I begin by sincerely congratulating our new Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner David Allen and I wish him well for his upcoming term. I will work with him constructively on the county’s shared vision of world-class public services. Similarly, I pay tribute to our outgoing PFCC Peter McCall who has shown immense dedication to foster safer communities through more police on the ground, tackling rural crime and reopening police stations. His Conservative leadership alongside his Deputy Mike Johnson is laudable and made Cumbria much safer. They are both true public servants and I wish them well.
I firmly believe the Conservatives provide people a chance to succeed in life, whoever they are. As such I proudly championed our record on children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in the Chamber. With record levels of funding and new dedicated SEND school places, we are giving young folk the tools they need to succeed in education, and to live happy and fulfilled lives.
My biggest recent news from the Commons Chamber though, came during PMQs where I utilised a rare opportunity to spotlight our awe-inspiring local charity champions who are doing so much for our Ukrainian allies. I was delighted that the Prime Minister joined me in paying tribute to Kevin, Paul and the whole Plumpton Pot Place team and Steve Hodgson for their ongoing efforts which have delivered vital and much-needed aid for Ukraine. At this critical juncture for global security, it is vital we keep our eyes firmly focused on Ukraine. With malign authoritarian state actors working together in a more sophisticated manner, democracies are becoming increasingly unsafe around the world. I also therefore joined a Commons statement on defence spending which we are boldly increasing to 2.5% of GDP, securing our position as the largest defence power in Europe. While showing leadership on the global stage, we are securing investment on the local stage with Warcop, Longtown and Gilsland already benefiting. Put simply, Ukraine’s security is our security, and I reinforced this with the Defence Secretary and Ministers who necessarily secured £500 million for Ukraine.
On defence, I also had the sincere privilege of committing to record in the Commons, my, my constituency's, and our nation's collective act of remembrance to our Antipodean allies on ANZAC Day. Sharing deep historic and cultural ties with Australia and New Zealand, I hope you will join me in reflecting on the immense sacrifices made so we may benefit from freedom, security and prosperity. Lest we forget.
Sadly more locally, we had the deeply regrettable update that the vital A66 upgrade is potentially facing a delay due to a legal challenge. Since our Conservative Government approved the project, National Highways are rightly cracking on with investigations and preparatory work and I hope we reach a swift resolution and progress this much-needed project as soon as possible.
However, the next week heralded better news in my ongoing campaign to bolster our biosecurity. This is because we cashed in a Brexit dividend by implementing new
border checks on food, animal and plant products. With diseases like African Swine Fever moving up the European Continent, these checks are vital not just for animal and plant health but our agri-food industry, economy, environment, trading relationships and human public health. Moreover, I spoke in a Parliamentary debate finetuning the movement rules for high health horses which bring an incredible economic boon to the nation in terms of growth and employment. Government is listening and implementing exceptions for many animals.
Similarly, I have been appointed to an expert Cabinet Office Working Group ensuring veterinary medicines remain available in Northern Ireland while protecting the Good Friday Agreement and cementing Northern Ireland's integral place at the heart of our internal market. We are solidifying our position ahead of EU trade talks.
Lastly on this, on the Commons EFRA Select Committee I quizzed Supermarket bosses on fairness in the food supply chain and met senior Ministers to boost our agri-food trade. We’ve already seen new trade attachés, food summits and an annual Food Security Index but I’m keen to keep improving by simplifying export information so our brilliant British farmers are supported in reaching new markets.
I also spoke in the Commons against overreaching solar developments compromising prime agricultural land and precious green belt spaces and I hope to bring good news on this policy area soon.
Lastly, I have continued to meet incredible charitable organisations including a Northamptonshire charity, Off the Streets NN, working hard to tackle knife crime; the Green Wings Project which is expanding vape recycling as we phase out disposables; Blue Cross who are looking for long-term support for responsible dog ownership; and an assortment of agri-finance bodies to support farmers with new sustainability measures.
