2021 NFU Conference

This week I spoke at the annual NFU conference, which, like all such events was held virtually this year.  It has been a mixed year for farming.  Floods a year ago made it difficult to get on the land to sow crops and dry weather in parts of the country led to low yields.  However, other sectors are performing really well.  Lamb prices are running at record highs and the beef sector has seen a strong recovery over the last year.  Although there was a bit of a blip around the start of the pandemic, diary prices have also remained stable and farm incomes in many areas have seen a boost. 

In many ways, this has been a uniquely challenging year as the whole world has wrestled with the greatest public health challenge since the influenza pandemic of 1918.  At home, it has been a reminder that domestic food production makes up a critical component of our nation’s food security.  It has also been a year of some uncertainty as the UK re-established itself as a truly independent, self-governing nation for the first time in almost 50 years.  The negotiations on a future trading relationship with the EU were fraught, but we secured the tariff-free trade agreement we always sought, but with the freedom to make our own laws again and to chart a new direction for agriculture policy.

However, now that we have left the EU, we can face the future with some confidence. We are living through a moment of great change. We’re thinking through from first principles what a coherent policy actually looks like, and we are charting an orderly course towards it.  We are not wasting time.  I am a great believer that whatever you want to achieve in life, you should begin it now.

We have passed the landmark Agriculture Bill that signals a major shift in British agriculture policy toward a more efficient, user-friendly, and importantly, greener future. A vibrant farming industry needs to attract new talent and fresh thinking. We understand that new entrants can find it difficult to start a new business, in part because of strong competition and high prices for land. We will work with councils with ‘county farms’ estates as well as other landowners to create a scheme that will foster new opportunities and offer business mentoring to the next generation of farming entrepreneurs.

Our newly found freedom allows new payments and incentives that will reward farmers for farming more sustainably helping them contribute to our net-zero target by creating space for nature on their land, enhancing animal health and welfare, and reducing carbon emissions. We will continue to work closely with groups like the NFU and farmers themselves to help farming businesses become more productive and sustainable in the future as we recover from the pandemic.

My family have farmed in this part of Cornwall for six generations. The names of fields were passed from one generation to the next. Like all farmers, we knew our land and so I understand the responsibility that farmers feel to the hard work of previous generations and also their commitment to the future.  That is why I want to get our future policy right and to ensure that it delivers not just for the farmers of today but for the farmers of tomorrow too.

Progress of the Vaccine Rollout

Last Friday, I took part in a virtual visit to the vaccination site at Stithians Showground. I got to hear about the brilliant work that is being carried out there to help defeat the pandemic. In the last six weeks, we have made some fantastic progress with the rollout of the vaccine, over 16 million people nationally and about 150,000 in Cornwall with everyone playing their part.

As I write this, we have now vaccinated the first 4 groups set out by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) in December, which means almost everyone over the age of 70. We will now begin work on groups 5-9 working toward the target of vaccinating everyone over the age of 50 by the end of April.

While there has been some discussion about the priority the JCVI gave, we now know that the over-70s represent 88% of those most at risk of dying from Covid-19. Once we have vaccinated the groups 1-9 we will have hopefully eliminated 99% of all potential deaths in the future.

The roll-out of the vaccine is a key route for us out of lockdown and the pandemic. Next week the Prime Minister will announce the road-map for exiting from the lockdown. This is likely to begin on the 8th of March with the opening of schools. Young people have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic. Children in both primary schools and secondary have been separated from friends, those studying for exams have been disrupted and there will be some who have lost confidence, drifted away from friends or have insecurities exacerbated. That is why it is vital that we get schools open first and as soon as it is safe to do so.  Hopefully, this milestone marks an important point in our return to normality. After that, there is likely to be a gradual easing of other restrictions on retail and later on restaurants and pubs.

The last 12 months have been exceptionally challenging, but we have seen key workers from the NHS to food production and supply really step up. Over the next few weeks, we should begin to see the effect of the vaccine programme show results but we really want this to the last lockdown so we should be cautious as we take the restrictions off to make sure we don’t end up with a reversion back to high infection rates.

Importance of First Aid and Emergency Awareness

Recently, my office was made aware of the efforts of two young children from St Meriodoc’s Infant’s School who helped and supported their mother when their youngest sister had a severe allergic reaction to some medication.  Seren and Reece Pope had recently covered emergency awareness and how to help during a home learning session that the school had run so we're prepared and knew how to act, helping to keep the rest of the family calm while they waited for an ambulance to arrive.

In recent years there has been a growing number of cases involving food allergies.  There are thought to be around 1.5 million people in the country who are affected by such conditions.  It is a complex area and no one knows exactly why such allergies develop or why they are becoming more prevalent.  Such reactions are caused when the immune system becomes hypersensitive to a particular food or medication or, in some cases, a bee sting.  One theory is that the condition is genetic and that populations have evolved over tens of thousands of years to recognise natural substances in their local environment but because foods and are now moved around the world, the immune system is more likely to detect something it doesn’t recognise and therefore reacts to.  Other theories are that modern living may lead to a situation where the immune system becomes more sensitive in some cases.  More work is needed to understand the drivers of such allergies.

Last year I met the parents of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse who was just fifteen when she tragically lost her life on a flight from Heathrow after she had eaten a baguette that had sesame seeds on it and to which she had a severe allergic reaction.  The case prompted calls for a review of the law regarding the labelling of foods and Natasha’s parents have been leading work to improve understanding of allergies.  At the moment pre-packaged foods are required to label all of the ingredients in the pack but there has always been an exemption for sandwiches and foods prepared on-site.  There has been a growth in chains like Pret A Manger who increasingly prepare all of their sandwiches on site which means the risk has become greater because more products are on the market that is not required to have every ingredient fully labelled.  Food chains have gone a long way to try to address the problem with changes to their own systems but the government is also working on some changes to legislation to require labelling of ingredients in more scenarios to help those with allergies avoid the foods that cause a reaction.

We will shortly be issuing a consultation on some changes to the law.  It will not solve the problem that many people have to live with but it will be a step in the right direction and help those suffering from these conditions to avoid the products which prompt and allergic reaction. 

Carn Brea Railway Station

In a peninsula like Cornwall, as with many rural areas, there will always be challenges to building a really resilient public transport structure.  Despite the current lockdown we must continue to think about how we will improve local transport infrastructure once we emerge from the pandemic.  Some good progress has been made in recent years. The majority of people who use the railway in Cornwall continue to use public transport primarily for local journeys including students going to school or college, going to shops or, in normal times, to see friends and family.

Since I was elected, I have made clear that regeneration was my number one priority and this includes improving and renewing our public transport network. Since 2010, there have been improvements to the ‘Night Rivera’ Sleeper Service, signal upgrades so that there could be regular half-hourly services on the railway and the introduction of the new fleet of buses marking a step forward in the quality of our bus network. However, many communities still feel disconnected and more work is needed.

One area of possible improvement I believe would be very beneficial would be the reopening of the Carn Brea Railway Station in Pool. The station had been a stop on the Cornish Main Line since the 1800s, however, it closed in 1960s along with many other stations following the Beeching Reports.

I believe that the reopening the station would offer many benefits to the local community. Since the station closed in the 1960s, the local area has developed significantly. We have seen Pool transformed over the last few years with new businesses setting up at the Pool Innovation Centre, a makeover for the college and, of course, the completion of Heartlands which includes many new homes. In addition, the area around Pool has become something of a local retail hub with many travelling some distance to make use of the new shops and retails spaces, this all strengthens the case for a new train station at Carn Brea.

Like many people who grew up in this part of Cornwall, I have fond childhood memories of Carn Brea Leisure Centre. It has been an essential part of the local community for well over forty years. So I was very pleased when the refurbished swimming pool reopened in 2018 and this adds to the overall draw to the area and helps to further the argument for investment in a dedicated Pool Railway Station which would be a stone’s throw away.

From conversations with the local councillor, Phillip Desmond, and representatives of Cornwall Council, it is clear there is considerable local support for reopening the station at Carn Brea. As a result, I will be writing to my colleague Chris Heaton-Harris MP, Minister for Transport, in the next few weeks to apply for the 3rd round of the ‘Restoring your Railways’ ideas fund. If successful, this will mean new funding for Cornwall Council to carry out important feasibility work to identify benefits, possible problems and to explore sites where the station could be located. This would set an important foundation for the future development of this project and I will continue to encourage progress toward the goal of reopening of this important transport link.

Schools and Young People

One of the most difficult aspects of the current lockdown is the effect on children and young people.  The government really wanted to avoid having to close schools again, but in the end, the rapid growth in infections right across the country meant that there was no option. The new strain of the virus was more virulent and this would place intolerable pressure on our NHS.

Locally, our schools did an amazing job making sure that they could offer a safe environment during the autumn term.  Timetables were adjusted to try to reduce the disruption of students moving between classes and ending up in crowded corridors, with some putting more time between lessons so that teachers could move from one class to another more easily to reduce the movements of students.  Year groups were sometimes separated into different parts of the school and bubbles were created in individual forms.  

Our schools continue to do their utmost in these very difficult circumstances with most offering a full programme of online lessons.  It is crucial that education continues in any way it can but, of course, nothing can be a substitute for actually being able to physically attend school.  For those in year 11 or taking their A-levels, there is going to be another year where exams are disrupted, like last year and we need to ensure that the process for awarding grades is fair and takes account of the difficulties.  Universities are going to have to take a much more pragmatic and grounded approach to assess students who want to go to university rather than just lazily looking at hard grades as they normally would.

However, the closure of schools does not just have the obvious effects around disruption to exams and teaching.  It is much more profound than that.  Children in both primary schools and secondary have been separated from friends.  Children’s birthday parties can’t happen as they normally would and should.  School sports events are not happening.  We humans are social creatures.  Friendships and the company of others is important.  Forming those bonds and friendships is a really important part of growing up, whether it is in the formative early years as children start their first years as infants at primary school, or whether it is in those tricky teenage years as young people wrestle with all the insecurities and concerns that accompany that stage of life.

For all of these reasons, we must ensure that we do everything we can to get schools back as soon as we can.  As important, when they do return, we are going to have to pay special. attention to help all those children and young people who have been affected by the lockdown to get back on track.  It’s much more than just making sure they catch up on subject knowledge.  There will be some who have lost confidence, drifted away from friends or have insecurities exacerbated.  They are all going to need support to overcome the trauma of this episode.  For now, it falls to families and parents to do everything they can to provide a supportive home environment.

Celebrating Cornish Heritage: This week a new website launched called Cornwall Yesteryear, trying to spread positivity by highlighting how unique Cornwall is and how proud we should all be in our heritage, head to cornwallyesteryear.com to check it out. 

2021 G7 in Cornwall

Last weekend the Prime Minister announced that the 2021 G7 summit will be held at Carbis Bay in June. Some have asked, “why Cornwall?” But I say why not? Major summits like this don’t have to be all about London or Manchester. They are a chance to shine a light on some of the world-beating work going on in other parts of the country.  This will be a great chance for Cornwall to showcase its leading role in green energy, great food and our beautiful landscape.

The G7 is an annual summit of the world’s major democracies to discuss global challenges. It is made up of the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the US. The EU has also been invited. This year, Australia, India and South Korea have also been invited as guest countries. This is one of the highest-profile summits in the international calendar, bringing some of the world’s most powerful leaders together.

This year, as the holder of the Presidency, the UK will direct the agenda for the summit, choosing to focus on issues that will help the UK and the world build back better from coronavirus. There will be a lot of focus on international coordination to tackle pandemics learning from experiences in the current one and the environment and nature will also be prominent on the agenda. The G7 is an opportunity for the world’s most influential democracies to use our shared values and diplomatic might to create a more open and prosperous planet.  

Some have raised concerns about the numbers of people coming for the summit and whether this poses an increased risk from the virus. The numbers who attend the summit are quite limited being restricted to the seven world leaders and their support staff and the media who will cover it, but steps will be taken to ensure that it is Covid secure and, of course, we all hope that by June we will have turned the corner on this virus. As with all such events, wherever they are held in the world, there may be some protesters but this should not prevent democratic discussion about important issues like the environment from taking place.

Cornwall has a rich industrial heritage, in particular our area around Camborne and Redruth, leading to some of the most important inventions and discoveries that this country has made. We retain a distinct cultural identity, including our own customs and traditions, and are recognised as one of the six ‘Celtic nations’. While we are proud of our industrial heritage, today Cornwall leads the way in some of the green technologies of the future, bringing new jobs and investment to our region. For example, in Hayle, the Wave Hub project has diversified in recent years utilising its existing infrastructure for the deployment of Floating Offshore Wind. We are also world leaders in geothermal technology. Cornwall is also a natural source of lithium which is an important part of electric car battery production and there are numerous tentative projects in Cornwall to develop a new industry around this natural resource. 

As a leader in green innovation, Cornwall is an ideal location for global discussions on building back better from the coronavirus pandemic. A warm Cornish welcome awaits world leaders in June!

Access to Nature

One of the things that we have valued more during this pandemic is the ability to have access to the natural world and outdoor spaces. With all of the restrictions in place and three lockdowns which have required us to stay at home, the ability to get out and exercise, and form a connection with the natural world has been important.

There has been growing recognition and evidence over several years that access to the countryside and a connection with nature can have a really powerful role in our lives and improve our mental health and wellbeing. There are a number of projects that aim to help those suffering from some mental health conditions to get out and others that use outdoor spaces and nature as a teaching resource for children.

Last year the Government commissioned a review by Julian Glover into our various National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty to see how we could reform and improve the way we manage them to increase engagement and get more people to visit them. The Glover Review made many important recommendations. Our new Agriculture Act also recognises access as a policy objective and something where we can pay and reward farmers for improving access to the countryside. This can range from supporting educational visits to farms to investment that improves access for the disabled in some of our National Parks and AONBs.

The current network of National Parks and AONBs were established shortly after the Second World War. In both cases, they are afforded strengthened protection in law, with National Parks having their own planning authority and AONBs having a special designation within the planning system. The Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is quite unique in that it is a cluster of sites right across the county and including most of our coastline. In fact, at the time the area was almost designated as a National Park but the nature of the landscape and the uniqueness of Cornwall meant that it didn’t quite match the criteria for either designation so, in the end, we had a rather unique AONB. 

AONBs have for too long been something of the poor relation to National Parks in terms of the support and investment they receive and the attention given to them. One of the conclusions of the Glover Review into National Parks and AONBs is that we should seek to narrow the gap between them and that we should also do more to join up strategic oversight of the whole network nationally so that there can be more emphasis on building back nature and supporting nature’s recovery in these areas through national policy. 

Once this pandemic is over, we will have an opportunity through our new policies to do more both to increase and improve the number of people who access our beautiful countryside and to do more for nature’s recovery within these designated areas.

National Lockdown

This week the UK’s Chief Medical Officers have advised that if action is not taken the NHS may be overwhelmed within 21 days. As a result, the government has made the difficult decision to reimpose a national lockdown. 

We tried our best to avoid this outcome and, in particular, wanted to try to keep schools open.  Access to the school is incredibly important for the social confidence and education of young people. We recognise that this will mean it is not possible or fair for all exams to go ahead this summer as normal, so alternative arrangements will be put in place. We also know that these constant interruptions to life are deeply frustrating.  They are incredibly difficult for businesses like pubs, tourism and the hospitality industry.  However, there is now a new variant of Covid-19 that is between 50 and 70 per cent more transmissible – that means all of us are considerably more likely to catch the virus and pass it on.

In Cornwall, we started in tier one restrictions and levels remained at a relatively low level but like other parts of the South-West, the case numbers have been rising quickly recently. We are particularly vulnerable, as we have an older population and because we are at the end of the line, it is harder to share resources around the NHS so the capacity to deal with a surge in demand is more limited. It was vital we take swift and strong action in order to prevent our local health services being overcome by this new variant.

This lockdown will be very similar to that which we undertook back in March. We are all being asked to stay at home and only leave for essential purposes such as food shopping or for work.  We can leave the house for exercise once a day and support and childcare bubbles will remain in place.  Those who are able to work from home should but many in Cornwall will work in food retail or distribution, in factories or in trades like construction and are able to continue to work.

As part of the set of measures that the Prime Minister announced, the Chancellor has announced an extension of the economic support available. There will be one-off top up grants for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses worth up to £9,000 to help businesses through to the Spring. Additionally, there will be a £594 million discretionary fund also made available to support other impacted businesses. This comes in addition to £1.1 billion further discretionary grant funding in Local Support Grants worth up to £3,000 a month and extension of furlough and SEISS scheme through to April.

However, while this lockdown is similar to last year there is a major difference: the vaccine. We are rolling out the biggest logistical program in this country’s peacetime history. With the arrival of the UK’s own Oxford/Astra Zeneca vaccine, the pace at which vaccinations are taking place is accelerating. We have already vaccinated more people in the UK than the rest of Europe alone. By the middle of February, we realistically aim to have offered the first dose of the vaccine to everyone in the top 4 priority groups including everyone over the age of 70.

During the last 10 months, we have all looked out for each other and pulled together to support one another as a community. Our unique Cornish spirit has shone through, however, in the weeks ahead we all need to draw on this again and continue to support one another through these difficult times.

Happy New Year

The New Year has always been regarded as a time for hope and optimism. For some, it is a chance to turn over a new leaf, stop smoking or start exercising. For others, it’s a chance to take up a new hobby.  

2020 has been a particularly difficult year and one we will all be happy to turn the page on.  Let’s hope that 2021 is a better year and there are many reasons to be optimistic. Despite a deteriorating situation now, the vaccine for the Coronavirus is being rolled out which means that we should finally start to turn the corner by the Spring. We finish 2020 with an agreement for a future partnership with the EU which finally puts to bed a long-running saga stretching all the way back to 2016.   Compromises had to be made to reach a final conclusion but the agreement reached means we have free trade with the EU but without sacrificing our ability to make our own laws.

Since I was first elected, I have made clear that economic regeneration in Camborne, Redruth and Hayle was my number one priority. Our local towns were once at the heart of the industrial revolution and our expertise in mining engineering was second to none.

The work on Hayle Harbour at North Quay is progressing well with the first phase nearing completion and later phases should progress over the next 18 months or so. I grew up near Hayle and the regeneration of the harbour area has been talked about most of my lifetime. When the project is complete, it will transform the harbour area and will be a major boost to Hayle. It will be good to see the harbour area finally regenerated after decades of being overlooked.

In Redruth, the new Kresen Kernow Archive is an excellent start. Projects like Krowji and the work around the Butter Market also show just what is possible with some imagination, passion and local leadership and we now have funds to help facilitate further work. In recent weeks further funding of an additional £1.68m was announced, by Heritage England, to support the regeneration of the town, particularly focused around Fore Street.  Redruth has some incredible architecture particularly from the Victorian era and the new funds will help to restore some of this. 

Finally, in Camborne, plans to revitalise the town have been stepping up as the Towns Fund Board is continuing its work on a number of interesting ideas that are being talked about including the potential to redevelop the old bus station and breathe new life into the high street. Early in the New Year, decisions will start to be made about the final shape of our town’s bid to secure funds for regeneration.

2020 will certainly be a year to remember, but it has also brought out the best in people. We have seen key workers from the NHS to food production and supply really step up.   As we look forward, we should give thanks to those that have supported us over the last year and reflect back over how we can improve personally in 2021. I wish you all a very Happy New Year!

Christmas Message

As I write this column, Parliament has just broken up for the Christmas period and the final Christmas Cards have been sent, ready to catch the last post in order to make it before Christmas. This year, as in previous years, I enlisted the help of local primary schools in the area to design my Christmas card. As always, I was very impressed with the many talented artists we have in this part of Cornwall.

2020 has been an unexpectedly difficult year. However, while many have spent much of the year inside and unable to meet with friends or family, it has also brought out the best in people. We have seen how vital the brave frontline workers are to our country, particularly those working in the NHS who have been working tirelessly to protect lives and slow the spread of the virus.

Social distancing has made people value friendships and family connections as many had perhaps started to under-appreciate them, given the frantic pace of life in the modern world. People have also discovered a new connection with the natural world during the full lockdown as access to public spaces was just about all we had.

In an increasingly digital age, where a Facebook post or digital Christmas message has become the norm, it’s refreshing that the tradition of Christmas cards plays a vital role in keeping touch with old friends and family. Throughout life, there are always old friends who we are in danger of losing touch with. Sometimes because they have moved away, changed job or are preoccupied with other priorities. The annual Christmas card is often the final thread that prevents you from losing touch altogether, so time writing cards is time well spent.

We should also be looking ahead to 2021 and the chance to turn the corner in this pandemic and try to get back to life as normal. The UK was the first country to approve the Coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer. This is the culmination of months of rigorous clinical trials and is a brilliant reflection on the world-class scientists and clinicians that we have in the UK. In the months ahead we will be rolling this out to millions of people starting with those who are most vulnerable to the virus.

We should also see 2021 as an opportunity to press reset and build back better from the pandemic. For the first time in nearly 40 years, we will be an independent trading nation, abiding by laws set in our borders, not on the continent. 2021 will be a new start for the UK and I am confident we will seize that prospect readily. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year!

Brexit Update: End of the Transition Period

As I write this it remains unclear whether or not there will be a free trade agreement with the EU and the negotiations, that have been going on for months, hang in the balance.

It is important to remember that this is no longer about “Brexit”.  We left the European Union at the end of January.  We are no longer a member state.   It is also no longer about “no deal”.  There is already a Withdrawal Agreement that is in place and that resolved how border arrangements would work, protected the rights of UK citizens who were resident in the EU and vice versa and settled how remaining EU funding programmes would be treated.   Last week, discussions on the precise technical arrangements to make things work smoothly in Northern Ireland were finalised and agreed.  

After we left the EU in January, there was an 11 month “Transition Period” during which current trading arrangements remained in place and both parties agreed to discuss what tariffs there might be on goods that are traded from 2021 onwards.  The Government has always been clear that it is not asking the EU to agree on anything exceptional or unusual in such an agreement.  We simply seek an off-the-shelf free trade agreement similar to the one that the EU has with countries like Canada or South Korea.  This would enable us to cooperate on trade and reduce tariffs in both directions but, crucially, not compromise our ability to make our own laws in future.

The sticking points in the discussions all stem from the fact that the EU has been in denial about the fact that we are no longer a member state and that we are now an independent, sovereign country again. They are seeking to retain all the privileges they enjoyed while we were a member.   Therefore they continue to request the same fishing access rights to our waters when that is no longer possible under international law.  They have also been trying to get us to agree to align our regulations with theirs but the whole point of leaving the EU is to regain control of our own laws.

Many people are concerned that any “deal” will constrain us and some will be thinking we should just walk away without a further agreement and let tariffs be applied.  After all, the EU has more to lose from tariffs being applied than the UK because they are so dependent on access to our market to sell their goods.  It may well come to that and only time will tell.  However, the EU is our nearest neighbour and, although this is very frustrating, it is right to persevere for now to try to agree on future arrangements on trade.  Eventually, the EU will reconcile themselves to the fact that we have become an independent country again and, after years of fraught negotiations, we should seek to rekindle good relations with our neighbours when that time comes.

The Approval of the Vaccine

 Last week the UK became the first country to approve the Coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer and this week deployment of it began. Developing a successful vaccine has been the only way out of this difficult pandemic and a huge amount of work has gone into dozens of different candidate vaccines as the world has wrestled with this most difficult challenge.

The government accepted the recommendation from the Independent Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine for use. This is the culmination of months of rigorous clinical trials and is a brilliant reflection on the world-class scientists and clinicians that we have in the UK. The MHRA is confident that the vaccine has met its strict standards of safety, quality and effectiveness. 

It was clear from the outset that producing a safe and effective vaccine quickly would be a huge challenge. The reality is that most vaccine projects fail and vaccines usually take many years to discover and develop. But some big advances in vaccine technology emerged over the past decade and they have come right to the fore in this pandemic.

Time has been of the essence, but science cannot simply cut corners. It is a discipline that works only if it is rigorous, transparent, scrutinised by regulators, and its findings published and peer-reviewed. Everything from the laboratory work through to the clinical trials is pored over by independent experts in the regulatory agencies. The approval of this first vaccine is a huge breakthrough in our fight against this virus.

However, we cannot let our guard down yet. Keeping the infection rate low is vital because that's what will allow us to push the virus into the ground as quickly as possible once vaccinations begin. Back in September and October, the virus was spreading rapidly in all parts of the country. As a result, the government responded with new national restriction measures and this brought the R number down and the virus back under control. The newly revised tier system will help ensure we do not waste that success and keep the numbers down.

The vaccine will be rolled out in earnest over the next few weeks with the first doses arriving at hospitals and care homes across Cornwall this week. The priority will be to vaccinate those most at risk in our society, including care home residents, health and care staff, the elderly and the clinically extremely vulnerable, from there other age groups will be vaccinated in turn. The Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust is one of the 50 designated 'vaccine hubs' that will distribute the inoculations. Around 800,000 doses are expected to be delivered this week to hubs all over the country, with millions more in the coming weeks.

If we can keep the spread of the virus under the control over the next few weeks and months and remain cautious over the winter, then we can see light at the end of the tunnel and could turn the corner in Spring or early summer and finally get back to normal life again.

National Grief Week

This week is National Grief Awareness Week 2^nd to 8^th December.  Of course, we have got used to the growing number of “days” and “weeks” designated by campaign groups or charities seeking to raise awareness of their particular issues.  However, every single one of us, at some point in our lives, will lose someone close to us, so bereavement and grief affects us all.

 

Some experience grief instantly, others seem to cope but are then affected some years later. Some put on a brave face, others pour their heart out. But the first time anyone loses an immediate family member is often the hardest. There is never any shortage of well-intentioned advice about the need to 'move on' and 'get on with life' but that's not always helpful.

 

I remember an experienced volunteer at the Samaritans once telling me that losing someone close to you is a bit like losing a limb. You never really get over it but you do get used to it and can eventually learn to cope. Anniversaries of the date that a loved one was lost are often particularly difficult as can be family events like Christmas when the absence is felt more keenly.

 

In this current year, the measures that have had to be taken to control the Coronavirus have created new challenges.   Many will have lost loved ones this year, but the myriad of restrictions and limitations have left some feeling unable to come to terms with the loss.  It has been more difficult to visit loved ones in the hospital, funerals have been closed to all but the immediate family.   Families have not been able to reach out to relatives and friends for a much-needed hug and human connection, making the process more difficult than it already is.  Picking up the phone to those who have suffered a loss has never been more important and, when this pandemic is over, there will doubtless be many memorial services held in lieu of the funerals that could never fully be held so that we can properly remember those who were close to us.

 

The local charity, Penhaligons Friends, based in Redruth does fantastic work to support children and young people who have suffered a bereavement.  Learning to cope is every bit harder for teenagers who have a lot of emotional changes in their life as it is, and younger children who often struggle to understand why such a tragedy has happened to them and can often feel it might even be their fault and need reassurance. Penhaligon’s Friends is there for these children and teenagers. It has built up over 80 volunteers across Cornwall and, at any one time, will be helping and supporting hundreds of Cornish children. The charity runs some excellent support groups where young people going through the same grieving process can share their feelings and receive support. The volunteers have seen a lot of tragedy but, over the years, they have helped thousands of young people come to terms with what life has dealt them.

 

There are many other support groups available. At Heartlands, for instance, there is regular a grief café available and volunteers will be available locally to support you if you should need it. You can find more details by going to the Good Grief Trust’s website. SEE HERE

The Green Industrial Revolution

Last week the Prime Minister announced the Government’s new 10-point agenda for a green industrial revolution, setting out an ambitious plan for clean energy, transport and nature using innovative technologies. The Coronavirus Pandemic has led us to appreciate the difference nature makes to our lives. Now more than ever, we are reminded of the importance of looking after our natural environment. The Government is committed to placing the environment at the heart of national recovery as we build back better and greener from the pandemic. 

The plan will bring new investment in hydrogen, nuclear and wind power helping transform the national grid, ending reliance on fossil fuels. By 2030, the government will quadruple the amount of offshore wind power we are producing, enough to power every home and supporting up to 60,000 jobs. Cornwall will be a beneficiary of this particular part of the new plan, with the Celtic Sea offering the required depths to build the offshore wind towers. In Hayle, the Wave Hub project has diversified in recent years utilising its existing infrastructure for the deployment of Floating Offshore Wind. Placing the turbines out at sea helps to reduce the disruption and enhance their efficiency.

In addition to wind power, the government will expand the use of other clean energy sources such as hydrogen and nuclear power. Working with industry, the government is aiming to generate 5GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030, creating the first town heated entirely by hydrogen by the end of the decade. Advancing nuclear power as a clean energy source, including the development of small and advanced reactors, will allow the UK to become less reliant on fossil fuels for our energy supply. Last week I met a group of entrepreneurs working on plans to build a new sustainable commercial laundry powered by Hydrogen as well as a research facility to develop this technology. 

The new renewable sources of electricity will allow us to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles and revolutionise our transport infrastructure. To achieve this, we will invest £1.3 billion to accelerate the rollout of charging points and nearly £500 million in development and mass-scale production of electric vehicle batteries. Cornwall is a natural source of lithium which is an important part of electric car battery production. Cornish Lithium is prospecting for lithium within the hot springs that naturally occur beneath the surface in and around Cornish granites, including in South Crofty. This creates an exciting opportunity for Cornwall to be at the forefront of this transport revolution.

Since being elected, I have prioritised economic regeneration and green recovery.  Cornwall leads the way in some of the green technologies of the future, bringing new jobs and investment to Cornwall.  The UK has made great progress in de-carbonising our electricity generation with carbon emissions falling by about 40% as the technology around offshore wind was perfected and we are now starting to see the same happen in other areas.  Camborne, Redruth and Hayle have always had a rich industrial heritage leading to some of the most important inventions and discoveries that this country has made. Hopefully, this will continue as we create a cleaner and more resilient society over the next decade.

Cornwall with Simon Reeve

 The new BBC documentary on Cornwall by Simon Reeve which started this week is a thoughtful project which could bring to life some of the broader challenges and issues that Cornwall faces, but also to show the rest country some of our unique characteristics.  Beautiful though our coastline is, there is more to Cornwall than beaches and the programme has the opportunity to explore these.

Camborne featured quite heavily in the first episode with the charitable work of Don Gardner being rightly recognised and with a tour of South Crofty mine and the potential for it being reopened also explored.  My family have lived in this area for some 400 years and have lived through the changing fortunes of my home towns.  At the peak of the tin mining era, Redruth was one of the wealthiest towns in the country and you can still see today in the beautiful Victorian architecture around the town the legacy of that wealth.  In Camborne, Holmans developed into a world-beating engineering company exporting its technology around the world employing thousands.  It was still a major employer when I was growing up in the late 70s and early 80s and when it finally closed it was a blow to the fortunes of our town.  There were other successful local companies like the Tyacks Group, which my grandfather was involved with.  

The loss of Holmans was a bitter blow and did lead to some deprivation and initially high unemployment.  However, there has also been great resilience in our community.  Many of the apprentices who worked at Holmans went on to set up their own businesses.  Today we have some new, world-beating engineering firms like Large Diameter Drilling (LDD) at Tolvaddon and DP Engineering which continue the tradition of precision engineering and drilling technology while great local companies like Teagle continue to do well.  We have also seen a new computer software industry develop in a cluster around Pool with companies like BlueFruit and Headforwards Software growing exponentially and with the computer software sector now employing about 500 people on good salaries in our area.  We have a new Cornwall Archive on the site of the old Redruth Brewery and the regeneration of Hayle Harbour now fully underway and unemployment is actually below the national average.

In common with many other areas around the country, we have pockets of deprivation and we need to address that by continuing to increase the National Living Wage to help those on the lowest incomes, attract new industries and better-paid jobs and also support the excellent schools we have locally who at raising aspirations so that young people growing up in our area today can take those new jobs. 

However, while recognising some of the challenges we must not undermine the self-confidence of our area. Once again, Pengegon was singled out for coverage in the documentary. I remember Claire Arymar, a community co-ordinator in Pengegon, telling me those who lived there often felt patronised by people constantly going there to talk about poverty when actually they were a community who looked out for one another and had resilience; not everyone wanted to go to the beach, and it wasn’t always helpful to tell them they should. We have a history to be proud of and great ability and expertise still to draw upon, and it is very important that we instil the confidence in the next generation to fulfil their potential.

Remembrance Day

The current lockdown meant that we were not able to mark Remembrance Sunday in the way that we normally would.  While wreaths have been laid at memorials across the country, there have not been the usual services or parades.  However, on both Sunday and Wednesday, many people across Cornwall and the country will have paused to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedom.

This year is an important anniversary on multiple fronts.  It is the 75th Anniversary since the end of the Second World War, a conflict that had theatres in almost every continent and saw millions engaged in fighting. This year is also the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain where RAF pilots from all over the world fought to defend our island from an invasion. Many of the men who flew the Spitfires and Hurricanes were as young as 18 or 19 and showed tremendous bravery in such a critical battle that was the first big setback for Hitler and started to turn the tide of events.

The war with Japan is sometimes overlooked when people think of the Second World War but we should also remember all those who served in the Far East during the Second World War.   The jungle terrain meant that different tactics had to be deployed with troops often defending patches of territory in a box formation and supplied by air. The battles saw some of the most bitter, close-quarter fighting of the whole war.  There was also a lot of suffering among those captured and held in prisoner of war camps, particularly after the fall of Singapore.

This year our armed forces have been called on again to play their part helping communities deal with the Coronavirus pandemic.  They have helped run testing centres and have supported the supply of PPE all over Cornwall and the South-West and will be playing their part to support communities again over the winter.

This week there has been some encouraging news regarding the potential for one of the candidate vaccines being developed by Pfizer with another from Astra Zeneca not far behind.  It appears to give 90 percent protection and has been developed using some groundbreaking techniques.  The solution to the problems of this pandemic can only be finally resolved with a successful vaccine and this is showing light at the end of the tunnel.  If we can get the spread of the virus under the control over the next few weeks and then remain cautious over the winter, then as we head into the spring perhaps deep, owing a vaccine more widely we might finally start to see life return to normal.

The Return of Lockdown

We wanted to avoid a second lockdown and did everything we could to try different approaches with regional and local measures to contour, the spread of the virus.  However, in this country, as across much of Europe, the virus is accelerating.  Crucially, although the prevalence in places like Cornwall has been lower than other parts of the country, the infection rate has been growing exponentially, with new cases doubling within just a week.  The rate of growth in infections in Cornwall was one of the fastest in the country and the projections showed that left unchecked, Cornwall would be in a similar situation to some of the Northern cities by the end of the month.

In Cornwall, we also have an older population and because we are at the end of the line, it is harder to share resources around the NHS so the capacity to deal with a surge in demand is more limited.  If we failed to take action, then there was a real risk of the NHS being overwhelmed and of depriving non-Covid patients of the care that they need from the NHS. As a result, the Prime Minister has announced that we will return to a full national lockdown from Thursday until December.

This lockdown will be similar to the first in many ways, however, schools will remain open. The impact of closing schools on the mental health of young people and on their education and life chances means that we should do all we can to ensure that schools can remain open.  We tend to think about the impact of the virus on the older generation because they are more susceptible but the measures being taken to control it have an impact on younger people too.  It is important that they have access to social contact to develop their confidence.  The economic disruption caused by the last lockdown has affected many who started apprenticeships and left others more doubtful about their future careers.  For all these reasons we need to try to keep schools open.

As of Thursday, 5th November, all pubs, bars, restaurants and cafés will have to close unless for takeaway service. Non-essential shops, leisure, gyms and entertainment venues will also close. In response to the further impact this will have on businesses and livelihoods, the government is extending the furlough scheme until December to protect jobs and there is a further tranche of crisis grants available to help smaller businesses with their fixed costs. However, there is no doubt that a second lockdown will have a cumulative impact on the financial stress facing some businesses.

During the last nine months, we have all looked out for each other and pulled together to support one another as a community. Our unique Cornish spirit has shone through, however, in the weeks ahead we all need to draw on this again and continue to support one another through these difficult times.

My office will still be working hard to support people through this period. I am doing regular telephone surgeries to discuss issues with local residents. If you have an issue that you would like to discuss with myself or the team that supports me then please call 01209 713355 or email george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk.

Regenerating Redruth

Since I was first elected, I have always made clear that economic regeneration in Camborne, Redruth and Hayle was my number one priority. Our local towns were once at the heart of the industrial revolution and our expertise in mining engineering was second to none.

At the height of the tin mining era, Redruth was once one of the wealthiest towns in the land. As the tin mines closed, the fortunes of our local towns like Redruth fell behind other parts of the country but today there remains a legacy of that era with some fabulous and unique architecture in the town. All too often the political attention was on big northern cities, but now we have an opportunity to reset this imbalance and deliver the economic regeneration that our towns and communities need.

A fundamental issue for our part of Cornwall is economic regeneration and how we can make sure our towns get back on their feet and revive. The way people shop has gone through fundamental change and recent events will have accelerated some trends further. Thirty years ago we saw major destination retailers all start to congregate in Truro and towns like Camborne and Redruth lost out and some of the excellent independent department stores were lost. Now, shopping is moving online at great pace and that has left places like Truro in a very vulnerable position.

We therefore need to think about our towns differently in the future.  It may be that the 20th century model of retail taking over the town centre and residential being primarily on estates around the outskirts of town has run its course. We need to get better at making our town centres more of a mixed space for living and working and improving the public realm and streetscape. As more people opt to be self-employed and often make use of digital media to work from home, there is likely to be a change in what our towns are for in the decades ahead. 

In Redruth, the new Kresen Kernow Archive is an excellent start. Projects like Krowji and the work around the Butter Market also show just what is possible with some imagination, passion and local leadership and we now have funds to help facilitate further work. In recent weeks further funding of an additional £1.68m was announced, by Heritage England, to aid in the regeneration of the town. The scheme will focus around Fore Street, increasing its attractiveness to a wider range of residents and visitors and better exploiting its potential.

The COVID-19 pandemic has seen many high-streets all over the country suffer from a lack of footfall. When we turn the page on this terrible setback we need to think creatively about how to build back better and allow our town centres to find new purpose.

Sport and Community

When the pandemic is finally over, there will be some areas where people will be determined to return to life as it was before but there will be other areas where people will reflect and seek a change in the balance of their lives. Social distancing has made people value friendships and family connections as many had perhaps started to under-appreciate them, given the frantic pace of life in the modern world. People have also discovered a new connection with the natural world during the full lockdown as access to public spaces was just about all we had. 

One area where I think people are determined to see a return to life as it was before will be sports, and perhaps where we will see even more interest is in our many vibrant sports clubs locally. Groups from Cornwall Athletic Club to all our rugby, football and cricket clubs have seen a growth in membership in recent years and I hope this resumes. 

I recently met the dedicated volunteers of Troon Amateur Football Club, at Grouter Park. They are a fantastic example of a local community project that we can be proud of and have played an important role in our community for 50 years. Membership has grown significantly recently and they are engaging children and young people of all ages and abilities. They field three teams in the Cornwall disAbility League, eleven youth teams in the Kernow League, two senior teams and even a “walking football” team. They have worked incredibly hard on plans to build a new clubhouse and facilities at the site and have already secured some important pledges of support. This is a project that deserves backing.

Despite the old stereotype of the brainy children at school being the less sporty, there is a lot of evidence that physical activity and fitness can boost the performance of the brain. There has also been a concern in recent years about the growing problem of childhood obesity. The growth of electronic-games and computers means that some children are less active now than in the past and it requires a special focus on sports to try to counterbalance that development. Cornwall is blessed with a magnificent coastline allowing a whole range of sporting activities that are not realistic prospects in other parts of the country, from surfing to sailing and many others. At Stithians reservoir, we also have the best site in the UK for windsurfing. Everyone can find something that they enjoy or are good at, keeping themselves both mentally and physically healthy.

When I was growing up, my passion was running and I will never forget the volunteers at Cornwall Athletic Club who gave up their time to coach us, drive the minibus to competitions at the weekend and act as officials at all the events. Quite often, these volunteers started because their own children were interested in the sport, but once involved, they were committed and would often stay involved for many years after their children had moved on. Above all, it is volunteers today who keep all of our sports clubs going from rugby and football to cricket, swimming and dance.

Hayle

Last week I visited North Quay to see the current development that has been under construction since the summer and which is starting to take shape quickly. I grew up near Hayle and the regeneration of the harbour area has been talked about most of my lifetime. I can remember in the mid 1980s the attempt by Peter DeSavary to bring a project forward that didn’t get off the ground. In fact, one Hayle historian once showed me a book written around the time of the First World War that said “plans to develop Hayle Harbour have been delayed due to the war.” So perhaps it goes back even further!

There were then a couple more aborted attempts around the turn of the millennium before ING Bank of all people ended up the reluctant owners of the site as the result of one of their clients going in to administration. Progress on plans was then made. Having grown up around the history of false starts for Hayle, when I was first elected in 2010, the Hayle Harbour regeneration was one of the projects that I really applied my self to. I lobbied government to secure grants of around £5 million to improve the infrastructure to North Quay, put in the new bridge and to repair the harbour walls and raise levels to deal with flood risk. I spent many tortuous hours trying to broker an agreement between the local community, who wanted to project to move forward, and English Heritage, a government agency, which kept coming up with different objections.

We got there in the end and the ASDA supermarket was built on South Quay. It took a while for the design to grow on local people but it reflected the accommodation with Natural England and the architecture has now been recognised as a good example of what can be achieved on sites like this when people put their minds to it. ING then sold the rest of the site as they withdrew from the UK. The supermarket was only ever supposed to be the first stage of the regeneration. The final aim was to transform North Quay and have additional residential development and commercial property on South Quay. Sadly, in the past few years things have stalled again but that is now changing and work is underway.

The current first phase of the development along North Quay will be for high specification apartments. There will be around 150 in all and many of these have already been sold off plan. It is likely that the first residents will start to move in around Christmas and things will be well underway by next summer. Once again, the design of the buildings has been chosen to reflect the industrial legacy of the site to accommodate the views of Natural England. The North Quay area was the location of the local Hayle Power Station and an ICI factory and the view is that the buildings should have a nod to this past with an industrial or wharf side feel to the development.

Alongside some of the residential development, there will also be commercial space and restaurants within the development. There are also later phases planned above the Quay and around the fields at Riviera Farm. Initial ground work has already commenced and these later phases should progress over the next 18 monthsor so. When this project is complete, it will transform the harbour area and will be a major boost to Hayle. It will be good to see the harbour area finally regenerated after decades of being overlooked.