Last week was a particularly difficult one for me. My Mum passed away early Thursday morning after a short stay in hospital. This naturally means I will not be as engaged as normal, but I can assure you that my team will be as responsive as ever and ensure any concerns you have will be addressed and support given.
This very personal sad event reminds me that this time of year can result in so many different emotions for people. For most people, the lead up to Christmas is a time for looking forward to some days of spending time with friends and family and/or some relaxation but it is not the case for everyone. There will be people who have difficult personal situations that mean that they will find Christmas time difficult so, please, can I ask you to have eyes wide open and watch out for others who may need some support or help.
I would also like to share that whilst the Whips in Westminster sometimes get bad press, their support for me in this difficult period has been first class. Whips are MPs or Members of the House of Lords appointed by each party in Parliament to help organise their party’s contribution to parliamentary business.
Just to update you on Westminster before I left on Thursday morning. On Monday I had drawn a question in Education Questions. This is where the Secretary of State and team for a department take questions in the Chamber. Unfortunately, I was drawn last in the list of queastions and did not get taken in the allocated time, however there is also a section directly afterwards for ‘Topical’ questions. Topical questions in the House of Commons are questions that may be asked by MPs during the last 15 minutes of most ministerial question sessions. They allow MPs to ask a minister about anything they have responsibility for without having to give them advance notice of the question. During this time, I was able to bob and ask my question and it was also an opportunity for me to give a shout-out to Ferryhill Station Primary School where they had just been upgraded to ‘Good’ by Ofsted.
Vocational and technical education is so important to encourage our youngsters to have enjoyable careers and gain the skills which will grow the economy. Apprenticeships are a great way to learn and grow confidence. Wednesday 30th November marked the 19th National Apprenticeship Awards which were held in London. Gillian Keegan, The Secretary of State for Education, was a former apprentice and is always very enthusiastic about apprenticeships being a great route for skill development and kickstarting a rewarding career.
I had a variety of meetings, including with Minister Helen Whately MP to discuss masks in care homes; one with the Business Banking Resolution Service about support for SMEs and along with the NRG (Northern Research Group) I met with Michael Gove to discuss northern priorities. I was also able to join the Industry and Parliament Trust for a cross party round table discussion on ‘Future Skills in Manufacturing.’
As part of my Treasury PPS duties, I was in a Bill Committee where we made technical changes to the Social Security Regulations before I supported Minister Andrew Griffith in a Westminster Hall debate on the ‘Economic impact of Covid 19 Lockdowns’ and on Monday and Wednesday spent time in the Chamber with the Second Reading of the Finance Bill.
Like many others, I found the time to watch the England v Wales game in the World Cup and hope this victory, and their confident performance against Senegal, can give us belief that we can enter the Quarter Final match against France with real hope.
As always, if you want to get in touch, just call the constituency office on 01325 790580 or email at Paul.Howell.MP@Parliament.uk