I was very pleased that the Government published our new Tackling Violence Against Women And Girls Strategy last week, with immediate practical steps and new funding to end violence against women and girls so that they feel safe at home, online and on the streets.
North Cornwall constituents have contacted me on the issue over the years and I am in complete agreement that it is unacceptable that women and girls are still subject to harassment, abuse, and violence. We are committed to cracking down on perpetrators whilst providing victims with the care and support they deserve. That is why we have set out our new Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, including creating a new top cop to stamp out violence against women, limiting the use of Non-Disclosure Agreements in higher education sexual harassment cases, and a package of measures to deal with street harassment. This will help to create a new, system-wide approach to end violence against women and girls so that they feel safe at home, online and on the streets.
Many constituents have also contacted me over the past few weeks about problems with illegal immigration. I have fed these concerns back to my Ministerial colleagues in Westminster and am pleased that many of the issues which we are facing will be addressed by the new immigration legislation which we will vote on in the autumn. These new laws will allow us to deal with smuggling gangs and illegal migrants how the govt is exploring all available avenues to resolve this in the longer term. By introducing tough new measures in the Borders Bill, we are delivering on our promise to put a stop to dangerous channel crossings and crackdown on criminal gangs that exploit vulnerable migrants.
Finally, I was pleased to hear from the Woodland Trust recently, who briefed me on the quite alarming decline in the number of wild bees and other pollinators. These insects are vital for our wildlife and landscape, and there are things you can do in your garden to help make it bee-friendly. In return for getting your garden buzzing, pollinators will help your plants, too. They will also ensure your apples, strawberries, tomatoes, and other fruit and veg crops produce fruit. I have posted their top tips to help you entice bumblebees to your garden on my Facebook page. I hope you all have a great summer and enjoy the weather.
