This week the Chancellor delivered what will be the final budget ahead of the General Election. There were several items in the budget which people in North Cornwall asked for, including a freeze on fuel duty and a £500 million extension of the Household Support Fund. I was also pleased to see that National Insurance contributions for the self-employed will be reduced from 8% to 6%, a policy I have advocated for. The budget closed the Mortgage Interest Tax Relief loophole for holiday lets – something I have been campaigning to close since 2021, which is why I wrote to the Chancellor twice in the last year urging the Treasury to act. This is part of my plan to encourage more landlords to rent their properties long-term to local people, rather than as short-term lets to tourists. I’m very pleased that the Chancellor has listened and closed the loophole in the spring budget.
Cornwall’s MPs regularly meet with NHS and healthcare leaders, and this week my team raised several constituent cases with them along with items that concern the wider North Cornwall public. I appreciate the hard work that our NHS does on our behalf, and it is good to be able to support our healthcare leaders improve the service. One of the cases that we raised with them was the issue of discharge from Derriford into Cornwall’s care system. Catchment areas for health services do not always match up to local authority boundaries or political constituencies, and this is the case for many people in North and East Cornwall who use Derriford Hospital in Plymouth. The NHS has agreed to investigate the cases we provided to ensure that communication between the different areas is strengthened.
It’s always a shame when St Piran’s Day falls on a day when I am in Westminster, but that doesn’t stop my MP colleagues and I bringing the festival spirit to London. This year we hosted a celebration of Cornish produce in Parliament - The Taste of Cornwall. Two producers were welcomed into Parliament from each constituency; I nominated Cornish Charcuterie from the Norton Barton Artisan Food Village near Bude, and Tarquin's Gin from down Padstow. We had a get together after votes for a sing song with Cornish colleagues, the Cornish diaspora, and other invited guests. Thank you to Richard, Fionagh, Chris and Tarquin for their generosity and for making the journey up to London and thank you to everyone who helped organise the event.
If you require my help with anything, including benefits, the NHS, or cost of living support, please get in touch. I also hold regular advice surgeries across North Cornwall, over the phone and online to book in please contact me via [email protected] or 01208 74337.
I am currently running a survey on my website to find out your views and priorities for North Cornwall. If you would like to take part, please visit https://www.scottmann.org.uk/tell-me-your-views. Paper copies of the survey can be made available on request by telephoning 01208 74337.
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