CONTINUING my campaign to protect volunteer coastguards this week, I spoke out on ITV News about the emergency situation facing Coastguard Rescue Officers in North Cornwall.

Alongside Liberal Democrat colleagues in Parliament and on Cornwall Council, including Cllr James O'Keefe and Cllr Nicky Chopak, I have been pressing the government to seriously rethink proposals that could completely undermine recruitment and retention of these vital volunteers. In a coastal constituency like ours, coastguards play a really essential role in keeping local people and seasonal visitors safe. We just cannot afford to lose them.

Healthcare remains one of the biggest issues raised with me by constituents this week, and I once again highlighted Cornwall's serious dentistry crisis in Parliament, raising the shocking case of a constituent who still has to travel more than 500 miles round-trip up to Nottinghamshire for NHS dental treatment. Yet at the same time, Cornwall's Integrated Care Board (ICB) underspent its dentistry budget by £1.2 million last year. I have again called for answers, and am pushing for that money to be directly reinvested into expanding NHS dental provision here in Cornwall, where thousands of people continue to struggle to access routine care. I made this point loud and clear in Parliament, on behalf of all of the constituents stuck in limbo on the NHS dental waiting list, and will be following up with the ICB and Ministers imminently.

I’ve also been encouraging local carers to take part in the ongoing consultation on paid carers' leave and related employment rights. So many carers here in North Cornwall provide invaluable support to family members and loved ones, often while balancing work and other responsibilities. This can amount to such immense pressure on them, and it’s so important that their voices are heard. If you would like to take part in this consultation, you can find more details on how to do so by searching ‘Ben Maguire MP’ on Facebook to find my recent post on the topic, or by contacting my office directly via [email protected] and I’ll send you the web link.

This week I also held a constituency surgery in Bude, to take on important casework from constituents living in and around the town. I also spent some time speaking with residents during a doorstep surgery in St Columb Major, where people raised a wide range of concerns around housing, healthcare, SEND provision, local services, and cost of living pressures. Please note that I regularly hold these constituent surgeries (both in-person in towns and villages across North Cornwall, as well as over the phone) and if you would like to request an appointment you can do so by typing ‘bit.ly/surgeryBMMP’ into your web browser.

It was also a pleasure to welcome pupils from Wadebridge Primary Academy to Parliament last week. After touring the Palace of Westminster, the students joined me for a discussion about Parliament, my job as their MP, democracy, and public service.