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.

The basic state pensions will rise by at least £2.85 a week thanks to the Liberal Democrats triple lock. It means 115,241 pensioners in Cornwall will benefit from an increase in their pension.

This rise will bring the level of the state pension to at least £115.95 and will benefit millions of pensioners across the UK. This is £18.30 more, each week, than in 2010 when the Liberal Democrats entered coalition. This means pensioners on the full basic state pension are £950 a year better off than they were under Labour.

The triple lock delivers a pension rise of whichever i

The Liberal Democrats campaigned for the triple local in opposition, have delivered it in Government and have pledged to write it into law in the next Parliament.s the greater of average earnings, inflation or 2.5%, meaning pensioners across Cornwall will see more money in their pockets.

Former Liberal Democrat Leader and Member of the House of Lords, Paddy Ashdown, will make a special visit to Cornwall on 11thDecember in support of Stephen Gilbert's re-election campaign.

Paddy became an MP after serving in the Royal Marines and the Secret Intelligence Services. Following his time as Liberal Democrat Party Leader from 1988-1999, he became the International High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina. He is now a member of the House of Lords and is the chair of the Liberal Democrat's 2015 campaign team.

During his visit, Paddy will be the guest of honour at a fundraising dinner to be held at the Atlantic Hotel, Newquay where he will speak about his time in the forces and give his take on current international affairs.

The event is open to all and tickets costing £50 (to include a three course meal and entertainment) can be purchased fromhttp://bit.do/PaddyinNewquay or by phoning 01637 850507.