Stephen Gilbert MP

Westminster Diary

Week beginning 28th January

This week we have a key vote in the House of Commons on the future of the Parliamentary boundaries. The vote will see the Liberal Democrats joining with the Labour Party, and the majority of the other minority parties, to defeat the Conservative plans to reduce the number of MPs and to reorganise the constituency map for the next election.

The vote, which is expected to be close, is being billed by some as "the vote of the Parliament" - and there will, no doubt, be much huffing and puffing from the Conservatives about the Liberal Democrats siding with Labour.

I want to be clear that, from the moment it became obvious that the Conservative plans meant that there would be an MP who had to cross the Cornwall and Devon border, I have voted against these proposals and I will continue to do so. I have already rebelled to "keep Cornwall whole" - to ensure we are represented by our own MPs - and I will did so against this week.

Since those original votes when the Bill was in the Commons, it has also become clear that the Conservatives have no intention of following through on their promise to reform the House of Lords. The membership of the House of Lords, which is unelected and unaccountable, has positively boomed under this Government and the last Labour Government - there are now almost two hundred more Peers than there are MPs!

When the two partners in the Coalition came together we put aside our party interest to govern in the national interest to tackle the economic problems left by Labour - my aim has remained constant, to build a stronger economy and a fairer society.

But it can't be a fair society if the people who make our law are not accountable to the people who follow them. The House of Lords is an outdated institution that is urgent need of reform to bring it into the 20^th century, let alone the 21^st century. The Coalition had an agreement to do so, the Conservatives broke it. There are strong arguments for reform of the House of Commons but only in the context of an overall package of reform measures across Westminster. To reduce the size of the elected chamber whilst the membership of the unelected chamber continues to grow unabated and unreformed is plainly nonsensical.

To many people this will seem to be a 'Westminster bubble' debate - one of interest to MPs and politicos with little interest to the wider public. But how we are governed, what the balance is between elected MPs and unelected Lords, and whether MPs can focus on the interests of one area or are pulled between two or more areas with different problems, is of crucial importance.

Once the dust has settled and the acrimony has passed, it's my view that the Coalition must press on with the real business at hand: rebuilding our economy so that everyone has a fair chance to get on in life.

Week beginning 21st January

We all depend on energy - to heat our homes, cook our meals, to keep our office lights and computers on, and to keep the factory wheels turning. And we all assume that when we plug something in and flick the switch, the energy will be there to work it.

This week the Energy Bill is going into the committee stage in the House of Commons - that's when a group of MPs meet each Tuesday and Thursday to go through the Bill line by line. I'm on that committee and the Energy Bill is of key importance if Britain is to have a credible and ambitious energy and climate change policy.

The Bill represents both a practical and a radical approach to reforming our electricity market. It is essential if we are to deliver on our three objectives for our energy and climate change policy - secure energy that is both affordable and clean-yet I believe the Bill offers the country much more than a better energy policy.

With our current economic difficulties we along with many other nations strive to ignite sustainable growth, this Bill offers a significant opportunity to stimulate the sort of infrastructure investment that our country desperately needs, for both the short and long term. An enormous £110 billion of energy infrastructure investment is needed between now and the end of the decade to ensure that we can keep the lights on.

The reason why MPs from all parties see the need for a major change is easy to explain. First, about a fifth of Britain's existing power plants are scheduled to close during this decade, which will reduce supply. Second, even if we are heroically successful in terms of energy efficiency and reducing energy waste, overall demand for electricity is set to rise-partly because of population growth, but also because our transport system is likely to be more electrified over the next two decades, as are our heating systems. What with supply falling and demand increasing, we would have a real energy problem if we sat back and did nothing. Energy security-keeping the lights on-is a critical rationale for the Bill.

The key challenge that prompted the Bill was the need to attract tens of billions of pounds of investment while keeping energy bills affordable. Given that global gas prices had almost doubled since 2007, which was already putting huge upward pressure on bills, the need to stimulate that essential energy investment as cheaply as possible became a central consideration.

There's no doubt that as the Bill goes through committee over the next six weeks we mustn't lose sight of the three core challenges that it was designed to meet: attracting more than £100 billion of investment, creating the world's first ever market in low-carbon energy, and helping people and businesses around our country who were struggling in the face of rising world energy prices. That way, when we next plug something into the socket - we will know that it will work.

Week beginning 7th January

This week there's been a tough decision in Parliament on the level at which welfare benefits should rise over the next few years. I want to explain where I stand on this important issue.

First, let me say I totally reject those who seek to label the less fortunate as "scroungers". We are all just a few pay cheques away from needing the help of others or help from the state to make ends meet. Many thousands of people who get up every day and go to work in low paid jobs rely on in work benefits. Very few of us will ever go through life without claiming some benefits at some point, even if it is just for a short time. Those who seek to use derogatory and degrading language to describe people who either can't work through disability and illness, or are in low paid work, only show themselves up.

But, of course, the debate isn't just about those who can't work - we have to be honest that there are those who won't work too. We have to be upfront that work should always pay and that when somebody can work, and they have been offered a job, they should take it. Being on benefits should never be a substitute for working. A culture of benefits dependency is good for nobody - it's not good for the families and people involved, hurting the children particularly, and it's not good for the community or for our wider society.

Second, there's been much debate about whether benefits should go up by 1% a year over the next three years. The Conservatives wanted to freeze benefits - giving no increase at all. The Liberal Democrats in the Coalition Government argued that this would be unfair on some of the most vulnerable and secured a 1% increase. It's this increase that I voted for this week.

The welfare budget represents a third of all Government spending. It's currently in excess of £220 billion, three times more than we spend on schools. Since the beginning of the financial crisis, out of work benefits have risen twice as fast as average earnings: benefits are up 20% compared to earnings growth of around 10%.

My job as your MP is to take a view on behalf of the whole community and with my Liberal Democrat colleagues work to build a stronger economy and a fairer society so that everyone can get on in life.

It is essential that we support those who are unable to work through no fault of their own and give those who want to work the chance to find a job and ensure that work always pays.

Balancing the books and creating a fairer society means difficult choices have to be taken sometimes; this was one of those times. As the economy recovers I hope that this is a decision the Government will keep under review and, in the meantime, I'd urge everyone to avoid intemperate language about those less fortunate than ourselves.

Week beginning 31st December

So, Christmas is over. The gifts are all given, the boxes and wrapping paper all put out in the recycling and almost all of the turkey has been devoured - though there will, no doubt, still be a plate of it sitting at the back of fridge! And now 2013 is here.

You, like me, will probably start the new year with a number of good intentions - maybe to stop smoking, maybe to spend more time with family and friends, or maybe to give more time and money to charity. A new year is always a great chance to take stock and to assess what is going well and what may require a bit more work - whether it's a job, a relationship, or even a hobby. It can be healthy and constructive time to look back and see what's working and what isn't and to help learn lessons for the future.

My key hope for this next year is that the British economy continues to improve. There's no doubt that, as a country, we are still in the midst of the worst financial crisis since the 1920s. Hard working families are struggling to make ends meet, people who want to work are finding it tough to find a job, businesses small and large are finding it hard to access credit and we are all feeling the pinch of rising costs of fuel, food, and energy. It would be easy to try and pretend that this isn't the backdrop we all face for a new year - but it is. And with both the United States of America and the European Union is deep financial crisis the British economy isn't out of the woods yet.

Over the last year the Coalition Government has taken action to lift the lowest paid out of income tax - more than 20,000 of the lowest paid in Cornwall no longer pay income tax. The Government has helped councils, like Cornwall Council, to freeze Council Tax for another year. There's been action to reduce Cornish water bills, force energy companies to put customers on their lowest tariffs, and we've kept the tax down on petrol. All this helps - but we need to see growth in the economy and so much of whether we get that depends on our key export markets, outside of our control.

As we face 2013 I will be doing all I can to make sure that the Government holds to our key values of fairness and responsibility. We must be clear that work should always pay more than being on welfare, but we must do this in a fair way that ensures that the less advantaged don't fall by the wayside. That's the challenge for the next year ahead: continuing to keep the economy growing, helping those who want to work and those who are struggling to make ends meet and to make sure we don't lose sight of the fact that we are all one community - as Cornwall's motto says, "One and All."

Week beginning 24th December

Once again, the Environment Agency has had to launch a series of flood alerts right across the country possibly affecting 5.2 million people - no doubt some will be in our beautiful part of Cornwall. For many, this will not be the first time they will have to move what they can to safety and hope that flood defences hold. Sadly, almost inevitably, some will lose their homes for many weeks, irreplaceable cherished items might be ruined but hopefully everyone can remains out of harm's way.

I have seen firsthand the devastation flooding can do to people's lives, health, homes and communities. In 2010, as a fresh faced MP, local towns and villages bore the brunt of some appalling weather and many properties were severely damaged. People across our communities were so badly affected the Prime Minster even visited in a show of solidarity and commitment to those worst affected.

Since then, I have worked with flood groups in the constituency to gain improvements to flood defences, raise awareness in communities and provide representation for those who feel they have been let down.

Unfortunately, flooding isn't something that can be dealt with once and for all and no amount of flood defences can provide 100% security for communities. In fact, with climate change increasingly leading to unpredictable spells of weather we are seeing more things like flash flooding that can set communities back years overnight.

What we can do is to make sure that everyone, even those in high risk areas, has access to flood insurance. Now, that sounds very simple but it is something the government, flood groups and insurers have been grappling with for a long, long time. With the cost of repairing flood damaged houses being, on average, £20-30,000 making sure people's homes are protected is a critical issue.

In 2008, the last government agreed on the Statement of Principles - a five year agreement that meant flooding had to be included in most house insurance policies. A worthy agreement, however the Principles were also deeply flawed, mainly because they did little to help guarantee those and continual risk of significant flooding get insurance. In any case the statement of principles expires June 30^th 2013 and needs replacing desperately. If not, up to 200,000 homes could be without flood insurance.

What I think we need to see in place by June next year is a fully fledged industry levy that will ensure everyone has access to affordable flood insurance. That way, the cost of insuring those deemed to be high risk will be spread across the board and will mean everyone can get an acceptable level of cover against flooding.

A solution like an internal industry levy that spreads the cost of insurance would make sure people most people can afford insurance beyond June 2013. It will also give a fair deal to those who need flood insurance.

Week beginning 17th December

The air is getting cold, trees are up and the lights are on, and the children are looking forward to a visit from Santa. The shops are busy as people stock up on food and rush around to buy last minute gifts for loved ones. It can all only mean one thing: Christmas is here.

For most people, whether they are of a particular faith or of no faith, Christmas is a special time - perhaps the only time of the year when a family can get together and relax and enjoy a festive feast whilst catching up on events over the past twelve months and over indulging on chocolate and sweets watching TV favourites.

But for many though Christmas is a lonely time, without visitors and without gifts from loved ones. Older people can often feel isolated and alone at this time of year and those who are facing tough economic times will find the constant advertising of excess distressing. Those who face Christmas with no roof over their head and on the streets and in the cold are particularly vulnerable.

There are many local charities that are there to help those less fortunate than us: The St Petroc's Society, based in Truro, helps rough sleepers - giving them a safe place to sleep and a warm meal. The St Austell Kitchen always puts on a great Christmas spread for those in food-need or sleeping rough locally. And near Newquay the St Columb Minor Church often offers support for vulnerable people too. As we all gather with our loved ones, I'd ask people to spare a thought for those who are in need and, if you can, make a donation - even a little amount of money can make a big difference.

And for those who do find themselves eating too much, drinking too much and exercising too little - I have a way to help! Over the next few months I will be aiming to deliver, across the constituency, an "MP Report Back" - telling people what I've done in Government on your behalf. If you want to help us deliver your street, and help walk off that extra mince-pie, then please do get in touch.

For those who need my help over the Christmas period there are two remaining public advice surgeries over the coming weekend, on Friday 21^st at 6pm in the St Austell office and on Saturday 22^nd at 10am in the Newquay office. The first advice surgeries after the Christmas break will be on Friday 4^th January in St Austell, also at 6pm, and Saturday 5^th in Newquay at 10am. All the details of my regular public advice surgeries are listed on my website at www.SteveGilbert.info and, as always, over the break I will be regularly checking emails sent to steve@stevegilbert.info Please don't hesitate to get in touch if you need my help or if you want to help work off those extra mince pies!

Finally, can I wish you, your friends and family, a very Merry Christmas.

Week beginning 10th December

Last week the Chancellor delivered the Autumn Statement and there was some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that the economy is not recovering as quickly as expected, and it will take longer to deal with the largest deficit since the Second World War and one of the deepest recessions since the Great Depression of the 1920s. The good news, some progress is being made.

The deficit has been reduced by a quarter over the last two years, over one million new jobs have been created in businesses and market interest rates remain low. The Government's strategy is clear: to reduce the deficit, so we don't burden our children and their children with debts paying for services we can't afford, to grow the economy to create more jobs, and to help families as they struggle to make ends meet.

Difficult decisions remain necessary to reduce spending to make sure we are not continuing to borrow from tomorrow to pay for today. You can't rebuild a strong economy that went bust on borrowing, by borrowing more.

But it's clear that those with the broadest shoulders should carry the heaviest burden. That's why I was pleased that the wealthiest in our society will be asked to pay another eight billion pounds - through the closing of tax loopholes, tracking down money hidden in Swiss bank accounts, and reducing tax benefits for the wealthiest.

But at the same time those on low incomes must be protected. The personal allowance will now rise to £9,440 - tantalisingly close to the Liberal Democrat's number one pledge of no income tax on the first £10,000 of wages. That will mean an extra £600 in the wage packets of working people and over two million people taken out of tax altogether - including over 21,000 of the lowest paid in Cornwall. Abandoning Labour's planned 3p rise in fuel duty will help businesses and families alike and particularly in rural communities like ours where driving is a necessity, and not a luxury. And older people on the State pension will see a 2.5% increase, one of the largest for a long-time.

We also know now that the Government has also ruled out any general move to regional pay for public sector workers - something I have campaigned against since the idea was first put forward in the budget in March. Cornwall's nurses, policemen, teachers, firemen and other public sector workers will not now face a race to the bottom in pay, but will remain within national pay schemes.

There's no doubt that we are still have a long way to go on the road to recovery and, with serious problems in Europe and a deeper crisis than anyone expected, we are not out of the woods yet.

We will take the necessary decisions to rebuild the economy and create jobs - but I will also do my best to make sure that the decisions are fair on one and all.

Week beginning 3rd December

Twenty years ago, Bill Clinton became President in the US on the back of a common sense approach to the faltering US economy. This was summed up in simple terms during the campaign - "it's the economy, stupid". Well, it was true in 1992, 2010 and is still true today.

The performance of the economy is important to all of us; whoever we are, wherever we live, whatever we do. The ins and outs of global trade and inflation policy might not be overly interesting to many, but nevertheless they remain hugely important.

At the moment, and in simple terms, the money we spend as a Government is higher than the amount we raise in taxes; we have a deficit. We are borrowing some £1billion every three days. Not only this, we had the largest deficit in peace time at over one trillion pounds - or one thousand billion pounds! In the face of a national debt crisis, tumbling stock markets and a hung Parliament, the Coalition Government came together to tackle these problems head on.

Liberal Democrats, like me, put aside our differences with the Conservatives to work in the national interest. It's been a difficult road, but we are seeing signs of change.

In the last three months we have seen the strongest growth in the economy for the last 5 years - above what many had predicted. Perhaps most importantly there are more people in work than ever before; over the last two years almost a million people started an apprenticeship and we have lower unemployment than France, Italy, and the US. The private sector has also created over a million new jobs - more than Spain, Italy and France put together.

The number of people on benefits has fallen by 170,000; we have increased the goods we export to China by 72%, India by 94% and Russia by 109%; and we have record low interest rates at 2% - far below the 8% levels thank forced Greece to seek a bail-out.

This is all good news, but, there are more tough times ahead. The Coalition never beat around the bush when it came to the harsh economic realities and we won't here either. A faltering EU could derail our recover - the EU is the place where we trade most - and by 2016 our economy will 11% smaller than it would have been if the 2008 banking crisis hadn't happened at all.

So, there are some good signs that the economy is recovering but there are significant challenges ahead. The key thing is that the Coalition has made the economic recovery the central plank of our term in government and it matters to each and everyone one of us. The money in your pocket, the price of food, bills and fuel, are all linked to how the British economy does. My role as your MP is to take the choices that grow the economy and create jobs whilst making Britain a fairer place for one and all.

Week beginning 26th November

As winter sets in we all start to think more about our energy costs - we all know that the bills just keep going up. That's why, last week, the Energy Secretary, Liberal Democrat MP Ed Davey, announced Government action that will help reduce bills, secure investment and create jobs, and will keep the lights on at the same time as reducing the harmful emissions from our energy plants.

As a country we need around £110 billion of investment just to keep the lights on - our energy infrastructure, power stations and heavy duty cables, are in desperate need of an upgrade. One in five of our power stations will close in the next 10 years and experts have warned of shortages if something isn't done.

And, quite simply, we don't have much of a choice when it comes to energy. North Sea Gas is running out, leaving us open to imports from volatile markets in dangerous parts of the world. Oil is becoming a scare commodity and emerging markets are driving up demand and prices. But we are surrounded by resources; wind, waves, sunshine and hot rocks, that are both a British resource and dependable - the potential is there for cheaper and cleaner energy for the long term.

That's why the Government is more than tripling the investment that is made into renewable energy sources at the same time as ensuring that both new gas and new nuclear are able to come on stream too - where needed and at an affordable rate.

The recent reform of charging by energy businesses will make it easier to get the best deal from these companies too. By reducing the number of tariffs, and forcing companies to put customers on the best one, we will see bills reduced for many.

But it's not just about saving money for consumers. The recent floods should be a reminder that climate change is happening - and it will happen to us too. We've got a duty to pass a planet to our children and their children that they can enjoy. That's why we remain committed to changing our energy use from dirty fossil fuels to greener alternatives. We have a long way to go - we still get 67% of electricity from fossil fuels and only 7% from renewables.

But the new policy direction we've announced will mean that Britain will meet our legal obligations to reduce carbon emissions 80% by 2050 and should attract the investment we need and create up to 250,000 new jobs.

In the long run these reforms will mean that we are all better protected from rising world gas prices. They will also mean that we pump less harmful carbon into the atmosphere and really start tackling the root causes of climate change and pollution. Finally, and most importantly, it will mean all our homes and businesses will be able to flick a switch with the confidence that the lights will come on.

Week beginning 19th November

- St Austell -

On Saturday evening I joined the crowds of people in St Austell to watch as hundreds took part in one of our community's best events of the year; the annual St Austell Torchlight Parade.

Seeing participants from local schools carrying paper lanterns that light up the dark winter evening is always a sight that makes the long dark evenings a little jollier and is a tantalising taste of the festive season to come.

The atmosphere at the parade was a joy to be part of, everyone was incredibly friendly and welcomed every torch and float with warm applause and cheering. The torchlight parade is a great opportunity for the community to come together, to raise community spirit and encourage kinship.

For me, there aren't enough of these type events - they bring people together in an increasingly insular society. Even over my lifetime, I've noticed people speak less in the street, might not know their neighbours or don't take part in community projects as much as they used to. Thankfully, this year has seen a change in many respects with Jubilee street parties and the Olympic spirit and we'll have to harness that spirit going forward. Event's like these make our communities.

There is nothing that binds a town together more than coming together for a common cause; yes we all enjoy the lights, the spectacle and the social side of it but giving together is something all together stronger. We have seen the benefits of giving within our towns times and time again, most recently with the new Little Harbour overlooking St Austell Bay. But there are many challenges that we face, by coming together we can improve the lives of those around us and even our own too.

This year, the Torchlight Parade was in aid of a very worthy cause indeed; Bosom Buddies. This great charity, whose name always raises a few smirks, is the brainchild of Pauline Giles - a tireless campaigner. Having beaten cancer herself, Pauline has sought to raise awareness of breast cancer by campaigning for increases education of the disease and spotting the symptoms in our schools. Pauline wants survivors of breast cancer to visit every school, to share their experiences, to describe symptoms and to get pupils to check themselves regularly for anything unusual.

I have met Pauline a few times and can certainly say she is nothing if not determined! She has been to see me in my St Austell office during a regular surgery and met her again last summer when she got the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg to sign her head-turning pink taxi at Tretherras School! Pauline is a great asset to our community I'd encourage anyone who would like to share their experience with pupils to get in touch with her.

- Newquay -

5 years ago, in 2007, when I was first selected to be the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate for Newquay, there were an astonishing five lap-dancing club licences live in our town. Five lap-dance clubs for a town with a population of just over 20,000 - by far the highest number per capita in the country.

It was clear that this was causing real anger across the local community - the number of clubs, the locations, the behaviour that came with them. The community felt frustrated that nobody would listen to what people who lived in the town wanted. Indeed, some said that lap-dancing was 'inevitable' in Newquay while others said it was necessary to support the local economy. Both then and now these arguments are utter nonsense.

Since 2007 I've worked with local campaigners, residents groups, schools, churches, the police and others to oppose applications for new lap-dance clubs and to challenge existing club licences. The number of lap dancing clubs in Newquay now stands at just one.

I've always been clear about this: I'm the last person to have a moral objection to what consenting adults want o do with their time in the privacy of their homes or a private club. That said, I'm clear in my own mind that real men don't buy women. My principle concern has always been about the management of the clubs, their location and the impact on the wider community.

Time after time we've had applications for venues that are on the main street and on the way to Newquay's most popular family beach. And time after time again investigations of these clubs has shown them to be poorly managed, putting staff and customers at risk of allegations of sexual assault and attracting criminality. The Police know, and will openly say so, that these places attract illegal behaviour - from alcohol fuelled anti-social behaviour to increased danger of assault and rape in the area.

It is simply not acceptable that women in Newquay feel uncomfortable coming in to the town centre because of the charged sexualised atmosphere these clubs create on our high street.

And let's be crystal clear about this: to those who continue to peddle the myth that Newquay's economy needs lap-dancing I have a simple message: you are wrong. You were wrong 5 years ago, and you are wrong today. Stop touting the myth that Newquay can do no better than be a place for pimps and pushers and their associates.

Over the last five years we've begun to see a significant and welcome change in our town - with tougher policing, the local councils working closer together and the steady removal of lap dance licences. Families are coming back and the behaviour on the streets is improving.

I said, five years ago, that I'd fight to clean up Newquay's night time economy. As our community gathers together to fight the latest application for a lap-dance club it's worth remembering the progress that we have all made by working together. Together we can deliver change.

Week beginning 12th November

This week myself and my Liberal Democrat colleagues in the South West took the unusual step of asking the Office of Fair Trade to investigate whether the Royal Cornwall NHS Trust, working with another nineteen NHS Trusts across the wider south west region, are acting legally in joining together as a consortium to negotiate with staff on reducing their terms of employment and pay and conditions.

The Trusts are, understandably, seeking to reduce their costs by making changes to staff salaries and terms and conditions - but they have decided to act outside of the national negotiating framework to do this. The consortium that they have set up could be considered to be acting as a 'cartel' with the potential to bully staff into accepting reduced terms and conditions or being forced out of work. That can't be right and that's why we have asked the OFT to look at whether it's within the rules.

I've taken this unusual step for two reasons. First, I remain utterly opposed in principle to the introduction of any form of regional pay for our public sector workers. I see no reason why a nurse, policeman or fire-fighter in St Austell should be paid more or less than someone doing the same job in Shrewsbury. Second, because the Trusts are trying to have it both ways - being part of the National Health Service when it suits them, and outside of that framework when it doesn't. It can't be both.

We should be clear about this: the introduction of regional pay would simply see a race to the bottom in pay in areas of the country like ours. It would help set in stone our low wage economy. It would take millions of pounds out of the local economy hitting businesses on high street. It would encourage a 'brain drain' from lower wage areas to those paying higher wages.

Liberal Democrats in Government share this view and have been clear that there will be no move to regional pay. But these NHS Trusts are trying to use provisions granted under the last Government to try and bring in regional pay by the backdoor. My message to the management of the Trusts is simple: you do not have patient, public or political support for what you are doing.

We all know that Government and the health service needs to save money and that times remain tight, but we must not do that by creating a two-tier or multi-tier NHS with nurses being paid different amounts in different parts of the country for doing the same job.

Over the coming weeks I hope the South West NHS Consortium will drop their plans and recognise that it is better for everyone to work within the national negotiating framework that has served the NHS and our other public services well for so long. The stakes are high - and it's time the Trusts listened to what the community and their employees are telling them.

Week beginning 5th November

Last week Parliament debated the tax on beer and the ever increasing beer duty escalator that means a pint of beer has gone up by 60p over the last four years. My view is simple, when you get to the top of an escalator it's time to get off. The ever increasing cost of beer is damaging to breweries, like St Austell Brewery, and hurting pubs, both those tied and those that are independent, and it's time it was reviewed.

Pubs are a vital and traditional part of our community, yet they are closing at a fast rate. Pubs serve as a meeting place, a place for debates about local and national issues, and a place that ensures supervised and responsible drinking. Pubs also provide great employment opportunities for younger people. Over 2,500 people are employed in the pub and brewing sector across our community and they contribute over £45 million a year to the local economy.

We pay some of the highest beer taxes in the world on our beer, especially when compared with our continental neighbours. Governments have increasingly targeted tax rises on beer in - even though beer remains key to the success of Britain's pubs. Indeed, the Treasury is now receiving ever-diminishing returns from beer duty increases - proving that we have reached the top of the escalator and the Treasury can't get more out of the industry.

Overall tax revenues have fallen following recent beer duty increases as sales and jobs have been lost. Since 2004, beer duty rates have increased by 42 per cent, and beer duty revenue by just 8 per cent (a significant fall in real terms) while beer consumption has fallen by 23 per cent.

That's why I joined with other MPs campaigning for a beer duty regime that encourages growth, jobs and the responsible consumption of lower strength alcohol - a tax system that supports pubs, creates jobs and boosts overall tax revenues. I want to see the Government freeze beer duty and scrap the beer duty escalator and then rebalance alcohol taxation to encourage the consumption of lower-strength drinks, such as beer, in the supervised environment of pubs.

We need to move away from an approach to alcohol that encourages people to get buy there booze in supermarkets at a rate that is sometimes cheaper than water and is used a "loss leader" by supermarkets. It's much more likely that people will drink excessively at home - rather than in a supervised pub environment.

If pubs are to remain a central feature of our villages and towns then they need to be able to compete fairly with supermarkets - that is the message that Parliament sent to Government last week and I hope that it's a message that Government will listen to over the coming months.

Week beginning 29th October

New independent data has shown that, finally, the country is out of recession. Overall, the economy grew by 1% in the last three months according to the Office for National Statistics. This is a faster pace of growth than many economists predicted and we should welcome it.

Of course, it doesn't mean that the economy is out of the woods yet - it's clearly not. But when we add the end of recession to the other recent news that the number of people with jobs in Britain is at an all time record high, that unemployment has fallen by 50,000, that youth unemployment is falling and that people are feeling happier about spending money on the high street - it may be the first signs that our economy is turning the corner and that the Coalition's economy strategy is working.

It's now the case that more jobs have been created in the private sector now than have been lost over recent years in the public sector - and that new businesses are forming at a record rate. This is all encouraging news.

It's worth remember that Liberal Democrats joined with our Tory opponents to form the Coalition Government in May 2010 with clear aims: to sort out the public finances after over a decade of mismanagement by Labour, to rebalance the economy away from a high dependence on jobs in the south east of England and to spread economic prosperity more evenly across the country.

Dealing with the fact that the country is borrowing a £1 Billion every three days just to stay still has not been easy - it's meant some very tough and difficult decisions have had to be taken over the last few years. Borrowing today remains too high. I don't think it's right, fair or progressive for us to be awarding ourselves public services that we can't afford to pay for and are asking our children and their children to pay for. We simply don't know what challenges future generations will face for themselves while they are still paying back the debt we took on for services we can't afford.

There is, of course, much more work to be done and many more bumps ahead before we can say that Britain is on the road to recovery. Too many people are in part-time low-skilled work, there are still too many young people out of work, and we need to make sure we continue to build consumer confidence so that people feel confident to spend on our high-streets. They remain big challenges.

It's always been my view that the Coalition will be judged on whether two traditional enemies can work together in the national interest to restore the economy.

In moving away from a dependence on the City of London and south east by investing billions in businesses across the regions, in driving an unprecedented increase in apprenticeship schemes, in making the biggest ever investment in our rail infrastructure since Victorian times - we may, finally, be beginning to see results.

Week beginning 22nd October

"Sometimes it can seem like I am banging my head against a brick wall - I keep making the same point over and over but nobody is listening." Over the five years since I was first selected to be a Parliamentary candidate for our community and over the last two years that I've been an MP, I have heard this refrain hundreds of time.

People feel frustrated when they think that their point of view is not being listened to - let alone any change coming as a result of them raising it. Whether it's in relation to a planning application, Government policy or just where the bus stops on the street - when people express a view, they quite rightly want to be listened to. And trust me - we've all been there- MPs included! The wheels of Government can move very slowly indeed and getting any change can sometimes seem a dim and distant prospect. But there are two examples this week of change happening because local people were listened to.

The first is the new skate park that has been delivered in St Dennis. Back in 2009 when I was doing my annual summer tour, as a candidate, I got speaking to a group of young people in St Dennis. I asked what they wanted to see changed in their village. The clear response: they wanted a new skate park so there was something to do. This weekend it opened. That's thanks to the hard work of the Parish Council, Groundworks, and many others - a brand new skate park in St Dennis. It's taken a while to deliver it - these things always take longer than they should - but the children's dream has been turned into a reality and it will be there for years to come.

The second is that a new law to better regulate Park Homes had its "Second Reading" in the House of Commons on Friday. I was there to support it. Back when I was a candidate and was speaking to people living in Park Homes it was clear that there was a big problem with rouge owners bullying often vulnerable people. After the election and sitting on the Select Committee in Parliament I pushed for an inquiry into the industry and we got one. The committee was shocked at the level of criminality and abuse and our conclusion was simple: we needed a new law to protect vulnerable residents and to drive out the rogue owners from the industry. That law is now passing through Parliament with cross-party support and will soon be in force.

These two examples may be wildly different in scale and scope, from the local to the national, but they are changes driven by people. Our representative system helped these to happen - the conversations that I and others had with the children in St Dennis and the discussions that myself and other MPs had with Park Home residents across the country. It may take some time, but we can get there in the end.

Week beginning 15th October

Tax is perhaps not the most exciting of topics. But everyone pays it, so whether you think we all pay too much or too little, it's a subject that matters to everyone and certainly matters to me.

In the words of Vince Cable, our system of tax is "unfair and ineffective"; here's why: in this country, we have a history of taxing income rather than wealth. We should of course all pay our fair share of income tax, but the lack of a tax on wealth results in some very odd outcomes.

For example, a billionaire can live in London and pay almost no tax at all. This is because, if your money is in the form of wealth (such as property or businesses) rather than income, you can avoid paying normal income tax by hiding your money offshore or using "clever" investments. This also applies to those very few people who have significant inherited wealth. They can live extravagant lives whilst paying less tax than the people who they employ to clean their house.

Of course, the people who have the most to gain from this are the super-rich, and they're the ones who can afford the lawyers and accountants who know all the tricks. This goes on whilst the honest majority on the modest incomes pay their fair share of tax and fund the schools, hospitals and roads we all use.

This simply isn't fair, and the Liberal Democrats are campaigning to change it. We've launched our Fairer Tax campaign at www.fairertax.org

This tax would be levied on the value of property over £2million. As you can imagine, very few people live in a house that large! In fact, only 0.1% of the population would pay the tax at all, and I'm sure you'd agree that anyone in a £2m house could afford to pay a little bit more.

So why do we want a mansion tax? Well, the first thing is that it's very difficult to avoid. Even the best accountants would struggle to hide a mansion offshore! This makes it much easier for the Government to enforce and a lot harder for those who should pay their fair share to avoid doing so.

Second, it would be worth doing. A mansion tax would raise around £2billion a year, from just the richest 0.1% of the population.

Third, it's fair. As Liberal Democrats we believe that those who have more should contribute more. In these tough times, it's especially important that those with the broadest shoulders carry the biggest burden. At the moment this simply isn't the case, and we want to change it.

So if you'd like to join me, Vince Cable and thousands of others, go to www.fairertax.org and add your name.

Week beginning 8th October

We all know that the cost of energy is going up - most of the increase in price is because of our dependency on foreign suppliers of our energy. As global demand goes up, with more countries after a finite resource, so the price that we all pay to our energy supplier does too. In the long run we need new clean, sustainable energy generated here in Britain.

But there's something we can call do today to reduce our bills and save hundreds of pounds a year. It's a new scheme, launched here in Cornwall, which could reduce your domestic energy bill by 20% - saving you £1 in every £5 that you spend. I am sure we've all got things we would rather spend money on than energy.

The scheme, called Cornwall Together, is a ground breaking collective purchasing scheme that means that people in Cornwall can group together to get better prices for our energy bills. As well as saving up to £240million from people's bills it will also help tackle fuel poverty.

The scheme is simple to join and it's backed by the NHS, Cornwall Council, Community Energy Plus, and the Eden Project. They have been joined by community energy platform, energyshare, who are helping to deliver the project with uSwitch - Cornwall's MPs are backing the project too.

To join, and have the chance of saving hundreds of pounds on your energy bill, all you need to do is visit the website www.CornwallTogether.com and register - make sure you have your energy bill with you! So, log-on, enter your details, and save up to £400 a year on your energy costs by registering with Cornwall Together today - there's no need to delay!

When a good number of people have come together, a reverse auction is held to see which energy companies will offer the best price to the group. The energy companies will keep bidding each other down to try and get your custom. The more people who join the scheme, the more the energy companies will bid against each other with lower prices.

And when the auction is complete, customers will be offered two new tariffs for to get a better deal for their energy supplies - and one will be from a more sustainable energy supplier. There's no obligation to switch - but when offered a much better deal and hundreds of pounds of savings, why wouldn't you want to?

Over the coming years the Government will have its work cut out to make sure that we meet the three energy challenges facing our county: keeping the lights on, reducing harmful carbon emissions and improving our domestic capacity to produce the energy we need. But by bringing Cornwall's motto - One and All -alive, we can call work together and take immediate action to cut our bills.

So, I say again, if you can save hundreds of pounds a year - why wouldn't you? Join Cornwall Together and find out what team work can do for you.

Week beginning 1st October

The Labour Party gathered for their conference this week and tried to airbrush away the party's past. It's worth remembering their record. In 2010 the Labour Government left every family in our country with a budget deficit of £8,900 a year. That's the difference between what's paid in tax and what the Government spends on services. It means that, collectively, we are borrowing one thousand million pounds every three days just to stay still. We won't pay it back, our children and grandchildren will. There's nothing fair about asking the next generations to pay for services that we enjoy and so the Coalition is clearing up this mess.

Under Labour someone on the minimum wage paid over £1,000 a year in income tax - Liberal Democrats have taken over 2 million of the lowest paid out of income tax altogether. Labour allowed the richest to dodge tax - Liberal Democrats are bringing in an extra £7billion from the wealthy by making them pay their fair share.

Liberal Democrats have ensured a two-thirds increase in the number of young people who are benefiting from an apprenticeship scheme, and the Regional Growth Fund is supporting hundreds of thousands of new jobs across the country. Low income workers now pay no income tax thanks to Liberal Democrat Ministers: so much for Labour being the party of jobs and workers.

Liberal Democrats have extended 15 hours of free childcare to all 3 and 4 year olds and for disadvantaged 2 year olds too. We've ploughed an extra £2.5billion into helping the poorest pupils at our schools. All graduates will pay less per month in university loan repayments under the Coalition scheme than they did under Labour: so much for Blair's mantra of "education, education, education".

The Liberal Democrats have protected all the key pensioner benefits and ensured pensioners are £500 a year better off. This year pensioners received the biggest ever increase in the State Pension. Cold weather payments to 2million pensioners have been permanently increased and more than doubled. If the Coalition can do this now, in an economic crisis, why did Labour never do it?

The number of new Council houses being built has doubled since Liberal Democrats entered office, 170,000 new affordable homes are being built too - the first net increase for many years. Empty homes and second homes are being taxed more. Labour left office with a decrease in social homes, the Coalition is delivering much needed homes for the people who need them.

It's always the same with Labour: they promise a lot, deliver little and crash our economy. They still won't accept responsibility for the role they played in our current economic crisis. Their conference showed they continue to hide from their past and deny their responsibility, whilst promising what they can't deliver. That's not real opposition, that's political opportunism. Until the Labour Party accepts its past, and the constraints it places on our future, I think we all know that we can't trust Labour with our money.

Week beginning 24th September

It's hard to believe that it's almost two and a half years since the eventful general election in 2010, that resulted in the first hung parliament for a lifetime and saw the Liberal Democrats enter coalition government alongside the Conservative party.

As I speak to colleagues from across the country in Brighton this week, where the Liberal Democrats are holding their annual party conference, it is hard to escape the reminders of those election days and the challenges that have followed.

It hasn't been an easy two and a half years for the Lib Dems. There have been tough choices along the path as we have set about tackling the debt crisis left by Labour, and it's right that the media and the public have held the party to account for those choices.

Those tough choices have, for many, been the pivotal moments of this Parliament so far. Decisions on difficult issues like tuition fees will likely be a big part of what the Liberal Democrats are remembered and there is no hiding from the fact that the tuition fee vote was controversial.

Yes, a huge number of Lib Dems (myself included) signed a pledge that we would not vote to increase fees in Government. As Nick Clegg said this week, for that: I'm sorry.

The truth is, that we should have been more conscious of the likely-hood that the election would result in a coalition. By it's simple definition, a coalition requires an agreement of view and a compromise on issues and when both the Conservative and Labour parties were dead-set to raise fees, we were always going to struggle to carry our policy through to implementation.

While those votes have been hard. I take a great amount of satisfaction in the knowledge that we have been able to deliver on a number of Liberal Democrat policies that are of enormous importance to the people that I am elected to represent.

We have lowered the tax bill for all middle earners, putting £500 back in your pockets and taking thousands of the lowest earners out of tax all together. We have given an extra £600 to every school child in receipt of free school meals to make sure they get a fair start in life. We have relinked pensions to earnings, resulting in a much-needed pension increase of £9.80 each week for our older generation. And, we have delivered on jobs, equipping people with the skills they need to find work and creating thousands of extra apprenticeships to help young people into the workplace.

All this work and more would not have been delivered if it weren't for the Liberal Democrats being in government. It's estimated that 75% of the Lib Dem manifesto from the 2010 election is being delivered in government.

These are challenging yet exciting times. As we look towards the second half of the government, the Liberal Democrats will continue to champion those issues closest to our hearts in government. In particular, calling for fairer taxes for all.

Week beginning 17th September

This week the business community, our local town and Cornwall councillors, the Chamber of Commerce and the new owners of White River Place will come together to talk about how we can continue to develop St Austell as an exciting and vibrant place for people to come to visit, to shop, to socialise.

Our town centre has seen huge changes over recent years. When White River Place opened in the midst of the worst recession in living memory and with the ever steady rise of on-line shopping it was always going to take some time to secure a place in the market. I believe it has done so and will continue to attract retailers and leisure businesses into our area.

But there's a clear need for everyone with an interest in St Austell succeeding to do more to help build a town centre that we can all be proud of. What's unique about the meetings that I and others will be at this week is that, for the first time in many years, they will bring together businesses and local decision makers from across the town centre. Whichever part of the town a business is in we all need to work together to make St Austell a success - we can't allow division to reduce our ambition or delay our work.

In my view there's three issues that we have to focus on. First, we have to protect the town centre from having the carpet pulled from under it from out of town retail. We can't allow further developments of out of town shopping that threaten to take people away from our town centre, reduce footfall and therefore reduce spend in the town with the inevitable closure of local businesses that will follow. It's vital that the town works together to safeguard the asset that we do have and doesn't throw the baby out with the bathwater in a rush to get more out of town shopping.

Second, we all need to put more effort in to making sure that our town looks clean, fresh and inviting. There's a real need to make sure that all parts of the town, Fore Street, Old Vicarage Place, White River Place, the Market House, are working together to present the town in the best light. The good news is that are plans to help provide some funding to do this - and it's important that we get on and do it.

Finally we need to see more leisure activity in St Austell - drawing people into the town for a coffee or for dinner. The cinema remains a vital anchor for St Austell's night time economy but we need to see a better balance. The rise of online shopping means that town centre's simply won't flourish on retail alone.

I firmly believe that St Austell has a great future if the town works together to protect and enhance what we have - and, as a St Austell boy, I am keen to do all I can to help with that.

Week beginning 10th September

Last week saw the first major reshuffle of Government Ministers since the General Election. While the senior members of the cabinet remained the same, we saw a lot of movement in less high-profile departments and in the junior ministerial ranks.

The changes resulted in a post being offered to me as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change) and I am pleased to announce that I have accepted the position.

I want to take this opportunity to explain why I have accepted this role and what it will mean for my duties as your local MP.

The role of a Parliamentary Private Secretary (or PPS) is to support their Minister in Parliament. This includes liaising with backbench MPs on their behalf; providing information and advice to the Minister during Parliamentary debates; and attending and reporting back from debates and events that the Minister can't attend in person.

This isn't the first time that I've been offered a post as a PPS. Back in March last year I was offered a similar position but decided to turn it down. At that time I didn't feel that I would be able to best serve my constituents and properly fulfil the role simultaneously - I was still relatively new to Parliament and wanted to focus all my energies on my top priority of representing you in Parliament.

Now that a further 18 months have passed, I feel that I have a much better grasp on how to influence decisions and how to do my job as effectively as possible. This appointment therefore allows me to go one step further and be able to influence from within the Government decision making process.

The Department for Energy and Climate Change is not a stranger to Cornwall. Our green industries locally are on the rise and there is already a growing environmental brand associated with our community. Our county is fast becoming the 'Green Peninsula' of the UK which has the potential to create new jobs and a strong local economy to maximise our resources for years to come.

The Eden Project and eco-town proposal (both in the centre of my constituency) are testament to the green future for the Duchy and Ed Davey was in Cornwall himself earlier this summer to launch Cornwall Together - an exciting new initiative that will mean lower utility bills for Cornish households while helping us all in the challenge to cut our carbon emissions.

As a PPS in this important department for Cornwall, I am confident that I will be able to greatly influence our local environmental agenda, while also helping to make a difference to the work of the wider Government in this important policy area.

All that said, this appointment doesn't change my primary priority as your MP - to serve my constituents and represent your views in Government. During the election I said that I would always put local people before Party politics. That will always remain true.

Week beginning 3rd September

I've used this column in the past to talk about the housing crisis facing Britain. Rocketing house prices, a growing waiting list for social homes and soaring costs in the private rented sector are all contributing to a problem in the housing sector that the government can no longer ignore.

There is a general consensus that increasing house building (especially of social homes) will help ease this problem, but opinions differ on how to fund this increase.

A couple of weeks ago, a Conservative-backed think-tank published a report which proposed that councils and housing associations should sell off their social housing stock in higher value areas and replace them with larger numbers of properties in areas where land prices are cheaper.

The think-tank suggests that around 1-in-5 social houses are deemed 'expensive' (worth more than the median property in the region) and selling off the homes which become vacant each year would raise around £4.5billion - enough to build between 80,000 to 170,000 new social housing units.

This sounds great on paper. But, this proposal would - in my eyes - be the housing sector equivalent of jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire. Policy Exchange seem to have simply ignored the long-term consequences of their proposal and what it would mean to the concept of 'community'.

The ethos and importance of mixed communities cannot be overstated. Diversification of housing type and tenure within a community - not between communities - has been shown to lead to huge benefits stemming from social cohesion and through using shared space and communities resources. Mixed communities are one of the essential building blocks of the Tory vision of a "big society" and these proposals would drive a coach and horses through that goal.

Ghettoising communities and pushing social housing off to more deprived former industrial towns and villages will sentence a generation to a world where aspiration and opportunity would be scarce. It is effectively a 21^st century version of social cleansing and could change the landscape of our communities forever.

The damage done by putting an end to mixed communities will take decades to undo and, in the meantime, we will see a return to the days that communities could be instantly identifiable by their class status or relative wealth.

By contrast, a Liberal Democrat working group have also recently published their plans to boost house building by 300,000 units per year (which would almost double the current building rate) by borrowing cash from existing public funds which would be replaced with the income generated from the completed properties.

This policy creates 'extra' homes rather than 'replacement' homes and keeps our communities in tact.

One thing is for sure, this problem isn't going to go away. Britain is facing a housing crisis and if radical action isn't taken in the next couple of years we will likely see an industry implode and leave thousands desperately seeking a house to call home. Something must be done.

Week beginning 27th August

The Paralympics, which starts this week, should remind us that human beings are capable of extraordinary feats of achievements even when we find ourselves born with difficult and challenging disabilities, life-limiting illnesses or have been in a life-changing accident.

The Paralympics came from the horrors of world war two and, in our recent history, many of the athletes that will compete in the Olympics venues would have been written off, hidden from view or kept in institutions for their whole lives. Thankfully, that's changed.

Over the next few days we will witness the strength of the human spirit: setting a goal, striving to achieve it, and excelling at something when the odds are stacked against us.

For us here in mid-Cornwall we have some home grown talent to root for. As with Helen Glover and Ben Ainsley's achievements in the recent Olympic Games - I hope the whole of Cornwall will be cheering when Jon Fox and Matthew Whorwood, both from our neck of the woods, represent Great Britain.

Jon will be competing in events including the S7 400m Freestyle and 100m Backstroke. He will be hoping to add to the silver medal he won in the 100m Backstroke in Beijing in 2008. Matthew will also be competing in the swimming. They will no doubt be joined by many others with strong Cornish connections.

It's too easy sometimes, when hit by unexpected set-backs, like an accident, to think the glass if half-empty, rather than half-full. But these people have chosen to ask themselves a different question: not what can't they do, but what can they do. It's an important difference.

Their achievements in being able to rise above their disabilities and compete on an international field should serve as inspiration to all of us to believe in ourselves and make of our life what we want it to be.

We all face different challenges and none of us should fool ourselves into thinking that we are alone in sometimes being pessimistic about our talents and abilities. We all suffer from a crisis of confidence from time to time.

But these athletes remind us that we only get one shot at this life, there's no second chance - and we need to make the most every day. In the hurly-burly of our day-to-day lives, when it seems there simply aren't enough hours to go around -it's important to make the most of every chance we get.

I have always believed that a society should be judged on how it looks after the most vulnerable in it - the young, those who are older and infirm and those who can't advocate for themselves. Over the coming days TeamGB's athletes will show us that, in many cases, those who we think of as vulnerable are simply exceptional in a different way. They will, rightly, challenge the way we think about disability.

If the Olympic Games wasn't inspiration enough - the stage is now set for the super-humans.

Week beginning 20th August

If you read some of the national papers you'd be forgiven for thinking that MPs are in the middle of a long summer holiday and we're all sitting in the garden with our feet up sipping a gin and tonic - maybe some are - but I'm pleased to say in my case this certainly isn't the case!

Yes, I've had some time away from work - but over the last few weeks I've been out with my team knocking on doors across our communities - in St Austell and Newquay, from Par to St Columb Major, and lots of places in between too.

In fact, so far, the team and I have knocked on around 7,000 doors (and counting!) and spoken to hundreds of people about their concerns and views on important local and national issues. I've held advice surgeries in locations across the area - helping to make it easier for people to get to see me with their concerns.

We've also picked up hundreds of new pieces of "casework" - that's the individual problems from people who come to me, as the MP, for help.

This is all part of my annual "Summer Tour" - a rather grand name for simply getting out and about across the patch listening to local people. It's difficult to do this when Parliament is sitting as most of the week is spent in London and then there's the travelling to and from Cornwall.

The summer recess is a great chance to spend real time listening to what people have to say about the issues of the day - everything from the state of the economy and foreign policy to the pot holes and broken lights in a street. And there's still two more weeks of knocking on doors to go before Parliament meets again in London in September - more doors and more casework!

Casework - helping people with their individual problems - is a huge part of my job. Since the election, we've helped (or at least tried to) almost 6,000 individuals in every part of our area. The issues range from problems with Government departments and frustrations with our calamity Council to the weird and wonderful - like losing a passport abroad. This 6,000 is separate from the many hundreds who contact me each week about national issues - like hunting, the NHS, or whatever the headline issue of the day is.

I can't effectively represent people in Westminster if I don't listen to what people are thinking and I can't help individuals with a problem if they don't let me know what those problems are. That's why the summer tour is such an important part of my annual calendar - and has been since David Penhaligon's time.

You simply can't beat getting out and about, chatting with people and listening to them as a way of staying in touch - it's no holiday, and it's hard work, particularly with the Cornish liquid sunshine, but it's a vital part of my job - and, I have to confess, I enjoy it!

Week beginning 13th August

What a fortnight! The Olympic Games have once again shown us the best of humanity - all the nations of the world coming together, in peace, to push the boundaries of human achievement further than they have ever been pushed before.

It's been spell-binding: London has been an amazing backdrop to some of the best sporting achievements for a generation - there were an astonishing 26 new world records set by athletes from around the world as well as a huge number of personal bests from individual competitors. People were inspired to push themselves higher, further and faster than they have ever done.

London and the other host venues have done the rest of the country proud - showcasing the very best of Britain to a global audience. Of course we must thank the organisers, but the biggest thanks should go to the army of volunteers who gave their time to make the games, by all accounts, one of the friendliest that have ever been staged.

And we must pay tribute to Team GB who got the best haul of medals for over 100 years - with massive success for some of our home grown talents from Cornwall too. So many of our athletes have overcome personal tragedy or difficult circumstances and have pushed forward with a simple belief in themselves and have used their sport as a way to focus their energy. Not all of them won a medal - but just by being in the games they were all winners.

I'm delighted that the Government has announced new funding to help build the legacy that the London Olympic Games promised: to inspire a new generation into sport. There's no doubt that sport helps build rounded individuals - people who are able to work as a team, stay focussed on a goal, push themselves to the limits and then beyond as well as helping people stay fit and mentally agile.

Sometimes I hear people worry about the direction our country is headed - some believe our best days are behind us. The success of the London Games has been in exposing this myth and presenting a modern, vibrant and successful nation to the world - at the cutting edge of music, fashion, technology; still able to rival the superpowers of America and China in our successes; and with enduring values of democracy and liberty. We've seen a new self-confidence and belief in ourselves that we haven't seen for some time.

We may no longer be an imperial power - but we are now a diverse, tolerant and confident democracy that stands as a beacon to inspire people around the world with our beliefs and culture. The self-confidence that the London Games has created is a great foundation as we move further into this new century.

It's always been my view that our country's best days are yet to come - and together as a nation London 2012 showed that we will continue to set the pace for much of what happens in our world.

Week beginning 6th August

I think it is a fundamental principle that those who make the law should be accountable to those who have to follow it. That's the basis of a democracy. As a member of the House of Commons I know that I take my authority to vote on the issues of the day from the people who voted for me at the election - if I get it wrong, I can be booted out of office.

That's not true in the House of Lords: members are appointed and not elected, they have no authority from the people they make law over and no accountability to them. It's an antiquated and out-of-date system that is not shared by any other modern democracy.

The fact that we have over 800 members of the House of Lords with none of them accountable should be an affront to us all - why should we tolerate these people making rules that we have to follow when we have no say in how they get there?

Indeed in 2010 all three main parties had reform of the House of Lords in their manifestos and it was a key commitment in the Coalition Agreement - the contract that keeps the Liberal Democrats and Conservative parties working together in the national interest.

Overall, the Liberal Democrats have held to this contract even when it meant voting for things that we found very difficult. Sadly, the Conservative Party is not honouring the commitment they made in that agreement to Lords reform and, as a result, for the first time part of this contract has been broken.

When part of a contract is broken, it is normal and necessary to amend that contract in order to then move on. So that is what we are doing. Nick Clegg has told David Cameron that when Parliament votes on boundary changes for the 2015 election Liberal Democrats in Parliament will oppose them.

Coalition has got to be a two-way street. The Conservative Party cannot think of it as a "pick and mix" coalition - where they can pick and choose the parts of the contract they like, while Liberal Democrats are bound to the entire agreement.

Liberal Democrats joined the Coalition, in good faith, in the national interest and at a time of crisis. We will continue to work in the national interest and we will continue to focus on the central task that brought the Coalition together: rescuing, repairing and rebalancing our economy and delivering the things we believe in - making the tax system fairer; the Pupil Premium; green energy; and jobs and opportunities for our young people.

But the Conservatives have to recognise that if we are to be able to focus on those central tasks then we need to honour the commitments that both parties have made to each other. I hope that the damage that the Tory broken-promise on House of Lords reform won't overshadow the rest of the Parliament - there's important work to be done rebuilding the economy.

Week beginning 30th July

Last Friday, 27 million people up and down the country tuned in to watch the opening ceremony of the London Olympic games. It was an inspirational spectacle that displayed Britain at it's best and set the tone for a summer to remember.

Across the UK, I've feel the excitement of the Olympics growing since the Olympic Torch began it's journey on the streets of Cornwall two months ago. By last week the torch was in the capital city marking the start of the games. But, the games aren't just about London.

The legacy projects that are being funded from the Olympics will make a real difference to sport for generations to come in communities across the entire UK.

One such grant will see a new purpose built club house for the Pentewan Sands Sailing Club. The grant, which is part of the £135 million Places People Play legacy programme, is a big boost for the club and will bring lasting benefits to the clubs members and to the wider community.

I look forward to working with the club's committee as they draw up their plans and work with the community to raise the rest of the funds they need and develop a fitting and sustainable club house that will leave an Olympic legacy for years to come.

This summer, as well as watching some of the games myself, I'll also be taking part in my annual Constituency Summer Tour. This year, I'm going to be knocking on doors in over 20 towns and villages across the St Austell & Newquay constituency to hear your views on the issues that matter and to see if there is anything that I can do to help you.

The most important part of my job as your local MP is to represent your views in Westminster and to lobby the Government on your behalf. In order to do that effectively it's vital that I know what matters to you.

I'll also be collecting petition signatures for my campaign for 'Fair Pay for Cornwall' which I launched last month. I believe that our hardworking teachers, nurses and other public servants deserve to be paid a fair wage and I am opposed to any move to introduce regionally variable pay for the public sector.

As well as knocking on doors, I'll be holding a number of advice surgeries in the afternoons. If I don't make it to your door, or you want to come along and just have a longer chat with me about an issue or a problem affecting you then please don't hesitate to come along.

You can find a list of where my surgeries will be on my website (www.stevegilbert.info) or by calling my constituency office on 01726 63443.

I very much hope to get the chance to see you over the summer months, but don't forget that you can always get in touch with me at any time by calling the number above; writing to 10 South Street, St Austell, PL25 5BH; or by emailing steve@stevegilbert.info.

Week beginning 23rd July

The Eden Project's environmental credentials are second-to-none. That's why it was such a fitting location for Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat Environment Minister, to launch Cornwall Together earlier this week.

Cornwall Together is an exciting new initiative that will mean lower utility bills for Cornish households, community benefits from energy projects and it's environmentally friendly too - helping us all in the challenge to cut our carbon emissions.

Over the last couple of years, we have all felt the pinch as the economy worsened and prices were on the rise. One area in particular where costs have increased is in the energy market. Our gas and electricity bills have shot up and I know of many families who have struggled to make ends meet and pay their bills while putting food on the table or filling the car.

One of the easiest ways for people to start to address that problem is by looking very closely at who they are buying their energy from. Switching supplier can make a huge difference. In 2010, we saw significant energy price rises. Wholesale energy costs soared, driving up consumer bills. Yet consumer switching rates fell with just 15% of people switched gas suppliers, and 17% switching electric.

We have to ask ourselves why this is. Why are these figures so low when it's such an easy way to reduce our bills? Well, I think the first part of the problem is about information - we need to make it much clearer to people that simply switching supplier can bring down the cost of their bills. Then we need to make it easier to switch, giving people the resources they need to make the change and drive down prices.

The Government is doing a lot of work to reduce the number of tariffs available and make the pricing structures much clearer. This will let customers find the best deal more easily. We want people to have access to better information about their energy consumption, with smart meters to help consumers monitor and manage their energy use.

But, this will only work if we take on some of the responsibility. Already, we've seen some exciting new partnerships spring up which are leading to a reduction in costs for those involved. A partnership between Which? and the campaigning group 38degrees led to over 200,000 people cutting their energy costs.

Now, the establishment of Cornwall Together brings a brand new sort of local initiative - the first example of a county joining together to help people save. It will make a real difference by working with big employers in Cornwall to get people thinking about more sustainable energy options and targeting the hard-to-reach households who most need help.

But it will also have community benefits - with 1 pound out of every 10 generated going into a fund for Cornish communities.

This is great news for bill payers and great news for Cornwall. Once again, we're leading the way on the green agenda.

Week beginning 16th July

Many people will have seen discussions in the news over the last week about the future of insurance for homes at high risk from flooding.

Indeed, this will be a particularly important issue for the hundreds of local people who were affected by the floods locally in November 2010.

Until now, an agreement (called the Statement of Principles) between the Government and the insurance industry has meant that at-risk homes have been able to continue to access affordable home insurance. But, that agreement comes to an end next year and, as yet, there still isn't a confirmed replacement.

The new approach under discussion aims to improve upon the current agreement between the Government and the industry by ensuring both the availability and affordability of flood insurance for the first time.

I strongly believe that the successor to the Statement of Principles has to be universal and affordable. It's the affordability that's the key thing - affordability for everyone. We cannot have a situation where people in areas at risk of flooding are written off and allowed to live in uninsurable properties.

What's currently being considered is a cross-subsidy mechanism that would ensure high risk households can get affordable insurance without extra costs being placed on policy holders or taxpayers.

The levy would be designed to continue to help households afford flood cover without increasing bills more generally. This is important as we cannot allow this measure to push up the costs of insurance for those not at risk of flooding. Prices should remain largely the same as they are now for homeowners.

The other main option is to move to a completely market based solution, however, this would see prices rise steeply for a lot of people across the country, pricing poorer people and those at high risk of flooding out of insurance.

I simply don't believe that this would be fair. Following the 2010 floods, I was contacted by constituents who's premiums had increased astronomically overnight. It's vital that we find a solution that if affordable and protects those most at need.

As I have said, the most important issue here though is the urgency. Already people are starting to get to the point of renewing their insurance premiums and for the thousands of people up and down the country that are in high-risk spots, this will be a tough time for them unless urgent Government action is taken.

We are spending more than £2.1 billion on flood risk management, and are on course to exceed our goal to better protect 145,000 homes by March 2015. The Government's investment is being topped-up by commitments of at least £72 million in external contributions under the new Partnership Funding approach.

But, that has to come alongside affordable insurance for people if (and when) those protections fail. Since 2010 I've met with the Government, industry and insurers to discuss the problem and I will keep the pressure on to help prevent a repeat of the Cornish flooding and ensure that people are properly covered if it sadly does happen again.

Week beginning 9th July

Bankers on the take, politicians with their noses in the trough, the media hacking into people's phones and paying corrupt police officers for information, the rich and famous dodging tax - and all at a time when hard-working families who are playing by the rules are struggling to make ends meet.

It's clear that we have a crisis at the heart of many of Britain's institutions and the very real anger that people feel about these issues is not misplaced - its anger at a culture that puts self-interest above the public-interest.

Corruption is nothing new - it's as old as time -but this has been corruption on an industrial scale and across institutions that people should be able to trust to take choices on their behalf. Of course, the institutions may not get it right all the time - but we all need to trust that they are making decisions for the right reasons.

I think it's a crisis that's come about because many have forgotten that we all have a basic duty to treat each other with respect and fairness. Yes, it's clear the law needs to change and the rules tightened as some of what has happened was technically allowed - but that's not really the point.

The point is we all have a basic duty of care towards each other - a duty to treat other people fairly - clearly this includes the people we know, our friends and family, but it is actually especially important for the people that we don't know.

These are not victimless crimes - tax is the price that we pay for a civilised society. The police are the people we trust to defend our rights, the media and politicians have a duty to be honest and informative and bankers should be looking after money in the interests of those who have placed it in their care. There are victims, even if we don't know them.

Some former MPs are already in jail, I have no doubt that some journalists, bankers and policemen will soon join them and that the tax dodging celebrities will be made to cough up what they owe - justice must be done.

But we also need a more fundamental change - a change in our culture that doesn't see people we don't know as fair game. A journalist would never have hacked their own daughter's phone, a banker isn't likely to have ripped-off his own family or a police officer betrayed the confidence of their mother or father. Why do some see it okay to treat other people's parents or children in this way?

Our society is large and complex - we can't know all of the many millions of people on our island; and that's exactly why we mustn't forget our basic duty to each other. We are all connected - and the institutions that serve us need to understand that. If they don't then quite simply the trust that holds us together will erode, and chaos follow.

Week beginning 2nd July

We all deserve a safe and secure place to live but for some who choose to live in a Park Home this is sadly not always the case. A Park Home is a static caravan, usually found grouped together in modestly sized communities that attract the retired, the elderly and the infirm - often seeking more peaceful surroundings to live out their golden years.

Here in St Austell & Newquay there are around 700 park homes located on about 15 sites. The majority of site owners are, of course, honourable and well-intentioned individuals; but sadly that is not the case across the board.

In my time as an MP I've heard far too many stories of bullying, harassment and intimidation by site owners looking to make a quick buck off the backs of often vulnerable older people. Not to mention the unfair monopoly that site owners have over the supply of utilities to the homes, or the unregulated year-on-year pitch fee increases some experience, or the practice of blocking private sales so a resident wishing to move has no option but to accept a below market offer from the site owner who can go on to sell at great profit.

I've been determined to make the Government listen to these stories and take action. Back in 2010 I helped secure a backbench business debate about Park Homes which saw the Government promise to take action (and indeed, earlier this year the Government launched a consultation into the industry and its practices). In January I also tabled a 10 Minute Rule Bill which would have introduced a 'Fit and Proper Person' test for site owners.

The issue didn't disappear from Parliament's agenda altogether and earlier this year the Communities & Local Government Select Committee, which I sit on, launched an inquiry into the park home industry.

It became immediately clear that the current legislation is inadequate and that measures need to be taken now to drive the worst offenders out.

Following the inquiry the committee has now published its report which includes a series of recommendations for industry reforms which would bring this malpractice to an end. The recommendations include bringing forward urgent primary legislation to end sale blocking by remove the site owner's right to approve prospective buyers of park homes.

This and the other measures in the report are welcome news for the many thousands of park home residents living in fear or suffering from unfair treatment from their site owners. These people are entitled to the same quality of life as you and I and it's time that the Government stopped talking and started acting.

Last week I also spoke at the National Park Homes Congress about the work that my colleagues and I have been doing in Parliament and the steps that we want to take. I will continue to work with the park home community until everyone receives the decent standing of living that they deserve.

Week beginning 25th June

The news that White River Place has been sold should be welcomed by our community. It means two things. First, that even in the midst of these very difficult economic times a company has enough faith in our town to make a multi-million investment in its future. Second, there will be a new and refreshed management team to drive forward the marketing of our town and to try and pull into the household names that we all want to see.

I grew up in St Austell. My first Saturday job was at Roy Dutch's camera shop. I remember the old and run down Alymer Square. A 1960's concrete eye-sore that did nothing for St Austell. The new White River Place has transformed our town centre - it's reconnected St Austell with the fantastic countryside that surrounds us as well as showcasing modern environmentally sustainable development. We would never have seen the investment that was needed from the private sector alone. The geography of St Austell makes it difficult and expensive to redevelop - White River Place needed significant public subsidy to get it built. In that context, whilst the new owners may have got a good deal - it's not the knock-down sell-off that some people are trying to suggest.

When White River Place opened it did so into the teeth of one of the fiercest recessions since the 1920s and with a boom in internet trading. Against that background, with town centres across the country struggling, we shouldn't be surprised that White River Place isn't 100% let. As it happens, St Austell continues to do better than the national trend in terms of empty units. We should be proud of that, but not complacent.

We now need to all work together to drive the future of St Austell - local businesses, local councillors, the new owners and me as the MP. Like everyone else I want to see more high street names in St Austell - in particular I think the town could benefit from a good shop for women's clothes! Over the coming weeks I will be meeting with the new owners to see what plans they have for the future and how I may be able to work with them to help attract the sort of retail and leisure businesses that we all want to see.

In the meantime, let's not forget that it's all too easy for us to slip back into knocking our town. We have a multi-million investment in our town centre, new owners to drive forward new interest, and a town centre that is so much better than the old Alymer Square. Like everywhere else we have our challenges, not least ensuring that the "old" town benefits as much as the "new" town, but as a community we must remain determined and positive about the future for our town.

Week beginning 18th June

Last week I launched my campaign for Fair Pay for Cornwall. For too long, public sector workers in our community haven't received the pay they deserve for the work that they do; now the Government is considering implementing a new pay system for the public sector that could see regional variations in pay - a policy which would almost certainly result in a hit for local workers.

Our public sector workers, policemen, fire fighters, nurses and teachers do hugely valuable work in our community and they deserve to be paid fairly for it. For the thousands of people in these key local jobs, who are already struggling to make ends meet, news that their wages could be hit further is nothing short of an insult.

That's why, last week, I launched my campaign for 'Fair Pay for Cornwall' - calling on the government to drop any plans for regional pay or any move that varies pay between different parts of the country.

I was joined for the launch by the president of the Liberal Democrats, Tim Farron MP, and together we visited the UnionLearn centre in St Austell to launch the campaign. I've been to the centre before and seen the work they do to with the local trade unions which are a valuable resource for public sector staff in the county.

The double-whammy of already low wages in Cornwall and a higher-than-average costs of living, for housing, water and fuel among others) means that many people are already struggling more than their counterparts in London or the South East. A regional approach to public sector pay would only serve to institutionalise and lock in this problem - making it additionally hard for the Cornish economy to break free and grow.

Already, my Liberal Democrat colleagues in Government, including Nick Clegg, have stated their opposition to the idea of regional pay and since I launched my campaign, the Treasury have been forced to back down on their determination and said this week that, while it remains a consideration, they would only introduce it if there was a strong case.

This is good news, but it still doesn't put an end to the idea and I won't stop my campaign until the idea is off the table for good.

Over the coming weeks and months I plan to meet with union representatives to discuss their position and ways in which we can work together to oppose these plans. I will also be raising my objections directly with the Government and writing to Ministers to ask them to drop the plans.

This summer I will be touring the constituency, along with a number of local volunteers, to ask people to sign my petition for "Fair Pay for Cornwall". The aim is to knock on 20,000 doors while Parliament is in recess.

You can back my campaign by signing the petition on my website or please call my office on 01726 63443 if you can help collect signatures. Together we can get Fair Pay For Cornwall.

Week beginning 11th June

Many of you will have seen the news coverage of the heavy rain and storms over the last few days which have led to flooding across much of mid Wales and the closure of the M1 motorway due to excessive water on the road.

I went to university in Aberystwyth in Wales, very close to the flood-hit area, and seeing the water as it hit an area I know well couldn't help but make me think back to the floods in Cornwall in 2010 and the shocking devastation that it led to. Hundreds of homes and businesses flooded, families forced to move out for weeks or even months and thousands of pounds worth of damage.

I couldn't imagine the effect that the flood waters will have - destroying possessions and putting lives on hold. In the aftermath of the Cornish floods, I worked closely with the community, emergency services, insurance industry and government to ensure that local people received the support they needed to get their lives back on track as soon as possible.

One of the big challenges for the affected families was to receive a speedy pay out from their insurance company to pay for repairs of their property or to replace their furniture and I'm pleased, over the last couple of years, to see families and communities rebuild their lives.

But, it was clear that more had to be done to tackle the cause of the problem and take all possible steps to limit the chance of a repeat of that tragic November night. That's why I worked with Cornwall Council and the local community to successfully bid for over 25% of the national home flood defence money to come to Cornwall, and pushed the Environment Agency and others to do more to protect our communities from a repeat of these floods in the future.

Now, 18 months since our community was hit by some of the worst flooding in recent years I've been calling on the Government to safeguard the future of flood insurance.

Next summer the "Statement of Principles" an agreement between the Government and the insurance industry that homes in flood risk areas must be able to get insurance runs out. Without an agreement for the future, it is possible that up to 2million homes at risk of flooding across Britain will simply be unable to get home insurance.

That means that those with homes in flood risk areas won't be able to sell them and won't be able to replace their possessions if the flood waters strike again. I've raised this issue with the Government and will have further conversations with the Minister responsible. Last month I also spoke at a conference in the insurance industry calling on Government to act quickly to make sure that flood insurance remains available and affordable to all.

Seeing a home full of memories and mementos wash away is bad enough - we can't allow people to not be able to get insurance to begin to rebuild.

Week beginning 4th June 2012

This weekend we came together to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen. I had the pleasure of attending many community events - from a church service in Mevagissey, a Scouts event on Polkerris beach, to parties in the parks and streets of St Austell, Newquay, Roche, Foxhole, and many others places besides. It really was a long weekend to remember. People of all ages came out to show their affection and respect for our Queen who has devoted the last 60 years of her life to service to our nation with the utmost of professionalism, dedication and dignity.

Britain has changed hugely over those years. Emerging victorious, but almost bankrupt, from the horror of the second world war we have rebuilt to become a modern and diverse nation much more at ease with ourselves and our differences than our forefathers were. We've also become, relative to then, a very rich nation. In 1953 there were just 2million TV licences in the whole country, now almost everyone has one TV and many have two or more. This second Elizabethan age has seen a dramatic increase in living standards. In 1953 the average weekly wage of a male manual worker was £9.5/11d, today its £465. The Queen's reign has seen unprecedented years of peace and stability in Europe, the end of the British Empire, the United States land on the moon and now the Chinese reach for Mars.

As well as her duties as Head of State, the Queen is also head of the established Church and the head of our armed forces. Last week I had the chance to see the continuity that she has ruled over as I addressed the Royal Navy Association in St Austell and visited the Army Cadets in Newquay.

The cadets were in their early teens and were learning to map read, shoot and pack their rucksacks in Newquay's drill hall. The Naval veterans were planning charity fundraising for the next few months. Both were doing so under portraits of Her Majesty and - despite the wide difference in age - both groups shared a common loyalty to the Queen.

Where other countries with Presidents often find that their politics can divide the nation, our monarchy endures and thrives because it brings people together. The hurly-burly of partisan democracy is subjugated to the unifying feature of the Crown - which unites bickering politicians and people of different classes, genders, and ethnic backgrounds.

We're lucky to have a Queen who is so dedicated to her role - but also so at ease with the country that Britain has become. A country where traditions still run deep in our culture but one that has been able to renew and reinvigorate itself to face new challenges and a new century.

There's no doubt Britain has changed and will continue to change and many of the changes are for the better. But thanks to the stability and continuity Her Majesty has provided we're still a nation rich in history and character.

Week beginning 28^th May 2012

In the two months since the budget that raised the possibility of VAT being applied to all pasties (and sausage rolls and other baked goods like mince pies) I've campaigned against this unfair, unworkable and damaging proposal and I am delighted that the Government have changed their minds.

It's would have cost 400 jobs in Cornwall alone and cost our economy around £100million each year - across the country we would have seen 2,000 job losses and around 300 high street bakeries close.

It's a success for people power: 500,000 people signed a petition and I raised the issue at Prime Ministers Questions, tabled an amendment at the budget and divided the House (getting the second largest rebellion against the Government in the last two years!) and have continued to work with Cornwall's other MPs and the industry to get the Government to see sense.

I am pleased the Government have backed my alternative suggestion that delivers on the Government's intention to create a level playing field with other sellers of hot-food, but doesn't hit our high street bakeries.

Now, a freshly baked pasty will cost the same this summer as it did last summer. Only when it is kept hot - in a warmed cabinet for example - will VAT be applied. It's a proposal supported by the industry, and one that is enforceable by Government without an army of "pasty police" going around the country and testing pasties. I am pleased the Government listened.

Since being selected as a candidate for Parliament in 2007, I've continued to support those who want to see local people have more power. An example of this is with lap dancing clubs on our high street. Back in 2007 there were 5 licences for sexual entertainment in Newquay, either on the high street or on the way to the beach. Today we have just one such venue and this week showed the importance of people power as an application for another was rejected.

The community united - businesses, churches, schools, the police, councillors and residents - to oppose an application for another venue on our high street. This shows both the strength of feeling in our town about these venues - they are simply not wanted by the people who live here - but also the fact that democracy can and does work when people work together with a clear vision and determination.

I want to be clear: I have never opposed sexual entertainment venues on moral grounds - what consenting adults choose to do is, I think, none of my business. My view has always been that they need to be well managed, appropriately located and supported by local people. Newquay is making huge progress with the family visitor market, something pointed out by VisitNewquay evidence used at the hearing - that is the direction of travel for our town, that's where the economic prize is for business, and that's the direction I will continue to support as Newquay's MP.

It's now been 18 months since St Austell, Mevagissey, St Blazey, Pentewan, Polmassick and other parts of our community were hit by some of the worst flooding in recent years. Hundreds of homes and businesses were destroyed and many lives were ruined. As well as helping scores of individuals with issues with their insurance companies, campaigning and succeeding in getting over 25% of the national home flood defence money for Cornwall, and pushing the Environment Agency and others to do more to protect our communities in the future - I've also been calling on the Government to look again at the future of flood insurance.

Next summer the "Statement of Principles" an agreement between the Government and the insurance industry that homes in flood risk areas musty be able to get insurance runs out. The danger is that without an agreement to replace it with something else up to 2million homes across Britain will simply be unable to get flood insurance. That means that those with homes in flood risk areas won't be able to sell them and won't be able to replace their possessions if the flood waters strike again. This week I spoke at a conference in the insurance industry calling on Government to act quickly to make sure that flood insurance remains available and affordable to all. Seeing a home full of memories and mementos wash away is bad enough - we can't allow people to not be able to get insurance to begin to rebuild.

Week beginning 21st May 2012

What a weekend! Olympic fever gripped Cornwall on Saturday as the Olympic torch landed in Cornwall and started a 70 day procession around Britain. Confounding all the sceptics and doom-mongers, people in Cornwall took to the streets for a once in a life-time chance of seeing the Olympic flame and getting into the Olympic spirit.

St Austell's town centre was buzzing by mid morning as people flocked into the town centre and the town's parks to be part of a day that showed Cornwall at our best. By the time I got to Newquay in the afternoon streets were full of people waiting for the torch to go past and, when I was in Bugle, I am sure that there were more people lining the streets in the village than actually lived there!

Estimates vary but there's no doubt that there was well over 10,000 people on the streets in St Austell and Newquay and certainly over 5,000 in both Bugle and St Stephen too. It was a party atmosphere with fetes and events and world records being broken!

I was particularly pleased to see the warm welcome that the whole community gave to the police who must be congratulated both for keeping everyone safe and for the logistical triumph in getting the torch around Cornwall pretty much on time.

The last time Cornwall saw crowds like we did on Saturday was for the eclipse - perhaps only a Royal visit would see more people take to the streets. And what an opportunity it was to showcase the very best of Cornwall to an audience across Britain and around the world that was estimated to be over a billion people. A billion people! That's the equivalent to twice the number of all of the people in the whole of Europe tuning into their televisions - or the entire population of China!

Those watching would have seen our wonderful natural environment, great weather (thankfully!), our community spirit and that Cornwall is a great place to do business as well as to visit. I expect we will see a bounce in our local industries over the coming months. And we threw down a gauntlet down to Devon and the rest of the country to do better. I doubt they will be able to!

It's often said it's the London Olympics - but it's really the British Olympics. It's already helped to deliver a sporting legacy here in Cornwall. I was honoured to be invited to present children from across Cornwall who had been competing in Newquay with awards for taking part in the triathlon and other events.

Saturday's community spirit helped to break down the divide between the generations as people from all ages gathered at Bugle's primary school and Methodist Chapel to socialise and reminisce.

With the Olympics and Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee both still to happen this summer - I think we can look forward to a summer of celebration of sport, of Cornwall and of Britain.

On this page, Steve will write a weekly diary to give you an update on his work for St Austell & Newquay and his views on the hot political stories of the day.

Week beginning 14th May 2012

Last week MPs came together to hear Her Majesty the Queen open Parliament for a new session. The last session, which ran from the General Election in May 2010, was the longest session of Parliament for over 150 years and saw the Coalition Government make key reforms that took almost two million of the lowest paid workers out of tax, provided extra funding for poorer children at school, delivered a Council Tax freeze for much of the country and reformed welfare to make sure that going to work always pays.

The Queen set out the Coalition's plans for the next year to help ordinary families during these tough times. The Government is planning to reform the energy industry to deliver cheaper bills, provide further help on water bills and to clamp down on the way supermarkets exploit food producers to drive down food costs.

Hardworking families' concerns over rising costs have been heard and the Government has responded with a range of measures to help drive down prices. The Government aims to provide better regulation for the big companies which, for too long, have gone unchecked and been allowed to reap excessive profits at the expense of people and producers.

The Electricity Market Reform Bill will see proposals to reduce energy bills by securing much needed investment in energy infrastructure. These plans aim to protect families from the fluctuating costs of oil and gas and ensure sustainable prices into the future. The Water Bill will see new measures to encourage water companies to introduce cheaper tariffs to support vulnerable customers - on top of the special help our area has had. The Grocery Code Adjudicator Bill will aim to regulate the big supermarkets to ensure a better deal for our local farmers and fairer food prices for families at the heart of the system. The adjudicator will have strong powers to act on behalf of shoppers and suppliers to drive down costs and ensure farmers and customers get a fair deal.

On top of this there will be new laws to stop the banks gambling with people's savings: the banks will be split up so that no longer can they use hard-earned salaries to play the stock markets so irresponsibly. For older people, the Coalition Government is moving toward a single level of the state pension of £140 per week for all older people - a policy long championed by the Liberal Democrats. A Children & Families Bill will make it easier for children who need a family to be adopted and introduce flexible parental leave for working parents to share caring for new arrivals.

I understand the pressure that families are facing - my family are facing the same pressures and I am pleased that the Government is committed to doing what it can to help. Government can't do everything, but these measures on cheaper water, energy and food, as well as more help for pensioners and working parents, show that the Government will do what it can to help.

Week beginning 7th May 2012

We are in the midst of the worst housing crisis since the second world war.

In all corners of the country families in social housing are living in overcrowded conditions, competition for tenancies in the private rented sector is driving up prices at an uncompromising pace, and first time buyers desperate to get on the housing ladder remain penalised by the cost of borrowing and the need for large deposits.

This is having a real impact. Millions languish on housing waiting lists, hundreds of thousands are waiting to start their lives with their partners, and many more are "sofa surfing" with friends and family.

One of the biggest scandals of this crisis has got to be the 720,000 houses that simply lie empty. That's 720,000 families who could benefit if only these houses could be utilised and turned into homes.

For too long, consecutive Governments of all political hues have failed to tackle this problem. The council tax discount has only served as an incentive for property tycoons to leave un-let property to deteriorate rather than benefit from much needed investment; or for houses repossessed during the recession to simply become another line on an excel spreadsheet while the banks wait in hope that property prices will begin to rise again.

Empty homes are a scar on the community: the local shop sees reduced footfall, the village school suddenly has a surplus of places, and in the quieter neighbourhood they can increase the risk of crime. This cannot continue.

That is why this has rightly become a key priority for Lib Dem DCLG Minister, Andrew Stunell, who been pushing the agenda in the department. Already, the Coalition Government has taken the initial steps to get empty property back into use.

The Government's £100million empty homes funding pot has already allocated grants that will lead to over 5,600 homes returned to meaningful use. The New Homes Bonus scheme will give local authorities the financial incentive they need to take action, and plans to hand down more local discretion for the setting of council tax discounts, the communities with particular problems will be able to finally take a tough stance.

But, this is just a drop in the ocean. The allocated funding will benefit less than 1% of all empty properties, and the devolution of council tax discount setting powers will lead to variable effects across the country rather than a nationwide crackdown.

What more could the Government do? Is much more drastic action not urgently required? Perhaps it's time that serious consideration was given to compulsory purchases or for Government to back their words with much more finance and put billions not millions into the grant pot.

Everyone agrees that we're in the midst of a housing crisis. Millions of families are desperately seeking somewhere to call home. Part of the answer is building more property, but another key part must be making better use of what we've already got.

If the 720,000 empty properties in our country were homes, then the housing waiting list would only be half as long. It's time for action.

Week beginning 30th April 2012

Cornwall Council's waste collection shambles is continuing to cause misery for thousands of people across Cornwall. Last Saturday I visited an 87 year old resident in Newquay who hadn't had her recycling collected for a whole month.

The resident, whose husband passed away last year, is registered for 'Assisted Help' because mobility difficulties make it impossible for her to carry heavy bags of waste in and out of her home. The council has agreed that they would collect waste and recycling directly from her doorstep but, since Cory took over the waste collection contract at the beginning of April, she hasn't received a collection.

Despite a number of phone calls to the council's helpline, having her home listed as a 'Missed Collection' and numerous promises that a collection crew would visit, no one had arrived.

So, on Saturday I took matters into my own hands and removed her recycling for her. It's just not acceptable for recycling waste to be sat out for almost a month. Aside from the obvious health and safety concerns about vermin etc, it's not pleasant for her or her neighbours to have waste remaining on a doorstep for that length of time.

The council's mismanagement of this contract is an absolute scandal. Waste collection is one of the most core services that the local council provides and the mayhem and upset that has been caused by this poor service is unacceptable.

I believe that there needs to be a full scale investigation and those responsible need to fully apologise and accept responsibility for the trouble they have caused.

Lets be clear: the fault is not with the hard working and dedicated collection crews working across the county. They do a stirling job and should be congratulated. But, questions must be asked about the reported change in employment terms for them which has seen many forced to work extra hours for no more pay; or about why many were moved between routes - and even between towns - despite knowing a certain area after years of working that route.

The councillors and service managers at fault need to act more responsibly. The cabinet member for waste management has been surprisingly quiet since the mayhem began, he needs to come clean about the disastrous mismanagement at County Hall and resolve this problem for the residents who are desperately waiting for a collection van to come round the corner.

Residents do, and should, expect better. We all pay our council tax to ensure that services like waste collection is conducted properly and when things go wrong people should receive answers and an apology, not be kept on hold for hours on a 'helpline' and hear nothing from the councillor responsible.

I've written to Cornwall Council about the constituent in Newquay to ensure that her collection will return to normal. If there are any other constituents who have particular problems, then please don't hesitate to contact me and I'll be happy to refer your problem to the council.

Week beginning 23rd April 2012

George Osborne's proposed "Pasty Tax" - the VAT extension to hot foods, including the Cornish pasty - has certainly been a hot topic in Westminster this week.

Let me be clear, I am 100% opposed to this tax on Cornwall's staple dish and I will be fighting the proposal all the way. Not only is the pasty a hearty and nutritious meal which should be safeguarded, but the industry also directly employs 2,000 people west of the Tamar and produces 86 million pasties every year.

In a recent YouGov survey, 32% of people said they would 'stop buying the dish altogether' if the tax hike goes ahead. Even if this figure turned out to be more like 20%, that would equate to 400 job cuts and a loss of £7.5million to the local economy.

Last week, I raised the issue twice in the House of Commons. Firstly during Prime Minister's Question Time where I asked David Cameron how it is fair to propose tax on Cornish pasties while caviar remains tax-free.

Then, later on that day, I proposed an amendment to the Finance Bill which would have stopped any change to VAT rules on hot food if, as is the case for Cornish pasties, no attempt is made to keep the product hot after the cooking process has ended.

The problem with George Osborne's proposal is that he is comparing the pasty to take-away fish and chips or curry. He's putting the Cornish pasty in the same category as a meal which is cooked to order, sold hot and intended to be consumed before it's cooled down. That's not how pasties are sold. Pasties are baked, in batches, and sold as and when a customer arrives.

The difference is that one customer may arrive two minutes after the pasty is removed from the oven and purchase the product hot, while another may come in 45 minutes later and purchase the pasty when it's cooled to room temperature.

The Government says the reason for changing the VAT is to 'remove anomalies'. I say that it is, in fact, adding a huge anomaly for bakeries to apply tax to pasties sold to the first customer but not to the second.

I was overwhelmed with the support I received to my amendment. Labour MPs threw their weight behind my suggestion and I was backed by a significant group of rebels from the Government benches too. The end result, sadly, was that the amendment was lost by just 35 votes - a small majority that represented the second largest rebellion for this Government since the election.

But the fight doesn't stop there. Having 260 MPs support me goes to show the strength of feeling across the House of Commons and across the country. I will continue to seek meetings with Ministers and push for a change of heart and I will continue to use every opportunity within Parliament to halt these plans as they progress through the legislative process.

Week beginning 16th April 2012

We all owe a huge amount to the older people in our communities. Through their hard work they have made Britain the country that we all know and love today and it is only right that as people become older that we give them the support they need.

Half of all older people survive only on the state pension and this year that will be over £500.00 more than under the Labour government. This is a direct result of reinstating the link between the state pension and national average earnings - a link that was broken by the last Conservative government.

This policy, delivered by the Coalition Government, will ensure meaningful year on year increases in the state pension by the greatest of earnings, inflation or 2.5%. Last year this policy meant a rise of £4.50 per week (£234 extra for a whole year) and this year will result in the largest ever increase of £5.30 per week (£275.60 extra for the whole year).

Under Labour, pension rises simply didn't keep up with the cost of living - in 1999/2000 pensions only rose by a measly 75p and many pensioners were forced to choose between heating their homes or putting food on the table. Those days are over.

The Coalition has also protected other pensioner benefits including the winter fuel allowance, free TV licenses, prescriptions and bus travel to help people access local services like the GP, shop or bank and to visit friends and family in nearby villages.

And specific services, like post offices, which are especially important for older people, have been protected from the cuts we saw under the last government. Labour closed almost two in five of our community post offices - like the ones in Charlestown and in Tywardreath.

On top of that the government is also putting an extra £7.2 billion towards adult social care to ensure that vulnerable people can get the support they need; an extra £400 million into access for mental health care therapies; and £20 million invested into much needed research into the causes and possible treatments to dementia.

This extra investment into heath and care provision for older people is an important step forward to giving the support that this deserving, and often vulnerable, group of people desperately need like home care support, lunch clubs and day centres.

Whenever I visit a care home or meet older people in one of my advice surgeries, it strikes me that we all have a great responsibility to care for the older generation. For the older people who we all know - our neighbours, friends and relatives - the steps being taken in Government will make a real difference and I am proud to be a part of the party who is delivering them.

Last week I joined with my family and celebrated my Grandmother's 99^th birthday - with so many of us living much longer lives than our forefathers it's right and proper that the Government continues to give a good deal to older people.

Week beginning 9th April 2012

This week, with Parliament in recess for the Easter holiday, I have been out and about across our area visiting bakeries and shops that sell much-loved Cornish pasties and rallying support to stop the "Pasty Tax" that the Chancellor George Osborne announced in the recent budget.

As well as walking the streets and meeting people, I've also been at a business summit meeting in Truro that brought together pasty producers and sellers to try and establish the effect that this unwanted tax could have on Cornwall.

It's clear that the pasty industry employs thousands of people across Cornwall and delivers millions of pounds to the Cornish economy. The tax puts jobs at risk and it's simply not acceptable for there to be no VAT charged on caviar but for the Government to seek to impose it on all hot food. It's also not enforceable - short of the Government issuing thousands of thermometers to tax inspectors to crawl over bakeries trying to work out how many have been served "above ambient temperature". The proposed tax is clearly a nonsense and I will be working closely with Cornwall's other MPs and MPs from across the country who want to see it ditched.

Though it has been the "Pasty Tax" that has captured both local and national imagination there's another aspect to the budget that I'm also hugely concerned with: the suggested move to regional pay for public sector workers. We all know that here in Cornwall we have wages that are well below the national average - yet we have some of the highest housing costs in the country, not to mention other high costs like water bills.

Any move to regional pay deals for public sector workers would only institutionalise these problems, cementing them as a fact of life.

I don't see why a nurse, teacher, policeman or fire-fighter in Cornwall is worth less than one in Cumbria - and I will be working to make sure that this is a direction the Government doesn't go down. Our public servants do a huge amount of good work, often under very difficult circumstances and it's right that they should be paid on a national basis.

There's no doubt that the budget did deliver a lot for Cornwall - over 19,000 people, the majority women, on some of the lowest incomes in Cornwall have been taken out of income tax with the extension of the personal income tax allowance. Every other working person in Cornwall also benefits. It's a policy that has gone from the front-page of the Liberal Democrat manifesto and been implemented by the Coalition Government and it should be warmly welcomed.

With this budget though, as with everything though, the devil is in the detail: and as the MP for one of the poorest parts of our country it's my job to make sure that Government does all it can to help not hinder Cornwall's progress.

Week beginning 2nd April 2012

What a week! Since I first, mentioned it in the House of Commons, the proposed "pasty-tax" has created a storm that has gone to the highest level of Government and the front-page of many national papers. Ministers and opposition politicians have been running around trying to out-do each other on how in-touch they are by suggesting, in David Cameron's case, that he once ate a pasty in Liverpool. The Labour leader, somewhat missing the point, rushed out and bought a sausage roll!

Frankly, both are risible efforts that really only show how out of touch with Cornwall and with working people some people are. If we are to save the pasty then we need everyone reading this to help with the campaign: sign the Downing Street petition, get your MP to sign my Parliamentary motion condemning the proposal and write-in to the Government. We need as much public support as possible.

After that we saw a total farce over a possible fuel strike. Let's be clear: any strike by tanker drivers would be very unwelcome and a serious blow to the national economy. But, despite the fact that no strike is planned, Ministers succeeded (no doubt with the best of intentions) in causing a national panic that saw many filling stations across St Austell & Newquay run dry. It should be a clear lesson for them in how a few ill-judged remarks can lead to chaos. As the second world war posters used to say: lose lips, sink ships. Ministerial lose lips this week almost brought the country to a standstill.

It was against this surreal backdrop that in Bradford West - a safe Labour seat for four decades -a man that had dressed as a cat in Big Brother won a by-election. It was the largest swing ever against Labour and a clear sign that April fools had come early!

In mid-Cornwall we felt a double-blow: not just the tax on pasties but the news that the incinerator in St Dennis had been approved by the Court of Justice. Let's remember that every time local decision-makers have been asked the incinerator has been rejected: by Cornwall County Council, by Restormel Borough Council, by local parish and town councils, and by local Liberal Democrat, Conservative, and Mebyon Kernow representatives. Labour are in favour. Sadly the Secretary of State allowed it, another court then un-allowed it, and now a third court has let it go through. St Dennis will fight on - possibly to the Supreme Court or to Europe - because incineration is not the right answer for Cornwall's long-term future. There are cheaper, cleaner and quicker alternatives available. I will back them all the way.

As we head into Easter let's hope that those in high-places get chance to stock up on some simple common-sense as well as some chocolate. And if I could ask one thing: please spend 5 minutes of your time this week helping me to show to Government the strength of opinion against the pasty-tax. Happy Easter!

Week beginning 26th March 2012

Last week, the Chancellor unveiled the budget - it included large number of measures that my Liberal Democrat colleagues and I have been calling for.

This really is a Budget for millions of ordinary families throughout the country who are struggling to make ends meet - not a Budget for millionaires.

In particular, we should welcome the increase in the Income Tax threshold. It's going to take millions of the lowest paid out of income tax. Here in Cornwall alone, it will remove about 20,000 of the lowest earners from income tax and put more money in the pockets of 170,000 more.

In order to fund this, the Government have brought in long-overdue measures to ensure that the rich pay their share. For too long, the super-wealthy have been able to dodge their taxes by hiring hot-shot accountants that exploit loopholes and take advantage of tax breaks to avoid paying their fair share of tax. That is set to end. The Tycoon Tax will put a stop to tax-dodgers and mean that the rich will be subject to paying tax at a fair rate.

By introducing taxes that do work, like a tycoon tax, raising stamp duty, blocking stamp duty avoidance, and getting non-resident companies to pay capital gains tax on their residential property, we have secured real progress on the taxation of wealth.

All of this has been done while sticking to our tough but necessary plan to deal with this country's financial problems. Britain can't afford unfunded giveaways - unlike the last Labour government, we have made sure everything is paid for. We still need to clean up Labour's mess and tackle the deficit.

But, as we know, the budget also included one unexpected and unfair target: the Cornish pasty. As part of the Government's plan to simplify the tax system and remove anomalies, the budget included a measure to apply VAT to hot food in the same way as it applies to cold food.

Let me be clear: I will not stand by and watch as the cost of a pasty increases by 20%. The pasty is not just a staple, hearty meal enjoyed by people in Cornwall and right across the UK, and even further afield. The pasty is a vital part of the Cornish economy employing thousands of people and brining millions of pounds into the economy.

Last Thursday I spoke during the budget debate in Parliament and asked the Minister to give some clarity about whether this change in VAT will affect the pasty. I've also tabled a Parliamentary Motion calling on the Chancellor to find a way to avoid this unfair, and unjust pasty tax. I will continue to oppose this unfair and unjust attack on our pasty.

In 1497 the Cornish marched on Parliament in protest against a tax and I have no doubt that the Cornish will put up as strong a fight this time around. Make sure your view is counted by signing the petition at http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/31807 and join the group on Facebook.

Week beginning 19th March 2012

Today the Chancellor of the Exchequer will be presenting his budget for the coming year to the House of Commons. In these tough times, as we clean up the economic mess left by the last Labour Government, difficult choices have to be made. The Liberal Democrats have been working hard in the Coalition to push the Government to create a budget that is fair: a budget that is for the millions, not the millionaires.

Since entering Government, the Liberal Democrats have given real help to hard-working people and families. Already the income tax threshold has risen - taking hundreds of thousands of those on the lowest incomes out of taxation altogether and putting money back in the pockets of millions more. We've delivered the Pupil Premium to invest extra cash for the most disadvantaged school children to give everyone the same chance in life. We've reinstated the link between pensions and earnings which will ensure that state pensions continue to rise at the same pace as the cost of living. Pensioners can expect to get around £15,000 extra in their retirement.

Now, in this year's budget, my Liberal Democrat colleagues and I are calling for a further and faster rise in the income tax threshold to £10,000. This would take millions of the lowest paid out of income tax altogether and put £60 a month back in your pocket. This policy was on the front page of our manifesto in 2010 and I want to see it implemented in Government.

But we also need to make sure that the rich pay their fair share. For too long the richest have been able to use flashy lawyers and accountants to dodge their tax bills. Those who are lucky to be on large incomes need to pay their fair share and we must end the culture of loopholes. The Coalition is investing an extra billion pounds to target over £7billion of unpaid tax and we must do more to close the loopholes exploited by the rich.

The important point isn't whether it's 50p in the pound for incomes over £150,000 or 40p - it's about making sure that those with the broadest shoulders carry to heaviest burden as we as a nation face up to the mess the last Government left the public finances in. We need a tax system that works, not one that may sound good but doesn't deliver. The test is what the rich will actually pay, not how they pay it.

One area where I disagree with the Government is on regional pay for the public sector. We don't want to institutionalise low pay in Cornwall and across the South West where we face high housing and fuel costs. I will be putting that point of view in the debate on the budget later this week.

It's never nice cleaning up someone else's mess and there will be more difficult choices ahead, but this is a budget that has to deliver for hard working families - that's my priority.

Week beginning 12th March 2012

Last year I did not support the Government in the "Third Reading" debate on the National Health Service Reform Bill in the House of Commons. Back in September I wasn't convinced that the Bill ensured the continuity of the principles that have guided the NHS since its birth.

The NHS was created out of the idea that good healthcare should be available to all, regardless of wealth. It was launched in 1948 and it was based on three principles: that healthcare met the needs of everyone; that it would be free at the point of delivery and that it was to be based on clinical need, not ability to pay. These three principles have guided the development of the NHS over more than 60 years and must remain at its core as it goes forward.

You, like me, will have been concerned that the Bill opened the NHS to private sector competition and that it removed the duty of the Secretary of State to provide a healthcare service for one and all.

Since the vote in which I did not support the Government, the Bill has gone to the House of Lords. There have been over 1,000 amendments to the Bill, many from the Liberal Democrat team so ably led by Shirley Williams. The Bill, as it now stands, is radically different than the one that came before the House of Commons in September.

The amendments have stripped out the role of price competition. It will now be illegal to offer the private sector the sweat-heart deals that the Labour Government did. The duty on the Secretary of State to maintain an NHS for all will be reintroduced. While the health Bill is not a Liberal Democrat health Bill, it is a better Bill because of the Liberal Democrats and the work that has been done to ensure the NHS remains true to its founding principles.

You, like me, rely on the NHS. We all do; your family and mine. The NHS treats my Dad's lymphoma, my Gran's arthritis, my brother's children. I would never support a Bill that would even risk the privatisation of the NHS.

But it's clear that the NHS has to change too: it needs to modernise and meet the challenges of a growing elderly population and increasingly expensive healthcare. It needs to better reflect local needs and respond better to patient demand.

The decision on the Bill is now out of the hands of MPs and has passed to the Lords. MPs will only get to vote on the amendments Peers suggest - I will support each amendment that improves the Bill.

Shirley Williams has been a life-long campaigner for social justice and greater equality - just like the NHS, Shirley is a national treasure. She's shown, over recent month, her tireless ability to stand up for what is right. If Shirley tells me that the NHS Bill is now fit-for-purpose then I, for one, will take her word on it.

Week beginning 5th March 2012

This week saw people across Cornwall, and Cornish people across the country and around the world, mark St Piran's Day - an opportunity for us to stop and appreciate what makes our corner of world a special place to live.

St Piran's Day started as one of the many tinners' holidays observed by Cornwall's tin miners. In recent times, since the late 19th century, St Piran's day has been an occasion to mark the national identity of the people of Cornwall - its prominence has grown each year and most communities in Cornwall will mark it in some way.

I joined with my fellow Cornish Liberal Democrat MPs to host a reception in Parliament to showcase Cornwall and all it has to offer - open to all MPs and more popular than ever - it has become a yearly chance to put Cornwall on the Parliamentary map in the same way that MPs in Wales and Scotland celebrate their national days.

Having been born and bred in Cornwall I know only too well our rich heritage: our tight-knit fishing communities, our mining heritage and the rugged landscapes that it has left behind, the on-going clay mining that still thrives in the centre of my constituency, our rich agricultural landscape that gives us so much great produce. My grandfather was a clay-worker and my great grandfather a fisherman - I grew up here. Cornwall is my home.

But there's much more to Cornwall than the postcard images. We have an innovative people that are putting Cornwall at the cutting edge of the green technologies that will define this century's new industries. We offer the chance of a different life-style for people who want to avoid the rat-race and take advantage of our cutting edge communications and set up businesses here. The University and medical schools, recent additions to the Cornish family, mean that, increasingly, our young people don't have to leave to find success.

Of course, we still have problems: low wages and high house prices, punishing water bills, and poor public transport to name just a few. These are the issues that are the top of my agenda in Parliament and they are the issues that the Coalition must deliver on if it is to deliver for Cornwall.

There's no doubt, much has changed in Cornwall over the years. Some people say, and I tend to agree that the only thing that remains constant is change. Many of the changes we've seen have been for the better, delivering greater prosperity and opportunity.

Whenever I'm asked what makes Cornwall unique, I have a clear answer: "our sense of community". It's summed up in Cornwall's motto: "One For All". That, for me, is what St Piran's Day is about - a chance for the community that I am proud to call home coming together. And with all the changes we see in Cornwall and around the world, it's our sense of community that will thrive into the future.

Week beginning 27th February 2012

Last week saw Cornwall Council decide on its budget for the coming year. Given that the council spends over £1 billion a year, it is obviously a big task to decide on where best to place it's resources and to weigh up the options of increasing Council Tax in order to increase service provision.

The economic mess left by the last Labour Government means that tough choices have to be made. Nationally, the Coalition Government recognised that budgets for local authorities were getting squeezed while at the same time, local people are struggling to pay bills and the last thing that they needed was a hike in Council Tax.

That's why the Government has offered all local councils the option to freeze council tax for local people and receive a national grant that will provide the additional revenue the council would have made from a Council Tax rise. This means that the council can maintain local services without passing the cost onto local people through a tax rise.

In Cornwall, it was the Liberal Democrat opposition group that led the charge to accept this offer and I'm pleased they did. The Conservative led administration was reluctant at first, but at last week's meeting of the council I'm pleased to see that the vote was won with 94 councillors eventually voicing their support and just 12 voting against.

This will make a real difference for local people who are seeing every penny squeezed as the country overcomes its current financial difficulty. I am proud of the Liberal Democrats on the council for having pushed for this and for succeeding in the interests of Cornwall.

I still have concerns about the budget though. In particular, the lack of detail about where the remaining cuts will come from. We know that the council will be making £40m of cuts over the next year, but the Leader of the Council has failed to be clear about where the axe will fall.

The people of Cornwall have a right to know what services they could lose and especially while the future of many services - like Cornwall's rural bus routes - is unclear, I am worried that some of these core and necessary services could be hit.

Since taking control of Cornwall Council, it's been clear that the Conservative-led administration has lacked in a basic understanding of how to run a council or to get a grasp on how to protect Cornwall's key services. They failed to listen to Liberal Democrat warnings about a black hole in the budgets for bus routes and car parking, and have had to back away - for now - from a proposal to abandon half of Cornwall's public toilets.

I will be working with my Liberal Democrat colleagues on Cornwall Council to put pressure on the administration to explain what their plans are. Cornwall is facing many challenges over the next 12 months and the council must do all it can to protect the core services that we all rely on so much.

Week beginning 20th February 2012

The banking crisis, which started in 2008, was the financial system's equivalent of a heart attack. We came within hours of cash-points not working, confidence between financial institutions evaporated, banks stopped lending to businesses and the whole system was on the brink of catastrophic failure.

The result of all of this was a massive collapse of economic activity, particularly in the banking and financial services sector. Along with much of the rest of the developed world, Britain was plunged into recession. Here in Cornwall businesses failed and people lost their jobs. As banks collapsed and businesses suffered, Government lost billions of pounds of tax income from the traditionally lucrative financial sector and had to pump trillions of pounds of tax-payers money into the banks to avoid financial meltdown and to keep day-to-day banking activities, like our cash points, working.

Part of the cause of the crash was international - banks had bought and sold baskets of each other's debts, often without knowing what was in the basket. When it became clear that many were exposed to the bad debt from the American sub-prime mortgage market (mortgages given to those who couldn't afford to pay them back) confidence evaporated and the system went into shut-down.

Part of the problem was that there wasn't proper regulation of the financial sector either here in the UK or internationally. In Britain, regulation was split between the Financial Services Authority, the Bank of England and the Treasury. No one institution was in the lead. It was a fundamental failure of the previous Government to understand and properly manage the financial system.

This week Parliament starts to consider a Bill that will regulate the banking system in the future, the Financial Services Bill. I've been selected by the House of Commons to sit on the Bill Committee that will meet twice a day every Tuesday and Thursday to go through the Bill line-by-line, with the aim of making sure that we do all we can to avoid another financial meltdown.

This will be my second Bill Committee since being an MP - last year I sat on the committee that considered the Localism Bill. The Financial Services Bill will put one regulator in charge, the Bank of England, and it will be clear that, in the event of a crisis, the buck stops with the Chancellor.

The new regulatory powers that the Bank of England will have will help them avoid a boom-bubble, like we've seen with the UK's housing sector, or a slump. They will have new and wide-spread powers to intervene in the economy to try and create sustainable growth. Yes, it's a very dry topic, but a hugely important Bill.

As a country we are still trying to recover from the crisis that started in 2008. Many of the difficult choices faced by this Government in terms of spending cuts started then when the Government lost billions of tax income. We need to do all we can to make sure it never happens again.

Week beginning 13th February 2012

There are, definitely maybe, two controversial planning applications happening in opposite parts of my constituency. They have a number of things in common. First, both involve the possible development of a supermarket. Second, they are both on land that some people think shouldn't be used for that sort of development. Third, active campaign groups have been started to oppose them. Fourth, in neither place has there actually been an application yet.

I am talking, of course, about the rumours of possible planning applications coming forward for supermarkets near Tretherras School in Newquay and on the edge of Fowey.

Planning policy is always controversial - even without supermarkets, playing fields and areas of outstanding natural beauty being in the frame - and feelings in both communities are already running high. My postbag has already had some people asking me to get involved to oppose these applications and I am helping to make sure that people get the information they ask for.

But, and I should be clear about this, as an MP, I have no formal decision making powers over the planning process whatsoever. Cornwall councillors take the decisions on planning applications. MPs are not even a statutory consultee in the same way that parish and town councillors are. Indeed, one of the reasons that we elect our town and parish councillors and Cornwall councillors is to take planning decisions: it's a responsibility for local government, not central government.

Of course, like the Councillors, I do have a role to represent my constituents, those in favour and those against, and, like everyone else, I can write a letter to Cornwall Council outlining my own views.

If (or when) we get an application in either place there is a clear process that needs to be taken before Cornwall Councillors make a decision. There would need to be extensive public consultation and it would certainly be a decision for the planning committee.

If we get an application then, like everyone else, I will look closely at what's proposed. It's very difficult to have any opinion on an application that hasn't gone in yet when you don't know what it says.

As the MP, I'll be keen to make sure that everyone who has an opinion gets their voice heard and that the Council follows the procedures set down by Parliament to determine any application.

In the meantime if people do have concerns about either of the possible applications, they should, in the first instance, contact their Cornwall Councillors. Or if they contact me I can certainly pass a comment on. If we get to the stage of official applications then there will be time for people to write to the Council to make their views known before the Councillors planning committee takes a decision.

And when and if we get actual applications to consider, I will certainly make my own views known while ensuring, as the MP for the whole area, that the Councillors and the Council give everyone a chance to have their say.

Week beginning 6th February 2012

Last week Parliament debated the benefits system. We have a ridiculously complicated system, with enough acronyms, assessments, taper rates and tax credits to make your head spin! That's why this Government is finally undertaking a hugely important and long-overdue reform.

Next year, the "Universal Credit" will replace the complicated mix of tax credits, Job Seekers Allowance, Employment Support Allowance, Housing Benefit and so on with one simple benefit paid monthly into people's bank accounts.

The Universal Credit will revolutionise the way we support those who are unemployed, disabled, sick or caring for a loved one.

However, alongside this important measure, the Bill included proposals to reduce spending on various parts of the welfare budget.

First, there will be an overall benefits cap of £26,000 per house-hold. I don't know many people who think that it's right for people to get more than £26,000 tax-free in benefits - that's much more than many people in Cornwall earn working.

Second, was the proposal to ensure social flats and homes go to the people who need them. We won't ever tackle our housing crisis if don't crack this problem.

The third most controversial proposal in the Bill was the plan to limit, to one year, the length of time someone receives Contributory Employment and Support Allowance.

However, the time limit only applies to those in the "Work Related" Activity Group, who need support but are likely to be able to return to work in the future. The sickest and most disabled people go into the "Support" Group, and they are *not* affected by any time limit.

The proposals do not affect the poorest people. Anyone with savings below £16,000, who has a partner working fewer than 24 hours, will still get ESA for as long as they need it. And those who don't receive ESA after the 12 months will still be entitled to housing benefit, council tax benefit, working tax credits and child tax credits.

The proposals won't affect the sickest, as they will be in the "Support" Group, and they won't affect the poorest, as they will still receive ESA. It's the fairest way of implementing a cut that no-one wants to bring in.

For me the most important thing is to make the system fairer; to ensure that people get into the right group in the first place, so that those who need it go into the Support Group with no time limit.

This means making sure that the Work Capability Assessment works, and that is why I strongly support the work being done by Professor Harrington. His first recommendations on improving the WCA have already been implemented and they appear to be making a difference.

The Government has promised to follow his future recommendations as well, especially on chronic pain and fatigue.

This Bill was another "difficult choice" forced on us by the economic crisis. We've protected the sick and poor and those who need help will still get it. Not easy, but the right thing to do.

Week beginning 30th January 2012

In a rural community like ours, public transport provides a vital life-link for many local residents. Whether you use the bus to get to the shops, to the GP or hospital, or to visit family and friends - busses are an essential part of many people's way of life.

Over the last couple of months there has been a lot of discussion in Cornwall about the future for our more rural routes as the Conservative-led Cornwall Council discuss plans to end the subsidy on some of the less profitable routes in the county.

You will, like me, have seen buses running with very few (and sometimes no) passengers on board. Often these routes are deemed as 'non-commercial' which means that they don't make a profit and service providers like First or Western Greyhound only run them with the help of a public subsidy.

Now, the Council is looking to cut its total budget for public transport in the county and is contemplating cutting these services. My Liberal Democrat colleagues on Cornwall Council and I have fought these plans since they were first mooted last summer. I firmly believe that we must protect our rural transport.

At a meeting of senior Councillors last week, the opposition to the plans had a key win, and Cornwall Council agreed to find the cash to continue supporting the routes for the next two years while they look for an alternative solution to save the money.

This is leading the Council to look at the older persons bus pass to see if they can make savings in the cost of providing free travel to pensioners. I've always seen the value of the bus pass both as a means to help older people in our community get access to basic services like hospital appointments, the local shop or the library, but also a way to enable them to play a full role in our society and visit friends and relatives or to enjoy a social life - something which becomes harder with age and decreased mobility.

Now, Cornwall Council are seeking to charge a reduced fare rather than allowing them to travel for free. The council believes that a flat fare of 50p would enable it to make up the short fall in supporting the routes as a whole. Because of the way that the money is paid out to bus companies for carrying passengers holding a bus pass, the council is asking the Communities & Local Government Minister, Eric Pickles, whether he will consider allowing Cornwall to trial such a scheme.

I would be very keen to hear what you, as my constituents, think about this idea. Many people have already told me that they would rather pay a small cost and have the routes retained rather than have no buses at all.

Get in touch with me by writing to 10 South Street, St Austell, PL25 5BH or email steve@stevegilbert.info.

Week beginning 23rd January 2012

Has anyone noticed winter yet? Yes, we've had some strong winds, usual amounts of rain, colder mornings and plenty of good ol'Cornish 'mizzle' but we haven't (yet?) seen the sort of weather that we would normally associate with winter.

Of course, winter may just be around the corner - weather is unpredictable like that, even it seems for the weathermen. But it seems to me like the seasons are changing. I can remember, growing up in St Austell, and each winter sledging in the local parks - the snowfall was so regular that the sleigh would come out once a year!

Some people say that the warming of the planet is natural - others say that it is man-made. Few people though now still doubt that it is happening and that it is having serious consequences: extreme weather events like flooding are becoming more common, every month we see a new natural disaster and we have rising sea levels. All this is coming on top of the fact that our traditional energy supplies, fossil fuels, are getting harder to find. We can all see the price of oil going up at the petrol pump and our gas and electricity bills too are going one way too. Something has to change.

We need to move to more sustainable and environmentally friendly energy supplies - reduce our dependence on ever more expensive fossil fuels that come from ever more unstable parts of the world. The future is solar power, wind power, wave power, hot rocks - the energy of the future is all around us.

On Friday I had the chance to speak to students at Cornwall College's campus in Newquay in the morning and, in the evening, address a public meeting in Mevagissey about these issues. The students, who were mostly studying environmental subjects, were rightly concerned that the Government does more to protect our environment and support new environmental technologies. The people who came to the meeting in Mevagissey wants to know about the range of initiatives that were available.

The meeting in Mevagissey was told that the Feed-In-Tariff, even with the recent cut, still represents an excellent investment opportunity for people to generate their own electricity and earn some money. The "Green Deal" is a Government scheme that will help people insulate their homes and cut down on the energy they generate, as well as giving energy bill payers more information on their statements and make switching between providers to get the best deal easier. We've seen significant investment in wave power, off the Cornish coast at Hayle, and the development of significant off sure wind power.

Whether we like it or not - or believe it is man-made or not - the world is changing and we have to change with it. It is early days and Britain is starting from behind. We know what some of the answers are and now it is time to get on with putting them in place. Check out "The Green Deal" on-line and see how the Government can help you save money and do your bit to save the planet too.

Week beginning 16th January 2012

From nursery to infants, primary to secondary, college and sixth-form, higher education and beyond - we should never stop trying to better understand the world around us. Education unlocks an individual's potential and opens the world around them.

I am absolutely passionate about the role education can play in transforming people's lives. I was the first in my family to go to University and benefited hugely from the knowledge and experience I gained. My grandfather bettered himself by going to evening classes after he'd finished his day job and rose through the ranks. Others in my family have benefited from apprenticeships and on-the-job learning.

Here in Cornwall we don't just have poverty, not enough pounds and pennies, but we suffer in places from a poverty of ambition too. That's why I was so pleased to hear first-hand the difference that the Pupil Premium is making to schools like Bugle, which I visited on Friday. The Pupil Premium, £600 per year of extra money for each child on a school's roll that is eligible for free school meals, will mean an additional £1.7million across schools in St Austell & Newquay. In schools like Bugle this money is meaning that bright children from poor backgrounds don't get overtaken by less bright children from better-off backgrounds - it's about ensuring that children get support when they most need it and it is making a real difference. I'm immensely proud that the Pupil Premium was a Liberal Democrat manifesto pledge that is now being delivered in Government.

As well as the Pupil Premium helping school pupils, this Government has made the largest ever investment into apprenticeships. These practical courses that combine on-the-job experience with structured learning are making a real difference the people here in Cornwall and across the country. There are around 1,000 people that are benefiting from Government funded apprenticeship schemes in St Austell & Newquay at the moment, more than a third more than under the last Labour Government. As we seek to rebalance our economy away from dependence on financial services it's right that this Government is investing more than any other in developing practical skills that can support manufacturing and industry and keep traditional skills alive.

The development of options for higher education in Cornwall is continuing at a fast pace - with Cornwall College becoming one of the leading suppliers of degree level courses in our area. If doing a degree seemed like a sensible option a year ago - then it should still like a sensible option today. The Government, Cornwall Council, and the higher education institutions themselves are all working towards making sure that students from less well off backgrounds get the help and support they need - and no student pays a penny back until they are earning over £21,000.

Education should be a life-long journey, it should prepare us for our working life, allow us to understand and engage with the world around us and help us better enjoy our interests and passions. As I say to people too often: "every day is a school day".

Week beginning 9th January 2012

Everyone has the right to expect to be treated well by their landlord. But, for many living in Park Home sites around the UK, this simply isn't the case.

Park homes are modern, bungalow-style, properties located in a community of similar homes on a private site.

This type of living is especially popular amongst more elderly people, often those who have retired to Cornwall to take advantage of all that our great county has to offer, or who are no longer able to cope with the stairs and demands of larger houses.

The home is usually owned by the occupants but they are forced to rent the plot of land which the home sits on from a site owner.

It's important to stress that most site owners are fit and decent people who care for their tenants and ensure that the site is managed to a high standard, but the minority give the practice a bad name.

Here in St Austell & Newquay, a recent survey I sent to the 700 local park homes flagged up issues to do with intimidation from site owners, unfair increases in rental costs and premiums being charged on utility costs (which often have to be bought through the site owner). Added to this, the legal entitlement for a site owner to take 10% of the value from a sale and it's not hard to see why, for some people, the park home dream can literally turn into a nightmare.

Indeed, 63% of park home residents reported living under unacceptable conditions, with 48% reporting living under the regime of an unscrupulous park owner.

That is why I tabled a Bill in Parliament yesterday to call on the Government to take action and introduce a 'fit and proper person test' for anyone wanting to own a park home site.

By introducing proper regulation and meaningful licensing, I am certain that we can tackle some of the worst cases suffered by the residents of these homes while securing a thriving and well run park home sector that continues to provide people with sites on which they want to live and opportunities for investment.

The previous Government said that it was committed to introducing "a comprehensive licensing regime which ensures that only 'fit and proper' persons are engaged in the management of park homes sites and which is backed by effective enforcements tools" and the Coalition Government's Housing Minister has given his personal commitment to dealing with some of the issues in this industry.

But there is still much more that could be done and I am proposing the introduction of a national regime to ensure that those seeking to own a park home site are doing so with the best of intentions and offer an effective level of national protection for all residents of Park Homes.

I hope that the Government will take heed of this Bill and bring forward the relevant changes at the earliest opportunity. It is then that we can be sure that everyone is able to enjoy these protections which they are right to expect.

Week beginning 26th December

They say a week is a long time in politics - so a year feels like an eternity. 2011 has seen some great successes and some difficult choices as the Coalition Government continue to face up to the problems of brining the public finances under control and the challenges of the global economic situation.

I was delighted to be able to welcome the Chancellor to Newquay to announce that the airport had been successful in its bid to become one of the first Enterprise Zones. This has the potential to create hundreds of much needed and highly paid jobs for our area. The investment in St Austell station is welcome too - and St Austell's new town centre continues to confound the critics as more empty units come back into use.

The battle against the incinerator in St Dennis took a step forward with the High Court - I hope this forces the Council and Sita to think again.

When Nick Clegg visited he made clear that across the patch, nearly 10,000 of the poorest paid in our area are now out of income tax - thanks to the raising of the point at which people pay income tax. And we've seen £2million of new Pupil Premium going to the most disadvantaged pupils begin to make a real difference in our schools. On top of that we've seen a significant rise in the pension - almost £5 per week, much more than the 75p offered by previous Governments, and the start of the roll out of super-fast broadband that will help businesses across Cornwall.

I've held over 100 public advice surgeries and knocked on thousands of doors. I know that money is tight and for some it's been a year when they've been disappointed to find out they have to work for longer than they expected.

There's little doubt that 2012 will be another challenging year. The Coalition needs to continue to bring the UK's public finances under control whilst doing all we can to help our European neighbours steer their economies out of crisis. Whatever our views on Europe, millions of British jobs depends on our exports to those countries and the collapse of the Euro would plunge the UK into a recession the like of which not even our grand-parents can remember.

As well as national challenges, there are local ones too. We will need to be ever vigilant against building developments that we don't want to see and we need to guard against short-sighted Council cuts.

Whatever 2012 holds, I know that our community will rally together to face the New Year with confidence. In Cornwall we've always had a 'big society' - it is one aspect of life here that sets us apart from the rest of the country. We have a strong basis for success in the future: natural resources, modern industries and an industrious and inventive people. Please do get in touch if I can help with anything and, in the meantime, I hope you have a very happy new year.

Week beginning 19th December

Parliament finished for Christmas yesterday. On Monday we had Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence. I'm keen that Government develops a fuller role for our cadet forces across the country - and was pleased to visit 781 Newquay Air Cadet Squadron on Friday night.

As a teenager I was a cadet in the St Blazey Air Cadets (169 Squadron). The team work and self-discipline that the cadets taught me helped to transform my life and I hope that many more young people will be able to benefit from similar experiences.

I was also lucky enough to speak in the pre-recess adjournment debate on Tueday. This is a chance for MPs to raise issues outside of the normal confines of a debate. I spoke about homelessness.

Over the last year I've visited a number of projects across the country that try and help our rough sleepers. In Cornwall I've seen the great work that happens at Cosgarne Hall in St Austell and St Petrocs - based in Truro but working across mid Cornwall, including with supported flats in St Austell. In London I visited St Mungos hostel in Brent and met up with former homeless young people that had had their lives turned around by Centre Point. In Newcastle I saw a scheme that helps look after gay and lesbian teenagers when they are kicked out of home when they come out.

At this time of year, when most people are looking forward to sitting down for dinner in a warm house with friends and family, it's too easy to forget those who are less fortunate and face Christmas alone and in the cold.

Over the next year I hope to help St Petroc's by raising some much needed money to help them provide services - like clothes and food and shelter in the very cold nights - to some of Cornwall's 100 or so rough sleepers. Last year I was able, in a small way, to help Tanya's Courage - and I hope next year to do similar for homelessness.

Having visited several projects who work with homeless people over the last year, a few things are clear. The first is that we are all two or three steps away from being homeless: losing our partner or losing our jobs. Homelessness can affect people from all walks of life and its important that Government does all it can to keep people off the streets.

Shockingly research suggests that up to 80,000 16 to 24 year olds experience homelessness at some point and when people are on the street many sell their bodies to help raise much needed funds. It's not acceptable that, at the start of a new century, a single homeless people can be turned away by a local authority to sleep rough.

At Christmas we're reminded that we judge an individual by their compassion towards others - homeless people are some of the most vulnerable in our community and it's important we do all we can to give them a second chance.

Week beginning 12th December

This week the community in Mevagissey, and across mid Cornwall, was shocked and saddened to learn of the death of 24 year old Sapper Elijah Bond - who died from injuries sustained in Afghanistan. Elijah has been praised by all who knew him as an outstanding soldier, son, brother, friend. It's clear that he was a young man who gave his life doing a job he loved and helping others, whom he didn't know, to build a better future.

It is a stark reminder to us of how the events in Afghanistan, that can seem so remote, can affect our community. Our forces are in Afghanistan to prevent terrorists using that country as a base from which to launch terror attacks here in Britain and across the west. The international community deployed forces in Afghanistan after the attacks on the twin towers in New York on the 11^th September 2011, when another Cornishman, Rick Rescorla, gave his life trying to help others flee the stricken buildings. Elijah Bond should rightly be remembered as a hero - in the same way that Rick is.

Far from being distant happenings on our TV screens these international events affect us too. I remember, quite vividly, the day that I went to work in London on the 7^th July 2005 - the tube wasn't working, so we all got on a bus. A few stops later we were told to all get off the bus because there might be a bomb on it. The phone network had gone down and nobody could get any news of what was causing the disruption. As I continued to walk to work I passed a crowd of people watching a TV screen in an electrical shop - and saw the first pictures of the London bombings. A few moments later there was the chilling sight of a convoy of twenty ambulances, lights on and sirens wailing, rushing toward the scene.

Having recently visited our forces there, I know firsthand that the men and women of armed forces in Afghanistan are making a huge difference to that country. People who have lived in fear are now able to get their voices heard. Women are playing, for the first time, a more active part in their communities - free of a religious dogma which classes them as second rate citizens. Children are back at school and learning. But there are still those who resent and resist these steps forward - people who don't want freedom, education and improving living standard - in their own country and want to take those freedoms we enjoy here away from us too.

The best tribute that we can pay to all those who have fought and especially those who have given their lives is to finish the job. Elijah Bond's death will leave a hole with his family and friends - but in life he was the best of us and he died standing up for people who can't stand up for themselves. That, by any stretch, is the definition of heroism.

Week beginning 5th December

Last week saw unprecedented strike action from teachers, nurses, council workers and others in the public sector over concerns with proposed changes to their pensions.

The action saw 62% of schools across the country forced to close (and a further 14% partially close), 60,000 operations cancelled in our hospitals, council services including waste collection get cancelled, and locally the Torpoint Ferry was closed.

Let me be clear, I have huge respect for the hard-working men and women in vital public services that we depend on them every day. They do a brilliant job. But their unions have let them down. Union leaders ordered millions of public sector workers to strike despite only a quarter of members backing industrial action.

The Coalition is determined to make sure that public sector pensions stay among the best available as a recognition of the work our public servants are doing. But because we are all living longer (the average 60 year old is living ten years longer than in the 1970s) the costs of these pensions is increasing, and will keep going up unless we do something about it - asking other taxpayers, who don't have such generous pensions, to work longer and pay more so public sector workers don't have to just isn't fair.

The Government has been prepared to listen. That's why we have made sure that anyone who is within ten years of retirement will be able to retire on their current terms. Low earners making under £15,000 a year - that's 15 per cent of the workforce - will not have to make increased contributions. Another million workers earning up to £21,000 will have their total increase limited to 1.5 per cent over three years.

So, for example, a nurse earning £34,000 a year would receive £22,800 of pension each year at retirement - whereas under the current 1995 NHS Pension Scheme arrangements, they would only get £17,300; and a teacher earning £37,800 would receive £25,200 each year under our proposals, rather than the £19,100 they earned from the final salary Teachers' Pension Scheme.

Under the Government's plan, most people will see no reduction in the pension income they receive at retirement and many low and middle income earners will in fact receive a larger pension income at retirement. On top of that, the pot people have built up so far will be protected and no one within ten years of retirement will see any change - either in the age they retire or in the amount of pension they will receive on retirement.

I understand the concerns of those who went on strike last week and I'm prepared to listen to them. Indeed, the Government is negotiating with Union Leaders to get the best settlement for all. But, we have to recognise the difficult decisions that are needed to repair Labour's economic mess and ensure public finances are sustainable for the future. Our reforms are about striking a fairer balance between what public sector workers pay and what other taxpayers pay as we all live longer.

Week beginning 28th November

For as long as I have been involved in campaigning to help make Cornwall a better place, the one issue that comes up time and time again is the cost of our water.

By now I think everyone knows the background: when the last Conservative Government privatised the water industry they left South West Water customers, just three per cent of the population of England and Wales, paying for the clean-up of 30 per cent of the country's beaches. Bills soared. The average charge for water and sewerage services topped £500 for the first time this year, but many families pay over £1,000 annually. The average is now twice that of the average in London

The original privatisation was an outrageous decision that has caused real misery to many thousands of people. It failed to recognise that the beaches along the south west are a national resource enjoyed by millions of people from across the country each summer. My predecessors, Matthew Taylor, Colin Breed and Dan Rogerson, campaigned to get Government to listen - as have all of Cornwall MPs over the years. Indeed, it's one of the issues I raised in my maiden speech last year. I'm delighted that the Government has now acted to reduce bills.

The hard work from the previous Lib Dem team for Cornwall, and MPs from across the region, saw the Walker Review established to take a look at the cause of the high bills in the south west and Cornwall in particular. It's taken some time, but we've got a result to all the petitions, campaigning and Ministerial meetings that we've had over many years.

In March this year we saw, for the first time, the Coalition Government set out in the budget its determination to tackle this legacy. This week we've seen that, once legislation is in place, customers will get a £50 rebate from bills. It's not a huge amount - and it won't be immediate - we all know that times are tight. But it is a step in the right direction and real acknowledgement that the privatisation was unfair to the people of Cornwall. There will be future announcements on wider measures to help people afford water bills in the future - in particular about measures like Watersure and social tariffs from companies.

It's no doubt too much to expect to ask the Ministers on duty at the time of the Conservative privatisation of water to give us an apology for their crass decision making. It's taken thousands of people working hard over many years to even to start to tackle the mistakes they made and put right what they got wrong. In the meantime, people have suffered.

As a Liberal Democrat in the Coalition Government I am pleased that, as well as taking the right but difficult decisions to clear up the mess left by Labour, we are also able to finally do something to help the thousands of people who are struggling to pay their water bills.

Week beginning 21st November

Last week I had the chance to visit British forces in Afghanistan with an All-Party delegation of MPs. In the early hours of Friday morning we climbed aboard the massive C-17 Globemaster aircraft that forms the backbone of the "air bridge" between the UK and Afghanistan and keeps our forces supplied with everything from ammunition to cleaning equipment.

9,500 British servicemen and women are currently engaged in Operation Herrick, the code-name for the Afghanistan campaign. They leave behind thousands more friends and family. War doesn't just affect those on deployment; it affects those at home too.

Six time zones later we landed at Camp Bastion, the main British and coalition forces base. Despite it being 1am local time, the base was still buzzing with men and machines moving every which way. War fighting isn't a 9 to 5 activity. We were shown straight to our tents for the night and tried to get some sleep.

Emerging from our tents early the next day, as the sun began to break over the desert, we had a hearty breakfast. We learnt that the constant overnight noise of low flying helicopters was due to causalities being brought in from the Forward Operating Bases, smaller bases dispersed across the country, and Check Points, for treatment at Camp Bastion's world-class medical facilities.

Over the next 18-hours we met men and women who were serving, being briefed by commanders in the region and getting a feel for the equipment used and the hazards faced by our men and women.

Sergent Brenden Luke, from Cornwall, told me about his work with the specialist teams that detect and destroy the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) that have killed and maimed so many of our men and women. With all the modern equipment we have, the first time these IEDs are indentified is often with fingers gently shifting through sands.

The aim of the international mission in Afghanistan is to prevent that country being used as a base for terrorist operations against the UK, the USA or anywhere else. There has been real progress over the ten years that international forces have been engaged. The Taliban have been pushed out from the population centres and into the more remote part of the country. But it has come at cost - 389 British dead and hundreds more injured.

It's clear that if we are to leave Afghanistan a better place than we found it, and secure the progress that has been made; the emphasis must now be on training and equipping the Afghan National forces to enable them to take control of their own security.

Despite the summer heat and the winter cold, the barren conditions and the constant threat - everyone I spoke to was full of good humour, optimism and professionalism. Our forces come from all walks of life and are doing all sorts of roles, they are often then are very young: but one thing is clear they are the very best of us.

Week beginning 14th November

This weekend we celebrated Remembrance Sunday - a memorial day observed across Commonwealth countries since the end of the First World War to honour the members of our armed forces who have fallen in the line of duty.

Remembrance Day is observed on 11^th November to recall the official end of World War One on that date in 1918. Hostilities formally ended "at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month" of 1918, with the German signing of the Armistice and allies victory in the "war to end all wars".

The day was specifically dedicated by King George V on 7^th November 1919 as a day of remembrance. We all know that the red remembrance poppy has become a familiar emblem of Remembrance Day thanks to the poem "In Flanders Fields" written by Canadian John McCrae. Poppies bloomed across some of the worst battlefields of World War I and their brilliant red colour an appropriate symbol for the blood spilled in the war.

This year I had the honour and privilege of attending two remembrance parades: in the village of Tywardreath and in St Austell town centre. Both parades were very well attended by community groups and local people who came to pay their respects to the fallen and to show their solidarity for those members of our armed forces that are serving today.

I was particularly pleased, in Tywardreath, to meet two of my old school friends - one serving in the Royal Marines and another in the Royal Air Force - both of whom had been in action in recent years in Afghanistan and Iraq respectively. Our community has a long and proud association with our services.

Like much of my generation I have no direct experience of war, though many members of my family have served in our armed forces. My mother's father, my grandfather, a clay miner from Nanpean, was a Royal Marine Commando during the Second World Ward. Alongside the famous "Desert Rats" he played his part in the liberation of North Africa in the great struggle against fascism. My father's side has a tradition of naval service, including action at the Battle of Jutland during World War One, when we defeated the German High Seas fleet.

We know today that the First World War was not the war that ended all wars. There have been many conflicts since, and no doubt there will be more. I continue to pay tribute to our forces still in action today in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya - they are fighting to make us safer.

By far the most difficult decision I have had to take since becoming an MP was to support military action against the tyrannical Gaddafi regime. But as I listened to veterans over the weekend, I realised that what drove them all, across the decades, is a determination to stand up for those who can't stand up for themselves: that is the proud tradition of the British military and one that we must never forget.

Week beginning 7th November

Last Friday, the United Kingdom Youth Parliament (UKYP) met in the chamber of the House of Commons - it was, in fact, the third time that the UKYP has met in the Commons over recent years, but was the first chance I had to see them in action. What an inspirational group of young people they are!

The UKYP is run by young people, between the ages of 11 and 18, to help give a voice to the aspirations of all young people in the country. Just like MPs in the House of Commons there are over 600 Members of the Youth Parliament - including three from Cornwall. Conor Flew, who represents East Cornwall, Amy Greygoose, to our West, and George Poole for our part of mid-Cornwall.

The MYPs are elected from schools and youth clubs and, this year, over 300 of them made the journey from across the country to Parliament to take part in the occasion. The issue of the day under debate was what the UKYP should campaign on over the next year. The MYPs debated five potential campaigns: 'Make public transport cheaper, better and accessible for all'; 'No to tuition fees'; 'Zero tolerance towards bullying in schools'; 'End child poverty' and 'A Greener future for Britain'.

The speeches from the MYPs were thoughtful and articulate - from what I could see the debates were a real exchange of views, prompting considered responses - rather than just the posturing that we sometimes see in the House of Commons.

I was particularly pleased to see our local MYP, George Poole, "bobbing" up and down trying to catch the Speaker's Eye. When he finally managed to speak he was passionate and persuasive, putting his points of view across strongly but having taken the time to listen to what was said and to then respond to others in the debate. That's a skill that many an MP (no doubt me included!) is still to muster - so well done George! Sadly many of the MYPs present got to realise just how frustrating it is to sit in the chamber for a whole debate only to run of time before being called.

Recently there's been plenty of negative publicity about younger people - in particular over the summer with the disorder we saw in some of our cities. But we often forget that across our community young people play a vital and often unsung role. Whether it's helping with community events through the Scouts or Guides, passing around the collection tin for a charity, spending some time each week with older people, or being involved in the school library or on one of the village sports team. The MYPs were yet another example of the fantastic work that younger people can play.

The issue that the UKYP choose to focus on for the year ahead was improving public transport. That will certainly ring home to young people in Cornwall who will often feel cut off from friends and overly dependent on Mum and Dad's taxi!

Week beginning 31st October

This week I was lucky to secure a Westminster Hall debate on the issue of parent supply of alcohol to children. Let's be clear: the vast majority of parents introduce their children to alcohol in a measured, supervised and responsible way. But a number of parents are putting their children in harm's way by supplying them with vast amounts of alcohol for consumption without supervision and often in an unfamiliar environment. We've seen this in Newquay.

Police and hotel & guest house owners are regularly seizing alcohol from parents who send their children to Newquay with bags of it. One guest house seized 67 cans of special brew from 4 children who were visiting for a weekend. Another reported finding 350 items of alcohol in one room let out to just 6 children who were visiting the town. A local caravan site seized, from children, over 353 can and bottles from 16 year olds over a 10 day period. This included 117 bottles of Stella and 5 litres of vodka. And on one day in July, 443 cans and bottles were seized by Police from children arriving in Newquay. The bulk of this was supplied by parents.

When Police and other authorities, like hotel and guest house managers, try to reproach parents they are often met with hostility. Police were told by the parents of one 16 year old boy who had 64 cans of special brew seized from him that they were "spoiling his fun".

In Newquay, much like other seaside towns, local public authorities effectively adopt the responsibility for younger people when they are in the town, with police and other services having to work closely with schools and businesses to ensure that the children's welfare is, as far as is possible, protected.

I raised these issues to help create a national debate about parental attitudes to the supply of alcohol for children. After all, we know from research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, who published a paper on this issue in June, that if a young person finds alcohol easy to obtain, it will increase their chances of drinking excessively four-fold. And if they have seen their parents drunk, it doubles the chances that they will get drunk. Across that report, parents emerge as one of the really crucial influences on teenage drinking. Indeed, just this weekend, we've seen further shocking research from the Schools Health Education Unit, which suggests that children as young as 12 have said that they drink the equivalent of 19 glasses of wine per week.

Legislation is sometimes too big a sledgehammer, but we must acknowledge the role that some parents play in our drinking problem - which is a widespread cultural problem.

The Government is doing more to crack down on those who sell alcohol to children, including doubling the fine for under-age alcohol sales to £20,000, but we all need to do more to change the culture of drink in our communities and - yes - that includes parents too.

Week beginning 24th October

This week Parliament had a debate on whether to hold a referendum on British membership of the European Union after over 100,000 people signed a petition. As you know, the Liberal Democrats went into the last General Election with a clear commitment in our manifesto to hold a referendum "the next time a British government signs up for fundamental change in the relationship between the UK and the EU."

Currently there is no Treaty under discussion in Europe that alters our relationship with the EU in a fundamental way like the Maastricht and Lisbon Treaties did. Moreover, it is my firm view that holding a referendum on our membership in the midst of a global financial and Eurozone crisis is a dangerous distraction from pursuing the national economic interest.

The fate of our economy and millions of people's jobs is intimately intertwined with that of the Eurozone and broader EU economy. The Government is therefore right to focus its efforts on working with our European partners to restore stability to the Eurozone and to drive through EU-wide economic growth measures which are vital to generate jobs and growth in the UK. Announcing a referendum, in the midst of a financial storm, would cast huge uncertainty over the UK's influence in the EU, our businesses access to EU markets and the City's competitiveness against other European financial centres like Paris and Frankfurt. This can only damage our economic recovery and future prosperity. It is for this reason that I do not think that now is an appropriate time for a referendum on our relationship with the EU to take place.

I recognise that the EU is not perfect and am passionately in favour of EU reform. I also believe that it is right we hold a referendum at some point. Nevertheless, the UK benefits hugely from our EU membership. In particular, it gives us direct access and substantial influence over the world's largest free trading bloc generating 3.5 million British jobs, over £200bn worth of British trade every year (over 50% of all UK trade), solidifying the City of London as Europe's leading financial centre and over half of all our foreign direct investment in the UK comes from other EU member states. As a result, the Government estimates that our EU membership has provided an extra £3,300 per household per year since the early 1980s.

However, the Coalition Government have recognised that there is a real disconnect between the British public and the EU and we are determined to take action. This is why I voted in favour of the recently passed EU Act 2011. This legislation provides, for the first time, a legal guarantee that the British public will have the final say, through a referendum, over any future Treaty change that pools new UK powers and competences at the EU level. This is a 'referendum lock' on any future Treaties or Treaty changes that directly affects the UK to which only the British people will hold the key.

Week beginning 17th October

Last week we got the news that the High Court has reversed the decision of Conservative Secretary of State, Eric Pickles, to allow the incinerator in St Dennis. The High Court found that the applicants had not properly considered the environmental impact. This should be hugely welcome news for all those who want to see a more cost-effective and more environmentally sustainable way to deal with Cornwall's waste and my hope is that both Cornwall Council and Sita will now get around the table with groups like the Cornwall Waste Forum and consider the alternatives.

My concern with the incinerator has always been that it's not a good solution for the long-term. If it goes ahead we will be stuck with it for the next thirty or forty years. We will be stuck with hundreds of extra lorry movements across Cornwall everyday - at a time when petrol prices continue to rise. We will be stuck with burning 240,000 tonnes of waste every year - at a time when we should be reusing and recycling more of what we throw away. We will be stuck with a chimney stack that will dominate the centre of Cornwall and be visible from Fowey on the south coast and Newquay on the north coast - just at the time that we are trying to present Cornwall as the leading centre for green technology and organic food.

The Council has spun into overdrive with half-baked figures about the cost of the delay. The reality is that there are cheaper and more environmentally friendly alternatives out there. We need to be recycling more (if we had recycling levels like some parts of Devon we wouldn't have enough waste to keep an incinerator going!). We need to treat the waste that is left much closer to the places it comes from - not lug it across Cornwall creating traffic congestion and pollution for years to come.

It's often been said that the battle against the incinerator is in the last chance saloon. Thanks to the determination of residents in St Dennis and their supporters across Cornwall the battle goes on. We really do now have a final chance to get this right for the long-term.

I've been clear about my approach since before even being a candidate for Parliament: incineration is the wrong technology, a one-site plan for the whole of Cornwall is the wrong solution and St Dennis has always been the wrong place.

We must face-up to the need to deal with our waste problem in Cornwall but we must not and cannot continue to send it to landfill. But we need to be using the very best of technology and the most modern of solutions to make sure that the ideas we have today are still the right ideas in 2051 - when I'm 75! This isn't just a problem that needs a solution today - it's a problem that needs a solution that it right for our children and grandchildren. It's time for Cornwall Council to think again.

Week beginning 10th October

This weekend, and for the first part of the week, I was in Bucharest, the capital city of Bulgaria, at the annual meeting of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. NATO has been one of the key-stones of our defence policy since the end of the Second World War and continues to play an active role in ensuring peace and security across Europe and the North Atlantic.

Over the 50 years since its creation the role of NATO has changed enormously. NATO was born out of a Europe shattered by war and started as a collective defence effort by the victorious Western Allies (the United States, the United Kingdom and France) and the newly liberated Western European countries and was aimed at deterring and resisting an invasion of Western Europe by the mass forces of the Soviet Union. It was often said that NATO's mission was "to keep the Russians out, the Americans in, and the Germans down."

NATO, and Europe as a whole, has come a long way since the Cold War. Many of the countries that used to be home to Soviet nuclear missiles targeted at British cities are now NATO members - and many more are seeking to join. Russia, while not a member of NATO, is now in constant dialogue with the alliance over many issues of mutual concern, including the spread of nuclear weapons to terrorist groups or rouge states.

It's a testament to how much has changed across Europe over the last half-century that countries that used to be locked into a tense struggle and suspicious mindset with each other are now working together undertaking operations in Afghanistan, Libya and fighting piracy off the Horn of Africa.

Who would have thought that when Ronald Regan first proposed the idea of a space-based defence system against a nuclear missile attack from the Soviet Union, the so-called Star Wars system, that NATO would end up working with Russia to develop a system to protect North America, Europe and Russia from the threat from rouge States? That's what is happening now and NATO is playing a key role in developing the co-operation between countries that will be so necessary to ensure all of our collective defence over the next 50 years.

Sometimes it is easy to forget that it was only as recent as my grandfather's generation that British people were locked into mortal combat with people from our neighbouring European countries. My grandfather fought in France, Italy and North Africa. For our part my generation work in these countries, holiday there and sometimes even marry into them.

Institutions like NATO and the European Union play a key role in holding this new European peace together. Some will say it's nothing but a talking shop. I disagree. Yes, it's a forum for us to talk about our concerns with our neighbours but it helps us realise we have more in common with each other than things that makes us different. As Churchill once said, "it's better to jaw-jaw than war-war"!

Week beginning 3rd October

This weekend I had the chance to spend a couple of hours over Saturday lunch-time with the team at the Polgooth Inn. The aim was to give MPs a better understanding of the issues facing the pub trade, from the effect of the smoking ban through to the supermarkets using alcohol as a loss leader. It was set up by the All Party Parliamentary Pub Group, and was run, in our part of the world, with St Austell Brewery.

I spent several summers' waiting tables in Fowey, but this was my first time on the "other side of the bar". The team were fantastic, the customers understanding and the atmosphere made for a fun lunchtime period.

Whether or not we like the "occasional shandy", pubs play a key role in our communities. They are a social gathering point, often the only place where a small village or a neighbourhood will come together outside the proverbial neighbourhood watch meetings.

Pubs can be an early warning system for problems in a particular location or with an individual or family and are frequently a source of good advice from friends, neighbours and anyone else that happens to be listening in on the conversation! They are businesses providing thousands of people with employment and many thousands more with enjoyment.

But they face challenges. First came the smoking ban - which pushed a raft of regulars out the door of many locals. Then was the double-whammy of supermarkets selling alcohol as a "loss leader" (sometimes selling it cheaper than bottled water to get people into their stores) and the ever increasing rate of Government duty on beers, wines, ciders and spirits. These trends and wider changes in our culture too have meant that over the last few years many pubs have been shut and everyone has had to adapt their businesses models. Pubs like the Polgooth Inn have done it well: maintaining the existing customer base but expanding for "foodies and visitors" too.

I think there is more that the Government can and should do to help our local pubs. The Government has moved to set a minimum price for alcohol sales in supermarkets - Duty + VAT. It's a welcome first step. This notional minimum doesn't include any cost of production of the beer or wine. I don't think It doesn't go far enough to rebalance the scales between the "on" and "off" trade.

The people I spoke to were really split on whether or not to keep or end the smoking ban. There wasn't a clear majority on either side. I suspect that this particular issue won't get revisited anytime soon (if ever) but it does show that pubs have had to face a very uncertain regulatory environment: one moment having to provide different areas and then the next moving to a ban. Stability would be a welcome step forward.

I really enjoyed getting the chance to spend some time behind the bar, in the cellar and working the tills - as, I suspect, did the lady I gave a double vodka by mistake!

Week beginning 26th September

What does the village pub mean to you? For some, it's a quiet place to retire for a pint of ale; for others it's a business; but for many it's a lifeline.

In our smaller village communities, the sort which make up the bulk of my constituency and much of Cornwall as a whole, the pub is a link to the outside world. It's a place for local people to meet and socialise, a place to find out about village news and even - in a growing number of villages -a place to access services usually found in a village shop or post office.

You see, the local village pub has become much more than simply a drinking house. It's become a core part of our villages and has a vital role to play to the lives of many who live in those communities.

That's why, when I became an MP last year, I decided to join the All Party Parliamentary Save the Pub Group. The group is an important cross party association of MPs who work closely with the industry to ensure that the Government and Parliament recognises the interests of the pub trade.

Since then, I've been a keen advocate for the trade and worked with those in the industry in my constituency, including St Austell Brewery, to bring some of the main issues facing them to the attention of the Government.

In particular, I have lobbied against low cost alcohol selling by supermarkets which is taking trade away from our pubs and also giving way to irresponsible and underage drinking when outside of a controlled environment.

Earlier this year, the industry received some welcome news on regulations to create a minimum cost for alcohol, but it's clear that this hasn't yet gone anywhere near far enough and village pubs are still facing unbeatable competition from the big supermarket chains offering drinks at minimal prices.

In fact, last year we saw a decline in pubs at the rate of seven a day. I believe we've got to stop our village pubs calling time for the last time.

So, in order to hear more about the problem and what could be done to tackle it, I've volunteered to roll up my sleeves, get out of the office, and find out firsthand what can be done. On Saturday I'll be working the lunchtime shift at the Ship Inn at Pentewan.

It's almost a year since I visited the pub with David Cameron after the horrendous floods hit the village and I hope that going back now will give me a real sense of the work that goes into the pub trade and the challenges it faces.

So, if you fancy a pint this weekend - come on down to the Ship Inn and get one poured by your local MP. I'd be keen to hear your views about the industry as well.

If you run a pub, please do let me know any thoughts you have. Contact details are on my website: www.stevegilbert.info.

Week beginning 19th September

This week I'm writing my column not from Westminster but from Birmingham. I'm here because it's where the Liberal Democrats are holding their annual conference this week.

It's my 19^th party conference and the mood is as exciting as ever, Liberal Democrat members from around the country have gathered to debate policy, meet their MPs and hear from charities and organisations about the exciting work that's going on in their communities.

It's always a busy week, it's also an important opportunity for my party to stop, reflect on the past year and plan for the next. And there's certainly a lot to reflect on.

Since entering Government 500 days ago, the Liberal Democrats haven't exactly had the easiest ride. It's no surprise - the economic mess that the country is in has meant some tough decisions and the pressures of Government have certainly had an impact.

But, there's also an enormous amount for the party to celebrate this week. We can take pride that for the first time in the Party's history, our policies are being delivered in Government.

On fairer taxes, we've taken almost 1 million extra people out of paying income tax and put money back in the pockets of hard working local families.

On the next generation, we've invested millions extra into the education of the most disadvantaged children in our society to give them a fair start to their lives.

On political reform, we've reduced the number of MPs, ended the perk for the incumbent government to choose the date of the next election to best suit them and delivered on our promise of a referendum to change the voting system.

These policies are just the tip of the ice berg. Our Ministers in Government are holding the Conservatives to account every single day and ensuring that the Liberal Democrat values that you voted for here in Cornwall and around the country are being taken into account in every decision that the Government takes.

Already this week, Liberal Democrat ministers have announced measured to clamp down on tax evaders, give councils the power to invest more money into housing stock for local people and an end to the excessive pay cheques handed out to failing fat-cat executives.

For my part, this conference has been about speaking out on the issues that matter for my constituency and meeting representatives from charities, organisations and companies who have an interest in St Austell & Newquay.

I'm speaking in 14 'fringe' meetings in all, which provide a forum for members to engage with their Parliamentarians on a variety of topics.

I've spoken about the problems Newquay faces with binge drinking and alcohol selling and spoke about the threat to our beautiful countryside around St Austell if the Government don't get planning and development policy right.

It's great to hear what people have to say and to hear other people's views, and for the first time, they know that the ideas they suggest will be taken back to Westminster and Whitehall. It's certainly an exciting time for the party.

Week beginning 12th September

My whole family depend on the NHS. I've used it, my brother and his partner use it, as do their children, my Dad depends on it for help fighting leukaemia and my 97 year old grandmother is a regular! We all depend on the NHS. And that's exactly the point: I would never vote to privatise it.

The NHS will continue to be free of charge and will now include a requirement to secure continuous improvement in the quality of services provided. It will promote research and the use of evidence learned from research and, for the first time ever, promote the need to reduce health inequalities.

The Secretary of State keeps the duty to promote a comprehensive health service, which dates from the founding NHS Act of 1946. That duty has stood the test of time for 60 years. She or he will have the duty to ensure that services are provided for this comprehensive health service, and will have failed in his duty if they are not.

I know, however, that, despite all these existing provisions in the Bill, there are still some concerns regarding the role of the Secretary of State. It is understandable, given that we are talking about the future of our most treasured national institution, that people express such concerns and are not willing to tolerate even a sliver of doubt about the safety of the NHS in the future.

That's why Liberal Democrat Health Minister Paul Burstow announced in Parliament that the Government are willing to listen to the concerns that have been raised and, if necessary, offer clarification or make amendments in the House of Lords to put beyond legal doubt that the Secretary of State remains responsible and accountable for the comprehensive health service we all want to see.

Whilst I fundamentally believe that the Bill is delivering many changes which will be worthwhile for our health service I believe there is more work to be done to put it beyond any doubt that these reforms are some sort of stealth privatisations. I will be working with colleagues in the House of Lords, including Shirley Williams, to deliver exactly that.

The Bill does not change the rules governing EU competition law within the NHS. Indeed, whereas the previous Government favoured private companies by excluding NHS organisations from bidding for new contracts and paying Independent Sector Treatment Centres inflated prices, sometimes guaranteeing payments even where patients chose to be treated elsewhere, this will now be illegal.

I am very proud of the changes that the Liberal Democrats have made to the NHS Bill which ensures that no Government, present or future, will be in a position to deliberately favour the private sector.

The NHS is at the heart of our national life, from cradle to grave. It's one of the institutions that makes me proud to be British and whilst change is inevitable I am determined that it will be there for future generations.

Week beginning 5th September

This weekend MPs from across the country made the journey back to London. Parliament is now back in session after the summer recess. We're in London for a couple of weeks before the party political season kicks off.

Most people think that MPs just sit back for the long six week summer break and get a holiday - and perhaps some do - but not this one!

Yes (I confess!) I did go away for a few days at the beginning of the summer to recharge my batteries but since then I've held 20 public advice surgeries across the area over August - from St Columb to Mevagissey and from Fowey to St Enoder.

I've been out knocking on doors most days meeting people and finding out what's important to them. I've met with many local companies and organisations to discuss the Government's proposed policy changes and to see and hear what the impact on the ground has been.

In fact I've been almost as busy during the Parliamentary recess as I normally would be in Westminster: the only real difference being that I've had Sunday's off and had some time to see my long-suffering family and friends (rather than sit on the train to London which is my usual Sunday routine!) and I've managed to avoid getting the sleeper train home to Cornwall every Thursday nights.

Overall, it seems that we've had a "good summer". We didn't have the violence on our streets that so ruined the summer for many of thousands of people in England's cities. Many in the tourist trade that I've spoken to have told me that this season has held up better than they expected - not many people use the word "great" but it hasn't been as awful as feared either. We've had good news about the new Enterprise Zone that will help stimulate the Cornish economy. Say it quietly but we've even had some good weather - though still not good enough!

Whilst I've been out and about over the summer meeting people and hearing their concerns, I've also had scores of people come to the public advice surgeries I've held over August, it's sadly never possible (with 40,000 front doors in the constituency!) to meet everyone every recess.

So as the new Parliamentary session gets back underway it's a good time to remember that you can always come and see me at one of my regular advice surgeries (details are on my website at www.SteveGilbert.info) or you can always write to me at either the House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA or 10, South Street, St Austell, PL25 5BH or (for the technologically savvy you can email me at Stephen.Gilbert.MP@Parliament.UK).

Week beginning 29th August

Cornwall Council is at it again. This week we've had two classic examples of their bungling. It's getting more and more like an episode of Laurel and Hardy down in Truro.

This week the Council announced it is planning to spend £135,000 of tax-payers money on the one day next May that the Olympic torch passes through Cornwall. I think this is simply bonkers, bonkers, bonkers.

We should all be proud that the torch is coming to Cornwall and there's no doubt that as we are the first stop in the country it will be a moment of celebration and it will be of great interest from the media. I've got no doubt that some Olympic enthusiasts will make the journey and come and see it arrive and that people across Cornwall will want to mark the occasion.

But that's my point: people will come anyway, the media will be interested anyway, and Cornwall will celebrate anyway. We don't need to spend almost a £1,000 per mile and create some "Olympic Torch Celebration Czar" to force people to take notice of what will be a very special occasion. It's madness and when many of our local community groups and projects that help people have had their funding cut and are struggling. I hope the Council will think twice and spread some of the spare cash around to worthwhile local groups.

If that's not bad enough, this week saw Cornwall Council send a closure notice to the much loved Tortoise Garden in Sticker. For years it's looked after hundreds of tortoises (who often outlive their owners and need a good home to go to) without much fuss. It's been a popular local attraction and a favourite with local children. Now, according to bureaucrats down at County Hall, it's a zoo.

If we leave aside the fact that this is bureaucracy gone mad and accept that the Council has to enforce the law (though it does beg the question what they were doing for the first 10 years it was open?!) the issue hinges on whether tortoises are "domesticated in the UK". Well, I'm no David Attenborough but the last time I was hiking across Bodmin Moor I didn't come across many tortoises on my travels. Thinking about it, I'm not sure I've ever seen a tortoise in the wild in the UK - that may be because, though they are wild abroad, here they need human help to survive in our climate.

No less a man than the Prime Minister has told me that the decision is one for Cornwall Council - but it seems they are not budging. So, sadly, the Tortoise sanctuary now faces closure or a costly legal challenge. In the meantime 400 tortoises face an uncertain future and may have to be destroyed. I am sure that's not what the Council wants to see.

As the famous comic duo used to say: "That's another fine mess you've gotten us into!". Indeed it is Laurel, indeed it is.

Week beginning 22nd August

This week we had a powerful example of how the Coalition Government is working to help develop the economy of Cornwall. The designation of Newquay Airport as an "Enterprise Zone" is a real boost to the local economy. It will help create over 1,000 new jobs as businesses move to the area and will be a shot in the arm for the economy across Cornwall.

Being out and about and speaking to people on door-steps over the last few weeks, I've heard first-hand how some of the policies the Coalition Government is following are helping people. The new Enterprise Zone is yet another example of the way the Coalition Government is delivering for Cornwall.

People I've spoken to who work in seasonal and low-paid work have told me that they have noticed that the recent increase in the personal tax allowance has helped to take them out of paying income tax. The fact is its helped to take thousands of the lowest paid in Cornwall out of paying any income tax at ll and over the next few years the personal tax allowance will rise further to £10,000.

When I've been speaking to school leaders, they've told me that the Coalition Government has also made good its pledge to help pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds get the most out of their time at school with the introduction of the "Pupil Premium". This is extra cash that goes to schools to help ensure that bright pupils from poorer backgrounds don't get overtaken by less bright pupils from better off backgrounds. It's already making a difference.

Speaking to older people, they've already seen a difference in their weekly pension after the Government took the decision to re-link pensions with earnings and put in place a "triple-lock" to make sure that the pension always rises by at least 2.5% a year. It's not that long since the last Labour Government gave pensioners at 75p increase - this year it went up by over £4.50 each week. Over the next few years, the Government is committed to bringing in a basic pension of £140 a week.

Of course, there are challenges too. The financial mess that Labour left means the Government has to make some tough choices. Talking to people on the doorstep most people understand that we can't keep borrowing money and they are surprised when I tell them that, at no point over this Parliament, will the Government only spend what we get in tax. We will borrow money, for our children to pay off, each and every year up to the next election - even with all the cuts.

In difficult times it's sometimes easy to lose sight of the good things that are happening. The new Enterprise Zone will help create jobs, the investment in early years education is helping make sure people can reach their potential and the increase in the State Pension is helping older people. No Government is perfect, but these are positive steps that are making a real difference.

Week beginning 15th August

You, like me, will have been shocked by the scenes we witnessed in many of England's cities last week. The total disregard for human life, the looting, the wanton destruction of the fabric of our communities, businesses and homes wrecked, and people made to feel threatened and insecure and some tragically even losing their lives.

Particularly disgusting was the violence we saw against members of our emergency services, including ambulance staff and the fire brigade, who were simply trying to make things better. Like you, I was sickened by the scene of a passer-by coming to the aid of an injured man - only to mug him. These were scenes of absolute horror - the like of which we have not seen for a very long time. I pay tribute to the bravery of the Police.

Like everyone else I watched events unfold on the news channels throughout the evening - as what started in Tottenham spread across London and reached out to other cities in England over several days.

The bloody scenes of violence, peppered with raging fires, show us that we have people in our communities who care nothing for the rule of law and order, nothing for human life and nothing for peoples' livelihoods.

Let's be absolutely clear: there can be no justifications for this behaviour and in pursuing those who took part the authorities must leave nowhere for them to hide. We all need to stand together on this and condemn all those who perpetrated these acts. No ifs - no buts. And we need swift justice.

We saw the worst of our society last week, but we also saw the best. For every one person who rioted there were one hundred others who joined in the clean-up.

Over the coming weeks and months we do need to try and understand what caused this disorder. Understanding is not the same as excusing. But we must try and learn the lessons to make sure that it never happens again.

In my view, we need to do more to bring discipline back; in families, in schools and ensure that, in the street, the Police command the respect they deserve. I supported the moves to deploy water cannon and, if necessary, to use plastic bullets and think the Police responded amazingly to unprecedented problems.

But we have to look deeper than just the policing tactics. Now that the violence has subsided we need to see what we can do to prevent it again. When families are in trouble we need to intervene early. We need to bring back discipline. We need to make sure that young people feel a sense of hope about their future. We need to ensure that adults understand their responsibilities to the wider community.

At the end of the day the State will always be able to put down riots with force. The harder job over the coming months is to make sure that people understand their duties to others and have a sense of morality and discipline.

Week beginning 1st August

I feel privileged to have grown up in our beautiful county of Cornwall. It is the place I call home and it's the place where I most enjoy spending my time.

But, it's all too easy to take that for granted and that really comes home to me at this time of year when we see hundreds of thousands of tourists descending on the region in search of sun, sea, sand and the perfect holiday.

That tourism is as much a part of the county as its year round residents; they make the area the place it is and plough millions into the local economy.

But recent years have seen a decline in the holiday markets that we used to attract. The rise of the low cost airline and the package holiday has taken people out of Cornwall and sent them to sunny continental resorts.

With that, we've seen job losses, hotel closures, mass development of high-end holiday second home holiday apartments and a change in the groups of people coming to visit. Newquay has been hit particularly badly and I'm working alongside residents to challenge some of the problems emerging from the night time economy and the increase in stag/hen parties and groups of students descending on the town.

On the other side of the coast, the closure of St Austell's premier beach in Carlyon Bay for so long has hit the town and although we've seen some great new attractions in the last few years like the Eden Project, St Austell still doesn't receive the national respect as a worthwhile holiday destination that it deserves.

But it's affecting us all and I want to use my position as the local MP to encourage holiday makers back to our beaches. It's important for the local economy and it's a part of the image of Cornwall that we all know and love.

We all have ideas of what we want to see in Cornwall in order to improve the lives for locals and the experience for holiday makers. I hope that over the coming years we can see everyone beginning to work together to encourage new business, encourage new markets and get Cornwall right on track.

Throughout August, I'm conducting my 'Constituency Tour' to hear about this issue and anything else that you care about. I'll be knocking on doors and holding advice surgeries in the evenings.

From 6pm every day I'll be in the following locations, no appointment is necessary: Aug 9^th - my Newquay Office; 10^th - Bugle Inn; 11^th - Falcon Inn, St Mawgan; 12^th - my St Austell Office; 13^th - The Queen & Railway Inn, St Columb; 15^th - my St Austell Office; 16^th - Four Lords, St Blasie; 17^th - Blue Anchor, Fraddon; 18^th - my Newquay Office; 20^th - The Victory Hall, Roche; 23^rd - Innis Inn, Penwithick; 24^th - Kings Arms, St Stephens; 25^th - Hewas Inn, Sticker; 26^th - Mevagissy Social Club; 27^th - New Inn, Tywardreath; 29^th - my Newquay Office; 30^th - Fowey British Legion; Sep 1^st - St Dennis, venue TBC.

I hope to see you over the summer.

Week beginning 25th July

Last week saw the end of the Parliamentary Session before the summer and what an end it was. The phone hacking scandal continued to run and run in Westminster and we saw scenes in the Houses of Parliament that were a true moment of history.

On Tuesday, Rupert and James Murdoch (who run the company which owned the News of the World before its collapse last month as well as a number of other titles including the Times and the Sun) were pulled up in front of a committee of MPs to answer questions about the allegations.

Towards the end of the session, a protestor who had entered as a member of public to watch the proceedings attacked Rupert Murdoch with a paper plate of shaving foam and the committee had to be suspended while the protestor was arrested.

Then, the following day saw Parliament's session extended to allow a special debate on the scandal. David Cameron opened proceedings with a statement which was followed by almost 140 questions to him from MPs and a debate lasting the whole day to talk about what action could and should be taken by Parliament.

I'm sure that the story will continue to develop over the summer as more details emerge and we find out the fate of the journalists and paper executives that were arrested over the allegations.

But, for now, Parliament isn't sitting and this provides a great opportunity for MPs, like me, to get out and about in their constituencies and that's what I'm very much looking forward to doing throughout August. I've got a fully packed diary of door knocking and surgeries that will see me visit every village in the constituency.

I felt that this is an important time to get out and listen to your concerns. It's now a year since the general election and I'm all too aware that there are mixed feelings over the approach the Government has taken and the role of the Liberal Democrats within the coalition, I want to hear those views.

Ultimately, my duty first and foremost is to represent you - my constituents. I am your representative in Parliament and I can't do my job properly unless I know what you think. Whether you want to come along and meet me to talk about a Government policy that you feel could be improved, or whether you have a concern about a local issue that you'd like me to help campaign on - then do come and tell me.

It's also an opportunity for you to raise issues that affect you personally, such as access to benefits or housing support or problems with the CSA or another Government body, that a nudge from your local MP may help to resolve - I'm here to help with that too.

There will be more details appearing in this paper next week and do look out for the information on my website (www.stevegilbert.info) and on posters around the constituency to find out when I'll be in an area near you.

Week beginning 18th July

We all know that Cornwall suffers from some of the worst levels of poverty in the country. Over many years we've seen our traditional industries - fishing, farming and mining - decline as a result of competition from overseas and heavy handed regulation from Brussels.

We know that we have low wages, lots of seasonal employment, and yet still get hit with the highest water bills in the country and some of the most expensive housing options anywhere in Britain. There's a lot that needs to be changed. We've had help from the European Union to put money in to rebuilding our economy for the next century, the Coalition Government has promised to help with the cost of water bills (though we are still waiting to see the details).

But there is another type of poverty that we have in some parts of Cornwall - a poverty of ambition and aspiration. Too often we think we "can't do that". That attitude has played a part in our woes and has held us back. When we think that we're not good enough, we act like it and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The reality is very different. For centuries the Cornish have been some of the most inventive and creative people in the world. We've been at the forefront of the industrial revolution, have great poets, artists, writers and some of the most senior people in business are from our corner of the world. But for us to reach our potential we need to shake-off the notion that the poverty that bedevils parts of Cornwall is here to stay, that somehow that's our lot. We've got to move from "can't do" to "can do".

Coming from a very average working class Cornish family I've seen for myself the effects of this poverty of ambition. Too many times I was told, by family and friends, that I can't do that - whether it was my first degree, my Masters degree, moving away to work in the City of London or standing for Parliament.

That's why this week I was so pleased to be able to present an award to a graduate who had been working with been working with a local business as part of a placement to help keep Cornwall's talent in Cornwall. This graduate (and I won't embarrass her by naming names!) had made a real difference to one of our key local businesses. She'd helped make the business more environmentally sustainable at the same time as improving the bottom line. A real success story. She was one of many who had the "can do" attitude that we need to see a lot more of.

Success doesn't come without risks and, of course, it doesn't come without some set-backs. In America they know that the Wild West wasn't won by cow-boys that never fell off their horses - it was won by the cowboys that fell off their horses and then got right back on again.

Week beginning 11th July

You, like me, will have been shocked by the revelations over the last week about the behaviour of some parts of our national media. Hacking into the phones of murdered school girls or people who have given their life for their country and their friends and family in order to get snippets of personal information to sell newspapers is beneath contempt.

Some may argue that such infringements of privacy for politicians and celebrities are okay - but the revelations of the disgusting behaviour of some journalists this week has put our print media, in particular News International, firmly into the spotlight.

I fully support the moves that the Government is making both to get to the bottom of what happened and also to examine the broader issues of media responsibility. It's quite clear that we need to see a judge led inquiry into the practices of the News of the World and also what went wrong with the original metropolitan police investigation. The inquiry needs to start as soon as possible and have full powers to call witnesses, seize evidence and get to the truth.

It's clear that for too long there has been a relationship between senior politicians of both the main parties and senior figures in the media. This relationship has been unhealthy for politics in our country and has poisoned our national political debate. We need to look again at the relationship that politicians and the media have and it's welcome that there will be another inquiry to look at that too.

It's clear that we need to beef up the Press Complaints Commission, which is not working properly. Self regulation for our print media is certainly more welcome that Government imposed regulation - but we need to make sure that any regulation that we do have is effective. It's quite clear that the Press Complaints Commission is not fit for purpose and it needs a radical overhaul to make it work effectively and to make sure it has real teeth.

The shocking revelations also raise serious concerns about the future ownership of different parts of our media. We need to ensure that anyone owning British media is a "fit and proper person" and I asking the media regulator, Ofcomm, to look into that issue. We also need to make sure there is real diversity in our media ownership. We must not have huge swathes of our national media owned only by one or two individuals. I am pressing the Government to refer the bid by News International to take 100% ownership of BSkyB to the Competition Commission. I no longer think that it is either sensible, or indeed, acceptable for any politician to take this decision. The decision should be taken independently.

The scandal that has seen the end of the News of the World has shaken people's confidence in the media, the police and senior politicians. We need to make sure that we learn the lessons to make sure it can never happen again.

Week beginning 4th July

More on the incinerator this week: the Cornwall Waste Forum in St Dennis are sticking to their guns and are taking the case against the proposed incinerator to the High Court in London. They believe that part of the decision making process was flawed and are going to challenge it.

I think this is good news. Taking the fight to the London Courts is the right decision. St Dennis deserves justice. It should not be acceptable for developments to be imposed when the local people don't want it. The people in St Dennis have shown their determination over many years now and I support them fully.

The will of the local community was never in doubt - Parish Councils, Restormel Council and the former CornwalL County Council's Planning Committee all voted against incineration. At last year's General Election the Labour candidate was alone in supporting the plans.

Nobody wanted this White Elephant of an incinerator. There are better, more efficient and less invasive ways of dealing with waste. But despite that, the Government cast Localism aside and gave the go-ahead for an incinerator in St Dennis. My view remains: one site is the wrong solution, that incineration is the wrong technology and that St Dennis is the wrong place.

This week we've also seen another controversial local planning application get determined by Cornwall Council: the Beach Project at Carlyon Bay. I know that opinions on the plans for the former Coliseum site (or "Gossips" as my generation called it!) are divided. Over recent months I have tried to help people on both side of the argument make sure their voice is heard by the decision makers: the councillors at Cornwall Council. Of course, though, I have a personal view too and on balance, I support the plans. It's clear the developers have moved a long way from the original plans and public access to the beach is being preserved for local people. It will help create jobs and help drive tourism in our part of Cornwall. The new designs look much more in keeping with our local architecture too.

Locally it can seem that it's all change at the moment: there are major planning applications across the area - and, let's be clear, not all of them would be for the better. That said, we do need to make sure that we are able to provide homes and jobs for people who want to stay in the community in which they grew up and we will only be able to do that if we have some new homes and push forward with helping to rebalance the Cornish economy with the rest of the country.

Our towns and villages are always in a process of change and now is no different. For me, the challenge is to make sure we put the needs of the local community front and centre in the decision making process.

Week beginning 27th June

This weekend our community marked the third annual Armed Forces Day - established as an opportunity to celebrate and applaud the work of the men and women in Britain's Armed Forces - and the Cornwall-wide event was held in St Austell.

I was hugely proud of the way that people in St Austell, and from across Cornwall, turned out and lined the streets to show their support and admiration for people, mostly younger men and women, who volunteer to put themselves in harm's way in the service of their country.

It was a fantastic event that showed that, even if people disagree from time to time with the nature of the missions our forces are asked to do, that our community is united in having tremendous respect for the people who undertake these often dangerous tasks.

We had the chance to hear from the commanding officer of HMS Cornwall which has recently returned from operations to detect, disrupt and dissuade pirates off the horn of Africa. HMS Cornwall was operating there as part of an international fleet to protect merchant shipping and had had real results. We also heard from a 20 year old female dog-handler who had just returned from a tour in Afghanistan. Dogs are used there to search for the potentially fatal improvised bombs and to search trucks coming and going from Allied bases. We heard about the work of reconstruction that was designed to persuade local people that the best future is one without the Taliban. We also heard from a reservist medic who has just completed a six-month tour away from his day-to-day civilian job. For me the most moving part of the day was hearing from the mother of a serving soldier. She was hugely proud of her son but shared with us all how difficult it is for her not to worry when she sees the news each night.

Early this week I also had the honour of helping to welcome members of the 16^th Air Assault Brigade to Parliament. The brigade has been back in the UK for a few weeks having completed a difficult tour in Afghanistan. I was able to hear from them about the nature of the campaign on the ground in that country.

Later this year I am hoping to get the chance to visit Afghanistan and see for myself the operation that Britain and our allies are engaged in and I

For me the week brought home, in a very vivid way, the breadth and depth of our communities relationship with our armed forces. From the younger cadets in the parade (who reminded me of my days in St Blazey's Air Cadets) to the older veterans (who reminded me of my grandfather's time as a Royal Marine Commando) and everyone in between. One of my friends from Fowey School now flies Typhoons for the RAF and many of others are in the services.

For generations the Armed Forces has helped to shape our community - Armed Forces day is a great way to remember that.

Week beginning 20th June

In 1901 a new baby boy was expected to live until he was just 45 years old, a new baby girl until she was 49. Flash-forward a century and, by 1999, a new baby boy was expected to reach 75 years and his sister 80. Now, with the ever faster progress of science creating new life-saving medicines and treatments, it is possible that the next generation will soon be able to expect to live until they well over 100.

The good news is that many more people are living a lot longer than their parents did - the bad news is that it poses a major dilemma of how we, as a society, pay for it. We can't get away from the fact we have an increasingly older population, ever more expensive costs for health care and social care, and the need to pay out pensions for much longer and to many more people than was ever planned for.

Something else is changing too: it used to be the case that our society looked like a triangle with a smaller number of older people at the peak and a wider base of younger people to pay taxes at the bottom. That's changing too. The typical family has size has gone from the 6 of my great-grandparent's generation to the proverbial 2.4 of my parents. People are living longer and the relative size of the workforce is declining. Now, there's an urgent need to work out what "old age" means in the 21^st century and how we pay for it.

Take teachers as an example. It's possible that many will would not start their first "proper job" until they are in their early-20s - perhaps 23. That would include a gap year, a three-year degree course and a post graduate teaching qualification. From the first-day they are in the classroom, most will need to budget to pay back student debt, buy a house, fund the cost of raising a family as well as all of life's day-to-day expenses. Then there's retirement to look forward to and to fund too. They may expect to live until they are over 100. It's difficult to fund a retirement that could last more than 40 years when you are expecting to work for 40 years too - very few people are able to save, even with Government and employers help, the third of their overall income that would be needed.

These trends will hit my generation hard. We will be among the first to feel the added burden of tax as the 'baby boomers' retire with high welfare expectations and the need for ever more expensive medical and social care. There is no easy answer. We will all have to work longer, save much more and rethink our expectations of old age. 70 may well be the new 40. It's clear that retirement for us will not look anything like it does for our parents and grandparents who, it may well turn out, have been the lucky ones.

Week beginning 13th June

I'm writing this from Jerusalem. I've been here for a few days with the charity Christian Aid looking at the work that they do supporting other local charities and civic organisations both in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories in the West Bank.

There will be many people reading this who have given money to Christian Aid to help support their work in helping people affected by the on-going conflict between Israel and Palestine. And there's no doubt, from what I've seen, that that money makes a difference to people's lives on the ground: whether it is helping Palestinian workers who cross check-points at 4am in the morning to get to work, Palestinian farmers in Jordan Valley who are desperate for water to irrigate their crops or Israeli soldiers who are want to speak out about the difficulties of being an occupying army.

The West Bank, part of the Palestinian Territory, is about a quarter the size of Wales, almost 4,000 square miles of mostly mountainous terrain. The local population is estimated to be around 2.5million; with several millions more in refugee camps on the borders. The Israeli army has occupied the area since 1967. Despite the mountainous landscape it is nonetheless a fertile country and agriculture is a key part of the local economy. It's also a young country; about half of Palestinians are under the age of 21.

The people on the streets and in the shops look and dress like any young person would in the West - jeans, trainers and t-shirts and smiles are the norm. In fact the so-called "Arab Street" looks and sounds much like the streets of St Austell or Newquay; people are getting on with life, laughing and joking, and aspiring to the simple dignity of being able to choose their own future. That's the real crisis here: one of an occupation that shows no end in sight.

Israel demands security for its population and imposes heavy restrictions on Palestinians. There are complaints of human rights abuses from both sides. Despite the armed troops on corners, roadblocks a massive separation wall; the really alarming thing is how normal it is: whether in the major Palestinian cities of Hebron and Nablus, or contested Jerusalem. Even in the Jenin refugee camp, a less than one mile square area but home to 15,000 refugees, life looked hard but bizarrely normal.

It's difficult to understand the problems of world security without understanding the problems of the Israel / Palestine struggle. In Jerusalem three of the world's holiest sites are all within a stone's throw of each other: the church on the site Christ is said to be crucified, the Western Wall for Jewish people and the Muslims' Al Aqsa Mosque.

It shows how complex the problems are that the various Christians groups who run the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the most holy of Christian sites, don't get on: in fact the keys to the church are looked after by a local Muslim family!

Week beginning 6th June

"All politics is local" is a common phrase in American politics. It was first coined by a former U.S. Speaker of the House, Tip O'Neill. What he meant by it, I think, is that the issues that most people really care passionately about are the ones that affect their family, their neighbourhood or their town.

It was a local issue that made me take my first step in to elected politics in St Blazey in 1998. The town didn't have a cash-point - it was a round trip of several miles. So I got a petition going, went door-to-door asking people to sign, and then presented it to the bank. Every time I use the cash-point on the Station Road I think back to then.

Now, 14 years later, the adage that "all politics is local" is still true. If you ask any Member of Parliament they will tell you that the vast majority of letters and emails they receive are about very local issues - things that, in reality, MPs have little or no control over at all. Issues like a particular planning application, the emptying of the rubbish bins, a faulty street-light and so on: MPs don't make decisions on these issues, our Cornwall councillors and our town and parish councillors do.

Of course people do write to MPs about the big issues - like reform of the NHS - but with well over 300 letters coming in each week, the vast majority will be about local issues that are actually the responsibility of someone else.

And, too often, when we think of local politics we tend to forget the people in our community who give their up their time - unpaid - to serve their community on our local town and parish councils - they sacrifice their time (and often money and relationships too!) to help make our community a better place.

This week brought home to me how lucky we are to have so many good people keen to get stuck in and make a difference. The Mayor making meeting of St Austell Town Council showed that that "new" Council continues to go from strength to strength and is making much quicker progress in establishing itself than many expected. St Austell is lucky to have had two great Mayors and I am sure the new one will continue the tradition.

In Newquay I went to the annual civic service, celebrating the work of Newquay Town Council. Newquay's had a town council for a while longer than St Austell - and they do some great work in many different parts of the community. I am sure the new Mayor there will continue to work extremely hard for the town.

And it's not just St Austell and Newquay - whether it's St Blazey, St Column, St Enoder, Roche or Fowey - and anywhere else across my patch - our parish and town councillors are unsung local heroes of the community. I think we're lucky to have such a dedicated bunch of talented people.

Week beginning 30th May

Two issues have dominated the last week for me. The first is the continued controversy around the incinerator planned for St Dennis and the second is the United Kingdom's intervention in Libya. It's a good illustration of the varied nature of the job of an MP: one moment I'm talking about waste disposal and the next British military action.

If anything, anger has been growing over the week since Eric Pickles approved the incinerator for St Dennis. Some people were initially stunned by the decision. They are now angry. I remain furious. Last week I took our communities anger to a debate in the House of Commons. I pressed Ministers for an explanation of some of the technical parts of the decision - for example, how if the financial implications of a contract can be a material planning issue without that undermining the whole of the Government's approach to planning. I've also worked with residents in St Dennis and sent in our complaint against the Environment Agency and Natural England for the sloppy way they processed the application. And I've discussed the options for a legal challenge with the national group campaigning against incinerators. There's no doubt that we are heading for the last chance saloon - but neither I nor the campaigners in St Dennis intend to go quietly. The issue is too important for St Dennis and for Cornwall.

I was back in Cornwall when Barack Obama addresses the joint session of Parliament - rather than seeing him I was doing public advice surgeries in the constituency and meeting people who were affected by the flooding in our area back in November.

I spent the weekend with our NATO allies discussing many of the issues Obama spoke about, including Libya. There's no doubt that the international action in Libya is controversial. But I do not think that we could have stood by and watched Gaddafi massacre his own people. We had to take action to protect them. The action is supported by his neighbours in the Arab League and legally sanctioned by the United Nation. Imagine if we had not acted: we would have watched, helpless, night after night, pictures of his thugs pillaging, raping and killing thousands of his people in revenge for their defiance. To me, that wasn't an option. But at the same time as acting to protect civilians in Libya, we need to do all we can to protect our heroic boys and girls who - in standing up in defence of unarmed civilians against an evil tyrant - are working in the best tradition of our armed forces and should be proud of the work they are doing. We need to make sure that we support them and get them out of harm's way as quickly as possible.

It's clear that the Arab world is changing. From Morocco in West Africa to Bahrain in the Gulf, people are standing up and grasping for freedom and we need to do what we can to help them.

Week beginning 23rd May

Last week's decision by the Secretary of State to allow the incinerator in St Dennis is a bitter blow for Cornwall. Let's be clear: the fight against the incinerator has never been about NIMBYism - it's been about making sure that we have the best solution to manage Cornwall's waste for the long-term.

The incinerator will soon tower over St Dennis and be visible across Cornwall - from Fowey in the south to Crantock in the north. It will greet visitors to Cornwall as they come down the A30. Hundreds of extra lorries will clog our roads - moving waste from as far as Penzance and Bude to St Dennis - each and every day. Once it gets going, it will be there for 30 or more years. I'm 35 this year. It's more than likely that I'll be in my 70s when we turn it off. What a folly.

The world has changed hugely over the last 20 years. We know that climate change is happening. We know that oil and fuel is only going to get more expensive. In that context alone it is a total nonsense to build an incinerator that emits thousands of tones of CO2, one of the gasses that causes climate change and depends on hundreds of fuel guzzling lorry journeys a day.

Instead of re-using more of our waste, recycling what we can, and treating it as close to the point of origin as possible - we will simply be destroying it. I'm absolutely gutted for the campaigners in St Dennis and those across Cornwall who have fought this plan for so long.

Over many long years the community came together, across the political divide, to oppose the incinerator. And we won our case every time it was presented to elected decision makers. Time and again community representatives, including the local Parish councils, the former Restormel borough council and the county council's own planning committee, turned it down. All six of Cornwall's MPs asked the Secretary of State to uphold the views of local decision makers.

So it's no surprise that there is bitterness and anger that a Conservative Secretary of State, Eric Pickles (who's talk of "localism" now seems like empty rhetoric) can have over-ruled the democratic view of the local community.

And I remain outraged that just recently the Conservative leader of Cornwall Council Alec Robertson asked Mr Pickles to approve this application: in doing so Alec Robertson undermined local democracy and his own council officers and betrayed people in mid-Cornwall.

The Council talks of the possible costs to the tax-payer if it didn't go ahead. They are making it up as they go along. It was always nonsense designed to scare people into supporting their solution. No doubt both SITA and Cornwall Council will be pleased with themselves. However, I suspect it won't be long until they come to regret it - the sadness is that, in the meantime, we will all suffer the consequences of their short-sighted approach. A sad day for Cornwall.

Week beginning 16th May

Last week I wrote about my first year as an MP, the challenges that I have faced and the successes I have been able to enjoy.

But this last week hasn't just been my first anniversary. It's also been the first birthday for the Coalition Government between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives, the first Government of its kind in over 60 years.

There were a lot of doubts at the outset that the coming together of two parties, each with a different set of principles and policies, would even work. The media didn't understand the meaning of Coalition Government. To some extent they still don't. But, one thing is for sure - many within the media have been surprised at the achievements of the past year and the legislation which compromise between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives has delivered.

Twelve months down the line my colleagues and I are beginning to see the impact that those policies are having on our constituents and the country as a whole.

Before the election the Liberal Democrats promised to make the tax system fairer. Last month, 23 million hardworking local people received a £200 tax cut and the Government has announced plans to go further by giving even more people an extra £126 in their back pockets.

We have already delivered on our promise of restoring the earnings link to pensions with a triple lock that means pensions will rise by at least 2.5% each year (or more if earnings or prices are greater), that meant an increase of £4.50 per week this year.

Extra investment for disadvantaged children has become a reality with an extra £2.5 billion for those who need it most in our school system. It's about time that the Government addressed the outrageous legacy which sees more affluent students three times more likely to achieve five good GCSEs than their peers on Free School Meals.

We are cleaning up politics with plans to give people the right to sack MPs, fix the length of a Parliament to prevent the Prime Minister choosing the date of a General Election to benefit his/her party, move towards a wholly or partly elected House of Lords, elected by proportional representation and devolve power and greater financial autonomy to local government and community groups.

There's a raft of policies to help the economy recover and make sure that we build a new green and sustainable economy fit for the 21^st century to include action to tackle the deficit, reform of the banking system to make sure that banks lend to viable British businesses and the creation of a green investment bank.

There's no doubt that the Government has been forced to make tough choices - that was the nature of inheriting a financial mess. But, I for one am proud of the progressive, innovative and fair choices that are being taken that incorporate some of the most exciting and ambitious policies of my party.

Week beginning 9th May

This week marks a year since the General Election. There's no doubt it's been an eventful year. If you had asked me a year ago I would have said not in my wildest dreams did I think that the Liberal Democrats would be part of the next Government and not in my worst nightmares did I think we would share that responsibility with the Conservatives. And there's no doubt that my party, in joining the Coalition, put the wider national interest before our narrow political interests. It would have been too easy to duck the difficult choices and sit on the sidelines. Clearly in trying to tackle the financial mess left by the last Government we've been forced to make some very difficult decisions.

The last year has been a steep learning curve for me getting used to the processes and procedures of a Parliament that can sometimes seem outdated and is often frustrating. It took some time to get used to the weekly commute - and to learn to actually sleep on the sleeper train! One of the pleasures of the job is when I feel that I've helped an individual with a particular problem and, whilst we're not able to help everyone, we've managed to make a difference for many of the almost 3,000 people who have contacted me in the last year. As an aside, I'm constantly surprised with the range of issues that people come to see me about - everything from national policy and local issues to having family imprisoned abroad.

Amid all the bad news about the spending cuts - there has been success for Cornwall too. The Regional Spatial Strategy which would have imposed scores of thousands of new homes in Cornwall has gone; we've seen thousands of the lowest earners removed from income tax, additional money for the education of children from poorer backgrounds, a better deal for pensioners, and, for the first time, a commitment from the Government to tackle our unfair water bills. The Government is also reasserting the UK's relationship with the European Union by ensuring a referendum before further integration and has introduced a tax on bankers that will bring in more each and every year than the last Government's one-off tax did.

Of course, there have been disappointments too. Despite the efforts of all of Cornwall's MPs we weren't able to stop the creation of a Parliamentary constituency that will cross the Tamar.

Looking back over the last year I can't say that I've got it right every time. But I can say that I am giving it my all and trying my very best. I said during the election campaign that I would always put local people before party politics, I meant it then and I mean it now. It's one of the reasons I turned down the chance to join the Government as a Ministerial aide.

So, I'm a year older, a year wiser and feel ready to face the next year with whatever new challenges it brings.

Week beginning 2nd May

Last weekend I helped host a charity dinner and dance in aid of the Tanya's Courage Trust. Tanya's Courage has been my nominated charity for the past year and I've helped them raise thousands of pounds in that time for their good cause.

The trust takes its name from 17 year old Tanya Billing, a local young lady who bravely fought Leukaemia for the last 20 months of her short life.

In that time, Tanya expressed the wish to help others of her age group and after her death her family set up The Tanya's Courage Trust which aims to aid young people suffering from Cancer throughout Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly by the provision of grants which can be used towards relieving their physical or financial needs.

They have helped many beneficiaries by improving the spirit, life and well being of all those attached to the Trust. Five of those beneficiaries were in attendance at the event.

I know the effects that cancer can have on a family, my father has suffered from Leukaemia for a number of years and I saw the effects on Matthew Taylor's family when his youngest son was diagnosed with Leukaemia. That's why I could think of no better charity for me, as the local MP, to lend my support to in my first year in office.

So, I would like to thank all those who came along on Saturday to the Atlantic Hotel for what was an excellent and fun filled night and, best of all, it raised thousands for the trust.

This sort of event goes to show the Big Society that the Coalition Government is talking about in action.

During the election campaign I never really understood what David Cameron meant by 'the Big Society', it didn't mean much to me and it was a part of the Conservative manifesto that I was less excited about taking on after the coalition emerged from the election.

But, in the past year I have come to the realisation that 'the Big Society' is all around us. It always has been. Its part of our community and it's especially strong in Cornwall.

The Tanya's Courage Trust just sums this up for me. It's such an amazing organisation led and managed by Iris Billing and her daughter Nikki, together with the help of an army of volunteers.

I want to congratulate all those who have worked so hard to make this charity a success, together with everyone else in our community who gives their time, love and attention to support a cause that they feel strongly about. The Big Society isn't about a piece of paper on a desk in Whitehall - it's you.

All I can say is well done, please keep doing the good work and let me know if I can ever do anything to support these important local causes.

If you would like to support or donate to Tanya's Courage then you can find more details on their website at www.tanyascourage.org.uk.

Week beginning 25th April

Next week we will have the first national referendum for almost half a century. The question is whether we should change the system we use to elect Members of Parliament from the current 'First Past The Post' system, to the 'Alternative Vote'. This is the first time in British history that people have had the chance to give their view on the system we use to run elections.

Last year, when I was elected, I won with 42% of the votes that were cast. In other words more people, in total, voted for someone else (58% of votes cast) than voted for me - but under 'First Past The Post' I won anyway. Moving to the Alternative Vote would change that.

Under the Alternative Vote no MP could be elected without having more than half of the votes cast. It will mean that candidates have to work harder to get the broadest possible base of support in the area they want to represent. Rather than concentrating only on the people who have traditionally supported the party they represent, a candidate would have to engage with people who support other parties too. It will help end the safe seats culture that has so poisoned our politics.

The Alternative Vote is easy to use. Rather than putting one cross next to a candidate all people have to do is rank the candidates in order of preference: first, second, third and so on. And, crucially, the Alternative Vote keeps the link between an MP and area. Personally, I believe that's hugely important in the way our democracy works: people should know who their MP is and be able to contact them.

A change to AV has broad support across the "progressive" political parties. The new Labour leader, Ed Miliband, supports a move to AV, as do Mebyon Kernow, the Greens - and, of course, the Liberal Democrats. UKIP also support a change to AV.

In fact, the only political parties opposed to a change are the incoherent Communist Party, the fascist British National Party and the Conservative Party. I know which group of people I'd rather have around for dinner!

Amid all the nonsense and insults that are being thrown around by politicians (who frankly should know better) the essential question is what sort of democracy we want to have in Britain. For too long now we've had Governments (both Labour and Conservative) that have been elected with large majorities but only got just over a third of the votes cast. That's not right and needs to change.

MPs know that AV is a fairer system: that's why we use it in the House of Commons to elect the powerful Chairs of Parliamentary committees. Even David Cameron was elected leader of the Conservative under a form of AV. It's used in many parts of American and Australia has used it for almost a 100 years.

I hope that you will take the chance to use your vote next week - it's time for change.

Week beginning 18th April

Over the last week I wanted to raise the problems that first time buyers right across Cornwall and across the country experience in getting on to the housing ladder.

I wanted to make the point that first time buyers in Cornwall have been hit with a double whammy: house prices have soared far in excess of local wages and now banks are asking for significant deposits. Thousands of homes have been lost to second home owners. And with people on low incomes and having to pay rent, council tax and other bills, as well as high fuel costs, it's impossible for many to think how they are going to get on the property ladder at all.

Even on a good income, it's still difficult. And for many thousands of people in Cornwall and across the country it's going to be almost impossible to get a deposit without the help of family.

The average house price in Cornwall is around £280,000 and most banks are now asking for a 15% deposit. That's £42,000. If you take the average price for a one bedroom unit in Cornwall, £130,000, then individuals still need to find around £20,000 for the deposit.

My postbag is inundated with people who want to start their lives, move in with their partners and start a family, but who can't get out of the rented sector or the hotel of Mum and Dad. In my view it's time the Government faced up to the fact that Britain is experiencing a housing crisis.

Things have changed. The average age for first time buyers is now 37. Just 20 years ago half of all homes in Britain were owned by people under 34. There are nearly two million families languishing on waiting lists for social housing and in the private rented sector rents are on the up but security of tenure and the quality of the offer is down.

The point I was trying to make is that there is more Government should do to help. Across the country nearly a million homes stand empty and unused. We need to bring them back into use. We need to build more homes to bring prices down as it's only increasing the supply of homes that will really help. And Councils, banks and the Government could to do more to help first time buyers. Not least the Government could release some of the land it owns for home building.

If Government fails to face up to this problem then we risk creating a really pernicious generational divide between the housing "haves" and the housing "have-nots", broadly between those born in the ten years after the second world war (the so-called 'Baby Boomers') and their children ('Generation X').

Sometime in the media scramble the point can get lost - but it remains my view that we need to be doing more to address Britain's housing crisis.

Week beginning 11th April

There is much debate about the future of the NHS. I want to be clear about where I stand: the NHS is a fantastic national institution which millions of people across the country rely on and the principles it was founded on are as important now as they were then: free at the point of use and available to everyone, based on need, not ability to pay.

Over my life I've depended on the NHS, like everyone else. So have my family. My Dad is currently undergoing treatment for leukaemia. My brother and his partner recently used the NHS to have my second nephew, Tommy. My grandmother, 98 this week, uses the NHS regularly. I can assure you that I will never use my vote in the House of Commons to privatise the NHS. If that's what the Government proposes, then I will vote against it.

But that does not mean the NHS does not need to change. First, because we want the NHS to be even better than it is, saving even more lives every day and giving more patients the best chance of living well with a long-term condition. Second, because we know there are pressures on the NHS - caused by an increasingly older population and more expensive treatments.

There is much to welcome in the Government's plan - decreased bureaucracy, more local accountability, involvement of doctors and other clinicians and the focus on health - but I do share some of the concerns expressed in many quarters about other parts of the plan.

Any future blueprint for the NHS needs to recognise the need for collaboration, co-operation and integration in the delivery of NHS services - and this cannot be done with an exclusive reliance on competition as the sole driving force for improvement.

Any prospect of the Bill's proposals resulting in 'cherry picking' of NHS services by private firms to the detriment of sustainable NHS facilities must be avoided. We need to avoid the special treatment of private firms that Labour gave: paying out over £250m million to private healthcare companies for doing literally nothing and paying private providers more than NHS providers to give the same treatment. And any organisation charged with spending precious NHS resources need to be accountable, transparent and capable.

The Bill, as it stands, already closes the loopholes introduced by the previous Labour Government which allowed private providers to be paid more than those from the public sector. Liberal Democrats have long criticised this practice, and now in Government it will be outlawed.

The Government, recognising the concerns people have, announced a pause in the passage of the Bill to listen and to improve the plans. I am clear that forthcoming changes suggested in the legislation carry both broad public and patient support and the endorsement of those working in the NHS who all want to see a better service.

I'm working hard to get this right and would welcome people's views. This issue is of huge importance, we all rely on the NHS.

Week beginning 4th April

One question I keep getting asked is, "what's the deficit?". This week when I was visiting pupils at Penrice School in St Austell, Treviglas School in Newquay and talking to the St Columb Minor Residents' Association it came up time-again.

I explain it by saying that we're all used to the idea that we may spend a bit more than we have some months and then make up for it in other months; for example saving a bit in the run up to Christmas and then spending more than our pay check in December.

That's fine if the ups and downs balance out but if we're persistently spending more than we get, that's a problem - and the equivalent of a structural deficit for the government.

This year, even with the savings (cuts) that have been announced the Government will still spend over £100 billion more than we get in tax. In fact we will continue to spend more than we get in tax for the whole of this Parliament - the next 4 years. Each year that "deficit" is added to our "national debt" and, from our annual taxes, we pay interest on this debt. This year we will spend £50billion on interest payments.

In good times, when the economy is motoring, tax income is higher, and in bad times the tax take goes down. If, over time, those even out over time that's fine: but we're in a situation at the moment where they don't - so we are not only deeply in debt but, if nothing is done, will continue to go ever further into debt.

Politically the argument is how you get to a position where you are living within your means - spending only the amount we get in tax. Broadly falls into those who want to sort the deficit over the next 4 years and those who want to do it over 8 years.

Of course, we need to grow the economy and we need to protect the most vulnerable in society from the harshest effects of the savings that need to be made to tackle the deficit. Perhaps we had got too used to the years of plenty - or rather - we thought they were years of plenty because the way the last government spent money like water - we had no sense of what was to come. In many ways, whether it's putting a new pair of jeans on the credit cards or buying a new sofa on a "buy now, pay later" deal - we're all guilty of living beyond our means to some extent.

Of course, it's not quite that simple when talking about a country. But broadly the same rules apply. If we spend more than we get in tax we have to borrow it. We pay interest on what we borrow. And at some point we have to pay it off. At the moment, when the interest payments alone are enough to build a primary school an hour, it's probably time to stop borrowing more and bring the deficit under control.

Week beginning 28th March

The budget was the big event of the last week in Parliament and the Chancellor, George Osborne, had his work cut out for him. The overall direction is clear: cutting the deficit. It's estimated that next year our Government will spend £710billion. We will get in, via all taxes, £589billion. So, even with the cuts, we will still spend £121billion more than we get in tax.

That's the amount that gets added to our "national debt" - about £5trillion - this year. The budget showed that we also spend more on servicing the interest on that debt (£50billion in interest payments alone this year) than we do on defence (£40billion) policing (£33billion), social services (£32billion) or housing (£24billion).

If we are paying ourselves for things we can't afford, someone will have to pick up the pieces: our children and their children. That's not fair or progressive. Why should be saddle the next generation with our debts, they are going to have enough problems?

But, amid the difficult times, there was some good news too. 23 million people on the lowest incomes will get a tax-cut as the personal tax allowance is raised to take the lowest paid out of tax. This budget goes further, taking over one million people out of tax altogether, a key Liberal Democrat election pledge being delivered.

The Government also stopped Labour's planned 5p increase in the cost of petrol and, instead, delivered a 1p cut. Petrol has gone up by 18p in just a few months, and looks set to go further, so I think it is right that we acted to help people. It's not much, but imagine what a 5p increase would have felt like.

The Government has hit the banks; asking more from them each year than Labour ever asked. It will help to raise £10billion overall meaning that we can pay for 80,000 new work experience placements and 50,000 new apprentices to help get Britain moving again.

There's the one-in, one-out rule for regulation for businesses which should free them from the burden of regulation. And extra support for first-time-buyers who are struggling to get on to the property ladder with a £250million fund.

It's also a green budget, delivering billions of funding to drive the growth of green technology, and a budget for charities - lifting the value of gift aid and reducing inheritance tax for those who give to charity in their wills.

Finally, and whisper it quietly, the budget talks about taking action to tackle "water affordability pressures". That's water bills to you and me and it's the first time that a Government has committed to action in the budget. That has to be good news for Cornwall where we have campaigned on this issue since privatisation. Of course, the details aren't clear yet. We will have to tease those out over the coming weeks. But overall, and whisper this too, I don't think Mr Osborne has done a bad job at all given the tough choices he faces.

Week beginning 21st March

This week in the House of Commons, I used my vote to vote for military action in Libya. I did not do it with relish as I am all too aware that it will put the men and women of our armed forces into harm's way. I did it to help protect the innocent civilians in Libya who are unable to protect themselves, to uphold international law and to implement the will of the United Nations.

Let's be clear: Gadhafi is a brutal thug who, as well as being responsible for the biggest ever terrorist attack on Britain, the Lockerbie bombing, has spent the last three weeks systematically murdering his own people simply because they dared to dream of freedom from his oppressive tyranny. He has murdered children and women, men and boys. He has shown he is not fit to govern and I believe he should go.

For too long, people in the "west" have looked at North Africa and the Middle East and assumed that the people there live under dictatorships because, in some way, they choose to. What we have seen over the last few months is the end of this myth. We've seen an unprecedented lunge for freedom by people who no longer want to live under a veil of oppression. In an arc that spans from Morocco to Saudi Arabia, we've seen an Arab spring. People utterly fed-up of corrupt regimes, keeping them in poverty, ignorance and conformity. People prepared to lose their lives to fight for the things that we take for granted: the right to speak our mind, to meet with whom we choose, to vote for a party of our choice.

As I walked through the lobby to cast my vote, I thought about the British, French and Coalition forces that are in action, and the many innocent people, from all sides, who will be caught up in this. I have no direct experience of war. In that respect my generation has been luckier than most before us. I've studied war, visited parts of the world torn up in conflict and spent hours listening to the people who have served their country. I know there is no glamour in war. I know, also, that there are many people in the community who think that we should not get involved in other country's problems.

But this is different than Iraq. There was, and still is, an urgent need to protect a city the size of Glasgow from genocide at the hands of Gadhafi's henchmen. Unlike Iraq, the United Nations is clear that action must be taken and, crucially, the international community has the backing of many other Arab countries.

Of course, there is no such thing as a "good" war; but there can be such a thing as a "just" war. My Grandfather fought against Nazism and he was right to do so. Standing up against this brutal warlord and using our unique capabilities to help to protect the innocent people whose only crime is to yearn for freedom is also, I believe, the right thing to do.

Week beginning 14th March

I guess most people think that the work MPs do is entirely based in the Chamber of the House of Commons. As people flick the TV channels past the Parliament channel and see an almost empty chamber with only a handful of MPs it probably creates an impression that MPs don't really work that hard. What this misses is the work that MPs do on various Parliamentary committees.

There are two types of committees: regular committees that meet to examine the work of a particular department, called Select Committees. And ad hoc committees that meet to go through proposed new laws, literally line-by-line, these are called Bill Committees.

Since last year I've sat on the Select Committee for Communities & Local Government. We meet every Monday afternoon to look at Government policy toward local government and housing, and take evidence from outside experts on whether the policy is working. We've looked, in detail, at the abolition of the Regional housing strategies, the Government's "localism" agenda, the audit and inspection arrangements for councils and whether councils should produce and distribute their own newspapers.

Then, in addition to that Select Committee, I've also spent the last two months as a member of the Public Bill Committee that has looked, line-by-line, at the Government's proposed Localism Bill - a bill that aims to completely transform the relationship between Whitehall and Town Hall's across the country. The Bill will give local councils and local communities much more control over what happens in their area; it will bring forward new rights for community groups to challenge the local council on providing services, new rights for communities to tackle the shortage of housing and new forms of housing tenure so we are able to better use the supply of social housing that we do have. It's a landmark bill.

In the committee I've been active in proposing amendments, including last week proposing a community "right of appeal" in planning decisions, which would give local people the same right to appeal against planning applications that developers have. The Government has told me it's going to reflect on whether there is scope for such a right in the Bill.

The Localism Bill has been one of the biggest Bills to go before Parliament for some time and we were in committee for over two months, meeting every Tuesday and Thursday from around 9.30 in the morning and, on occasion, carrying on until 10pm.

Spending Monday afternoon in a Select Committee and Tuesdays and Thursdays in the Localism Bill committee has, of course, reduced the amount of time I've been able to be in the chamber over the last few months. That said, the work that MPs do in committee is a vital part of holding the Government to account and scrutinising new laws. This week, with Tuesday and Thursday free of the Bill committee for the first time this year, I'm going to have to find something else to do!

Week beginning 7th March

"Never say never, but not now thank you." That's what I said when I turned down the chance to join the Government at the most junior level. It's hugely flattering to have been offered a position on the first rung of the Government ladder, as a Parliamentary Private Secretary, and I'm happy to admit that turning it down wasn't an easy decision.

MPs, new and old, are anxious (indeed some would say eager!) to get a place within a Department. However when I was asked a couple of weeks ago I took the view that it was important for me, in these first few months of being an MP, to make sure I know how Parliament works before considering anything else.

Of the 650 MPs in the Commons, I'm one of 364 on the Coalition Government side of the House. But being in Government is very different. Unlike many countries around the world, our Government is made up of people from our Parliament - either MPs or Lords. In fact, there are around 150 MPs, from the 364 on the Government side, who have "Government jobs" - either as Secretaries of State, Ministers, Junior Ministers or Parliamentary Private Secretaries. Usually each member of the Government will be attached to a particular Department, like education for example, but some will have responsibilities that cross departments.

As a member of the Government you are expected to support the Government in everything it does: all dissent and disagreement is supposed to take place behind closed doors where the members of the Government hammer out their differences and then present a "collective" view to the country.

As an MP on the Government side of the Commons (but not in the Government) you do have the chance to hold Ministers to account and to question their decisions - both in private and in public. You can be more outspoken than those in Government, indeed, you can be publically critical. Of course, you are expected to vote with your Party colleagues but - crucially - you're not forced to share a "collective view" and, at the end of the day, don't have to vote with them.

Over recent weeks I've voted against the Government on plans for a constituency that covers parts of Devon and Cornwall, and spoken out against plans to sell-off the forests as well as criticising watered-down measures to tackle alcohol abuse.

It's important for me, as your MP, to make sure that - if I ever was going to be part of the Government - you won't lose out.

Let's be clear, I'm not saying "never" to joining the Government (if I'm lucky enough to get asked again!) but for now I think the best thing I can do is learn the ropes, represent you and be one of Cornwall's representatives to Government.

During the election I said that I would always put local people before Party politics. I said it then and I mean it now.

Week beginning 28th February

Here we go again. The news that Cornwall's water bills are set to increase (yet again) could hardly come at a worse time. In Cornwall we're already hit by the highest bills in the UK - twice those of London - and this won't help hard working families struggling to make ends meet.

South West Water have increased their prices by a whopping 3.4% (which when added to inflation means a bill hike of 8.1%). For an unmetered customer this brings the average bill to almost £800, while a metered customer will be footing an average £424 bill.

This is a legacy of the botched privatisation of the water industry; and it's an expensive legacy for Cornwall that sticks in the throat. The situation must change. During the election campaign I pledged to fight for Government action and now, as the MP, I've pushed this issue with Ministers and have raised it on the floor of the House of Commons.

I'm pleased to say that, from the discussions I have had with the Government, I know that they are committed to reforming the water industry to deliver affordable bills and sustainable supply for all households and businesses.

The Government will be consulting on proposals to provide more help to vulnerable and low income households who qualify for the WaterSure 'safety net' tariff. The scheme acts as a 'safety net' for metered households in receipt of qualifying means-tested benefits or tax credits with either three or more children under the age of 19 or where a member of the household has a medical condition which means they need to use a lot of water (for example a weeping skin disease such as eczema).

This year over 31,000 households in England and Wales are benefitting from the current WaterSure system which caps bills at the company's average, but the proposed changes could see 8,500 households in the South West alone receive reductions of over £150 a year by switching the cap to the national average.

Of course, there is still more that can be done and further to go and I will be pushing the Government to continue the reform of our water bills until bills in Cornwall come into line with those in other parts of the country.

In the meantime, if you are struggling with your bill and the hike announced this week, there's a couple of things to do. First, get in contact with South West Water's WaterCare programme, they offer one-to-one personalised advice and assistance on debt relief, grants and water efficiency. Find out more from www.southwestwater.co.uk. Second, if you don't already have a water meter, find out what getting one installed could do for your bills. About one in three of unmetered households in the South West could save money by installing a free water meter. You can find out if you would save money with a water meter by using the free Consumer Council for Water meter calculator: http://www.ccwater.org.uk/server.php?show=nav.388.

Week beginning 21st February

Since being elected almost a year ago, there has been no shortage of issues which have motivated you - my constituents - to write, call, email and meet me.

That is such an important part of our democracy, my number one priority in this job is to represent you. The only way I can do that is if you tell me your opinion about Government's proposals and tell me when we get it right and when we could be doing better.

Over the last month, one issue above any other has been weighing down my postbag and clogging my email account - forests and the Government's consultation to sell some of our publicly owned forests.

The hundreds of emails and letters just go to show the strength of feeling about this matter. People understandably want to protect access and biodiversity in our country's woodland, I can understand that and I listened to your concerns. In fact, I shared many of those concerns myself.

When I wrote for the Cornish Guardian about forests a couple of weeks ago, I said that I believe that our national forests are vital for providing opportunities for leisure, sustainable wood, biodiversity and for education - as well as being a reminder about what much of the country used to look like.

That's why, when the Labour Party called a Parliamentary Debate about forests, I didn't shy away from being critical of the Government. At the time of the debate, I intervened on the Secretary of State to express the genuine concern that exists on all sides of the House of Commons and in all parts of the country.

When that motion came to a vote, I did not to vote with the Government and, instead, "abstained in person" - going through both lobbies. This meant I put on the record my dissatisfaction with the Government on the issue but without, crucially, limiting my ability to influence the Government and calling for a rethink.

After that debate, the Secretary of State agreed to meet with me to allow an opportunity to raise those concerns in more detail.

Now, just two weeks down the line, we received the excellent news that the Government has listened to me, my colleagues, and the public and has finally seen the wood from the trees - withdrawing the proposals and abolishing the consultation.

There was something really humbling about being a Member of Parliament last week as the Secretary of State stood up in the chamber of the House of Commons and said sorry for her department's mistakes about forests.

It made me incredibly proud to be part of a Government who own up to their mistakes and apologise when they get it wrong. It shows that the Government are really listening, something that hasn't always happened in the past.

Now, I'm just pleased that our forests will be maintained, and kept in public ownership for the next generation to enjoy.

Week beginning 14th February

On Sunday night I joined with around 100 people sleeping rough outside County Hall to protest at the cuts that Cornwall Council are imposing on the services for some of the most vulnerable people in our community.

I arrived at 10.30pm and spent the first few hours talking to people who use the services. People like Mark, a recovering alcoholic - a problem he developed after falling out with his step-father and being thrown out of the family home. Mark spent several months on the streets before he found a place in a local hostel.

We are all just a few steps away from being homeless: losing a job, not being able to pay the rent or mortgage, falling out with our partner. It can, and does, affect people from all walks of life. If the Council continues with its planned cuts to services for the homeless, people recovering from drug and alcohol addiction, and people who are suffering domestic abuse, then there will be less chance of people like Mark turning his life around.

We all know that the country is facing difficult times and that money is tight. The Government has gone to great length to protect the funding that supports the most vulnerable in our community and the choice to cut these services is Cornwall Councils' alone.

If it wasn't bad enough that the decision by Cornwall Council will have real consequences for the people who rely on the services, it is also a false economy. At some point the tax-payer will have to pick up the tab, either through the police and criminal courts or through the NHS. We know that £1 spent on helping people early on, saves £5 or £6 compared with later intervention and, crucially, it gives people the chance to turn their lives around.

Over the years I've been involved with the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and the Air Training Corps and am no stranger to life on a moor and in a tent. On Sunday we didn't have any tents. We lay down in as many layers as we could put on and slept in our bags on cardboard outside County Hall. It was cold and damp. For many of us it was just one night, tonight I'm back in my bed. But for people like Mark who have had to do it night after night it was a sharp reminder of a life that he thought he'd left behind but which he may yet face again.

When we face difficult times, as we do now, we should judge ourselves on how we look after the least fortunate in our community. That's where what money we do have should go. Cornwall Council have got their priorities wrong and I hope for Mark, and the thousands like him who are where they are through no fault of their own, that the Council reconsiders. After all, there but for the grace of God are all of us, and it behoves us, one and all, to remember that.

Week beginning 7th February

Last week I was inundated by people contacting me about the national forest and the Government's proposals about their future management. In fact I've had more contacts on this issue than any other since becoming an MP.

Let's be clear: I believe that our national forest has a key role to play, providing opportunities for leisure, sustainable wood, biodiversity and for education - as well as being a reminder about what much of the country used to look like.

It also worth pointing out that, at the moment, the Government is still consulting on ideas for the future management of the forest and hasn't taken any decision or published any final proposals. The consultation is open to everyone and I'd strongly encourage you to take part by visiting www.stevegilbert.info, simply go to the 'Forests' page in the 'Policy' section.

As part of the consultation the Government's key commitments include offering first refusal to community groups or civil society organisations if any sale of woodland happens, and guaranteeing access and other public benefits by only selling land on a leasehold basis.

Those commitments come in stark contrast to the actions of the last Government who sold over 25,000 acres of forestry land with barely any protections at all.

But, despite these commitments from the Government, many people - including myself - still have very serious concerns about the idea that some of our forests could be taken out of public ownership.

That's why, when we debated the issue this week in Parliament, I intervened on the Secretary of State and asked for a meeting with her to discuss the genuine concern that exists on all sides of the House of Commons and in all parts of the country.

I'm delighted that the Secretary of State agreed to meet with me, and other Liberal Democrat MPs, to discuss, in detail, the concerns that have been raised.

When the motion then came to a vote, I did not to vote with the Government and, instead, "abstained in person" - going through both lobbies. This meant I put on the record my dissatisfaction with the Government on the issue but without, crucially, limiting my ability to influence the Government through the consultation, the meeting with the Secretary of State and further votes in the future.

As you may know, the motion was tabled by the Labour party and an amendment was tabled by the Government. This was not a vote on the Bill that would bring forward the changes.

All that said, I want to be clear that if proposals come before Parliament in a later Bill that haven't addressed the very real concerns people have, I won't be supporting them . In the meantime I'll be using all the influence I have to encourage the Government to secure public access and greater protection for our forest.

I will keep you posted on the meeting with the Secretary of State and, of course, the later vote on the actual Bill.

Week beginning 31st January

Last week saw three days of debate in Parliament about the European Union. There's no doubt that decisions taken by the EU affect us all and here in Cornwall, one of the industries that clearly has the most to say about EU legislation are our local food producers, farmers and fishermen and women.

When I'm talking to people in Mevagissey, Fowey or Newquay, I hear the same thing from those whose livelihoods depend on the sea -the Common Fisheries Policy from the European Union just doesn't work.

I understand that; my great-grandfather was a fisherman along the north coast, out of Padstow and I grew up with the sea on my doorstep.

That's why, when the subject of changes to our relationship with the European Union came up, I took my opportunity to speak out and challenge the Government to deal with this problem for local people.

I believe that there is wide spread agreement, across the political divide, that having nationally decided quotas rather than regionally or locally set quotas is a problem.

It's our local fishermen and local communities that know what would work - not politicians and civil servants in Brussels. I want to see local people put in charge.

But that's not the only problem affecting our seas, many of you will have seen Hugh's Fish Fight aired on Channel 4 at the beginning of the year. I was staggered to see the wastage of fish that the discard policy produces.

It is simply absurd for this nation to have to throw hundreds of tonnes of dead fish back into the sea. It's perfectly good fish that could - and indeed should - be used to feed people, especially in this time of pressures on food security and concerns about the sustainability of fish resources.

It's great to see celebrity chefs raise this issue on our airwaves, but it's about time that our politicians actually did something about it. I've already added my name to a Parliamentary Motion calling on the Government to: "Demand strong reform of the European Union Common Fisheries Policy to institute a regionalised, ecosystems-based management framework which incentivises the use of selective gear, uses real-time management, including temporary closures, and establishes ecosystem catch quotas rather than single-species landing quotas."

This is a big issue for Cornwall and the country. No one can see the sense in throwing dead fish back into the sea, just to meet a Brussels-led quota system that doesn't take into account regional variations and conditions.

I will continue to speak out on this issue, and will work with my Parliamentary colleagues to raise this issue further in the House and pressure the Government into meaningful action.

If you want to find out more, or add your name to the 'Fish Fight' campaign, simply visit www.fishfight.net

Week beginning 24th January

Last month we heard from the Department for Transport that the number of Maritime and Coastguard Agency stations would be reduced from eighteen to just three. As an island nation, the sea surrounding us and passage through it has been essential for our development as a country. This decision to close Coastguard stations will affect parts up and down the country such as Holyhead in Wales and Brixham in Devon. Having grown up in our coastal community, and recognising just how important but also how dangerous the coastal waters can be to us, I must question just how appropriate these measures are to our local community.

This cut to the funding for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency will also be affecting stations' opening hours. The number of stations open 24 hours a day will be reduced to just two, Falmouth being one of those suffering a reduction in hours. It won't be entirely closed however, but its hours will be reduced to just being open during the day time. I think this would be a foolish decision.

I don't think there is any need for this though, many dedicated men and women work at this station, ten of them would be losing their jobs. Together with the closure of Brixham station I think this leaves our waters dangerously unprotected at night time. In place of all these stations, two centralised maritime operation centres will be established to coordinate rescue efforts. When Falmouth already has the equipment necessary to do so, in a recently modernised building, its staff has the skills necessary and it has the experience of being an international coastguard coordinator, as we saw with the MS Napoli in 2007.

We must also look at the further impacts of a cut to our coastguards; tourism is one of the key sectors to Cornwall's economy and the money it brings in acts as a lifeline to many businesses in the county. Why do people come to Cornwall though? If not for the stunning countryside and fresh air, then it's for the coast and its many treasure troves. However, if our visitors don't feel safe bathing in our coastal waters, will they still come to our county and bring with them the money in tourism that this county relies on so much?

That's why, today I signed a Parliamentary Motion, along with other Members of Parliament, highlighting this issue to the government and expressing just how strongly I feel about it. Together with my other Parliamentary colleagues and the Coastguard agency I will be working to put pressure on the government to save out station.

Falmouth may not be in my constituency, but the safeguarding of our coastal waters is something that affects us all. I feel very strongly about this, and I am sure that is a view shared by many of my constituents. As it is such an important issue, I will work hard to ensure the government keeps us in mind as this goes through the House of Commons.

Week beginning 17th January

Last week was the first sitting week of Parliament of the New Year, and it was certainly a busy one with debates on the Armed Forces, the European Union and the future of Royal Mail.

I know, for me, the Christmas period has been an opportunity for reflection on the last seven months of the Government and the decisions we've taken and also an opportunity to spend time in my constituency and hear what people want to happen in 2011.

There's no doubt that people are nervous about the implications of the changes to tax and benefits and the review of Government expenditure.

People that I've spoken to understand the need for spending cuts to help get Britain's finances back on track, even Ed Miliband admitted the need for spending cuts this week, but at the same time, they don't want it to hit the worse off or affect front line services.

I agree. The Government is clear, that they want to do this through a reduction in waste and expensive bureaucracy, and a reduction in the cost of the 'back office' functions of local and national Government departments.

But, there are examples where this is not happening. That's why I spoke out in Parliament in a debate about the effect of the Comprehensive Spending Review on Local Councils.

At the end of last year, the Government reviewed the funding given to local Councils and changed the way that this is divided up. In Cornwall Council's case, that meant a finance settlement that required Cornwall to find 3.9% saving from last year's budget.

That's a lot less that most other councils in the country, and it's a lot less that Cornwall Council was bracing itself for as recognition of the deprivation in Cornwall.

Within that Government grant, Ministers ensured that there were lower cuts to the funding for certain vital front-line services. One of those budgets is the 'Supporting People' grant which goes to council's to pay for Adult Care services like hostels and domestic violence centres.

The Government has gone out of its way to protect front line services.

Despite this generosity from the Government, Cornwall Council currently look as if they will press ahead with cuts to their Adult Social Care services of around 40% - that is a shocking 67 times higher than they need to.

Already, I've been contacted by services in my constituency which are threatened with closure because the council is reducing their grant. It's not good enough for Cornwall Council to take away these services, which to some are literally life-saving.

Cornwall Council put the cart before the horse and voted through an emergency budget cutting these services before they knew what the finance settlement would be. Now, they must go back to the drawing board and rethink these savage and ill-thought-through cuts so we protect vital front line services like Adult Social Care.

Week beginning 10th January

Sadly, the festive season is now well and truly over. I hope you had a good time. Like me, you've probably watched too much TV, eaten too much food, and in some cases had a few too many drinks. I always really enjoy Christmas and New Year. It really does feel like something is in the air as the community comes together to celebrate our various faiths and to exchange gifts.

For me Christmas is also a chance to catch-up with friends I grew up with and went to school with, many of whom now only visit Cornwall once or twice a year. It's a chance to spend time with the extended family - the youngest of which, my new nephew Tommy, is just three months old and the oldest of whom, my Grandmother, is 97 years old!

Like most families we have the obligatory annual argument and, of course, the debate about whether you really want to have cold turkey meat for a fourth day in a row (no, no, no!).

But now the Christmas decorations are back in the box in the loft, the cards and tinsel have gone, the gifts have been absorbed into daily life. We've kissed under the mistletoe, sang Auld Langsyne and the only thing left to remind most of us of the good time is the almost empty tin of Quality Street that sits on the coffee table until someone finally bites the bullet and eats the ones that nobody else likes!

A new year brings with it a sense of fresh anticipation and new challenges. If the last year was difficult, then it's a chance to draw a line under those problems and move on (you may be interested to know that divorce rates always soar in January! ). If the last year was a success then it's a chance to build on that.

As we all enter 2011 I am sure that many of us will have a list of aspirations on things that we want to change. I've got mine: I want to spend more time with my long-suffering friends and family; get back to going to the gym regularly (something I really enjoyed before the election swallowed all my time!) and get to finally get to grips with the weird and wonderful procedures of Parliament.

There are two key events that will bring the nation together this year. The first is the very welcome wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton. The wedding will, no doubt, give the nation a boost. The second is the referendum on a fairer voting system. It's been a long time since we had a national referendum and this one is going to be keenly contested.

As well as national events, much will happen to every individual over the next year, some good things and no doubt some challenges too. It's worth remembering that, just like Christmas, we are stronger when we work together with our family and friends and community to face challenges together.

Week beginning 3rd January

They say a week is a long-time in politics - 52 weeks feels like an eternity! It's hard to believe that this time last year I was gearing up for my first ever general election campaign as a candidate - with more leaflets and door knocking than I care to remember! Five gruelling months later we had the general election and I was returned as the first Member of Parliament for St Austell & Newquay. I am truly humbled to represent the community in which I grew up in Parliament, and will always put the wider interests of our area before the narrow interests of partisan party politics.

If the first six-months of 2010 were hard, the last six months have been little short of breathtaking. Not in my wildest dreams (or worst nightmares!) did I think the election would end with the Liberal Democrats forming a Coalition Government with the Conservatives. And the pace of activity since the new Government came into effect has been incredible.

We've raised the income tax-threshold by £1,000 - taking hundreds of thousands of the lowest paid workers out of income tax altogether. It will continue to rise to £10,000 by the end of the Parliament, taking literally millions out of income tax. We've restored the link between the State Pension and earnings and provided a "triple lock" so that all pensioners will get a fairer deal. We've introduced the 'Pupil Premium' that gives an additional £2.5billion of funds to school children from disadvantaged backgrounds. We've extended 15 hours free early education to all disadvantaged two year-olds, while keeping the free offer of 15 hours early education for every three and four year-old. An extra £400 million has been made available to provide a week's respite care to the almost one million carers who work over 50 hours a week and an £800 million investment in short break provision for disabled children and their families. We've abolished the centrally driven housing targets that would have seen Cornwall concreted over and given control to local communities to set their own futures and are tackling the excesses of the night-time economy. Of course, there have been difficult decisions too. As a Government we've had to face up to the financial mess left by Labour and decisions on child benefit for high-earners and higher education have been challenging.

As 2010 ends I think it's clear that the new Coalition will hold together for the long-term - of course there will be turbulence, there always is and coalition politics will be no different. 2010 has seen the country start to turn a corner and, as we all look ahead to 2011 I am hopeful that we will see the economy continue to recover. As always, if I can help with any individual problems then please get in touch via www.SteveGilbert.info or the office on 01726 63443. In the meantime I'd like to take this chance to wish everyone a happy and prosperous 2011: Happy New Year to One and All!

Week beginning 20th December

Last week I worked with other MPs to secure a debate in the main House of Commons chamber on Park Homes. There are around 700 Park Homes in the St Austell & Newquay constituency and many more across Cornwall. They can offer an ideal life for older people and are often located on beautifully maintained parks with great views over the surrounding countryside and real community spirit.

Earlier this year, as a candidate, I conducted a survey of all the Park Homes in the constituency and the majority of people told me that they were happy with the accommodation, the services they got and enjoyed their homes. But that wasn't the case for everyone.

A significant minority of people told me stories of the site owners behaving as bullies, forcing them to move their homes; some told me that they were being charged over the odds for electric and gas; others told me that the annual "pitch fee" (the rent for the land that the park homes is put on) went up every year more than inflation, and some told stories of site-owners preventing the sale of their homes when they wanted to move on.

I think one of Parliament's first jobs is to stand-up for people who can't help stand up for themselves and that's why I used the debate to call for additional measures to protect the vulnerable people who can find themselves at the mercy of unscrupulous park home site owners.

At the moment, unlike a freeholder or a tenant, a person in a Park Home has no real idea the size that their "pitch" covers. It's not written down in the Land Registry. My view is that that should change and that Park Home sites should show the sizes of the pitches. That will help disputes over boundaries. As Park Home owners act as a quasi-warden for the people on the site, I think more needs to be done to make sure they are "fit and proper people"; for example, they could be licensed by the local Council. That would help the Council take action when they are found to be bullying people or breaking other rules. There needs to be more protection against site owners putting up the annual "pitch fee" well above inflation each year and we need to see measures to stop the site-owner charging a premium for electricity and other services.

Taken together these measures would help to drive out the most unscrupulous site owners from their business exploiting vulnerable people. Of course, those who run good sites would have nothing to fear.

As a country we face a housing crisis and Park Home living can be part of the solution to that problem for many thousands of people. But it's time that we acted to protect vulnerable people from the exploitation of the greedy few and I was delighted that the Government Minister who replied at the end of the debate said that's exactly what the Coalition plans to do.

Week beginning 13th December

This past week in Parliament has been dominated by just one crucial vote - funding for higher education. This has been the most controversial policy of the coalition Government to date and it's generated emotion and passion from all sides.

I decided to vote with the Government because I support the changes to the policy. I want to use my column this week to explain what led me to that decision.

Firstly, let me say that I believe that higher education should be free for those who have the ability to benefit from it. I fought the election on that policy and I hope that, at the next election, we will campaign for it.

But, as you know, the Liberal Democrat did not win the election. In fact, we went backwards. If I had 270 more Lib Dem MPs then things would be very different. The reality is that coalition Government throws many new challenges at us all, and one of those has been the process of compromise we've had to go through.

We simply can't deliver everything we wanted to. Neither can the Conservatives. I'm delighted we are delivering on our promise to take the lowest paid out of tax, fairer pensions, and more investment in school, and building new affordable homes.

On higher education, our policy didn't make it into the coalition agreement. That said, the Government's policy is, in my view, substantially fairer than the current situation and much better than many of the alternatives.

Under the Government no student will pay up-front fees. And all graduates, when they've finished studying, will pay back less each month than now. Graduates earning £21,000 will pay back just £7 per month; £38 less than now.

No fees will be paid upfront and repayments won't begin until someone earns over £21,000 rather than the current £15,000 threshold. This gives students an opportunity to get onto the career ladder before they start making repayments.

Students from disadvantaged backgrounds will be given extra support, including free tuition in the first year band the Government is consulting on extending that to two years.

Fees will be paid back according to how much a graduate earns, meaning a graduate who becomes a teacher will pay back much less than someone who becomes a city banker or lawyer.

In my view, these measures make this policy progressive and fairer than before. Yes, the overall fees will be higher, but the repayments are substantially lower and there is much more support to those from lower earning families.

I know that my decision to support the Government will be controversial. I was elected to use my best judgement and I hope you will understand that I have only reached this conclusion after serious consideration of all the benefits and after hearing many people's concerns.

I hope that, as the benefits become more visible, you will agree with me that the changes, though not my ideal solution, represent a fairer, system than the one operating at the moment.

Week beginning 6th December

This week Parliament will debate the future of tuition fees. So what's being proposed?

First the plans would end the situation where 40% of all students, some 200,000 part-time learners each year, pay fees up-front fees before they study. Like full-time students, their fees will be payable only after graduation.

Second future repayments by graduates will be based on ability to pay. The current system sees payments start once graduates earn over £15,000 - and everyone pays the same amount regardless of income.

The proposal is different. The threshold at which repayment starts will rise, from £15,000 to £21,000. Graduates who go into lower paid work - at less than £21,000 - will not repay anything until they earn more than £21,000.

If they go on to earn more than £21,000, they repay the loan at a rate of 9% of their earnings above £21,000. That means all graduates will pay less per month than under the current system.

If a graduate becomes unemployed or takes time out of work to raise a family, repayments will stop. Whatever happens the loan is written off after 30 years. If your university education doesn't benefit you financially, you don't have to pay for it.

Let's take someone on a starting salary of £21,000 which rises to £27,000 over 20 years, they would pay an average of £7 per month rather than the £45 per month that they face now; less than a TV licence and less than they do now. As such it shouldn't prove an impediment to borrowing for mortgages.

If a graduate's income rises, there's a gradual increase in the interest rate they pay. The effect is that the lowest paid one-in-four graduates pay back - in total - less than they would under the current system. The top one-in-three of earners will pay back more than they borrow. Those who earn more will pay more.

But it's not just the cost of tuition we need to consider. What about living costs?

For students from families with an income of up to £25,000, the grant for living costs will rise by about £350 to £3,250. There will also be a maintenance loan of £3,875. Overall, there will be more support for living costs than at present for families earning up to £45,000.

The Government is also proposing a new £150million National Scholarship Programme for students from disadvantaged backgrounds - offering the first year's tuition free to students from the poorest families.

Let's be clear, I was the first in my family to go to University. It changed my life. Yes, I signed the NUS pledge and I'm disappointed to be 270 MPs short of a Liberal Democrat Government to implement it. But, if we can look beyond the noise this issue is creating and at the detail, I believe the proposals are a more progressive solution than the current system. All students will pay less per month than they do now; discrimination against part-time students is ended and social mobility is protected.

Week beginning 29th November

At some time over the next couple of weeks, we will see the publication of the long awaited Localism and Decentralisation Bill.

This piece of legislation will, when it becomes law, have a massive impact on the way we, as members of the public, receive many of our public services.

Under previous Governments of all hues, we've seen increasing centralisation of our public services like the Police and NHS. Whitehall has been taking the decisions rather than our local Town Halls. Cabinet Ministers have had ever greater control over the day-to-day delivery of services. That's all about to change.

Centralised targets have often created a box-ticking culture that has been more about pleasing mandarins in the Treasury than reflecting the needs of communities on the ground. Take the way local government has been funded. When I was elected, there were over 100 separate funding streams for local government, each with its own requirements. Another example is housing, the previous Labour Government gave Cornwall a target of building 60,000 new homes and developers were able to use that figure as a reason to be given planning approval for their development and the community was all-too-often inflicted with unwanted and unneeded housing as a consequence.

This is all set to change. The concept of "localism" is at the heart of the coalition Government's plans. Power and decision making will be pushed out of Whitehall and back down to the Town Hall. It is better that decisions are taken locally because, better decisions are made.

In the future, it will be down to local councils to decide on housing policy or how to spend the money given from central government.

There's also some really exciting news for communities too, like the 'Community Right to Build' which will remove the red tape for community groups who want to build in their areas and the right to challenge for contracts.

I've always wanted to see our community take on more decision making. This Bill will deliver that. Local people will finally get the power to take so many of the decisions which have an impact on our day-to-day lives. It is a radical change.

But, I want to make sure that the legislation has the best impact it possibly can, and I'm concern that - like so much before it - the devil will be in the detail and some parts of the policy may go too far, and some parts not far enough.

That is why I have put my name forward to, when the time comes, sit on the Bill Committee. That means I will be one of a handful of MPs to look really closely into this legislation, line by line, and make sure it is the best it can be.

This Bill and this agenda has to potential to transform the way our councils and our local communities work, finally putting local people in the driving seat and removing much of target driven nonsense from a "we know best" London.

Week beginning 22nd November

The flood waters have receded; but the damage that's been done to schools, businesses and homes will take many months to put right. There's no doubt things went wrong and lessons need to be learnt, but there were also some remarkable things that went well.

The response of all of the emergency services was outstanding. Without their professionalism and dedication then we would have seen more injuries. People pulled together in a humbling display of solidarity and community spirit that helps define our part of Cornwall, supported by their local councils, Cornwall Council and churches and chapels.

But there were mistakes too. In all the areas affected people didn't get the warning that they are entitled to expect. In Pentewan, St Blazey and Par flood defences didn't work as well as they could have. As the local MP, my job is to make sure that the Government supports people through the next weeks and months in the clean-up, the rebuild and doing what we can to avoid this happening again.

For my part, the floods started early on the Wednesday morning with a call from the Department of the Environment. By 8am I was speaking to Ministers about the rescue operation that was in full-swing and, by 12noon, I was using my first ever question at Prime Minister's Question Time to ask the Prime Minister to commit the Government to supporting our community. By 2pm I'd left London and flown down to Cornwall and by 7pm I was in St Blazey seeing for myself the extent of the damage, speaking to people, the emergency services and council officers.

Over the next couple of days I was able to visit many of the homes, schools and businesses that had been hit in Mevagissey, Pentewan, St Blazey, Par and St Austell. I meet with the emergency services, Environment Agency and senior Council officers and welcomed Prince Charles, the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Environment to affected areas.

My first job now is to help people with insurance claims, housing needs, and getting on their feet. Then we have to make sure that we learn lessons. If emergency services are able to get a warning, then local people should be able to as well. I'll be working with the Government to put in place a system that gives people a warning and doesn't just tell them something they already know.

We need an explanation about why expensive flood defence schemes didn't work. In many cases local people could and did predict they wouldn't. I'll press the authorities to put right the failures with the existing flood defences and make sure we get extra investment for the future.

On Wednesday the Prime Minister told me the Government will support us through the long-term. By Friday he was here visiting our area. My job as yourl MP is to hold him to the promises that he made and make sure that we do all we can to avoid a repeat of these devastating events.

Week beginning 15th November

One of the most important decisions a politician will ever make is about sending British men and women into conflict in service to their country. And we haven't been without our conflicts in recent years: Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo, Sierra Leone and, of course, Afghanistan have all resulted in casualties -some from our area.

Armistice Day, last Thursday, proved to be a stark reminder of that. On the day I was honoured to pay my respects during the first two-minute silence from within the chamber of the House of Commons. It was a very emotional and moving feeling to be thinking about the fallen from the very same place in which the decision was taken to put them in harm's way in the first place. This Sunday I attended Remembrance Parades in St Austell and Newquay.

I passionately believe in our Armed Forces, I think our service personnel do a great job.

That's why, earlier this year, I signed up to take part in the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme. If I ever have to take a decision about whether to send British troops into battle, I want to know that I can speak with experience and genuine understanding about what they will encounter in the field.

The scheme will involve me spending 20 days over the next year with the Royal Marines. Half that time will be spent in training, briefings and inductions to the service within the UK, the other half will be spent on deployment - a week of which will almost certainly be in Afghanistan.

This scheme will be, I have no doubt, a real eye-opener and although I'm very anxious about what it may include, and especially about being deployed, I'm also incredibly eager to know the truth about what our forces go through.

My granddad was also in the Royal Marine's, so it's something I've always been passionate about. It's also a long standing policy interest of mine - having studied foreign policy and defence issues at university, but there's a big difference between learning from a book and being in the heart of the reality.

That interest is also the reason that I feel so proud to have been appointed by the Foreign Secretary, Rt. Hon William Hague MP, as member of the United Kingdom's delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

The NATO Parliamentary Assembly brings together representatives from all the NATO members Parliaments and 14 associate countries to scrutinise the work of the NATO alliance, the bedrock of British security policy since the end of the Second World War, and help foster mutual understanding.

It's going to be such a privilege to represent the United Kingdom on the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and I am looking forward to working with colleagues from across the alliance to look at the work NATO does in securing peace and prosperity across the North Atlantic region and beyond.

I look forward to playing a role in shaping those changes to ensure that NATO remains capable of providing a strong basis for the security of member States for many years to come.

Week beginning 8th November 2010

Last week was dominated by the remaining stages of the Parliamentary Voting and Constituencies Bill.

The Bill will see one of the biggest changes in a generation to the way we elect our MPs; if passed it will reduce the number of elected representatives to 600 - that's a reduction of 50, with an estimated saving of £12million per year. There will be a referendum, held next May, on using the Alternative Vote method to elect our MPs, a system which is fairer and more representative that then current "First Past the Post" method.

But the Bill also has a big flaw. Along with the reduction to the number of MPs, it will also make the number of electors in each seat more equal. There's no doubt this is a "good thing" and will end the unfairness that means some MPs only have to serve 50,000 people, while others serve 100,000 people.

Unfortunately in Cornwall's case this will have an unfortunate consequence. The figure capping the new electorates is so rigid (76,000 with a 5% variance each side) that it's likely to leave no alternative than to have a constituency which crosses the Cornwall Devon border.

I don't think this is right. I've spoken out about it before. And, last week, when the topic was (finally!) debated in the Commons I voted against the Government for the first time on a key amendment that would have protected the Cornish boundary.

The amendment, had it passed, would have ensured that Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly were allocated a whole number of constituencies.

To me this was the most sensible amendment and I defied the Government and voted for it. I was joined by all of Cornwall's MPs, Liberal Democrats and Conservatives. Despite 17 Government MPs rebelling, the amendment was still defeated by the Government with a majority of 58.

At that point I had to take a decision about whether or not to vote for the Bill and I took the view that there was no point in making the best the enemy of the good, and supported the Bill that does much to clean-up British politics: paving the way for fairer votes, ending the scandal of safe-seats and reducing the size of the bloated House of Commons.

Of course, this won't please everyone, and some people will say I should have voted against the Bill as a whole. The reality is though, that despite best efforts and meetings with Nick Clegg and David Cameron, we lost the argument in the House of Commons.

The Bill will now make its way to the House of Lords to be debated. Working with our colleagues at "that end", myself and the other Cornish MPs will continue to argue for an amendment that protects Cornwall.

Week beginning 1st November

This weekend I had the pleasure of going along to the Ship Inn in Pentewan to meet with Kim Barker, the land-lady, to mark the beginning of British Pub Week. The Ship Inn is one of those great local village pubs that we all wish we had at the end of our street. It's got a cosy bar, serves all the great St Austell Brewery ales (and others!), has great cooking and is at the heart of the local community, running regular quiz nights and social events.

I was delighted to be able to give Kim a certificate to mark the occasion from the All Party Parliamentary Beer Group - one of the groups that I sit on in Parliament to help support the pub trade and our local breweries. As an aside, it was through them that I even managed to get one of the St Austell Brewery beers served in the House of Commons bar - it was so popular with MPs and their guests that four barrels went in two days!

Pentewan, though, is like many of our costal villages with more and more of the local homes being lost to second homes. The Ship Inn is lucky, it's well supported by locals and has a regular tourist trade, but in some places the spread of second homes threatens the viability of local businesses, like pubs and post offices, and local schools too.

Indeed, in answer to a recent Parliamentary Question, the Government revealed to me that there are just under 14,000 second homes in Cornwall. That's more houses than the entire size of a town like St Austell. And it's growing every year.

If we are to keep some of our rural communities vibrant all year round then we need to tackle the spread of second homes. I'm going to be working with other MPs to give local Councils the power to put limits on the number of second homes when the "Decentralisation & Localism Bill" comes out toward the end of the year.

But to keep our local pubs, schools and post offices viable we also need to make sure that young people from our villages can afford to live in them. That means more affordable homes for local people, so they can stay in the communities in which they grew up.

Supermarkets are another challenge facing local pubs and off licences. They sell alcohol as a "loss leader" to get people in to the superstores; great for a bar-b-que, but bad for our locals. The Coalition Government has already said that we will take action to prevent supermarkets doing this - hopefully giving a boost to local pubs.

Pubs are a unique part of our great British heritage, an institution. They are of historical, cultural and social importance. We must protect our pubs, celebrate them and ensure they can continue to thrive. That's what British Pub Week is all about and I hope you will take the chance this week to get out and support your local.

Week beginning 25th October

So there we have it: the Comprehensive Spending Review. The CSR is the biggest cut back of Government spending in recent times. At an average of 19% less per Department over 4 years, it's less than the cuts planned by the Labour Party.

Of course, just because the Coalition is cutting less than Labour planned to, doesn't mean it won't be difficult or that people won't feel it. We all will. But freeing the nation of debt and the scandalous waste of interest payments is the right thing to do. If we didn't sort out the problem, it would be left to our children to deal with.

But it's not all doom-and-gloom. There's a £7 billion 'fairness premium', including a £2.5billion pupil premium: extra money for the children at our schools who need it the most (a key Liberal Democrat pledge at the election). The NHS has been protected as has the money we spend helping those hit by disasters overseas. There's money for new infrastructure, science and an extra £2billion in the Green Investment Bank. As well as a funded Renewable Heat Incentive and a contribution of £2.9bn to combat climate change.

There's a new model for building future affordable housing that should deliver up to 150,000 new affordable homes in the next four years. That would be more than Labour delivered in their first two terms of office. In Cornwall we desperately need new affordable homes and these reforms will make social housing available to thousands more families than would otherwise have been possible, as well as increasing the flexibility for councils and housing associations and helping reduce long-term dependency. It also means we are able to protect security of tenure for existing tenants and for the majority of new tenants. We will be enabling Housing Associations to invest in more social housing too.

Despite Labour saying it couldn't be done, the Coalition Government unilaterally introduced a levy on bank balance sheets and made it permanent. Legislation to turn this bank levy into law will be introduced this week; other nations are now following our lead. It's right that bankers should pay too.

We've protected key benefits for older and vulnerable people including providing an additional £2.1bn per year for social care -and breaking down the barriers between health and social care. We've maintained Winter Fuel Payments, free eye tests, prescriptions, concessionary bus passes and TV licences and made Cold Weather Payments £25 per day on a permanent basis. Older people will be looked after.

While the Office of Budget Responsibility estimates that the public sector could lose up to 490,000 jobs at the end of this period they also estimate that private sector jobs could grow by 2 million. Indeed, in recent months, employment has risen sharply - in the second quarter of this year, over 300,000 new private sector jobs were created.

As we face the challenges ahead it's important we know there are opportunities too and that it's not all doom and gloom.

Week beginning 18th October

By the time you read this, it's likely that we will know the details of the long-awaited Comprehensive Spending Review. In fact, I don't think there will be much else on the news for a few days as people wade through the thousands of pages that will be published and work out what it means for them, their family and their communities. And let's be clear: it's going to be tough and difficult.

It's worth remembering that we're in this position because of the reckless way the previous Government handled the nation's finances. They spent their way through our current account, racked up a massive overdraft, burnt through the country's equivalent of several credit cards and even sold the nation's gold reserve to finance their profligate spending. For every four pounds the Government spends, one is a borrowed pound. At the moment we're adding £3billion to the national debt each week.

Some people would like to pretend we can ignore the problem - deficit deniers who refuse to admit the astronomical waste that would involve or the unfairness of passing the problem to our children.

Just take the amount the country is losing in interest payments alone. This year we're going to spend £43billion on debt interest. That's £830million per week or just under £119million a day. For that money, we could build a new primary school every hour. We could buy a new Chinnock helicopter every day. We could take 11 million people out of paying income tax. We could triple the number of doctors in our hospitals. We could spend twice as much on education every year. So we can't ignore it.

Others think we can postpone tackling the problem - these people would see us pass our mistakes to our children. Surely it's not fair to ask our children to pay the price for this generation's mistakes, when they already face a more unstable world than we inherited.

So it's important that we tackle the problem, but in a fair way. I want to nail the myth that the Government isn't spreading the burden. Some people say, tax the banks. And we are. We've imposed a bank levy that will raise £2billion a year - the last Government didn't do that. Under the last Government the richest bankers and lawyers paid lower tax rates than those who cleaned their offices. We've raised Capital Gains Tax to end that scandal. The last Government hit the lowest paid with the 10p tax fiasco, taxing them more, not less. We've ended that, and lifted 880,000 of the lowest paid out of tax altogether by raising the personal tax allowance by £1,000 this year. Ultimately it will go up to £10,000 - taking millions of people out of tax altogether. And, for the first time since 1974, we've kept the 50% tax rate for the super-rich.

We can't ignore the deficit and it would be grossly unfair to pass it to our children. We've had the party, now we've got take the medicine.

Week beginning 11th October

Over the last week I've been out and about on my annual travelling advice surgery. Over 6 days my team and I visited 60 stops - in hamlets, villages, towns and estates. We spoke to over 400 people and delivered around 1,700 surveys to homes asking about problems and issues in the local area.

It's a tradition started by David Penhaligon over 35 years ago. Last year, as a candidate, was my first time - and I was pleased to continue it this year. The issues that people raised with me ranged from parking to housing, renewable energy feed-in tariffs to funding for the arts. I collected over 200 pieces of individual "casework" - that's what we call the specific issues that people come to their MP asking for help with - enough to keep me and the team busy!

Of course, I don't only hold advice surgeries once a year - in fact, I hold them six times a month. They're usually either on a Friday evening or Saturday morning in the Newquay or St Austell office. You don't need an appointment and can just turn up. Check my website for the dates and times - www.SteveGilbert.info or call on 01726 63443.

Many of the problems that people come to me with are the responsibility of the local council. As an MP I have no direct say in how the Council works, but I do have the power to nag! So do get in touch if I can help.

One issue people raised with me was the new review of the Parliamentary constituencies that's being proposed. As I said in my maiden speech, as well as being the first MP for St Austell & Newquay I may also be the last! That's because the Government is planning to cut the number of MPs (from 650 to 600) and to make the number of people in each constituency more equal - both measures I support. Under the plans Cornwall is entitled to 5.5 MPs and this raises the prospect of a seat that straddles the Tamar River and includes part of Cornwall with part of Devon. That bit of the plan, I don't support.

In fact, I think a "Devonwall" seat is a nonsense idea. As well as undermining Cornwall's sense of identity it will also harm our chances of building a Cornish economy that's fit for the twenty-first century. We need MPs who are focussed on Cornwall not who have half-an-eye on what's going on in Devon. And it's not just Cornwall that's affected many other parts of the country with historic identities could face similar treatment.

So, as I told the 'Keep Cornwall Whole' rally in Saltash on Sunday, I'm going to oppose this plan. It's going to be debated over the next couple of weeks in the Commons and, should it be necessary, I will be voting for an amendment that protects Cornwall, our identity and our future.

Week beginning 4th October

Last week a lap-dancing club in Newquay lost its licence for adult entertainment. It's over two years since I first gave a public comment on the issue of lap-dancing clubs. My position has always been clear: local people should be consulted on when and where these clubs open and, should local people support a club opening, then regulations should be sufficient to protect both the performers and patrons.

Back in August 2008 The Newquay Guardian led an undercover investigation which revealed that what was on offer in one club went well beyond its licence. I worked alongside determined local residents and we brought the licence in for review by the then Restormel Council in October 2008. Restormel Council set strict new rules for the club to abide by that would have allowed the business to remain open but would have also protected the performers and patrons from allegations of unlawful behaviour (the so-called "three foot rule"). However, the club appealed these new regulations and it took almost a year, until September 2009, for the local Magistrates' Court to hear the appeal.

The Magistrates' dismissed the club's arguments. Despite this, the club still refused to come into line with the requirements of its new licence. A Police inspection led to a further review, this time by the new Cornwall Council in December 2009. That review decided that - as the management were either unwilling or unable to work within the regulations - the licence should be removed entirely. Of course the club appealed this too. And, again, almost a year later, the local Magistrates' Court upheld the decision made by Cornwall Councillors and removed the licence. The club is now closed.

The fact is that the system worked. Local people were able to effect change. But it worked painfully slowly. And, if not for a few determined individuals, it may not have worked at all.

In the meantime, the law has changed giving more power to local residents and as part of that, Cornwall Council is forming a policy on adult entertainment across Cornwall. I'd encourage people to look at the issues and tell the Council whether they think there should be a limit for these clubs in Cornwall or not. Some London Boroughs set a limit of zero and Cornwall could do that too - if that's what people want. You can email your views to the Council at licensingconsultation@cornwall.gov.uk

I know, from speaking to thousands of people across our communities that people do care about this issue and there are strong views on both sides. But if we always leave these campaigns and consultation to be answered by only the few then it will always take a long-time to get change. If we all speak out, then we should be able to get real change quickly.

The consultation on the future policy for lap dancing clubs, not just in Newquay but across Cornwall, is happening now. It's now that you can make your view known.

Week beginning 27th September

Last week was Liberal Democrat Party Conference in Liverpool. I've been going to conference for more years than I care to remember, but this was obviously my first as an MP. People go to conference to catch-up with friends from across the country, to engage in debates on key policy issues and to learn about the party's campaigning techniques. This year I had 15 speaking engagements - among the highest number of any of our MPs - so it would, of course, be last week that I started to lose my voice and succumb to the bug that's doing the rounds!

Undeterred I croaked my way through debates on the future of higher education funding; what we can do to revitalise our town centres; the Government's plans to push more power down to local communities; how we can close the gap between those who earn the most and those on low wages; the future of the party; extending equality; and various campaign training sessions.

I met with groups as diverse as the Holiday Cottages Group and housing charity Shelter, the League Against Cruel Sports, the British Dental Association, Guide Dogs and Action for Children - and I spent a great couple of hours with the Scouts answering their questions about being an MP and listening to them tell me what they think MPs should be prioritising (in this order: the environment, education, jobs).

Next to Vince Cable, I argued against the Coalition Government putting up tuition fees-up and called for more work to be done on a graduate tax instead. With the Federation of Small Businesses I made the point that local planners need more powers to take competition from out-of-town shopping areas into account so they can protect our town centres. I called for more action from the Government to stop the excessive salaries and bonuses that bankers and lawyers enjoy. If we really are all going to be "in it together" - as the Chancellor says - then the Government needs to make sure that the bankers don't reward themselves with millions of pounds in bonuses for failure. And I managed to nag Nick Clegg, again, on the need for a fairer funding settlement for Cornwall.

The conference was the biggest ever for the Liberal Democrats. And, overall, delegates were in an optimistic mood. In fact, the only people who were visibly unhappy were the thousands of journalists who were trying to write a story about "coalition splits" but couldn't find many people to help them!

Next week I'm coming to a village near you! It's time for the traditional annual travelling surgery. I'll be visiting 60 places in the constituency over 6 days to give people the chance to raise issues direct with me. I hope my voice is better! For a full list of the days and times of the stops you can check my website www.SteveGilbert.info - where you can also find out about my regular weekly advice surgeries or just get in touch direct via email.

Week beginning 20th September

This week I'm not writing my column from my office in Westminster. Instead, I'm writing it from a hotel in Liverpool.

That's because, this week, the Liberal Democrats have come together in Liverpool for our first ever conference as part of the Government.

There's real excitement in the air. For party members who, like me, have been fighting to win elections for most of their lives, this is the moment we've been waiting for.

Very few people enter politics without the desire to change something. I certainly had that impulse. I'm here because I want to make a difference, help my constituents and change the way Britain runs for the better.

And that, for the first time in my party's history, is what we are now able to do. Throughout the work of the Government, Liberal Democrat influence can be seen.

Indeed, yesterday, our Liberal Democrat Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, used his keynote address to the conference to announce a radical new policy which has Liberal Democrat philosophy to its core.

The Government is launching a ruthless crackdown on tax cheats and tax dodgers - something Liberal Democrats have been demanding for decades.

The plan will recover £7billion from those who think it's acceptable to dodge paying their fair share of tax and it'll put the money back in the public purse.

I believe that, like those who cheat the benefits system, the actions of people who don't pay their fair share of tax is morally reprehensible and is taking much needed support from those in society who are most vulnerable.

The tax man will be given new powers and extra resources to pursue the super-rich business men and companies who employ people to exploit tax loop holes. The Government is making it clear to the super-rich that paying tax is not an optional extra.

This policy, along with cutting income tax for low & middle earners, our levy on banks, extra money for the neediest students, fair votes and a reform of the planning system, shows the Liberal Democrat influence on this Coalition Government.

We're finally delivering on the plans people from our party have fought for throughout history.

Those who have made a difference in our community for years - David Penhaligon, Matthew Taylor, John Pardoe, Paul Tyler, Dan Rogerson and Colin Breed - are all to thank for continuing to bring our principled stance to the forefront and for the situation we are now in.

There's no denying that it will be a tough ride over the next five years, but there's also a lot to be excited about and I am determined to make the most of this situation and carry on delivering for those who need it in Cornwall.

Week beginning 13th September

I've used this column before to talk about the new Local Enterprise Partnership, the body that will soon replace the old South West Regional Development Agency.

I believe that the old body failed Cornwall. The wide remit that spread from Lands End to Gloucester, and Bristol to Weymouth, was simply too much. It meant that Cornwall's voice, and unique circumstances, were lost in the mix.

I'm very excited by the prospect of the new Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), as I believe this will give Cornwall the best chance when bidding for Government cash and private sector support.

That is, if the new body covers Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, as I and most others are calling for, rather than the 'Devonwall' which was put on the cards yet again.

I was pleased to see the news last week that Cornwall Council and the Isles of Scilly have agreed a joint approach and have put in a proposal for a local LEP that doesn't cross the Tamar.

This will be good news for the Duchy and I welcome the prospect. The final decision will come down to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Rt. Hon. Vince Cable MP.

Last week I went with my Lib Dem colleagues Dan Rogerson MP, Andrew George MP and Lord Teverson, to meet with the Lib Dem minister to tell him clearly what we, from Cornwall, believe this is the best possible outcome.

Although a final decision won't be made for a month or so, it was a very reassuring meeting. The arguments for a Cornwall and Isles of Scilly partnership stack up, and Vince could see that.

Now, we just have to wait and see what is decided later this year.

In the meantime, we must continue to make the case to the Government and the private sector about the need for new, additional investment into Cornwall.

Schemes like superfast broadband will only aid our local economy. They will help to put Cornwall on the map, and will attract new business to the county which will create new jobs.

I have believed for a long time that Cornwall is in the ideal position to be a world leader in Green Technology. This is one area where Cornwall could thrive.

We have the sea, the sun, the wind and the rain. We even have the right temperature rocks underground for geothermal technology. Cornwall's position as a 'Green Peninsula' could be the start of the Green revolution, a future that Cornwall can lead.

Without these new schemes, new jobs, and new investment - Cornwall could be 'stuck in a rut' for some time to come.

We still have some of the lowest wages and highest house prices - a reality that must change.

I look forward to working with Cornwall Council, Cornwall's other MPs and the Local Economic Partnership to help make this vision a reality and not just a dream.

I'm very excited about the future and I hope that the Government will now act in the best way possible for Cornwall.

Week beginning 6th September

This Parliament returns to work from the summer recess and it's looking like a busy week. On Monday MPs will debate the Bill that would set-up a referendum next year on our voting system, and a change to the number of Parliamentary seats - reducing the number of MPs from 650 to 600.

I think the majority of this Bill is welcome news. We need a fair voting system and it is right that we should lessen the difference in constituency sizes.

Everyone's votes should be of equal value and we should be able to vote for the people we want to see elected rather than simply voting against the party we like the least, like we see currently in closely fought marginal seats like Cornwall. A move away from "First Past The Post" would deliver a fairer system and make our politicians more accountable.

Although they say that 'Turkey's don't vote for Christmas', I hope my Westminster colleagues fro,m all party's will put the country's interest before their own, fully in the knowledge that 50 will lose their jobs.

What I'm less convinced by, however, is how this Bill may result in one MP's constituency covering parts of both Cornwall and Devon.

Cornwall is a very unique and special place with issues and problems which are very individual to our history, our culture and our geography.

The Bill, in its current form, will instruct that the new constituency boundaries are based entirely on size (leaving each MP with an electorate of 76,000 +/- 5%) rather than taking into account the importance of community identity.

That's why, over the last month, I've been working with the 'Keep Cornwall Whole' group, a cross-party group that's come together to try and stop this change. We're lobbying the government to respect the historic and cultural difference that we in Cornwall are proud of and prevent a 'Devonwall' seat.

There's a couple of ways the legislation could be amended to solve this problem. We could see equal representation within county boundaries, that would keep equally sized seats within each county but see a higher variance nationally.

We could try and get "special dispensation" for Cornwall, like Wales or Scotland. This would keep Cornwall's boundary intact in future reviews.

We could see a lower limit in the variance of electors per seat, but no upper limit. This would allow Cornwall to have five seats, rather five and a half.

To help make these points I've arranged for a delegation from Cornwall to meet the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg to raise our concerns.

By the time you read this, Monday's debate will have happened, but no matter what is or isn't said in the chamber on that day - the fight will go on.

Week beginning 30th August

This week I met up with Dan Cole and John Philips, both 2nd Lieutenants in the Officer Training Corps. They're students at university in Birmingham, but I met-up with them in Newquay. They're walking from Land's End to John O'Groats to raise money for "Help For Heroes", a charity that raises money to support members of the Armed Forces who have been wounded. They were four days into the 90 day walk and are aiming to raise £10,000. They're carrying 4.5 stone in kit bags and living off ration packs.

I walked with them and carried one of the packs, only for a very short distance but enough to be able to vouch that the packs are heavy and I can honestly say I don't envy them the task they've set out on.

Dan and Josh are a great testament to the commitment that many younger people have to both good causes and to our country. When we talk about younger people we often overlook the many thousands who are part of the cadet forces and other youth groups, like the Scots, and the good work they do for charities.

It's too easy sometimes to see younger people through the prism of media hype about ASBOs and to forget the role that local youth groups, like the Army Cadets, Air Cadets and others play in helping support our community.

And, of course, day-in and day-out people like Dan and Josh are putting their lives on the line serving in the armed forces.

The most important decision that Parliament can take is to put our forces into harm's way and over the last few years British forces have seen action in Bosnia, Kosovo, Sierra Leone and, of course, Iraq and Afghanistan. At the moment, in Afghanistan, our troops - many if not most of them younger than me - are engaged in some of the fiercest fighting since the Korean War. Whatever view we as individuals take about particular conflicts, the bravery and dedication of the men and women in our armed forces can't be underestimated.

It's with this in mind that I've signed-up to the "Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme". The scheme's been running for 20 years now and gives MPs the chance to spend time with one of the services to get a real insight into service life. So next year I will be spending a number of weeks with the Royal Marines, both in the UK and then overseas. The scheme is run at times of the year when Parliament isn't sitting.

My grandfather served as a Royal Marine Commando during World War Two, before working as a clay-worker in Nanpean, and I'm keen to get an insight into the challenges facing the modern marine.

If you'd like to help Josh and Dan toward their £10,000 target that will go to injured service people then you can donate on-line via www.justgiving.com/JoshandDan

Week beginning 23rd August

This last week saw the Coalition Government mark its first 100 days in office. For me it's felt like more than 10 months and, at the same time, just yesterday. Not in my wildest dreams (or fiercest nightmares!) did I expect that the outcome of the election would be a coalition with the Conservatives and over the last three months I've been on a personal journey adjusting to a new reality.

I always said, during the election, that I would put local people before party politics - and it's with that in mind that I took the view that we, as a country, need to deal with the mess that has been left behind by Labour. One in every four pounds the Government spends is borrowed. We're 5,000,000,000,000.00 (five trillion pounds) in the red - and we're adding to it by a staggering £3billion a week.

The last Government spent our savings, continued to spend until we'd reached our overdraft limit, pawned the nation's gold reserves and maxed out the credit card. It was irresponsible and unsustainable. There's nothing fair or progressive about passing this debt to our children.

The new Government had to act and, in my view, it's right that it's our top priority. But we need to make sure that, as we tackle the mess we've been left with, we do so in a fair way - that the richest carry the largest burden and the vulnerable are protected.

During the election I said I'd fight for fairer taxes and the first Coalition Government saw the personal allowance for everyone go up by £1,000 - meaning people keeping more of their hard-earned cash and thousands of low-paid people in Cornwall paying no tax at all. In four years time, the first £10,000 of what we all earn will be tax-free. We've put a levy on the bank and closed loopholes that saw City-lawyers pay less tax than their cleaners.

I promised to fight to change the planning law, to put it on the side of people and not developers. The Government has already abolished the Regional Spatial Strategy that would have seen so much of Cornwall concreted over with so little gain for those in housing need. The Government will be bringing Cornwall's empty homes into use. Of course, we've got further to go.

I was born and bred here. My Grandfather was a clay worker and my Mother grew up in Nanpean. Education changed by life-chances and I said, during the election, that I wanted to see more funding going to the pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds -from next year, the "Pupil Premium" will be a reality and will help thousands of children in Cornwall make the most of their talents.

Times are going to get tough - there's no point pretending otherwise. But over the last 100 days I've worked to deliver on the promises I made, and I'll continue to do so for as long as I have the privilege of representing our community.

Week beginning 16th August

'CORNWALL'- this word means different things to different people. Some people will be here on holiday enjoying the beauty of our countryside and beaches, others will have moved here to enjoy a different pace of life. Some, like me, will have been born and bred here. We may all see Cornwall differently, but one thing we should all agree upon is that it is a unique part of the country, with a very distinct culture, history and particular challenges.

One challenge we face is the decline of our traditional industries. Tin and clay mining, fishing and farming - these were the industries that have defined our communities. As they've declined we've needed to develop new industries and new jobs that will shape Cornwall in the next century.

To do this effectively, we need control of our own destiny. That's why I want to see us have our own 'Local Enterprise Partnership' for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

'Local Enterprise Partnerships', or LEPs, will be taking over some of the functions of the soon to be abolished Regional Development Agencies. The RDAs did some good work, but ours covered too large an area (from Penzance to Gloucester and down to Bournemouth) and it lacked accountability and focus.

It's time we had a body that concentrated on our needs. Cornwall Council is currently consulting on what sort of LEP we want. My view is that we should put our needs first and join with the Isles of Scilly to do so.

It is not about creating a 'fortress Cornwall' - of course we should work with others when appropriate. But our history shows us that we can lose out when we're too closely tied to our neighbours.

Back in the 1990s, we had trouble getting the European money Cornwall needed because of formal ties with Devon. Now we are in receipt of hundreds of millions of pounds of Convergence Funding, the follow-on from Objective One. This money is a lifeline for Cornwall, helping us to reshape our economy to face the challenges of a new century, develop new industries and new markets.

Cornwall has always been at our strongest when we speak with one voice. We need to be able to speak clearly and loudly about our particular problems and not be strait-jacketed by the needs and issues of Devon, Exeter or Torbay.

Cornwall Council is currently consulting on what sort of LEP people want to see for Cornwall and, though it's not the most glamorous of subjects, it's important to make our voices heard. You can do so via www.cornwall.gov.uk/lep. Of course, you can also let me know what you think through my website www.SteveGilbert.info

Whether a visitor, born-and-bred Cornishman, or someone who has moved here more recently, we all have an interest in making sure Cornwall can thrive in the twenty-first century and our communities can reach their full potential. I believe the best way for us to do that is to seize the moment and be the drivers of our own destiny.

Week beginning 9th August

Food. It's easy to take it for granted, yet it's clearly a vital part of our lives. For many of us though our knowledge and understanding doesn't go far beyond making a choice in the supermarket based on a quick look at the label or the advice of the local butcher, baker or grocer. That's certainly true of me.

But recess is a chance for MPs to get out and about - freed from the constraints of having to be in London to vote. This week I'll be spending a day with the National Farmers' Union, visiting a number of farms to get a better understanding of the issues that face our local food producers.

Here in Cornwall we're lucky to have such a developed and extensive farming community and have a "brand" which consumers across the country want to buy. Farming (and food processing) puts over £1 billion a year into the Cornish economy and our produce is increasingly recognised for its exceptional quality. Nationally, the businesses that grow and produce our food, as well as keeping us fed, are worth more than £80 billion to the UK economy and employ some 3.6 million people.

Yet for too long the producers have not had adequate protection from the bully-boy tactics of some supermarkets. Take the price of milk. The profits that some supermarkets make on milk have gone up by 4000% since 1994. The giant supermarkets have used their market dominance to squeeze producers.

That's why I welcome the announcement by the Coalition Government to press forward with a long-held Liberal Democrat plan for a body to monitor and enforce the Groceries Supply Code of Practice. Lib Dem Business Secretary Vince Cable will bring forward new legislation in order to set up the Groceries Code Adjudicator later this year.

The new "supermarket watchdog" will help to strike the right balance between farmers and food producers getting a fair deal and supermarkets ensuring that customers get the high-quality British food we all want at a price we can afford.

It will help stop large retailers abusing their power by transferring excessive risks or unexpected costs onto producers. The new watchdog will be able to step in to prevent unfair practices continuing - ensuring a fair deal for producers and safeguarding the consumer interest.

It's a step toward ensuring that the people who produce our food get a fair deal and that customers, when they're going up and down the aisles in the supermarkets, know where there food is coming from.

In the long-run we will need to do more to increase our ability to feed ourselves. As the world continues to change - and change fast - we need to be less reliant on others. Climate change means we may not be able to rely on the imports we currently get from other countries. The Coalition Government's moves to protect producers from supermarkets is a first and important step in protecting and promoting an industry that is so crucial to all our lives.

Week beginning 2nd August

I was the first in my family to go to University; I enjoyed it so much I did it twice. Education changed my life. It helped to give me opportunities that I'd otherwise never have had.

There's much debate at the moment about how we do education in Britain. Students who are now considering University will be weighing up the pros and cons of courses and institutions, as well as the costs.

In my view, University level education shouldn't just be for those who can afford it - if it was, many thousands of graduates from backgrounds like mine would never had the chance to go.

The last Conservative Government brought in student loans and Labour, despite their promises, added student fees. As a result going to University now can leave people thousands of pounds in debt.

This situation has to change. Lord Browne is currently leading a review on how we fund higher education. I don't think we can quickly get back to it being free, something enjoyed by previous generations, but we do need to make sure it's fairly funded and that the thought of being saddled with debt doesn't put people from poorer backgrounds off.

That's why I was pleased to see Vince Cable suggest a "Graduate Tax" as a way forward. It would help ensure that our Universities are well funded and it means students would only pay after their courses and when they are working. It's the preferred solution of the National Union of Students too. It would mean the Coalition Government could bring an end to the fees and loans regime created by former administrations.

We will see what Lord Browne says in the autumn; but I, for one, will have real difficulty in supporting anything that acts as a disincentive for people from my sort of background to get the chance to make the most of their talents.

Of course, getting the best education means starting early and that's why the Coalition Government is also looking at schools funding to make sure the children who need the most help get extra money.

The policy, known as the "pupil premium," will give extra cash to local schools targeted at children from less well off backgrounds. It will begin in September 2011 and will help bring back fairness to the way education is funded in Cornwall after years of underfunding by consecutive governments.

The Coalition is consulting on using the free school meal entitlement as the measure of deprivation for the scheme. I recently asked a question in Parliament, which revealed that across Cornwall more than 1 in 10 pupils are eligible for free school meals, making Cornwall a key beneficiary of the new proposals.

In total, significant extra investment will be made from outside of the current schools budget. This money will go directly to local schools to spend as they see fit, and could be used to cut class sizes and recruit more teachers.

It is policies such as these that will ensure that every child has a fair chance in life, no matter what their background.

Week beginning 26th July

This week, Parliament "breaks-up" for the summer recess.

Despite popular belief, most MPs don't take 4 weeks off - it's just that the main place of work moves from London to the constituency.

I'm really looking forward to spending the summer in Cornwall. With all the good weather that we've been having it's been frustrating not to have been here to enjoy it!

It's now been just over two months since the Coalition government was formed, and it's been a whirlwind of activity.

I've been on a steep learning curve, getting to grips with the way Parliament works and what it means to be part of government. But, as a Liberal Democrat, I'm immensely proud of what we've already achieved.

During the election I made our priorities clear: fairer taxes, a fair start for children, a clean-up of our broken politics, and making sure we tackle housing need in Cornwall without creating a developers' charter.

We've made real progress.

The Regional Spatial Strategy has been scrapped - future housing need can be based on what Cornwall wants, not what we are told we need by faceless bureaucrats.

We've made the tax system fairer, by raising the income tax threshold by £1,000 in last month's Budget and reforming Capital Gains Tax. The income tax threshold will continue to be increased every year during this Parliament until nobody pays tax on the first £10,000 they earn.

We've started to tackle pensioner poverty by immediately restoring the link between national earnings and pensions.

We've put a levy on the banks, ensuring they help pay for the financial mess they helped to create. This levy will raise £2.5billion.

We promised to introduce a "Pupil Premium" to target extra money at disadvantaged children. The Coalition Agreement makes clear that this will now happen.

We promised a comprehensive clean up of the rotten political system. This is now a key part of the Coalition's agenda for which Lib Dem Leader Nick Clegg has responsibility, and the plans include, the right to sack MPs guilty of serious misconduct, fixed term Parliaments and a referendum on a new, fairer, voting system as well as a wholly elected House of Lords.

I said that I would put local people before party politics. For me, that's meant working across the political divide to make sure that the wider national interest comes before the narrow party political interest.

Of course, not everyone sees it this way. The Labour Party is desperate to airbrush history and wash their hands of the financial mess they've caused. Labour MPs are trying to pretend that 'it's nothing to do with them'.

But I think we all know whose mess it is that the Coalition is clearing up.

So it's been a busy 10 weeks. The summer is chance to take stock and look to the future. I will be out and about meeting as many people as I can over August. I hope to see you soon.

Week Beginning 19th July

There's no doubt that housing is a big issue for us in Cornwall. It comes up on almost every door I knock on, in my advice surgeries and anecdotes from friends and family. I've heard so many times the difficulty people face in getting on the housing ladder, or affording the cost of rent in Cornwall.

I know the problem only too well. I was probably the only new MP who was living at home with parents when elected!

I am, therefore, pleased to have been asked to co-chair the 'Housing' All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG). This provides me a platform to speak out about the particular problems we face here: second homes, empty homes, sky-high house prices and low wages, and over development.

It's a complex issue. We need to provide affordable housing, particularly rented homes, for local people who want to stay in the communities in which they grew up. But, we also have to prevent Cornwall being over developed and threatening the beauty which makes it such a special part of the country in the first place.

Overall I think, we need to base planning policy on local need, not developer's greed. That's exactly what the Coalition Government is aiming to do.

During the election campaign I was clear we needed to end the absurd Regional Spatial Strategies - something I'm pleased to say happened last week. This decision will see the end of the ill thought through Whitehall plan to build 70,000 new houses in Cornwall. Instead, the power to set housing policy will be pushed out of Westminster and to local people to form a plan that meets the needs of a community.

It's such an important chance for areas like Cornwall where we have - for too long - had our voice ignored when it comes to setting the crucial planning policy.

The Liberal Democrat & Conservative Government is also set to protect the Green Belt and put an end to "garden-grabbing", to ensure that new development is in the right location and does not put an additional burden on local infrastructure and services.

We are also set to promote the 'Home on the Farm' scheme to the mainstream. This will allow farm owners to turn pre-existing, but un-used buildings, into affordable housing for local people. This is a scheme that will, with no new blot on the landscape, provide more homes.

The Coalition Government will also be bringing forward plans to bring existing empty homes back into use. Across Cornwall there are 8,000 houses stood empty - 1,400 in St Austell & Newquay. We are determined to bring these back into use.

I'm proud to be able to play a role in these plans, through my position on the Communities and Local Government Select Committee and as the co-chair of the APPG on Housing, and I look forward to holding Ministers to the plans.

Ensuring we start solving Cornwall's housing crisis will be one of my top priorities over the coming months.

Week Beginning 12th July

Fairer votes - that's been a generational ambition for many from all sides of British politics. Despite that, the sad fact is that, at the moment, unless you live in a marginal constituency and vote for one either of the main contenders, your vote won't count. It's unfair. It creates a culture of 'safe seats'. It must end.

Last week Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, announced a range of political reforms that will see a real fairness brought back to our Parliament. The most important announcement was the date for a referendum on changing our voting system to a fairer system.

The referendum, likely to be held next May, will be a major step towards making sure every vote counts.

Here in Cornwall we can see for ourselves how unfair the system is. Our elections are usually between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives. It tends to be the case that a vote for any other party won't count - that's because it is almost impossible for the third party, or an even smaller party, to break though and receive a large enough share of the vote to come first.

I saw this at first hand during the recent election campaign, I met people on the doorsteps who are Labour at heart but chose to vote Lib Dem to stop the Conservatives, and I saw people who were naturally UKIP supporters but voted for the Conservatives to stop the Lib Dems.

I want people to be able to vote for what they want, not what they don't want.

People who live in Cornwall and vote Labour shouldn't feel like it doesn't make a difference. Indeed, the votes of people who support Mebyon Kernow, UKIP or the Greens should 'count'.

The referendum is an important step towards a fully representative Parliament where people don't have to make their choice based on the least worst option, but can rank the candidates according to their preference. All votes would count.

As well as making every vote count, we will also restore the balance that means votes from different parts of the country will have equal value by addressing the imbalance of electors in each constituency.

Here in Cornwall, most of our new MPs were elected by receiving around 20,000 votes. But on the Isle of White it took 32,000 votes to elect the MP, and in the rural highlands of Scotland it took only a little over 10,000 votes to elect an MP.

As each elected MP has the same influence in Parliament, electorates should be around the same size. Of course, we must respect natural geographical and social communities, and indeed I will be fighting to ensure we keep Cornwall's identity in the process, but we must also ensure that Parliament is fairly representative.

The referendum will no doubt be keenly contested in Cornwall. But if we want all of our votes to count, then I hope we can seize the moment for real change.

Week Beginning 5th July

The immediate aftermath of the election has finally passed and it seems that things in Westminster are starting to settle down and us new MP's are finally able to get on and do some work.

I started my week in Cornwall to support the launch of the Newquay Town Plan consultation. This is a milestone for local people to shape the future of their town and I'm encouraging everyone to fill in the questionnaire.

I also met John Kenny from the Carlyon Bay Beach Project. Most local people, like me, want to see the beach brought back into use. I made that point to John and I will continue to work with him to ensure a quick but suitable resolution is found.

After the meeting, I dashed to St Austell station, to go to London. I tend to travel by train most of the time as it gives me the chance to catch up on some work. I also hear about local problems from other people waiting on the station.

Back up in Westminster, I met with the National Farmers Union and an organisation called 'Regen South West'. Groups like these work so hard and determinedly on some of the big issues in Cornwall and it's always good to get their perspective.

Farming issues in particular have such a massive impact on those who rely on their land for a living. Meeting the NFU allowed me to hear some of the major concerns, and I look forward to working with them in the future to learn more about the problems and, I hope, to meet farmers in the constituency to find out what they would like me to do to help from Parliament.

On Wednesday evening, a Conservative MP (Mark Lancaster) secured a debate on the abolition of the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) and what measures will be put in place for councils to form new planning policy in the RSS's place.

Here in St Austell & Newquay, development is one of the issues that comes up time and time again. I doubt there is anybody who hasn't, in some way, been impacted by it. We face a real challenge in Cornwall to deliver on the need for housing that is affordable for local people, while also protecting the beautiful countryside that makes Cornwall so special in the first place.

The debate followed on from the work I've already been doing to put pressure on the Secretary of State to be clear about the framework that will replace the RSS and the guidelines that local Councils will have to work within.

Finally, while in London, I also had the honour of supporting pupils from St Columb Minor School at the finals of the 2010 Ashden Awards for sustainable energy. I'm very pleased to say that St Columb Minor were the top primary school in the competition. It's an excellent achievement for a great local school and I would like to congratulate all the pupils and teachers that made it happen.

Week Beginning 28th June

We've just had the toughest budget for a generation. There's no point pretending otherwise. The next few years will be difficult and we'll all feel the pinch. I believe it was a necessary budget.

At the moment one pound out every four spent by the Government is borrowed money. That's on top of our current "overdraft" of £159,200,000,000.00. This level of borrowing is just not sustainable. As a country we are paying more just on the interest on these debts than we spend on educating our children. There's nothing progressive or fair about that and there's nothing progressive or responsible about leaving the next generation to pay back the debts that we've created.

The reality is the last Government was living on the 'never-never' - spending before they were thinking. Across Europe we can see what happens to countries that don't face the facts. Look at Greece or Spain; they kept their heads in the sand until it was too late - and now they've lost control of their own destiny.

The Coalition Government is determined not to let Britain go that way. We're determined to spend our taxes on providing services - not throw them away on debt interest repayments. But we have to clean up the mess we've been left with.

It's going to be hard. We'll all notice the rise in VAT. There are, though, some measures that will help. The £1,000 increase in the personal allowance (the level at which people pay income tax) means 1,350 of the lowest income families in St Austell & Newquay will be taken out of tax altogether. We've restored the link between pensions and average earnings and now thousands of older people in Cornwall are guaranteed a rise of at least 2.5% in the state pension.

We're also tackling the profits of the banks that helped to get us into this mess - we're expecting to raise £2billion a year from a new bank levy. By increasing Capital Gains Tax to 28 per cent we are ending the culture than can see bankers and lawyers in the city pay less tax than their cleaners. With proper reform of the tax credit system, we will ensure that it goes to those who really need it.

These measures go some way to help make the budget fair and continue the help for those who most need it. The aim of the budget is to bring Britain's finances back from the brink, to start repaying our debts. It means in future we will be able to spend more on education than we do on servicing our debt.

It's never fun cleaning up someone else's mess, but it has to be done. We've had the party, and now we've got the hang-over to deal with. It's not easy to make these choices, no politician likes cuts. I doubt it will be a popular budget. But it would be grossly irresponsible of this Government to duck the hard choices we face.

Week Beginning 21st June

It's no fun cleaning up other people's mess, but we've all had to do it at some point in our lives.

And cleaning up the mess made by the last Government is now the top priority for this new Government.

Although I'm writing this before the budget, there's little doubt it will painful for all of us.

But let's make no mistake; the mess left behind was enormous and cleaning it up will not be easy.

Something had to give. At the moment we are spending more as a country on our debts each year than we do on education.

In Greece the politicians failed to act in time and have now lost control. Because they didn't face up to facts, the measures in Greece are more painful than they needed to be.

And if we here are to ensure we don't go the same way then we must bring our debts under control.

We all know that you can't go on building up debts and spending more than you have forever, but that is exactly what the last Government did.

But, in the process of dealing with this chaos, I want to lay down a key test; the principle of fairness.

By this I don't just mean the fairness of who takes the brunt of the savings to come; although I do hope that the Lib Dem promise to increase the basic rate of income tax to £10,000 is a prominent feature in the upcoming announcements.

No, I also mean the Government taking notice of the unfair hand that has been dealt to Cornwall for too long. It's simply wrong that every year Cornwall's local health service gets £56 million less than it should under the previous government's target spend, and Cornish pupils get almost £350 less each year than the national average.

Growing up here, I saw the effect this under funding has on our communities. I saw how an area with some of the lowest paid jobs in the country struggles to cope.

It's time that this unfairness was sorted. That is why, with my colleagues from Cornwall, I am calling on the Government to ensure a fairer funding deal for Cornwall.

Last week I tabled my first Early Day Motion (EDM), and called on the Government to ensure that Cornwall should not suffer a higher level of cuts than elsewhere; and called for an independent funding commission to examine the historic level of under-funding of Cornish services.

I am pleased that my EDM has already received the support of Dan Rogerson and Andrew George and I hope the other MPs in Cornwall will back it too.

As we face having to clean up the mess left to us by the last Government, my hope is that Cornwall can look forward to fairer funding in the future.

Week Beginning 14th June

Last week I had the privilege of delivering my maiden speech. I don't mind admitting that as I stood up from the green benches and spoke for the first time I felt nervous to say the least. There's no doubt that the place is intimidating. But, as I continued speaking about the unique challenges we face in Cornwall, and the honour that it is to represent my home seat, I started to feel a bit more at ease.

I used my maiden speech to remind the Government and other MPs of the problems lying behind the clichéd picture postcard image of Cornwall.

I spoke about the unfairness in having the highest water bills in the country, yet some of the very lowest incomes. The lack of well paid year round jobs that mean so many of our young people are forced to move away in order to find work, and about the challenges that thousands of local people have in finding an affordable home in the communities in which they grew up.

I love Cornwall and am proud to call it home, but I am also determined to work from the Government benches to tackle the problems and injustices we face.

Now, with all of Cornwall's MPs on the Government side, I believe we have a unique opportunity to change our fortunes around. Many of the policies that will be delivered by my colleagues in Government will benefit Cornwall forever.

Raising the tax threshold to £10,000 will take 1 in 5 local people out of tax altogether and give a tax cut of £700 to everyone else. Investing money to bring 1,400 empty homes in our constituency back to use will give local families somewhere to live. The scrapping of the absurd RSS (guidelines on where new houses should be built) means Cornwall will keep the beauty that we all currently enjoy.

These plans, which I have spent the last 3-years campaigning for, will finally be more than a pipe-dream. There are difficult times ahead, but this Government will deliver fairer taxes, bring empty homes back into use and is taking steps to protect our countryside from overdevelopment.

I also used my maiden speech to make a warning. I expect this Government to address the deficit, but I also expect the burden to fall on those most capable of carrying it. In playing my small part in taking the difficult choices we face, I will never forget that we need a fairer funding deal for Cornwall. That's what I mean when I say I will always put local people before party politics.

As I said in the House, it is the privilege of my life to represent the people I grew-up with, went to school with and live and work with. Despite the difficult choices we face, I'm proud to be representing my home community and will do everything I can to make sure we get a fair deal from this Government.

Week Beginning 7th June

Still no London office or phone, but thankfully things are beginning to come together!

So far, in four weeks, I've opened files on just under 600 issues that local people have brought to me - ranging from housing need to benefits, immigration queries to planning policy. My last advice surgery in St Austell was stacked out - with 20 people to see within little over an hour. That's the day-to-day job of an MP - helping people with the problems they face when dealing with our complex national bureaucracy.

In Parliament there's been no let up in the deluge of information that has headed my way. The latest is the seemingly endless number of All Party Parliamentary Groups - small numbers of MPs that come together across the partisan divide of party politics to pursue an issue - and as a new MP I've been swamped with requests to join this or that group.

Many, like the APPG on Statistics, seem obscure, while others, like the APPG on the Great Lakes Region of Africa, very broad. But one that I have joined is APPG on Water.

We all know that our water bills in Cornwall are too high. Indeed, they are the highest in the country - on average twice those in London. With some of the lowest wages in the country they hit people here hard.

The last Government commissioned a review of water charges and pressure from MPs led to a small reduction in south west bills that will soon start to come through the proverbial pipeline. But that doesn't go far enough. We need to do more to equalise water bills across the country. My hope is that the All Party Group on Water will provide a route to working with colleagues from other parties to tackle this inequity.

I've also begun to seek meetings with the new Ministerial teams to pick up the issues that affect us. The Coalition Government will have a key role to play in deciding the future of projects like the St Dennis incinerator, the Eco-Town, levels of affordable housing and the future of planning policy - all key issues for our community.

In Cornwall I met with representatives of Cornish Community Banking, a local credit union that provides a cheaper alternative source of loans. They are a more cost-effective way to borrow than the door-step traders who often charge exorbitant interest rates and trap people into a cycle of repayment poverty. For people on low income and in need of an urgent loan, Cornish Community Banking is often the best place to start looking.

This week I'm likely to give my maiden speech in the House of Commons. Nervous is an understatement. It still feels like Madame Tussauds coming to life. Once the formality of the maiden speech is over, then we can seriously get motoring.

Week Beginning 24th May

So, I now have a phone number in Westminster - but still no phone. An office address - but no office. A place to hang my sword - but, alas, no sword.

Such is the chaos of Parliament as more than 200 new members try to find our way around the labyrinth of corridors and rooms and try to understand the byzantine rules of a place that, on most occasions, feels more like a library or museum than a modern legislative assembly.

However, it's now "official" - I've sworn my oath of allegiance and Her Majesty the Queen has opened this parliamentary session.

But between the formal election of the Speaker of the House last week and the State Opening this week, I've spent most of my time in Cornwall speaking to people about the issues that matter to them.

Newquay is set to get a new cinema and I was delighted to be able to cut the first turf.

Newquay often hits the headlines for the wrong reasons and the cinema is a welcome step forward in providing an attraction that families, residents and visitors can all enjoy.

I was also hugely privileged to be asked to read the eulogy at the funeral of Gerald Patterson - a dear family friend and respected colleague to many in the clay industry who will be sorely missed.

With standing room only in the chapel and scores more people crowding outside, I don't mind admitting that I suspect I was more nervous for that speech than I will be for my maiden speech in the House of Commons.

With former MP Matthew Taylor's son going from strength to strength after his recent treatment for cancer, I was pleased to be able to support Tanya's Courage - a charity that helps children with cancer at their annual fundraising ball.

It was a great event that raised a lot of much-needed money.

This year I'm going to be doing what I can to raise money for Tanya's Courage - so watch out for me training for the half-marathon.

I also opened the Carlyon Bay Fun Day in aid of the Precious Lives Appeal - I was delighted that the weather held out for all who attended.

All the events over the last week have shown me how we in Cornwall bring to life our motto, One And All.

There are scores of people raising money for good causes day in and day out and putting other people first - the unsung heroes in our community who make such a difference, people like Gerald who gave tirelessly to others.

As I try to find my way around this historic, and at times bewildering, place - I know that, phone or no phone, I'm here to make a difference.

I stand on the shoulders of giants - the people who put me here.