I’VE been calling on the government to give South West Water’s company fines back to customers, and to put their water bosses in prison for repeat offences of illegal sewage dumping.

South West Water was recently handed an £8-million fine for over 230 illegal dumps at Harlyn, more than 330 into the River Camel, and many others across the region.

Here in North Cornwall, we know from experience how little effect a fine like this really has.

For a company of their size, it is little more than a ‘cost of doing business’, while our bills keep going up and up every single year. With proper reform, that money should be returned to the customers who have paid the price. On behalf of my constituents, I asked the government to put it back into people’s pockets, and to give Parliament time to debate jail sentences for water bosses who repeatedly dump sewage.

At the moment, bosses are only prosecuted for acts such as covering up their sewage dumps, and I believe this needs to go much further. My petition calling for prison sentences is still open on my Facebook page, so please do add your name.

As the dust settles from last week’s Budget, it’s become clear that Cornwall is set to miss out on vital funding because of a second homes tax loophole. Under Cornwall’s funding deal, the government takes back £20-million a year of revenue from second homes council tax premiums, money that should be staying here to support local services.

The Chancellor has actually expanded this holiday let loophole, bringing even more properties into it and allowing some owners to claw back council tax paid as far back as 1993.

Second home owners are exploiting this by classing their properties as holiday let businesses and claiming small business rate relief, to avoid both council tax and business rates altogether. Until the loophole is closed, it will keep eating away at Cornwall’s funding for crucial services like SEND and social care.

I raised this in Parliament, because that money simply cannot be relied upon while the loophole exists. I’m pleased to have now secured a meeting with the Minister to push for these much-needed changes.

I also spoke out recently on BBC Cornwall about how North Cornwall’s firefighters are being taken for granted. During a visit to Delabole Community Fire Station over the summer with Cllr David Garrigan, I was shocked to hear how little they are paid, with income tax and National Insurance still coming out of their wages.

The low pay is especially bad for retained firefighters, who do this vital job alongside their day jobs. They also, understandably, face strict fitness tests and really difficult entry exams, yet have no access to a gym or fitness facilities at the station.

On top of that, there are no incentives for local employers to release them when they are called out. If we keep taking our on-call firefighters for granted, we risk losing them altogether. They deserve far better, and I’ll keep pressing the government for proper pay and support for our retained crews.

Finally, in the run-up to Remembrance Sunday, I laid a cross in Parliament’s Garden of Remembrance for the sons and daughters of Cornwall who gave their lives in service, and for all those who serve today.

We will remember them: Ni a wra perthi kov anedha.