On Friday I met with officers at Cornwall Council to see if we could achieve a more friendly and flexible approach towards parking in West Cornwall. We discussed the need to agree some compromise for doctors, care and support workers and others who, in the course of their work, sometimes need to park in restricted areas during busy periods. Currently they are likely to receive a parking penalty and be expected to apply to have this cancelled. We all know how time-consuming this is and there is no guarantee that the fine will be waived. I, along with care and support workers in particular, am asking for a simple permit that allows them to park for up to an hour in a safe place when they are providing care and support. We also discussed the recent fiasco of the funeral parking fines. Cornwall Council has agreed to write to the county's funeral directors to ask them to let the Council know when a large funeral is taking place so that steps can be put in place to avoid a repeat of Helston's recent experience. This leads me on to the sad passing of Mark Upton last week. I have known Mark for many years and during my time as Manager of Mustard Seed we worked together considering various uses and possibilities for parts of the Epworth Hall building. The extraordinary effort and hours that Mark put in to the Epworth Hall project will not be forgotten. I hope we never lose the unique richness and heritage that Cornish communities enjoy. On Saturday I attended Cllr Daniel Williams' Civic Service in St. Bartholomew's Church in Porthleven. While it is not easy to explain, these occasions are much more than an hour's service followed by a 'faith tea'. They are a reminder of how much we value the immediate community in which we live, how much we appreciate the freedoms we enjoy and how the church retains a place in the heart of our community. I wish the Town Mayor, Cllr Daniel Williams, the very best as he continues in service on behalf of the people of Porthleven.Sunday's Town Tidy event in Penzance was a celebration. If you take a 'glass half empty' approach then giving a Sunday morning to pick up litter, bottles and tackle established weeds is anything but a celebration. I take the 'glass half full' perspective - a considerable number of volunteers joined together to enjoy a lovely autumnal morning to demonstrate how much we all care for our town. It was a great event and Jess Golding and her team deserve huge credit. Thank you. I had the privilege of representing my Cornish Colleagues at the Cornwall Apprenticeship Awards, hosted by Truro and Penwith College, last week. This constituency enjoyed its share of success with Apprentice of the Year - Management and Marketing going to Darren Little of St Aubyn Estate and Apprentice of the Year - Motor Vehicle being awarded to Jacob Wood - Trelawney Citroen. Congratulations to them both and to their employers. Apprenticeships are particularly important because our young people have been leaving the area in considerable numbers to learn skills and find work. The apprenticeship route helps to address this exodus. We need more businesses and tradesmen to offer apprenticeships and the Cornwall Apprenticeship Awards celebrated the good work being done to support employers to do so. Considerable effort is being made to integrate health services in Cornwall and on the Isles of Scilly. Currently the scene can be confusing as a number of providers exist and take responsibility for different health and social care services. I visited Helston Community Hospital on Friday and discussed with staff their concern about who will run the hospital when the current provider, Peninsular Community Health, surrender the contract next year. My hope (that is shared by many others) is to see an existing Cornwall-based trust, or a federation of the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust and Cornwall Partnership Foundation Trust, to adopt the Peninsula Community Health hospitals to deliver fully joined-up hospital provision. We have an opportunity to simplify how health services are delivered and an opportunity to ensure that we work better together. The opportunity to bring services together in Cornwall is significant and I hope everyone who has any shred of influence will commit themselves to this objective.