The recent floods have brought distress and destruction to many people in Devon and although Torridge and West Devon has, for the most part, escaped the worst assaults of the weather, it has highlighted exactly how neglected the South West is with regards to communications.

 With this in mind, I have met twice with the Secretary of State for Transport in recent weeks, to impress upon him the impact which the collapse of the Dawlish line has had on local people.  He has assured me that his department is working with Network Rail to get the line up and running as soon as possible, and that while this work is ongoing they will be helping to ensure people have affordable and reliable travel alternatives.

 He has also stressed the Government's commitment to investing £31-million to increase the resilience of our transport infrastructure.  This is all well and good, however, our reliance locally on this one line cannot be overstated.

For this reason, I will be doubling my efforts to see the line from Okehampton to Tavistock reopened.  It is time that the South West reaped the benefits of the Government's investment.

 As the floods begin to subside, there will rightly be a time to examine what could have and ought to have been done better.

Last Wednesday, I attended a debate calling for a cut to VAT to help the tourism industry and was reminded just how important this industry is for the local economy. In light of the recent problems, a boost to our area is sorely needed.

 I will therefore be campaigning strongly to remind the country that the South West is open for business and that our hospitality and tourist centres are ready to welcome visitors.