Last week I spoke about examples of new businesses who will only add to the thriving hospitality and tourism sector we have here in Fylde, a timely coincidence, with 15th to 24th March being English Tourism Week. To mark the occasion, I met with the Tourism Minister, discussing the measures the Government is taking to support small and medium sized businesses, the very type of business who form the backbone of Fylde’s visitor economy.
From marquee events such as Lytham Festival, St Annes Kite Festival or major golf tournaments at the Fylde coasts’ prestigious courses, to the smaller community-based events like our Club Days, Country Shows or the recent lantern and ice festivals held in Kirkham town centre, Fylde really does offer something for everyone.
But modern businesses need a reliable internet service and on Monday I met with Building Digital UK (BDUK). While pleased that 88% of homes and businesses in Fylde already have access to superfast broadband, up from 86% in January, it is vital that those areas that remain have a similar level of connectivity.
The Government is stepping in to help those areas where private operators have deemed it to be commercially unviable to install, with BDUK co-ordinating these efforts via Project Gigabit. In January I raised the issue with the Minister for Digital Infrastructure during Parliamentary Questions and the Minister assured me that she shared my desire to avoid any further delays and wants to see installation start as soon as possible, connecting those remaining premises.
This is my seventh such meeting with BDUK, and I was pleased to hear that we remain on track to see the Lancashire contract awarded this summer and work to begin later this year. Combined with private providers continuing their own installations alongside this, we are slowing closing the digital divide.
Inflation reduces the value of people’s earnings and savings and, as we have seen following the pandemic and subsequent global conflicts, can cause hardship and worry for millions of people. While the Government made unprecedented interventions to help ease these burdens, this has a lasting financial cost.
This is why the Prime Minister set tackling inflation as the top target for this Government upon entering office. At the time inflation stood at 11.1 per cent, with the goal being set to half this rate, something achieved several months ago, and which has since been surpassed, with inflation falling further to 3.4 per cent. This news, combined with the Government’s recent cuts to National Insurance, as well as the £900 increase in the state pension thanks to the continued commitment to the Triple Lock, all of which is helping to put more money in people’s pockets.