One of the Westcountry's newest MPs is struggling to get on the property ladder in his own constituency.

Despite earning £65,738 a year Newquay and St Austell MP Stephen Gilbert said he is only able to rent a flat in Trethowl because although his salary has increased so has the deposit needed to secure a mortgage.

"This is the double whammy first-time buyers have been affected by," said the 35-year-old Liberal Democrat. "If I can't afford a deposit on £65,738, what about the thousands on lower incomes?"

Mr Gilbert said: "I think the Government needs to look at using the houses we already have. There are about 750,000 empty houses across the country and 7,000 in Cornwall.

"The coalition Government said it will tackle this problem to allow owners of these homes to bring them back into use.

"There should also be a limit to the number of second homes, as in some areas these make up 40-50 per cent of houses. We need to be making sure there are enough homes to meet needs and make houses become affordable because this issue has not been taken seriously before."

Mr Gilbert chairs the all-party parliamentary group on housing. He is also part of the scrutiny committee for the Localism Bill before it becomes law at the end of this year. This would devolve greater powers to councils and neighbourhoods, giving local communities control over housing and planning.

In parts of Cornwall the average house price is nearly 16 times the average annual wage.