from 2011 onwards. That is a substantial amount and a huge help in what has been difficult economic times.
I think the ‘triple lock’ has been a success for the Government and this pledge offers some reassurance for those in retirement. Our pensioners are people who have contributed a huge amount to society and have been sensible in saving money for the future. After a life of hard work and supporting their families, they deserve a dignified old age without financial worry and a pension that provides some security for them. When I meet either groups of older people or individuals I am often reminded of how their pension offers a real lifeline and the capacity for independence which could otherwise be lost.
Some people are critical of the policy and say that pensioners should face cuts too but I think that ignores the fact that people have contributed all their lives. It is strange to criticise a protection for those who have already done their bit.
However, helping provide a little more security for pensioners doesn't negate the need for us to help the next generation too. In many ways it is a difficult time for school leavers who have to contribute more to their university education and young families who find it hard to raise the deposit to buy their first home. It is why schemes like the Help to Buy initiative to help people with their deposit are so important and why we must do more to encourage apprenticeships to give school leavers a good start. This weekend I will be attending the launch of a great initiative from Truro College that wants to encourage business to employ more apprentices throughout Cornwall and is just one example of the important steps being taken to support those just starting their working lives.
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.
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