IT’S been a busy week in Parliament following the King’s Speech, which set out the government’s priorities for the new Parliament.

During Department for Business and Trade Questions, I highlighted Hannah Willow’s excellent art company and the difficulties she, alongside many other small creative businesses in North Cornwall, is facing due to the new de minimis charge coming into effect on July 1. Under the new rules, items valued under €150 will incur a €3 fee, as the UK is no longer exempt from customs duties. I will continue pressing the government on how we can relieve small businesses of unnecessary red tape, burdensome regulations, and additional costs such as these.

In the same vein, I also challenged the government over concerning suggestions that sanctions on Russia could be eased due to the cost-of-living pressures caused by the conflict involving Iran. The answer should never be to weaken our support for Ukraine. Instead, we should support constituents in North Cornwall who rely heavily on oil to heat their homes through measures such as a temporary VAT cut on heating oil and a 10p reduction in fuel duty, funded through a levy on the excessive profits of major banks. We must remain loyal to our Ukrainian allies, both morally and for our own national security, while also supporting those struggling with the cost-of-living crisis here at home.

As I mentioned previously, we must also address the disproportionately high fuel costs faced by rural constituencies like ours. I raised this issue in the Commons last Thursday, and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Lucy Rigby MP, has agreed to meet with me to discuss including Cornwall in the Rural Fuel Duty Relief Scheme.

Another important achievement this week was securing a meeting with the Legal Aid Minister, Sarah Sackman KC MP, following Justice Questions, to discuss the legal aid means test for victims of domestic abuse. I raised the fact that North Cornwall continues to face some of the worst legal aid deserts in the UK, with rurality and poor transport links worsening the postcode lottery in access to justice.

Roughly a third of domestic abuse survivors are forced to represent themselves in court because, even where advice is available, eligibility criteria often prevent them from accessing support. I will continue pressing the Ministry of Justice to make legal aid more accessible for survivors of domestic abuse. The first step should be raising the income threshold in the means test, followed ultimately by removing the capital assets requirement altogether.

I also echoed these concerns while acting as Liberal Democrat spokesperson during a

Westminster Hall debate on the Child Maintenance Service and safeguarding victims of domestic abuse in the family courts. We need a truly joined-up, cross-departmental strategy in practice, meaning the Home Office and Ministry of Justice must work closely with specialist domestic abuse organisations to better understand and tackle these issues.