In Westminster, the main business of the week was the Commons voting on the amendments to the Rwanda Bill from the Lords. I was not surprised to see that they had attempted to completely trash the Bill. The amendments would again allow judges to make decisions on whether Rwanda is safe and permit every desperate claim under the Human Rights Act to stall deportation – defeating the entire purpose! I voted against each amendment. However on Wednesday, the Lords put forward new amendments - it looks like the ping-pong will continue for a while!

Good news for farmers this week, as Defra announced that payments for the Environmental Land Management scheme are being increased by 10%. The Department are also increasing the list of actions they can take which would make them eligible for the money. As I’ve written before, it is so important that we support agriculture. Food security is right up there with defence as a key priority for any government.

I was delighted fellow Devon Conservative MP, Selaine Saxby’s Bill to curb illegal pet smuggling passed its second reading last Friday. Criminals abroad raising puppies and kittens in squalid conditions to be sold in the UK for profit is appalling enough, but even worse when the dogs, cats and ferrets have been abused, mutilated and starved.

Devon has been awarded £7m from the Department for Transport to build infrastructure for electric vehicles. The idea is to make owning an electric vehicle convenient by constructing public charging points, a good idea in my view. No one is going to want to buy a car that they can’t charge. Not everyone can charge a car at home. I am looking forward to this programme rolling out soon.

It was English Tourism Week last week. Every year tourists spend £89b in England, of which £8.4b is spent here in the South West. Particularly in rural and coastal areas, like Dawlish, tourism is an important part of the economy which I want to see better supported by the Government. The latest research from Visit England says the South West is the most popular place to visit in England between April and June. I was delighted to visit Powderham Castle on Friday to celebrate. This ancient treasure is a great day out for a family and a first class venue for concerts, seasonal fairs (plenty on offer this Easter) and much more.

It was a great pleasure to join the Dawlish Chamber once again for their monthly business breakfast and at the weekend to visit the craft fair at Abbotskerswell -some very talented people! And then to attend the Portreeve’s annual dinner of the Court Leet and Court Baron at the Royal British Legion in Newton Abbot. It was a lovely opportunity to celebrate the history and traditions of the town.

My final thoughts this week are with the Princess of Wales and her family coming to terms with a cancer diagnosis. A strong lady, I am sure her resilience will shine through. I wish them well at a difficult time.

As always, if you would like to book a surgery appointment (in-person or virtual) or raise a specific issue, please call my office on 01626 368277 or email [email protected] to arrange an appointment.