I’d like to hear from you if you support a 20mph speed limit in your area. The Government changed the legislation to enable local authorities to reduce the speed limit in residential areas. Unfortunately the policy Cornwall Council has developed makes it extremely difficult to achieve the speed reduction and I attended a meeting this week looking at how we can work together across Cornwall to press the council to simplify the process and respond to local communities who want this improvement. Communities in Breage, Ashton, Porthcurno, Leedstown, Drift, St Buryan and parts of Helston and Penzance have all indicated that they seek a reduction in the speed limit and I’m keen to identify other sections of road or streets where a 20mph limit would be appropriate.
How to secure the research needed to treat and cure brain tumours has dominated our work at the Brain Tumour All Party Parliamentary Group. For many, a brain tumour diagnosis is terminal. We are learning that money for research is not on its own enough. We secured an additional £40m three years ago but to date only 25% is allocated. This is because the research base is so small for brain tumour so I met with Brain Tumour Research and the MRC (Medical Research Council) this week to look at how we can increase the research base and improve the research pathway. I was encouraged that the MRC plans to bring all the various bodies together to attack this problem. In a previous effort two years ago we saw a spike in those wanting to apply their extraordinary talent to the brain tumour space and I hope for a repeat of this.
Many people have contacted me suggesting ideas, offering expertise and talent and introducing their business for consideration as plans for the G7 Summit evolve. These will be fed into the Government Departments responsible and there is just a week left before I need to conclude this ‘list’. It is our united aim that this Summit is the ‘greenest’ ever and, in the year of the UN Climate Change Conference 26 (COP26) taking place in Great Britain, it is the year for us to set our faces to the considerable challenge of cutting harmful emissions for good. This takes me to the first of a series of virtual events designed to better inform and engage local residents in relation to climate change, understand what action can be taken locally to support climate change action groups and Cornwall Council in their efforts to address the impacts of climate change and understand Government policy and scrutinise it’s effectiveness in reducing carbon emissions and protecting the natural environment. I’ve teamed up with Pippa Stilwell, WI Climate Ambassador, to host these monthly events and the first is on Wednesday next (24th) at 4pm. This event will present a taste of the excellent initiatives already happening around West Cornwall and there will be an opportunity for Q&A’s/open discussion. The event will be held via Zoom as a webinar and you can register by emailing [email protected].
