Last week I spoke at the PlaceShapers Annual Conference, a virtual event via Zoom, where I particularly discussed the levelling up agenda and the efforts of both the APPG for Left Behind Neighbourhoods and others. The work here is around how important the place you live in is and the need to enable people to have pride in it. I also supported initiatives around Down’s syndrome and removing anonymity from social media accounts.
In the House of Commons I was able to ask a question on Women & Equalities relating to tenancy succession rights for women that, I have been told, are discriminatory. I also asked a question in the Urgent Questions on rail for the north where I want to know how we can move the Leamside project forward. There has been some misleading press on this and Ferryhill Station. Leamside needs progressing differently but Ferryhill remains very much on track.
The major news this week, of course, is the emergence of the Omicron variant of Covid-19, first detected in South Africa. This has thankfully been detected and communicated early and gives the best chance of it being managed. I have already seen emails both questioning why we are slow to react and describing what we have done as an overreaction! As regards to why information and guidance was announced on Saturday but not effective until Tuesday, this is because it could not be enacted as law until Monday when Parliament was in session so Tuesday was the earliest it could be implemented. In terms of whether it is an overreaction, the significant impact for most of us is only the increased use of masks. Whilst I am questioned about the science behind their use, and I am not an expert to answer that, what I would say is that for most of us wearing a mask when we travel or go into shops is certainly not going to harm us and if there is even a possibility that this helps restrict the spread then for me it is worth doing. The biggest inconvenience is for international arrivals where it will be required for you to isolate until you have a negative PCR test, this concerns me a little and I would have preferred that even if the PCR test is mandatory a negative lateral flow could have removed the need to isolate whilst waiting for the result.
What seems to be increasingly clear though is, that the roll out of vaccines to the most vulnerable first, and their subsequent earlier second jabs and boosters is proving to be the best strategy for saving lives. Whilst we have high infection rates the number hospitalised or seriously ill is mercifully low. I also understand that the proportion of those that are ill, who have not had the vaccine, is disproportionately high, which reinforces further the value in getting your jab. Please, if you have not had yours yet or are due another please sort it and give us all the best chance of a more normal Christmas this year.
Paul Howell
Member of Parliament for Sedgefield