Last week I was asked by the regular Chairman of Parliament’s Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, Sir Robert Goodwill MP, to chair the meeting which quizzed the government on the UK’s latest fishing negotiations.  

The Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries, Rt Hon Mark Spencer MP, answered questions about the impact on UK fishers of the outcome of the latest international fisheries negotiations.  Since becoming an independent coastal state following Brexit, the UK now holds a series of annual negotiations with coastal neighbours including the European Union and Norway that determine the quotas for each fish stock that UK fishers are allowed to catch.  

It was a wide subject matter from the total allowable catches to funding and competing uses for the sea.

On Tuesday I attended a meeting organised by GWR to hear about the challenges that the rail industry is facing in our area.  During the meeting I asked about the footbridge for Lostwithiel.  I was pleased to get the assurance that the bridge is in the design stage and that they are hopeful that installation will begin at the end of April.

Later on Tuesday I met with Babcock, a company that many constituents work for.  According to Babcock their contribution to our economy in the South West includes £1.1 billion and supports 19,400 jobs.  I would like to thank Babcock for their investment in our area.

Last week I also chaired two important debates in Westminster Hall.  The first debate discussed the future of the Parole Board which was led by Labour MP Graham Stringer.  

The second debate was on the methodologies for setting total allowable catches for data-limited stocks in fisheries negotiations and was led by my Cornish colleague and former Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs Secretary of State George Eustice MP.  

I would like to thank George for raising this important matter.  I also heard from George that he does not plan to stand at the next election so that he can change career.  

I would like to wish the very best in whatever he does and thank him for his public service. 

I was really pleased to get confirmation last week that two contracts, with a combined value of £36 million, have this week been signed with Cornish broadband supplier, Wildanet, to deliver lightning-fast broadband to around 19,250 rural premises across the county. 

I have been working with Liskeard based Wildanet for some time and it was a real pleasure to open their new headquarters with my Cornish colleague Scott Mann MP.  Not only with this mean jobs for constituents but hopefully will mean better connectivity in the west of my constituency.  

Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Simon Baynes MP confirmed to me that, “By improving connectivity in some of the hardest to reach parts of the country, we hope that your residents will have a future-proof internet connection that allows them to start a business, stay in touch with family and friends, and access all the opportunities that technology offers them without being disadvantaged by a rural location.  

Our announcement follows the publication of BDUK’s autumn update on Project Gigabit, which highlights that the UK has now reached 72% gigabit capable coverage, up from 6% in January 2019. This means we are on track to reach our commitment to 85% gigabit capable connectivity by the end of 2025 so that our country benefits from world-class digital infrastructure.”  

I will of course continue to champion those that do not have fast enough broadband and will look for future funding to achieve this.