Cornish MP Leads Term-Time Holidays Debate

A Cornish MP is trying to stop parents being fined for taking children on holiday in term time.

St Austell and Newquay's Steve Double is leading a debate in Parliament on Monday afternoon.

It comes after a 100 thousand people signed a petition to overturn the rules.

Stuart Kirk runs a surf shop in Mawgan Porth and said: "We have noticed a massive difference between Easter and Whitsun - it is quiter now. Beginning of June, kids go back, to when they break up six weeks later; what we get now is a lot of elderly couples and a lot of younger couples with pre-school kids - nothing inbetween.

"When out kids were younger we could always fill out a form for the school, explain the fact that we do have a seasonal business so we would go away in September and the school was fine; now we can't go away. My wife has to go away with the children in August while I stay at home and stay at work."

Steve Double said: "Steve said: "This is one area where I disagree with the Government. I believe it should be up to parents to decide when to take their children on holiday. The policy is also unfair to those who work in the tourist industry and therefore unable to take a holiday during school holidays.

"This debate has been secured as a direct result of the online petition that has attracted over 100,000 signatures. I have been asked to lead the debate as a member of the Petitions Committee and I am looking forward to leading the debate and speaking up for the thousands of families affected by this policy.

"The impact of the school rule changes on not just our constituency but Cornwall as a whole is something I have campaigned on both before and after my election. I have met with Ministers and asked questions in Parliament and I am looking forward to being able to bring the experiences of both the many tourist businesses in St Austell and Newquay for which this is a major issue, as well as the hard-working parents and their children who are now losing out, to the debate."

It comes after Pirate FM told you more than two-thirds of tourism businesses in the South West say they have been negatively impacted by the ban on holidays in term-time.

According to latest research from Plymouth University, a fifth of tourism businesses in the region said they had seen a fall in income of more than 30%, while more than 60% have experienced a reduction in income since the regulations were introduced in 2013.

The research was commissioned by the Tourism Society Westcountry and the South West Tourism Alliance and conducted by Dr Andreas Walmsley, from the School of Tourism and Hospitality at Plymouth University.

It analysed responses to a questionnaire from more than 250 tourism businesses based in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Bristol.

Robin Barker, the Chairman of Tourism Society Westcountry and a spokesman for the South West Tourism Alliance, said: "The rule changes made in 2013 have caused widespread damage, not just to the viability of small tourism businesses, but to families and those whose jobs restrict them in when they take a break. This new research proves the impact it's had, at the same time coming up with constructive suggestions for better ways of doing things. I do hope it leads to constructive discussions with government and all involved."