IN the second part of the Weekly News' interview with Burnham MP David Heathcoat-Amory, reporter James Beal quizzes the experienced Conservative about the issues affecting the area.

JB (James Beal): Focusing on Burnham's Civic Pride regeneration project, what can be done to give Burnham's town centre a bit of help?

DHA (David Heathcoat-Amory): We were badly let down by the South West Regional Development Agency.

It was a very serious blow for the town.

What we've got to do is not accept that this is the end of Civic Pride. We've got to find other ways of regenerating Burnham.

We've got to be proud of it and put resources, energy and enterprise behind it. I will do whatever I can to help.

JB: Is the Government doing enough to help people living in the possible corridor for pylons travelling to Hinkley Point?

DHA: We've got to get the electricity away from Hinkley Point when it is rebuilt, but it can't be done with overhead pylons which are going to damage a very precious part of the Somerset countryside.

We haven't been offered the option of a submarine cable, I am demanding that that is investigated and included in the discussions.

JB: With Somerset County Council cutting back on its highways budget, do you think the Weekly News' A Safer Coast Road campaign will be affected?

DHA: Somerset County Council faces a very severe budgetary squeeze but there are some positive signs.

Firstly, we have been running that campaign for a long time - everybody knows about it.

And what was very significant on the last march, I managed to get the leader of Somerset County Council along as well and he told me afterwards how impressed he was by the case.

So I think we have won the argument - the question now is can we get the funding in a reasonable timescale?

JB What's going to be your main campaigning points for the upcoming election?

DHA: What we need, if we do get a change of Government - and I think we will - is to have someone who can fight for what is important in rural Britain.

I think I can, that's my job, and I have always tried to put the constituency first - so there are two reasons, a national reason and a local reason.

JB: The LibDems are campaigning quite hard it seems for your seat, but you are pretty confident you can fend them off?

DHA: Well I have beaten them six times in a row, this is number seven. I think this is going to be lucky seven.