Last week, Stephen Gilbert MP, who has consistently championed the NHS in Parliament – challenging the use of private companies to perform health service functions and refusing to back the Government’s NHS reforms in 2011, secured Parliamentary time for a debate on the way that specialised NHS services are commissioned.

Stephen Gilbert MP spoke out in the House of Commons today in support of the Tenancies (Reform) Bill which sought to stop landlords evicting tenants who make a complaint about essential repairs or poor conditions in their homes.

Despite receiving cross-party support, and the Government’s backing, the Bill failed to pass its ‘Second Reading’ today after two Conservative MPs filibustered during the debate for almost three hours.

The Royal British Legion has thanked Stephen Gilbert, MP for St Austell and Newquay, for taking the time to meet with Legion Area Manager, Dymphna Knowles.

The Royal British Legion is the country’s leading welfare provider for the Armed Forces community, and last week local MP Stephen Gilbert attended an event in the Houses of Parliament dedicated to showcasing the Legion’s work throughout the South region. Stephen used the opportunity to discuss with Dymphna Knowles the changing face of Armed Forces welfare provision in the local community, and to understand more about the most pressing issues facing our Armed Forces.

Stephen Gilbert, MP for St Austell & Newquay, has welcomed a further fall in local unemployment during the month of September.

Figures published today by the Office for National Statistics show that the number of claimants in the mid-Cornwall constituency has fallen to 959 (1.6%) - the lowest level in six years and down from 1,551 (2.6%) in the same month last year.

After his election, Stephen Gilbert pledged that his top priority as the local MP would be to boost jobs and encourage business investment into the community.

Stephen Gilbert, the MP for St Austell, has voted to exclude the locally based and family run St Austell Brewery - and all family brewers with less than 500 tied pubs - from new regulations that would have caused the St Austell pub group to incur added administrative costs.

Mr Gilbert, who is currently debating the Government's proposed Small Business and Regulatory Reform Bill in a Parliamentary Bill Committee, voted against the Government "Whip" in order to protect St Austell Brewery from new regulations aimed at largest Pub Companies.

Newquay's MP, Stephen Gilbert, has today welcomed the Liberal Democrat Communities & Local Government Minister, Stephen Williams, to Newquay to see for himself the impact of derelict hotels on the town.

The Minister met with Stephen Gilbert MP, Cllr Joanna Kenny (Pentire Ward), Cllr Geoff Brown (Portfolio Holder for Homes and Communities; and Newquay Central Ward) and Cllr Edwina Hannaford (Portfolio Holder for Environment, Heritage and Planning) at the site of the former Fistral Bay Hotel in Pentire; before holding a private meeting about the issue at Newquay's Town Council offices.

Stephen Gilbert has campaigned for Government action on derelict hotel sites and tabled a Parliamentary Motion on the issue earlier this year calling for a tax on developers that sit on sites without regenerating them, and introduce powers for the council to reclaim the costs of making sites safe from the owner.

Stephen Gilbert MP has commented on the news that three surfers died off Mawgan Porth over the weekend:

"My deepest sympathies go out to the families and friends of those who tragically lost their lives over the weekend. While our coastline provides some of the most beautiful scenery and unrivalled opportunities for surfing, it can also be a very dangerous place. It's important for the police and emergency services to see what lessons can be learnt from this incident and if anything can be done to prevent the same thing happening to someone else."

Newquay's MP, Stephen Gilbert, has today said that the Newquay to London airline is "secure for years to come".

The MP, the Government, Cornwall Council and Newquay Cornwall Airport today announced a deal with FlyBe to run three return flights each day to Gatwick as part of a four-year package to support the key route.

Nurseries, childminders and other early years providers in Cornwall are set for a £342,734 cash injection to help three and four-year-olds from disadvantaged families.

Children from low income families have often fallen behind more well off classmates before they even start school.

But from April 2015, the Early Years Pupil Premium - which has been backed by groups like Barnados, 4Children and the Child Poverty Action Group - will mean extra money to make sure every child gets a fair start.

Last week, Stephen Gilbert MP chaired the launch meeting of the new Protect Our Waves All Party Parliamentary Group in conjunction with Surfers Against Sewage.

The meeting, which was attended by the Minister for Marine Environment (George Eustice MP), launched a new report into the effect of marine litter on the UK coastline which was produced in conjunction with World Animal Protection and the Crown Estate.

The report highlights the environmental impacts on marine ecosystems and wildlife, and the unaffordable costs to industries including fisheries and tourism. The report calls on government, industry and the public to adopt new strategies to reduce beach litter by 50% by 2020.