This week in Parliament, I welcomed the news that the Women and Children’s Hospital at Treliske, as well as Derriford Emergency Care Hospital, have been allocated to ‘Wave 1’ of the revised New Hospital Programme. This means their projects will be kickstarted within the next two to three years.

When the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, announced in September that the new hospital plan was ‘subject to review’, I urged the Government to reconsider. While this update is welcome, I raised concerns with the Minister of State for Health and Secondary Care over the delay to improvements at North Devon District Hospital in Barnstaple, which will now not take place until at least 2035. Every patient, no matter where they live, deserves reliable care, and I will continue to hold the Government to account to ensure they deliver on their commitments to our community.

This week, I also hosted the inaugural meeting of the Dairy All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), discussing the crucial role dairy farmers play in our economy and the challenges they face in meeting sustainability targets while continuing to produce high-quality dairy products. As Chair of the APPG, I am committed to ensuring farmers' concerns are heard, particularly around innovation and practical solutions for achieving environmental goals.

Looking ahead, I welcomed Cornwall Council’s backing of a Cornwall-only devolution plan in a resounding vote. This is a landmark decision for Cornwall. Westminster has ignored our needs for too long, and this is our opportunity to secure fair funding and unlock Cornwall’s potential. Devolution on a Cornwall-only footprint is the only option that truly respects our history, culture, and national minority status. The alternative of being merged into a ‘Devonwall’ or wider Southwest region would be a short-sighted move that risks replacing Westminster control with governance from Plymouth — undermining Cornwall’s autonomy for generations to come.

Finally, I was pleased to hold several telephone surgery sessions this week, providing an opportunity for constituents who cannot attend in-person meetings to raise issues directly with me. My team is already working through the cases raised. If you have questions, casework, or concerns, please contact me at [email protected] or write to me at: Ben Maguire MP, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA.

Thank you to everyone who has reached out in recent weeks. For those awaiting a reply, my team and I are working hard to respond to the thousands of constituents who have been in touch. We appreciate your patience and will be in contact very soon.

Ben Maguire

Liberal Democrat MP for North Cornwall