THIS week I had a number of opportunities this week to raise constituent concerns up in Parliament - including casework on dental care, protection of NHS data, and most importantly: the future of Cornish Devolution.

This is because the English Devolution and Communities Bill returned to the House of Commons for one of its final stages, after a number of amendments were tabled by the Lords.

April 24 actually marked 12 years since the Liberal Democrats secured Cornish National Minority Status, under the European Framework Convention. One amendment would have provided proper protections for Cornwall to not be forced into a merger with Devon, Plymouth, or any other ‘Great South West’ combined authority - yet despite my voting for it, along with over a hundred other MPs from across the House, the Government chose to vote it down and scrap our protections altogether. This is a deeply disappointing move, and one that genuinely worries me for what the future of Cornish devolution may now look like. With the Bill now back in the House of Lords, the fight continues - and I’ll be sure to keep you all updated on my progress.

It was also a pleasure to welcome the brilliant team from KBSK, a youth charity based in Bodmin, up to Parliament this week. They do incredible work supporting young people across North Cornwall through dance, creativity, and community, helping to really build confidence and improve mental health. Organisations like KBSK (run by the wonderful Adie Dove!) do so much brilliant work for our constituency, so I’ll continue doing everything I can to make sure they get the recognition, support, and funding they deserve for their work.

There was more positive news locally down at County Hall this week, with Cornwall Council unanimously backing a motion led by Councillors Rosie Moore and David Garrigan to tackle the NHS dentistry crisis we face. This is a huge step forward, which focuses on prevention, outreach, and tackling workforce shortages. Following this, I raised the issue in the House of Commons this week and asked the Leader of the House to commit to a debate so that Cornwall’s situation and the urgency of this crisis can be properly recognised at a national level. I’ll be working very closely with our Cornwall Councillors, dental partners, and North Cornwall Dental Action Group, to build on this momentum and deliver improvements.

I also raised serious concerns in the House this week about the government’s approach to awarding contracts to Palantir, a US tech firm involved in handling sensitive NHS data. Many of you have contacted me about this, worried about transparency and the security of patient information. I made it clear to Ministers that public trust must come first, and that decisions involving such sensitive data must be handled with complete openness and scrutiny. I also had the opportunity to highlight the devastating humanitarian crisis in Sudan, which enters its third year and where millions are facing famine and displacement. I pressed the government on what more can be done to ensure aid reaches those in desperate need.