Former Labour MP for Falmouth and Camborne
I welcome the opportunity to speak. As many Members on both sides of the House know, I have taken a particular interest in objective 1. I was delighted when the debate before this finished early, because it meant that this debate could continue for longer. It is a critical debate—although whenever we have such debates I experience a sense of déjà vu. The doom and gloom mongers always...
I am in some flow, but I will.
I realise that there is a difference between a press release in Cornwall and what is said in the Chamber. However, as history shows—and as even this week's press releases show—such comments constituted a lot more than simply the raising of issues; they were a lot more certain in tone than that.
Opposition Members laugh, but that is not what the people of Cornwall do when such comments have their impact. Anything that causes uncertainty and hesitancy, and places a question mark over future investment, has a real impact on the business community. Many people in the business and public sectors have come to me and said that such comments have a bad effect. I am not saying that only the...
Speaking as a journalist, I take my hat off to any campaigning newspaper. However, I know that one or two potential investors in the wider west country—not necessarily in Cornwall—hesitated and decided not to invest as a result of such press releases. They thought that some parts of the media in the south-west were not to their taste. That is very regrettable and I hope that they will...
That is the point, which is why I approached the Chancellor and various Ministers, including my right hon. Friend the Minister for Industry and the Regions, and told them that Cornwall is the only region in the UK that stands to get the full tranche of objective 1. Although many of my colleagues representing other regions will rightly argue their case—some of them are here this evening—I...
I entirely agree. There is probably more unanimity around the Chamber than is reflected in our debates—we all want the best for our constituencies. From my personal viewpoint, I am going for a win-win. I am going to debate with the Government, meet the Chancellor and other Ministers and argue the case. If we get more money via the UK Government, that is great, but I will want commitments on...
No, this is important. On the question whether the money is to come from Europe, we need an answer soon. We need a commitment from the Government that they will continue to put money into a county that still needs their support. We have made huge strides and I am so proud of the way in which the county has risen to take up the challenge of objective 1 and made it work so well—for example,...
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cetaceans have been reported stranded during the 2004–05 season of the pair trawl sea bass fishery.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many dead harbour porpoises have been stranded on the coasts of Cornwall, Devon and Dorset in each of the past five years; and what the cause of these deaths was.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the North Kerrier Home Zone project to be completed.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make the reduction of cetacean deaths in European fisheries a priority for the UK's Presidency of the European Union.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many UK fishing vessels are expected to start the deployment of pingers to prevent porpoise deaths in set net fisheries in the North Sea in June; and if she will bring forward the mandatory deployment of pingers to prevent porpoise deaths in set net fisheries in the English Channel and Celtic Sea.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department is spending this year and how much was spent in each of the past three years on deployment trials to test the practicality and durability of various pinger models in gillnet and tangle net fisheries off southwest England; and when results are expected from these trials.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total fishing effort in km/hours using gill net and tangle net gear in the English Channel and Celtic Sea, ICES areas VIId, e, f, g, h and j was in (a) the 12 metre and over sector and (b) under 12 metre sector in the last period for which figures are available.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many UK fishing vessels fish with (a) gill net and (b) tangle net; and what length of each type of net is deployed.
