Police Hubs for bobbies on the beat…
It should be a cause for celebration that a further 46 police officers will be joining the South Devon force by the end of this year. Of these, 25 are trainee officers and 21 are transferees. By the end of 2024, we are expected to have a higher complement of police officers than in 2010.
I was proud to stand on a Manifesto that promised 20,000 more police officers, and I am pleased to see this being delivered. With our excellent Police and Crime Commissioner, Alison Hernandez, we now have the opportunity to make South Devon the safest place in the country.
While we rank second place for safety and low levels of crime, that is not to say that it does not exist in our parts. Anti-social behaviour and drug-related crime are still frequently reported. We must ensure that these new officers are not assigned as desk jockeys, but are given the freedom and opportunity to be out and about and seen within the community. Only by showing our presence of officers will we be able to stamp out poor behaviour and dissuade criminals from committing crimes.
Part of my support for these new officers is through my campaign to use village and town halls across South Devon as police hubs. These hubs would serve as a stop-off point for officers to be able to use during their patrols. As such, they would help to extend patrol routes, improve police visibility and hopefully expand the already successful councillor-advocate scheme. If your village or town is interested in signing up for this scheme then get in touch.
Import investment and export opportunities
As a member of the International Trade Committee, I know full well that trade deals and negotiations can often be quite dry topics. However, their length, complexity and occasional tedium should not overshadow their importance in creating sizable benefits and opportunities for us all in South Devon.
Much of the time we speak about the import impact of our trade deals. With Australia and New Zealand trade deals soon to be ratified, those “import impacts” have been focused on agricultural produce. While I remain sceptical that these deals will adversely impact British agricultural producers, I am optimistic that these deals will help to attract inward investment into the UK. From our photonics sector to our fishing ports to our further education colleges, these trade deals take away the barriers that were previously in place and help expedite business-to-business engagement and investment.
However, by far the most overlooked part of these deals is that of the export opportunities. With the remaining tariff and non-tariff barriers being removed, UK producers from all sectors will now have improved opportunities to be able to export their services and produce to Australia and New Zealand. Membership in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will further enlarge those markets for our businesses.
We must be bold and determined in seizing these opportunities and over the coming months, I will be launching a Trade Exporting workshop to help local businesses become aware of what is on offer and what support UK Government can provide. Fortune favours the brave and in this new world, international trade agreements are going to be of even greater importance.