I’M grateful to Dr Peter Williams from Malton for raising two important issues in recent letters pages.

He suggests that I am content for the North to remain the Cinderella region because much more is spent per capita on transport infrastructure in London.

On the contrary, addressing this unfairness has been a top priority during my time as your MP.

As co-chair of the Northern Powerhouse APPG, I have written and co-ordinated a letter to the Chancellor, signed by more than 80 MPs and Peers, calling on him to commit to a step-change in funding for the North totalling £120 billion over the next 30 years including £39 billion for Northern Powerhouse Rail. I have also raised the matter regularly in Parliament and had many meetings with ministers. I am very much in favour of devolution centred around city regions in York, Hull, Leeds and Sheffield, each with their own mayor.

Unlike a One Yorkshire deal, it would give each city area an opportunity to elect someone truly local and protect the interests of rural areas.

As for local farmers post-Brexit, I have worked closely with Rt Hon Michael Gove MP as his Parliamentary Private Secretary at DEFRA and now in his role as the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster overseeing no deal planning to make sure that their interests are protected. I meet with farmers regularly and recently arranged a meeting with Mr Gove so they could question him directly.

Farmers will continue to receive the support they need to take advantage of new post-Brexit opportunities and contingency plans are in place to minimise disruption for the whole farming sector. There will be risks to at least some of our farmers in the event of a no deal exit outcome, but I can confirm that there will be direct financial support for viable businesses affected by this situation.

I do, however, expect a deal will be reached which protects all businesses, including in the food and farming sectors.

Kevin Hollinrake, MP for Thirsk and Malton

No-deal concern

I’M concerned by a growing government censorship of the implications of no-deal Brexit.

Following Boris Johnson’s shutdown of Parliament to avoid criticism, we’ve had the Business Secretary threatening that public-sector contracts could be withheld from firms which warn

that Brexit is national economic self-harm.

The government has refused to disclose details of the likely disruption to food supplies in the event of no deal.

Although forced to publish the Civil Service ‘Operation Yellowhammer’ document, it nevertheless censored a section on panic buying.

The document confirms that fresh products would be in short supply, with medicines “particularly vulnerable” and the increase in food and energy prices “could impact vulnerable groups”.

I expect that means people in the north who are not as well off as the several millionaires in the Cabinet.

Here in our constituency, the fact that a no-deal Brexit would put sheep farmers out of business is an inconvenient truth that our MP Kevin Hollinrake has kept remarkably quiet about.

As we get closer to Brexit Day, I fear we can expect more of this censorship.

Dr Peter Williams, Newbiggin, Malton

Inspiration search

THE National Autistic Society wants to find exceptional people, schools and services making a huge difference to autistic children and adults, and their families. If your readers know anyone like this, please nominate them for our eighth annual Autism Professionals Awards.

It could be an inspirational teacher, a brilliant nurse or doctor, a forward thinking employer or someone who volunteers their time to support others.

We want to celebrate their achievements and share their stories, so we can promote innovative autism practice and inspire other people and organisations to help create a society that works for autistic people.

Find out more about autism and nominate by visiting: autismprofessionalsawards.org.uk

Carol Povey, director of the National Autistic Society’s Centre for Autism