Josh MacAlister MP welcomed senior leaders from VisitEngland to West Cumbria this week as part of a major new Government-backed campaign to promote domestic tourism to the North West’s coastal communities, including St. Bees and Whitehaven.

The £1 million VisitEngland campaign aims to drive more day trips and overnight stays to seaside destinations across the North West, helping to unlock the enormous economic potential of coastal towns like ours.

The visitor economy is already a cornerstone of England’s prosperity, with domestic tourists spending £76 billion nationwide in 2024. However, research shows that domestic trips to the seaside are down 11% year on year, highlighting a significant opportunity for growth.

Josh MacAlister MP said:

“West Cumbria’s coastline is one of the most beautiful and distinctive in the country. From the dramatic cliffs and sandy beach of St. Bees to the rich maritime heritage of Whitehaven’s harbour, we have so much to offer visitors all year round.

“Tourism means jobs, investment and pride of place for our communities. This campaign is about making sure more families across the country choose West Cumbria for weekend breaks, walking holidays and seaside stays – not just in the height of summer, but throughout the year.

“By backing our coastal towns, we are backing local businesses, supporting hospitality jobs and helping our high streets thrive.”

During their visit, VisitEngland’s leadership team met with local tourism operators, hospitality businesses and community representatives to showcase the unique offer of West Cumbria – from coastal walking routes and heritage attractions to independent restaurants and family-friendly beaches.

Andrew Stokes OBE, Director of VisitEngland, said:

“England’s seaside towns hold a special place in our national story, and places like St. Bees and Whitehaven offer visitors a truly distinctive coastal experience – from spectacular scenery and outdoor adventure to heritage and warm Cumbrian hospitality.

“Domestic tourism is worth billions to our economy, and there is clear potential to grow the share enjoyed by coastal communities. Through this campaign, we want to inspire more people to discover the North West’s coastline, stay longer, and explore beyond the traditional summer season.

“By working in partnership with local leaders and businesses, we can ensure tourism delivers sustainable, year-round benefits for communities across West Cumbria.”

Josh added:

“There is huge untapped potential here. With better promotion and national visibility, we can ensure West Cumbria gets its fair share of the £76 billion domestic tourism market.

“I will continue working with VisitEngland, local businesses and the Government to champion our coastline and ensure the benefits of tourism are felt right across our community.”

• Around 5,000 vulnerable children and their families to benefit from pilot scheme to support kinship carers.
• £126 million of support confirmed specifically for family members such as grandparents, aunts and uncles who care for relatives’ children – the largest investment of its kind.
• Ambitious pilot in seven local authority areas to inform plans for expansion further down the line.

Thousands of children living in kinship care are set to benefit from earlier, more consistent support as the government today announces seven new Kinship Zones across England.

Kinship carers are adults who step in to provide a loving and supportive home to children in their family whose parents are unable to care for them full-time for a wide range of reasons. They are often grandparents, aunts, uncles or family friends.

These children have often experienced trauma and might otherwise end up in the care system, where outcomes in areas like education and health are significantly worse.

Currently, kinship carers do not receive consistent financial support, unlike foster carers and adoptive families. This is despite the fact that kinship care is shown to lead to better outcomes the residential care homes, with a 2021 report by University College London showing lower rates of long term illness and higher rates of employment for adults with a history of kinship care compared to those that grew up in foster or residential care.

The government is now trialling a financial allowance to eligible kinship carers, backed by £126 million to reach around 5,000 children, recognising the vital role carers play in the lives of their vulnerable children.

This starts with a pilot in the seven local authority areas announced today, with kinship carers to be provided with funding per child, equivalent to what foster carers receive.

These Zones will provide kinship carers with a financial allowance equivalent to the fostering allowance, as well as wider support for kinship families. Backed by £126m, these zones will test the impact on children of providing extensive support to family networks, as an alternative to the care system.

This ambitious pilot programme – the largest government investment in kinship care of its kind to date – will support around 5,000 kinship children, backed by over £126 million of new funding confirmed for the first two years with further funding to be confirmed in the next Spending Review period.

The pilot will run for up to three and a half years, with further expansion to be confirmed after evaluation.

Watch my speech in Parliament this week on the package of reforms the government is putting in place to support kinship carers and keep families together

The seven confirmed Kinship Zone local authorities are:

• Bexley (Greater London)
• Bolton (North West)
• Newcastle (North East)
• North East Lincolnshire (East Midlands)
• Medway (South East)
• Thurrock (East of England)
• Wiltshire (South West)

For too long, too many families across West Cumbria have felt worn down by the system that is meant to support their children.

Over the past year, I’ve met with children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), sat down with parents who described exhausting battles for support, visited local schools doing their very best with limited resources, and listened closely to SEND charities and support organisations serving our area. I have taken what I have heard directly to ministerial colleagues to help shape the reforms now being introduced.

This week, the Government announced a £4 billion package to transform SEND support and make every mainstream school more inclusive. It is a significant moment – and one that must deliver real change for families here in Cumbria.

A central part of the reforms is a new £1.6 billion Inclusive Mainstream Fund. This will provide direct funding to schools and early years settings over the next three years so they can step in earlier when a child begins to show additional needs. That could mean small group language support, more tailored teaching approaches, or earlier identification of learning differences – without families having to wait for problems to escalate.

Alongside this, a £1.8 billion “Experts at Hand” service will give schools direct access to specialist professionals such as educational psychologists, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists. Crucially, schools will be able to draw on this expertise whether or not a child has an Education, Health and Care Plan. Once fully rolled out, the average secondary school will receive the equivalent of more than 160 additional days of specialist support each year.

The reforms also include more than £200 million to ensure every Best Start Family Hub provides dedicated SEND outreach and advice, strengthening early help for parents. A further £200 million will fund the largest SEND teacher training programme ever delivered, with every teacher trained to support children with additional needs. And nationally, £3.7 billion in capital investment will create 60,000 new specialist places, helping more children attend and thrive in their local school.

None of this will fix every problem overnight. Families are right to expect sustained focus and accountability. But the direction of travel is clear: earlier support, stronger local expertise and an end to the adversarial culture that has left too many parents feeling they must fight for what their child needs.

Children in West Cumbria should not be forced to travel miles because their local school cannot meet their needs. Nor should parents feel exhausted by the process of securing help.

These reforms aim to rebuild confidence and put inclusion at the heart of all our schools. I will continue working with local families and feeding their experiences back into government to ensure the changes deliver for West Cumbria.

Ambulances are reaching serious emergencies across West Cumbria around 10 minutes quicker than they were a year ago – and Josh MacAlister MP saw that progress first-hand after joining a local paramedic on shift in a rapid response vehicle.

Spending time on the frontline with a West Cumbrian crew, Josh observed how rapid response vehicles are dispatched to life-threatening Category 2 emergencies – including heart attacks and strokes – often arriving ahead of a full ambulance to begin urgent treatment.

New figures show that for these serious incidents, local crews are now reaching patients around 10 minutes faster than last year – a change that can mean the difference between life and death in a rural area like ours, where distance and geography can pose real challenges.

Across England, average ambulance waits are down by a third – from 47:26 to 32:43 – following major new investment in emergency care, including an additional £450 million through the 2025/26 emergency care plan.

Josh MacAlister MP said:

“It was a real privilege to shadow one of our brilliant local paramedics and see first-hand the work they do in incredibly pressured circumstances. In West Cumbria, where journeys can be long and time matters enormously, every minute saved can save a life.

“The fact that ambulances are now reaching serious emergencies around 10 minutes faster than a year ago is hugely significant. That’s lifesaving care arriving more quickly for our communities.

“For too long, people here were promised improvements in the NHS but didn’t see them. We’re now starting to turn that around – through record investment and real modernisation: more evening and weekend appointments, surgical hubs cutting backlogs, more GP appointments, and smarter use of technology.

“But we know there’s much more to do. After years of Conservative failure, our health service was left under enormous strain. Labour is rebuilding it – and we utterly reject Nigel Farage’s reckless idea of scrapping the NHS and replacing it with private health insurance.

“People in West Cumbria voted for change. By backing our frontline staff and delivering faster emergency care, we’re making that change real.”

Children and families across Cumbria will benefit from a landmark £4 billion national investment to transform support for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), ensuring every mainstream school is equipped to meet additional needs.

The funding, announced alongside the government’s schools white paper, ‘Every Child Achieving and Thriving’, represents a generational reform of the SEND system – ending the “one size fits all” approach and rebuilding parents’ confidence by making support available earlier and closer to home.

The reforms follow extensive engagement with parents, teachers and sector experts across the country, including public meetings held here in Cumbria by local MP and Children’s Minister Josh MacAlister.

Under this major package of reforms, all of Cumbria’s early years settings, schools and colleges will be resourced to deliver earlier support and greater specialist expertise to support children with additional needs. A new £1.6 billion Inclusive Mainstream Fund will provide direct funding to schools and early years settings over three years to introduce targeted interventions. Alongside this, a £1.8 billion “Experts at Hand” service will give schools on-demand access to specialists such as educational psychologists, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists, with the average secondary school set to receive the equivalent of more than 160 additional days of specialist support each year.

Josh MacAlister, MP for Whitehaven and Workington and Minister for Children and Families, said:

“I’ve spoken to too many families across West Cumbria who feel worn down by a system that responds too late and only after a battle. Who feel the only way they can guarantee their child a good education is by fighting for a place in a specialist school, which may be miles away.

“Families shouldn’t have to fight and children shouldn’t have to travel miles because their needs cannot be met locally. I’ve taken all those experiences and concerns raised with me directly to ministerial colleagues to help shape these reforms and what the Government is proposing will make sure tailored support is available earlier, in every local school, without parents having to fight for it.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

“I’ve heard first hand the struggles and exhaustion faced by too many parents who feel they have to fight the system to get their child the support they need. 

“But getting the right support should never be a battle – it should be a given.

“That means no more ‘one size fits all’ system that only serves children who fit the mould. Instead, families will get tailored support built around their child’s individual needs, available on their doorstep.”

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

“Children with SEND deserve a system that lifts them up, and that puts no limit on what they can go on to achieve. 

“That means brilliant teachers and experts providing support where children need it, when they need it – in their local school, without families having to fight. 

“These reforms are a watershed moment for a generation of young people and generations to come, and a major milestone in this government’s mission to make sure opportunity is for each and every child.”

Taken together, the measures aim to end the postcode lottery in SEND provision and build a system where opportunity is available to every child – including those growing up in Cumbria’s towns, villages and rural communities.

Read the Schools White Paper here

Respond to the SEND consultation here

Four west Cumbrian schools are being praised after being recognised as some of the strongest performers nationally for outcomes achieved by disadvantaged pupils.

Bookwell Primary School in Egremont, St Mary’s Catholic Primary School in Whitehaven, St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School in Workington and Beckstone Primary School in Workington were identified as being among the top-performing schools of their kind, reflecting the dedication of staff and the hard work of pupils throughout the last academic year.

Josh MacAlister, MP for Whitehaven and Workington, congratulated the schools and said their success was something the whole community could be proud of:

“This is a real credit to everyone at these four brilliant local schools – the staff, the pupils and the families who support them.

“Schools like these show what can be achieved when children are encouraged, supported and expected to do well, whatever their background.

“It’s important that we celebrate success locally, but also look at how good ideas can be shared so more children across West Cumbria get the best possible start in life.”

Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said:

“Congratulations to the teams at Bookwell, Beckstone, St. Mary’s and St. Patrick’s. These schools’ performance places them among the very best nationally, and this is a significant achievement.

“This success reflects the dedication of the staff and the hard work of pupils. It shows what can be achieved when ambition and commitment come together.

These top performing schools have been asked by the Education Secretary to partner with other local schools to continue their focus on improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.

National Apprenticeship Week last week was a good moment to stop and recognise something we do incredibly well here in West Cumbria.

We train more apprentices than almost anywhere else in the country. That doesn’t happen by accident. It’s down to the hard work of local colleges, training providers, employers and, most importantly, the young people who choose to take that path.

And it’s not just one type of apprenticeship. Yes, we are rightly known for strength in engineering, nuclear and construction. But apprenticeships here also cover health and social care, business and administration, digital and IT, hospitality, education and early years, and many more. They are a real alternative to the traditional university route and a first choice for many young people who want to earn while they learn.

This year the Government has announced changes to cut red tape so apprenticeship standards can be updated in three months instead of up to 18. That matters for places like ours. When new projects come forward, we need training to move quickly so local people can step into new jobs.

There is also £725 million being invested to create 50,000 more apprenticeships nationally, alongside a new “clearance-style” system so that young people who narrowly miss out on their first choice can be matched with other opportunities nearby. It’s about making the system work better and making sure no one ready to work is left behind. 

Expanding apprenticeships is also central to the industrial plan I’m working to deliver for West Cumbria. If we secure new nuclear at Pioneer Park, develop opportunities through an AI Growth Zone, or bring a clean jet fuel plant to our area – all credible projects I’m working hard to deliver – those must create real opportunities for local people. That means more apprenticeships in advanced manufacturing, digital, clean energy, project management, environmental services and beyond. The industries of the future need a skilled local workforce – and apprenticeships are how we build it.

I saw that potential first-hand during my recent visit to Energy Coast UTC. The students I met were focused and full of ambition. They know the opportunities that could be coming to our area, and they want to be part of them.

I was also pleased to attend Lakes College’s Apprenticeship Awards. With around 1,200 apprentices at the college, the scale of training happening right here is impressive. I want to congratulate everyone who won, who was highly commended, and who was nominated. To be recognised among so many talented apprentices is something to be proud of. It also reflects the hard work of the tutors and local employers who support them every day.

National Apprenticeship Week is about celebrating that effort. But it’s also about looking ahead. West Cumbria has the skills base, the training providers and the drive to keep leading the way.

Josh MacAlister MP has welcomed confirmation from the Environment Agency that St. Bees has been designated a priority bathing water site following its recent reclassification from Excellent to Good.

After raising concerns about the downgrade, Josh requested further investigation into the causes of the change in water quality.

The Environment Agency has now completed DNA analysis of water samples taken at St. Bees. The results indicate that faecal contamination from seabirds is currently the most significant influence on water quality. The analysis also detected markers from humans, dogs, cattle, sheep and horses, suggesting multiple contributing sources both within the wider catchment and from activity on or near the beach.

Although a “Good” rating means the water continues to meet national bathing water standards, Josh has stressed that the community expects and deserves the highest possible classification.

Josh MacAlister MP said:

“St. Bees Beach is incredibly important to our community – environmentally, socially and economically. I love walking my dogs there. While a ‘Good’ rating means the water is safe, we should be aiming for ‘Excellent’.

“I welcome the Environment Agency’s decision to designate St. Bees as a priority bathing water and to develop a detailed action plan ahead of the 2026 season. I will continue to work closely with them and local partners to ensure the necessary steps are taken to restore St. Bees to the highest standard.”

The Environment Agency has confirmed it will produce a detailed action plan ahead of the 2026 bathing season, focusing on the measures most likely to deliver improvements. The final plan will be shared with stakeholders once completed.

Josh says that he will continue to monitor progress and press for effective action to protect and enhance water quality at St. Bees.

A cancer diagnosis changes your life in an instant. Almost every family in West Cumbria will know someone who has faced that moment – or will in the future. How quickly and well we are treated can make the difference between life and death.

That is why the National Cancer Plan, published last week, matters so much.

At its heart is a clear and ambitious goal: by 2035, three in four people diagnosed with cancer will be cancer-free or living well five years later. That would represent the fastest improvement in cancer outcomes this century, saving an estimated 320,000 lives.

But ambition alone is not enough. For too long, progress on cancer has been held back by long waits, workforce shortages and a postcode lottery in care. Under the Conservatives, the NHS failed to meet its main cancer waiting time target for a decade, and some cancer survival rates in England have fallen behind those in countries like Romania. That failure has been felt most sharply in rural and remote coastal communities.

When I brought Health Secretary Wes Streeting to West Cumberland Hospital, I wanted him to see the challenges of delivering high-quality acute care across a large rural area first-hand. Staff and patients spoke honestly about long waits and long journeys for treatment, and about how hard it is to recruit and retain specialists locally.

Those lessons are clearly reflected in this plan.

By 2029, the NHS will meet all three cancer waiting time standards, meaning hundreds of thousands more patients will start treatment within 62 days. There will be a major expansion of faster diagnostics, with new scanners, modern technology and Community Diagnostic Centres operating evenings and weekends to bring tests closer to home.

Crucially for West Cumbria, the plan commits to training and deploying more cancer specialists, with new places targeted at trusts with the biggest workforce gaps and a clear priority for rural and coastal areas. I have written to the Minister to make sure West Cumbria benefits from this commitment in practice.

The plan also recognises the wider impact cancer has on people’s lives. Every patient will receive a personalised cancer plan covering treatment, mental health and employment, so people are not left to navigate recovery alone. New employer partnerships will help hundreds of thousands of working-age patients stay in work during and after treatment.

For families of children with cancer, there is also a £10 million fund to cover travel costs – an important step in a place like West Cumbria, where families often have to travel to Carlisle or Newcastle for specialist care, at costs that can run into thousands of pounds.

This plan will not fix everything overnight. But it is a serious, long-term commitment to modernise cancer care, back NHS staff, and make sure where you live does not determine your chances of survival.

Whitehaven and Workington MP Josh MacAlister has welcomed the Labour Government’s announcement that ground rents will be capped at £250 a year, calling it a “long overdue step that will make a real difference to leaseholders in West Cumbria.”

The Government confirmed the cap as part of a wider package of measures.

Josh MacAlister MP said the change will bring relief to families who have faced unfair and escalating charges for years:

“I have met many local residents who have been ripped off for far too long. This cap will save some families hundreds of pounds a year and finally puts an end to one of the worst injustices in the leasehold system.”

The MP also welcomed the Government’s commitment to ban new leasehold flats, delivering on Labour’s manifesto pledge to bring to an end the outdated leasehold model.

Josh added: “This important action to support leaseholders with the cost of living comes after years of inaction and neglect from the Conservatives. Both the Tories and Reform opposed our legislation. This is change that only a Labour Government can bring about.”

Alongside the cap, the Government has published the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill, which will strengthen the rights and protections of more than five million leaseholders. The Moving to Commonhold consultation has also opened, giving people the chance to shape the next phase of reform.

The announcement also builds on the recently passed Renters Rights Act and Labour’s landmark planning reforms, aimed at ensuring everyone has a safe and secure home.

Josh said:

“This is fantastic news for leaseholders in West Cumbria who have been trapped in an unfair system for too long. I am proud that a Labour Government has delivered where the previous Tory Government failed.

“When I stood to be your local MP in July 2024, our manifesto promised this reform, and I’m delighted this protection for leaseholders is being brought about with Labour.”