Nick Harvey MP

North Devon MP Nick Harvey has handed a petition in to Parliament asking for a life-changing drug to become immediately available to sufferers of the rare kidney disease aHUS, including North Devon resident Elena Lilley.

Receiving almost 30,000 signatures from across the country, the petition demanded access to a new drug to treat the rare disease aHUS, or Atypical Haemolytic Uremic Syndrome.

This article appeared in last week's North Devon Journal.

One of the greatest pleasures of being North Devon's MP is getting out and about to see how hard work pays off often with outstanding results. With the national media's preoccupation with the economy it is very heartening to see so much ongoing investment in North Devon. Local businesses and our educational establishments have been signalling that our bit of Devon is worth investing in.

Nick Harvey, MP for North Devon, has voiced his opposition to proposals to remove full-time crewing at Ilfracombe Fire Station.

Responding to Devon and Somerset Fire & Rescue Service's consultation, the MP outlined his serious concerns about suggested changes. The main proposal would replace the nine full-time firefighters currently manning the station with a crew of entirely part-time or on-call firefighters, removing full-time cover at Ilfracombe completely.

Nick Harvey has pledged his support for women's rights in Afghanistan after meeting with representatives from Amnesty International.

As UK and NATO troops start to withdraw from Afghanistan, securing women's rights has become even more important. Although significant improvements have been made to human rights in Afghanistan since the international military intervention in 2001 that removed the Taliban from power, 87% of females in Afghanistan still face violence.

North Devon MP Nick Harvey has welcomed a new locally-based initiative to persuade 'dirty dog owners' to clean up after their pets.

The 'Skoopit' campaign, created by South Molton dog owners Paul Henderson and Tracey Lewis, uses posters and leaflets featuring images cleverly designed to shock and highlight the unpleasant consequences of irresponsible dog ownership.

Extracts from this article appeared in a Guardian article on 22/04/13 here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/apr/22/trident-replacement-plans-outdated-ideas

This week, the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) takes place in Geneva ahead of the 2015 Review Conference. As delegates come to the table to discuss progress towards global disarmament, we should also cast our thoughts inward to our own domestic dilemma: how we replace own submarine-based nuclear deterrent, Trident, and more precisely if we should do so on a like-for-like basis.

North Devon MP Nick Harvey has today spoken in Parliament to highlight the serious flaws in the targeting of Pupil Premium funding to children receiving Free School Meals (FSM).

In a debate secured by Nick in the Westminster Hall chamber, the MP highlighted how an estimated 1,400 children living in poverty in North Devon are actually ineligible for FSM, predominantly down to their parents being in work yet earning very low wages. This in turn means schools are not receiving Pupil Premium funding on the scale they might have reasonably expected.

North Devon MP Nick Harvey is calling on the Department of Transport and its chosen supplier of Search & Rescue helicopter services - Bristow - to explain in detail how and why they have decided to move the new service from Chivenor to St Athan in south Wales in 2015.

The MP explains:

"I want to see the numbers. All the infrastructure exists at Chivenor and will have to be replaced, and moving the personnel to Wales will cost money. I want to see the details of how they have come to the view that moving the service makes financial sense.

Nick Harvey has commented this morning on the announcement that Chivenor's Search and Rescue (SAR) facility will go to the St Athan base on the south Wales coast. This comes as part of a new 10-year contract with Bristow Helicopters Ltd to take over the running of all SAR units from the RAF.

Commenting, North Devon MP Nick Harvey said:

Nick Harvey, MP for North Devon, has welcomed news that Exmoor National Park Authority has secured just under £250,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for a wide range of learning, outreach and heritage work connected with Lynton & Lynmouth and the Exmoor National Park based at the Lynmouth Pavilion, which is currently under construction.