Following a busy week in Parliament where the Government made great progress on our landmark Rwanda Bill, I was back in North Cornwall on Friday meeting constituents in villages including Week St. Mary, Warbstow and Marshgate. Cllr Barry Jordan (Tintagel and Boscastle) joined me, and it was great to meet so many local people.
This week we are expanding our clean-up scheme nationwide as part of our plan to tackle anti-social behaviour, meaning offenders will clean up fly-tipping and vandalism as we stick to the plan to deliver a brighter and safer future for all. Anti-social behaviour undermines people’s sense of pride in their communities and makes them feel unsafe in the place they call home. That is why we launched our plan to tackle anti-social behaviour in March 2023. Now, we are extending our clean-up scheme nationwide, meaning offenders will clean up communities blighted by vandalism and fly-tipping. Members of the public are being invited to nominate projects in their local area and the scheme is now being expanded to all 12 Probation regions in England and Wales. I know there is more to do but we are making progress on cutting anti-social behaviour and making our streets safer.
I was pleased that plans for a new law to prevent puppy smugglers from importing dogs were backed in Parliament last week. Under the Animal Welfare (importation of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill, people selling pets would be banned from importing puppies under six months old, while heavily pregnant dogs would not be allowed to travel. ‘Mutilated’ animals, such as puppies with cropped ears, would also be stopped. The plans have been brought forward in a Private Members Bill by North Devon MP Selaine Saxby who says a huge surge in puppy smuggling started during the Covid pandemic as owners struggled to find the puppies they wanted. I am glad the Government is supporting this vital Bill and committed to its swift passage to safeguard the welfare of thousands of puppies, dogs, cats and ferrets that come into Great Britain from overseas each year.
If you require my help with anything, including benefits, the NHS, or cost of living support then please get in touch. I also hold regular advice surgeries across North Cornwall, over the phone and online. Updates on my work can be found at www.scottmann.org.uk and you can contact me via scott@scottmann.org.uk or 01208 74337.
