Speeches by Gelderd.

“Meur ras, Madam Deputy Speaker. This King’s Speech makes it clear that defence readiness is changing. It will always be about the strength and professionalism of our armed forces personnel and their families, but it is also about energy security and digital capability—new challenges in a new era. The threats that we fa…”

“Meur ras, Mr Speaker. As the Government work to unlock economic growth and strengthen social cohesion across the country, it is crucial that residents in every part of the UK feel that they are getting a fair share. I am concerned that support for estuary crossings may be allocated differently from support for the Tama…”

“In South East Cornwall we are rightly very proud of Cornwall Air Ambulance, which, along with more than 20 air ambulance charities across the UK, carries out vital lifesaving work, responding to over 130 missions daily and attending some of the most serious incidents, from road traffic collisions to cardiac arrests and…”

“Yesterday I, alongside many constituents, was trapped on the main line—the one line we have between Cornwall and London—as a fire on the line caused havoc for businesses and constituents. I pay tribute to the emergency services, who responded so well to that incident. However, I want to highlight how a journey that sho…”

“People in South East Cornwall regularly contact me with serious concerns about poor property management practices, such as high service charges and limited accountability from managing agents, including FirstPort. I am also hearing from residents who face new admin fees from housing providers, including £66 for every h…”

“I thank my hon. Friend for calling for this really important debate. There are vulnerable residents across Cornwall, and particularly in South East Cornwall. The ability of different data collectors to work alongside each other, and ensure that we know where the vulnerable people are and that they can be reached quickl…”

“In South East Cornwall, 177 residents signed the petition. Does my hon. Friend agree that when the first warning signs appear, we must ensure access to simple tests, including a finger-prick test, that can save their lives? I want to recognise a local family: Alison and Mylor have travelled here today to make the case …”

“I congratulate my hon. Friend on securing this really important debate. He talks rightly about our pride in our industrial heritage and in the industrial future we will secure when we work together with all communities to celebrate Cornish innovation. The right place for Cornwall is at the heart of our green revolution…”

“I warmly welcome that the UK will now, thanks to these Labour choices, spend £3 billion less per year on debt interest up to 2030. My constituents need to feel that in their daily lives, so will the Chancellor further outline how we will unlock the ability to tackle living standards by spending less to service debt? Ho…”

“Nature underpins our wellbeing and our economy, and in South East Cornwall we truly understand that. Take the Cornish black bee: hardy, resilient and well suited to our Atlantic winds, it heads out to gather pollen even in unfavourable conditions, and that determination feels very familiar to Cornish people. The Cornis…”

“Meur ras, Madam Deputy Speaker. I am pleased to have secured a debate on this issue, which I have campaigned on consistently since becoming the Member of Parliament for South East Cornwall, and which has existed for many years before my time in this House. It is an issue that I hear about daily because of its impact on…”

“My hon. Friend’s intervention goes to the heart of this question: how do we move communities like ours into the future, taking advantage of cleaner, greener and cheaper sources of energy, and bringing down costs for local residents? The Plymouth defence deal presents a real opportunity. The tolled crossings are enablin…”

“I thank the hon. Member for his intervention. I will come to that point later in my speech. There is a clear and well-established link between transport and inequality. Research undertaken in 2019 for the Department for Transport shows that transport shapes life chances through three factors: where people live and thei…”

“I wholeheartedly agree with that sentiment. This interaction between defence, regional connectivity, transport and what we are looking to achieve down in the south-west really needs cross-governmental consideration. This goes beyond defence, with Cornwall reviving its mining heritage through the development of critical…”

“I agree with the hon. Member that the impacts on communities are difficult. The situation is not a new one, and we continue to use historical funding models that reflect the priorities of their time. Over the years, there have been reviews, consultations and partial reforms, but no holistic restructure. Residents and b…”

“My hon. Friend makes an important point about the environmental impacts, which I will come to later. Geography amplifies the pressures, and the water boundaries bring a particular problem. For a standard car journey, it costs £3 to leave Cornwall on both the Tamar bridge and Torpoint ferry. The Cremyll ferry charges £3…”

“I thank the hon. Member for making that point. It is important to recognise that the future costs of these projects in Cornwall include maintenance, electrification and lots of other elements. That means we must work together with concrete resources to make sure that cheaper tolls are delivered for local people.”

“I thank my hon. Friend for her intervention. I completely agree that young people in our coastal communities are the future of the industry and the heart of our communities, and we must do all we can to work with them to ensure that they have an industry that is sustainable for the future. Sixthly, I welcome the Govern…”

“My hon. Friend raises a really important point, and I am grateful to him for referencing my part of the world. Dr Simon Thomas and Dr Bryce Stewart are doing brilliant work locally with fishermen. Their latest report was published just this morning. I will happily share it with Members here, and with the Minister, and …”

“Meur ras, Madam Deputy Speaker. I thank the right hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr Carmichael) for securing the debate. I start by thanking all those who support our fleets when things go wrong. Having previously worked for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, I have seen how devoted and brave its volunteers…”