In her latest update, South West Devon MP Rebecca Smith reflects on lobbying ministers for more dentists, tackling NHS waste, backing local businesses and launching a major transport survey across Plymouth’s communities.
As Parliament once more begins its busy schedule, this month has combined work in Westminster with detailed conversations back home. Alongside speeches and debates, much of my focus has been on persistence, follow-up and asking the right questions on behalf of South West Devon.
At my regular surgeries, I met with constituents including Derek, a 94-year-old gentleman who has been experiencing issues with HMRC and with Sarah Jane and her mother who shared their concerns about wastage within the NHS.
These conversations help identify what isn’t working on the ground and where pressure needs to be applied.
It has also been great to meet with local employers and innovators, including Dave and Karen at PUSHED and the team at Plessey Semiconductors, to understand how skills, technology and investment are shaping Plymouth’s economy.
Alongside this, I had a constructive meeting with the Health Minister, alongside the other Plymouth MPs to lobby for more local dental training places at our world-class dental school.
Looking ahead, I’ll be launching my big Transport Survey in the coming weeks to gather residents’ views on local connectivity and what issues you have with the current transport network.
I will also be taking part in a rural affairs debate, following the Government’s decision to change inheritance tax thresholds for family farms and businesses, an issue of real importance to many across Plympton, Plymstock and the whole of South West Devon.
As always, if you’d like to share your concerns with me over email, please do get in touch at rebecca.smith.mp@parliament.uk
Read on to hear about my work for our area in more detail!
Lobbying Health Minister for more local dentists
Last month myself and Plymouth’s two other MPs met with the Labour Minister of State for Care to lobby for more local dental training places.
We have a world-class dental school, Peninsula, but currently only around 5% of its students are local. In many ways it is a victim of its own success, with most students coming from outside the area.
These students are then placed into a national allocation system after graduating and most choose to return to their home cities.
Expanding the number of places for local applicants would help rebalance this and strengthen our local workforce. I also made sure that the Minister was very clear about our shortage of local NHS dentists.
I’m pleased to be working on this cross-party with the other Plymouth MPs and I’m hopeful that we will see progress. I will continue campaigning for Plymouth and the wider South West to have more locally trained dentists delivering the appointments our communities urgently need.
Discussing issues over NHS waste
It was a pleasure to meet with Elaine and her daughter Sarah Jane, at one my recent surgeries.
They contacted me to share some concerns about NHS waste, including unused, in-date medication that had to be destroyed and physiotherapy equipment like walking frames and crutches that could be reused and highlighted campaigns like Think Twice, Order Right to reduce unnecessary waste.
We had a very constructive discussion, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to listen to her ideas and explore practical steps that could make a real difference locally and nationally.
I will be following up with Pharmacy England about repeat prescriptions and raising these issues with the Devon Integrated Care Board to see how waste can be reduced.
A huge thank you to Elaine and Sarah Jane for taking the time to meet with me.
Launching my Big Transport Survey – have your say
Getting around our local area matters a lot — whether you rely on the bus, the train, your bike, or your car. That’s why I’m launching a new Big Transport Survey and I want to hear from you.
Over the coming weeks, a survey will be sent out to residents across Plympton and Plymstock. It’s your chance to share what works, what doesn’t, and what you’d like to see change.
Everything is on the table — from local bus services like Stagecoach and Plymouth Citybus, to cycle routes, rail connections and how easy it is to travel between our communities.
I’m also keen to hear your views on bigger ideas for the future, including the concept of a Plympton Metro and practical improvements such as expanding the platform at Ivybridge Station so more trains can stop there.
Your experiences and ideas will help shape the conversations I’m having with ministers, transport providers and local decision-makers and ensure South West Devon’s voice is heard loud and clear.
Please look out for the survey and take part. I really do want to hear from you.
INCREDIBLE WORK HAPPENING AT PLESSEY
It was great to visit Plessey Semiconductors in my constituency last month and see some of the fantastic work they are doing.
I really enjoyed meeting with Haylo Labs founders, David and Claire, following their recent acquisition of Plessey which is backed by a five-year commitment of over £100 million. It was encouraging to hear about the significant investment planned to grow the company, expand production and create more highly skilled jobs locally. I also enjoyed my tour to learn more about their work.
Plessey has a proud heritage in our city and continues to lead in cutting-edge semiconductor and micro-LED technology. The commitment to building on that legacy, backed by long-term investment in people, skills and innovation is fantastic news for Plymouth.
I look forward to working with Plessey as they drive forward this next chapter, strengthening both our local economy and the UK’s position in advanced manufacturing.
Victory for family businesses
Many family farms and family-run businesses across South West Devon have been understandably concerned about recent proposals on inheritance tax and what they could mean for passing livelihoods on to the next generation.
The Government has now confirmed that the inheritance tax threshold for qualifying family farms will rise to £2.5 million from April 2026, up from £1 million.
For many local families, whether in agriculture or in business, this change will offer greater certainty and reassurance.
Family enterprises are often built up over decades, with assets tied up in land, buildings, equipment or premises rather than cash and it’s important that the tax system recognises that reality.
As Parliament returns from recess, I will be taking part in the debate on these changes to ensure the experiences of family farms and family businesses in South West Devon are properly represented.
While this announcement is welcome, I know there is more to do to provide long-term clarity and confidence for rural communities and family enterprises and I will continue to raise these concerns as discussions move forward.
Visiting Dave and Karen at PUSHED
It was great to meet with Dave and Karen at PUSHED recently to discuss some of the incredible work they are doing as a small business operating in Plympton.
They’re creating amazing animation and video projects for clients including City College Plymouth, the National Trust, Brittany Ferries and even Adidas! We also discussed some of the challenges facing small businesses and the creative industry – a reminder of how important it is to support local talent.
