On Tuesday 5th February, Neil Parish MP spoke up for the South West and our local economy.
Speaking in the Westminster Hall debate about the economy of the South West, Neil made a wide-ranging speech about what a fantastic place the South West is to live and work. However, he was keen to emphasise that there are some improvements that should be made to make the South West even more desirable and to improve the economy. He asked the Government to properly commit to improving the South West’s transport links, mobile coverage and high-speed internet, investing in the productivity of the rural economy.
Speaking after the debate, Neil said:
“The Westminster Hall debate, tabled by my Devon colleague Sir Gary Streeter MP, was a great opportunity to remind this Government what a wonderful place the South West is. We are very lucky to live in such a beautiful, unique and rural region. However, I want to see urgent improvement from the Government on timescales and delivery.
We should not wait to improve the quality of life for people in the South West. We need superfast broadband to be delivered, not delayed. And we also need mobile coverage to be expanded drastically, to help people carry out basic online functions efficiently. From submitting tax returns, to online shopping and applying for support from the Rural Payments Agency, the South West needs investment and delivery in better connectivity for the peninsula.
“Whilst improving online connectivity has become the number one priority for families and businesses in the South West, we must not forget the basics of reliable and well-designed transport infrastructure. We need better links into economic hubs like Exeter, which means a second arterial road route, greater resilience and capacity on the Dawlish line, funding for the Devon Metro project and joined-up bus services too. These improvements will make the South West more desirable than ever – and help more young people stay in the region to study, work and grow our South West economy”.
You can find Neil's full speech here.
