IT’S been another busy week for me here in the constituency and back up in Westminster, and I want to start by marking this year’s Back British Farming Day, which was a vital opportunity for me to champion the backbone of Cornwall’s rural economy.

British farmers put food on our tables, steward the land, and support tens of thousands of jobs across Cornwall and the UK. It’s time the government finally backed them. That’s why this week I wrote to the new Environment Secretary, calling for more parliamentary time to scrutinise DEFRA’s work. This department covers everything from food security and farming policy to biodiversity and climate adaptation, and yet receives less time for ‘oral questions’ sessions than all others. I’ve now asked for that to change, so I can properly raise the concerns I hear day in and day out from North Cornwall’s farming families.

At the same time, I also called for a fairer deal for farmers: scrapping the incredibly damaging Family Farm Tax, reinstating DEFRA support for Young Farmers' Clubs (which I know are very successful here in North Cornwall), and guaranteeing clear country-of-origin labelling so shoppers can buy British with confidence. Ministers must step up and stop neglecting rural Britain. Farmers and our rural communities deserve better, and I’ll keep pushing for it.

Another issue raised frequently by constituents is the scandal of pollution in our rivers and seas. Just a few weeks ago I held a protest with residents at Northcott Mouth Beach near Bude, demanding action from South West Water for years of sewage dumping. Ofwat has since confirmed a £24-million fine for the company. I’ve now called on Ministers to ensure every single penny is spent cleaning up Cornwall’s waterways, and not lost in Treasury spreadsheets to be spent elsewhere in the country. Our communities here in Cornwall deserve real investment in treatment works and urgent upgrades to stop sewage flooding into our natural environment.

On another front, education and SEND support continue to be a priority for me, and I’ve now shared the new Education Committee inquiry looking into early years services, access to childcare, and SEND provision. It’s of course an important issue, and one I’ve worked hard on since being elected as North Cornwall’s MP - including holding my SEND Summit in Bodmin last autumn. If you’re interested in getting involved, you can find the link to respond to the inquiry on my Facebook page: just search ‘Ben Maguire MP’. The deadline is 10th October, so make sure to submit before then.

I also took to the Commons chamber recently to raise the case of Launceston Primary School, where the developer went bust after failing to build the school in line with building regulations. The school had to be torn down and rebuilt, at huge cost to the taxpayer. That’s why I asked the Solicitor General what the Serious Fraud Office is doing about cases like these, and urged her to consider new legal powers to stop developers dodging their responsibilities and leaving communities in the lurch.