ONE of the most distressing issues I’ve continued to raise this week has been the collapse in NHS dentistry.

New figures I obtained via a Freedom of Information (FOI) request this week revealed that the number of children taken to A&E in Cornwall for urgent dental problems has nearly doubled since 2020. This is utterly unacceptable in 21st-century Britain. Our campaign (with the launch of our ‘North Cornwall Dental Action Group’) has gathered serious momentum, with thousands of local people here now backing my NHS dental petition, and with new partners coming forward to support the work of our Group.

Another issue where the government continues to fail is justice for WASPI women. Despite years of campaigning, ministers again confirmed recently that they will not offer compensation to those affected by the state pension age changes. I’ve spoken in debates, met many groups of campaigners in Parliament and in North Cornwall, and also raised case after case on behalf of local women caught up in this injustice. Make no mistake that our campaign is very, very strong, and it’s growing. I’ll be relentless on your behalf in continuing to press Ministers for fairness, recognition, and the proper compensation.

I had the pleasure recently to chair the first evidence session of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Dairy, kickstarting our brand new inquiry into the vital industry. With North Cornwall home to hundreds of dairy farms and farming families, it’s so important to me that their voices are properly heard. As a group of experts, MPs, Peers, and others, we discussed everything from falling milk prices and sustainability barriers to tax incentives and planning reform. Many farmers feel the weight of constant pressures piling up (with more regulation, red tape, and energy costs) and feeling like they’ve next to no support. What we heard loud and clear from them is that the Government needs to ‘join up the dots’, provide upfront investment for farming sustainability, and stop making it harder for family farms to survive.

On a separate note, I am very pleased to have secured the long-promised meeting with the Water Minister that I’ve mentioned in weeks gone by. It’s certainly a forward after months of delay and shocking inaction from South West Water and its water bosses. We need urgent solutions to tackle the sheer volume of sewage being dumped on our beaches, especially with all this rainfall we’ve seen recently, which has been harming public health and damaging our coastal economy. I’ll be pushing the Minister hard for much firmer enforcement, proper transparency on sewage dump volumes, and penalties that actually deter bad behaviour.

Finally, I’ve been working on estate management reform recently, after hearing from dozens of constituents facing sky-high fees, poor service, and a complete lack of accountability. Two government consultations are now open, and will close on March 12. If you’ve experienced issues with FirstPort or similar companies, I strongly urge you to take part and help shape the outcome - you can find the links on my Facebook page.