THIS week I continued to push hard on the rising cost of heating oil and LPG, which is affecting thousands of households here in North Cornwall.

I welcomed the government’s announcement of £53-million in emergency support, which shows that sustained pressure is beginning to have an effect.

However, I remain clear that this support must come much sooner than planned, as the families I’ve spoken to need help NOW, not weeks down the line. With almost 27,000 households in North Cornwall off the mains gas grid, countless constituents here are completely exposed to global price shocks following Trump’s illegal war against Iran. I have also written urgently to the Chancellor calling for a three month zero rating of VAT on heating oil, an expansion of the Rural Fuel Duty Relief scheme, and the introduction of a price protection mechanism similar to the energy price cap.

Alongside this, I led a really important debate in Parliament on behalf of countless domestic abuse survivors here in North Cornwall, where I pointed out the very real barriers many face when trying to access justice. I shared the case of one constituent here who, after fleeing abuse, now faces an incredibly difficult legal situation with limited access to support. Too often, survivors are locked out of legal aid because they fall just above strict thresholds, despite living in extremely vulnerable circumstances. Following the debate, I have formally launched a petition calling for urgent reform of the legal aid means test, working closely with charities such as Women’s Aid and Surviving Economic Abuse. If you would like to sign the petition, please check my Facebook (just search for ‘Ben Maguire MP’) and click the link to add your name. I then also followed up directly with the Solicitor General in the House of Commons this week, to press for a meeting with justice ministers so we can drive forward real change for survivors. These vulnerable people must never be denied justice because of an outdated and unfair system.

On a separate issue, I have been encouraging constituents to take part in a new consultation on the impact of social media on children’s wellbeing. There is growing evidence that harmful content and algorithms are affecting young people, and it is vital that parents, teachers and young people themselves have their say on proposals such as raising the minimum age and strengthening protections. Please do take part by searching ‘online world consultation’ (using Google, for example) to have your say.

It was also a pleasure this week to welcome pupils from Egloskerry Primary School and Altarnun Primary School to Parliament, shortly before I travelled back down to the constituency. We had a fantastic Q&A session covering a wide range of topics, and the pupils were really switched on with their questions - asking about sewage and environmental protection, to food and farming. It’s always so inspiring to hear directly from young Cornish people about the issues that matter most to them, and I want to thank both schools for making the long trip up.