Last Thursday, 28 January I was joined by Richard Benyon MP, Shadow Minister for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Julie Girling MEP on a visit to Newlyn.
Many livelihoods depend on Cornwall's fishing industry, yet it is an industry in need of urgent effective action. Fishermen must be given far greater control over the future of their industry and fast. Richard Benyon MP understands this. His willingness to listen to the industry and his common sense approach will help to secure the future of Newlyn as a fishing community

I want to see Newlyn's fishing industry survive for future generations and I will do all I can to improve the prospect and opportunity of a career in the fishing industry for local youngsters.

I am confident that under a Conservative Government with Richard Benyon as our advocate Cornwall's fishing industry can go from strength to strength. The key to this is giving power back to the industry. As for me, I will be working with local fishermen and Truro and Penwith College to raise the profile of employment in fishing amongst our school leavers.

Julie Girling MEP was able to stay for a briefing regarding the Route Partnership Proposal to develop Penzance and St Mary's Harbour and provide a new ship for the lifeline link to the Isles of Scilly from Penzance. Julie will use her influence to maximise EU funding to safeguard our economy and jobs in Penzance. This is very welcome.

Cornwall: A Better Place to do Business
Mark Prisk MP set out clear commitments to representatives of St Ives businesses at a breakfast organised by myself recently. The event, held at the Carbis Bay Hotel, brought together over 30 people from the business sector to hear Conservative plans to make Cornwall a better place to do business. Mark Prisk told the meeting that a future Conservative Government would:
• Establish a temporary National Loans Guarantee Scheme to get credit flowing again and help protect jobs
• Allow struggling firms to defer their VAT bills for up to six months
• Cut small firms' payroll taxes
• Help companies with the costs of hiring new staff by giving tax breaks for new jobs
Mark Prisk MP said “Under Labour, business has become increasingly burdened by corporate taxes, red tape and the lack of enterprise leadership in government. As a result, we are falling down the global scale of economic competitiveness.”
He continued “We would ensure Britain is one of the most competitive economies in which to do business in the future by cutting the main rate of corporation tax, cancelling Labour's planned increase in the small companies tax rate, and cutting the rate instead and reducing the burden of regulation to give businesses more freedom and greater flexibility.”
For me business is a key priority. I recognise the huge contribution business makes to West Cornwall. Many people in West Cornwall run their own company or work in a small business. I am confident that our plans will enable these businesses to flourish.

Picture: speaking to business leaders in St Ives with Mark Prisk MP, Shadow Minister for Business and Enterprise.
Note: Further commitments of the Conservative Party to help business:
• Simplify employment law to make it easier to hire people
• Improve skills training and apprenticeships
• Reform the Regional Development Agencies to create a vibrant, business-focused force
• Strength UK Trade and Investment to give British business a powerful voice abroad
• Increase government procurement from small firms

Ann Widdecombe MP and I took centre stage at an event held at the home of Sir John and Lady Nott on Saturday evening. The event, packed with local people hoping for the return of a Conservative MP for St Ives, was in honour of Cllr Doe Harry, President of St Ives Conservatives.
Miss Widdecombe MP and I acknowledged the huge task ahead of both winning the General Election and then putting the Nation’s finances in order.
Anne Widdecombe is a very popular MP because she has always stood firm to her beliefs and never been afraid to speak the truth. Our nation needs more politicians like Miss Widdicombe, politicians you can trust!

Picture: Cllr Doe Harry with Ann Widdecombe MP and myself

Housing needs will be met through local action, not talk

At a recent meeting with Grant Shapps, the Shadow Housing Minister, we discussed our proposals to give residents of communities the power to grant planning permission to build affordable houses for local people. He was very interested in the unique problems that West Cornwall has and said that his solutions could help us a great deal.

A number of villages across West Cornwall are suffering from a lack of year round residents. No-one wants villages which only thrive in the holiday season, Cornwall needs active communities and local families need homes. Rather than merely attack those who have second homes in these communities, I want to be able to provide alternatives for local families to tackle the acute shortage of ‘local-need’ homes. In our recent meeting, Grant Shapps outlined sensible and sustainable solutions for Cornwall's communities.

West Cornwall has one of the highest proportions of second homes in the UK; in some Parishes around 20% of houses are second homes. The National Housing Federation’s “South West Home Truths’ Report released last week, shows that the average Cornish house is now 12.4 times the average Cornish income.

Under plans to be outlined by Grant Shapps in the Communities Green Paper later this month, local communities will be given the power to hold parish-level referenda to decide whether to increase the size of their village. Under the proposals, community groups would be able to bypass councils and organise their own construction programmes. Villages could expand by up to 10% over 10 years and there would be financial incentives to encourage more building.

If there is overwhelming support for housebuilding, they will be able to go ahead. “Lack of affordable housing in areas like West Cornwall is a real problem, forcing people out of the places where they have grown up,” said Grant Shapps MP. “Under our plans, Cornish communities can really be in charge of their own destiny.” Grant added that alternative ideas, such as heavy taxes on second homes, were the “wrong approach”.

This is an excellent idea to provide local families with homes in West Cornwall. Rather than merely talking about a problem, the Conservative Party are providing sensible solutions, decided at local level, to meet local needs. I am looking forward to working with Grant to establish a plan of action to tackle the acute shortage of local homes in West Cornwall.

"Cornwall's economic revival will be a top priority" says Shadow Chancellor

George Osborne has pledged to make the revival of the Cornish economy a priority if the Conservatives win the next General Election. George gave me this commitment at a recent meeting.

George said: "For a decade Cornwall has been neglected by the Labour Government in London and now Cornwall has suffered disproportionately for the Government's economic mismanagement. Cornwall will be amongst our highest priorities and I look forward to working with Derek and all of Cornwall's new Conservative MPs after the General Election."

The interest George Osborne has demonstrated in West Cornwall's problems reassures me that the challenges we face in Cornwall will be addressed if Mr Osborne becomes Chancellor. The Government have neglected West Cornwall. We know that hidden costs in West Cornwall means that our cost of living is artificially high and this is exacerbated by expensive housing, remote rural communities and a poor transport infrastructure. Cornwall's special needs are being recognised by the most senior figures in the Conservative Shadow Cabinet.

I’m also very pleased that the Shadow Chancellor said that he looked forward to coming to the St. Ives Constituency to campaign for me, ahead of next year's General Election.

Post Office Campaign Victory for West Cornwall!

After a campaign by Cllr Roger Harding and myself and thanks to our Conservative leadership within Cornwall Council we have been able to increase the options available for paying Council Tax.
Until now former Penwith council tax payers were charged an additional £2.40 Transcash fee for each payment when paying via the Post Office despite the fact that council tax payers elsewhere in Cornwall were able to pay free of charge.
From September 1st (next week) council tax payers in Penwith will be able to pay their Council Tax at their local Post office at no extra cost.

Elderly people in particular find it convenient to pay their council tax at the post office and many other people would like to support their post office without being penalised in this way. Post offices are still under pressure and this is one thing we can do to help them
Council Tax payments can be made at the Post Office with no additional fee from September 1st by means of a Paypoint Card. These can be obtained from Cornwall Council free of charge.

As Conservatives we are committed to increasing the role of post office branches and this new service helps to make our rural branches in particular more sustainable. However, there is room for improvement with the Paypoint card scheme. It can take up to three weeks for your payment to be processed and by that time many people have received reminders from Cornwall Council. I have spoken with Cornwall Council to see if this can be resolved as this has the potential of discouraging people from paying via the post office. We must do all we can to support our local post office

Parliamentary Expenses: MY PLEDGE TO YOU

Ever since the details of MPs expenses were first published, people have been furious about the excessive, unacceptable and possibly illegal claims made by some of the people we send to represent us in the House of Commons.

I can understand people feeling like that - MPs from all parties have abused the trust we placed in them.

As your local Conservative Candidate I want to make it clear to you that I will not play the system.
I will not bend the rules.
I will not break the law.
Instead, I will abide by the standards that politicians expect others to live by.

My commitment to you:
I, Derek Thomas, the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for the St Ives Constituency, promise to:

1. Publish on my personal website details of all my personal and office expenses incurred as your Member of Parliament.

2. Open up my unedited expense claims to local newspapers at the end of every financial year.

3. Never claim for food.

4. Pay for my own laundry and dry-cleaning.

5. Never claim for furniture or household goods: and

6. Meet my own tax liabilities – such as stamp duty – without claiming them from the tax-payer.

7. Hold regular public meetings where constituents can question me about my performance, my voting record and my expenses.

I am standing to be an MP because, as a local resident and father of two young children, I want to make St Ives a better place to live. I hope these commitments convince you that if you place your trust in me I will not abuse it. Let me know what you think of what David Cameron and I are proposing - and what else we could do to restore your trust.

Shadow Health Secretary backs independence for West Cornwall Hospitals

I recently had lunch with Andrew Lansley MP, the Shadow Secretary of State for Health and senior health professionals I have got to know. Andrew Lansley expressed his concern following the very public unrest regarding the shift of cancer services from Cornwall and changes to the senior management team at Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust (RCHT).

I invited Dr Francis Old and Bob Boyce, (both members of the West Cornwall Commissioning Group) to have lunch with Andrew Lansley because they have been influential in promoting much better methods for commissioning and delivering health services close to home. Dr. Old and Bob Boyce spoke of the frustrations caused by a top-down approach to commissioning healthcare in West Cornwall. Dr Old used this unique opportunity to stress that an incoming government must listen to local GPs if they want to deliver healthcare as ‘close to home as possible’. It was agreed that real budgets must be devolved to the local level so that health professionals who are in constant contact with their patients can decide for themselves what and how healthcare is commissioned. Resource allocation in Cornwall can then take into account local needs,particularly meeting the healthcare needs of an increasingly ageing population.

Our priority is to provide people with the right treatment in the right place and at the right time. This will only be achieved if we maintain a dialogue with our GPs. They are the experts on the ground and I want to see Cornish GPs given power to shape local services. This is far more effective than the current top-down approach

Andrew and I then went on to meet with Martin Watts, Chairman and Peter Colclough, the Acting Chief Executive of RCHT. They told us that for the first time ever, the RCHT has begun to prepare a 5-10 year strategy for the Hospitals Trust which should be completed by 31st October 2009. The publication of the plan should provide much needed clarity following years of disruption and unrest within the Trust. This strategy includes the plan to carry out a further 500 operations at West Cornwall Hospital along with increasing other services. Mr Watts and Mr Colclough confirmed their determination to put RCHT on a sound footing so that it could apply for Foundation status. Andrew Lansley is committed to seucring Foundation Hospital Status for Trusts such as RCHT, saying that this is the only way to give local people an effective voice regarding local health care delivery.

There is a significant need to restore confidence in the Hospitals Trust. Good work is being done to improve services however the senior managers said it would take 24 months before the public would experience the true benefit of many of the plans in place. The greatest opportunity facing us in West Cornwall is the proposal to achieve Foundation Status. This will give you and I a real say in how healthcare is delivered. Every effort must be made to this end.

Andrew Lansley has made a number of visits to Cornwall since being made Shadow Secretary of State for Health. Cornwall presents unique challenges to modern health provision due to its rural nature and thinly-spread population.

European Union to scrap current fishing quota rules

It’s great news that European fisheries ministers in Brussels have finally agreed that the new Common Fisheries Policy must be radically decentralised.
This would give more power to member states and to the fishing industry. It is quite clear to me that the existing system has failed the industry.

Hopefully the new Common Fisheries Policy will mean that less fish are needlessly discarded and more people can be attracted into the industry.

As a Conservative I am committed to a profitable and sustainable fish industry in Newlyn. It is clear that fishermen must have more power if this is to be achieved.
The current Common Fisheries Policy has been criticised both by scientists concerned with dwindling fish stocks, and by fishermen, who say it is threatening their livelihoods.

Targeting 'discards'

The European Commission itself admits the situation created by overfishing is "serious" - and yet in the last decade thousands of trawlermen across Europe have been forced to give up, many blame European regulations for driving them out of business.

EU member states are now being asked for their input on a new fisheries policy - one which officials promise will be radically different from the existing one.
A central aim is to minimise so-called "discarding" - throwing fish back to sea, dead or alive, because quotas have already been reached. For every kilogram of cod that was taken back to port from the North Sea in 2007 another kilogram was thrown back - mostly dead, according to the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. It is essential that the fishing industry has a far greater input into creating the new policy and making it work in the long-term. Whatever is eventually agreed, the new Common Fisheries Policy must end the "discards" procedure; it must encourage fishermen to only target the fish they want and provide scientists with precise data on which to base their advice on stock numbers.

In the past year the Fishing Industry in Newlyn has been visited by some high profile Conservative MPs. David Cameron, Conservative Party Leader, met with representatives of the industry last summer to discuss the problem of discard and high fuel costs. In April this year Richard Benyon MP, Shadow Minister for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, joined Derek Thomas to discuss with the Cornish Fish Producers Organisation, possible solutions to the problem of the discard problem. During his visit Richard Benyon assured Paul Trebilcock, Chief Executive, that the Cornish Fish Producers Organisation would be included in drawing up a new agreement, should the Conservatives form the next government.

The new European Common Fisheries Policy is due to be completed by 2012 and whilst Fishermen broadly welcome the review many fear it could be too late. Let’s hope this time it takes into account the views of the fishermen and conservation in a mature way.

Shadow Secretary of State for Transport visits Penzance

I was very pleased to welcome a visit to West Cornwall by Theresa Villiers MP, the Shadow Transport Secretary, last week. She joined me on a very productive fact-finding visit to hear more about proposals to improve the vital sea link between Penzance and the Isles of Scilly.

Theresa, George Eustice (Conservative Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Camborne, Redruth & Hayle) and I met with Matt Barton, the Localism Manager for West Cornwall, to hear about various options put forward for developing the harbour area.

We were also told about the latest developments over the scheme, which will see its main proposer agreeing to re-examine alternative plans.

Speaking after the visit Theresa said: “After receiving an extensive briefing on the proposals for regenerating Penzance Harbour, I was impressed with the project and the impact it could have on improving transport links for the town and for the Isles of Scilly. Clearly improving transport connections can provide a vital lifeline for the local tourist trade both on the islands and in Penzance."

The £43 million project has outlined proposals to extend the harbour to the south and build a new freight depot and passenger terminal. The application, which has prompted strong local debate, will be considered by planners on in the next few weeks.

It is essential that we improve the sea-link to the Isles of Scilly, both in handling freight and improving passenger experience. There are many well-publicised concerns regarding the proposals and many challenges ahead for the Route Partnership Team. My prime concern is that in declining economic climate securing adequate finance becomes increasingly difficult.

The Department of Transport has earmarked nearly £24 million for the development. We must keep pressure on the Government to ensure that this investment is secure despite the demands on the public purse during the recession

Theresa Villiers also met with members of the A30 Action Group, in Crowlas, during her visit. A number of representatives of the group and the local parish council explained how the plan for a by-pass had made significant progress before it was scrapped by the Labour Government.

Campaigners stressed the importance of a good main road into Penzance and said that the economic growth of West Penwith was being held back due to a poor transport network system.

Theresa said that it had been very valuable to come to Crowlas, to talk directly to local residents about their concerns on the A30. She said it had made her well- aware of the strength of local feeling about congestion problems in Crowlas and elsewhere on this key route for Cornwall.

So much in West Penwith and the Isles of Scilly depends on good transport links whether it is by rail, road, sea or air. The visit by Theresa clearly demonstrates that we are committed to making this constituency an attractive place to both visit and conduct business.

A healthy transport system is an essential part of the equation if we want to improve wage levels, reduce poverty and increase household income.