Last week I raised a question to the Department of Health and Social Care about vaccinations in care homes. Following a meeting with Care Home providers in the area I raised a concern about getting everyone, staff and residents, in a care home vaccinated all at once. I wanted to see this much more efficient practice being normal practice throughout the country.

As part of ongoing casework I also asked the Department of Health and Social Care about food labelling and staff training with relation to allergens. The Minister Neil O’Brien answered that, “The Food Standards Agency (FSA) aims to reduce harm to people with food hypersensitivity and ensure that related food safety standards are maintained. This includes improving the provision of information for people with allergies and working with food businesses to increase allergen training in the sector. The FSA’s programme on food hypersensitivity is focused on policy, research and evidence to support enforcement and engaging with consumers and businesses. Information provided to the consumer must not mislead and must enable the safe use of food.”

At Parliament’s Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee we met the Rt Hon Dr Thérèse Coffey, Secretary of State, and Tamara Finkelstein, Permanent Secretary, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. This was the Committee’s first meeting with the new Secretary of State. It was an opportunity to question the Secretary of State about her priorities and her views on issues important to the Committee and it covered the full scope of the department.

On Wednesday it was good to see Plymouth University in Parliament. I know many students and staff live in South East Cornwall and commute across the Tamar. It was good to be able to speak to a few from the University at this event.

On Thursday I asked a question to Oliver Dowden, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, a Cabinet Office about Investment Zones.

Concern

I was concerned that Investment Zones applied for In South East Cornwall were not going ahead. Mr Dowden responded to my question that “The Government is committed to local growth and levelling up areas across the country including South West and Cornwall. As the Chancellor announced in his Autumn Statement the government’s intention is to take forward a re-focussed Investment Zone programme and we will shortly be announcing further details.” I await these details.

I also met with South West Water’s Chief Executive Susan Davy. The discussion was around the £50 reduction in bills in the South West Water area.

In 2011, the former Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Chancellor all pledged action to tackle the unfairness and special legislation was passed through Parliament in Spring 2012, giving South West Water up to £40-million annually to reduce household bills by £50 from 2013. Former Prime Minister David Cameron told the Western Morning News: “I understand the unfairness that people feel in the South West that they are paying a lot of money so that there are clean beaches for people like me from Oxfordshire to come and play on.”

I am working with colleagues to make sure that this payment continues to be made.

Back in the constituency after a surgery I met with Margaret Schwarz, Chair, Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. It was good to be able to discuss with her current concerns about health care provision in the area.