IT WON’T come as a surprise the focus in Parliament, and indeed across the globe, over the last few weeks has been on Coronavirus.
The Government is absolutely committed to helping those affected by the virus, whether it be businesses, those taken ill, or those supporting the vulnerable including charities and our dedicated NHS staff.
Everyone will now be aware of the role they can personally play in helping mitigate the virus from washing our hands to offering help to the elderly and frail; and the willingness to help those in need in the constituency and the country has been inspiring.
Most recently, the Prime Minister announced people will be allowed to leave their homes for only ‘very limited purposes’ – shopping for basic necessities; for one form of exercise a day; for any medical need; and to travel to and from work when ‘absolutely necessary’.
Please do stick to these rules. It’s difficult but we must reduce the rate of transmission of Coronavirus to reduce the pressure on our NHS.
In my role at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, I have responsibility for several parts of the economy which are particularly exposed to the effects of Coronavirus including tourism and sport.
I have been attending COBRA meetings with other ministers to discuss in detail what the Government can do to support the public and businesses in this time or urgent need.
The Budget announcement paved the way for billions of pounds to be specifically targeted at Coronavirus measures, with billions more to act as a stimulus for our economy as well as additional support for the NHS.
We have since seen even more support announced by the Chancellor for businesses charities and individuals impacted by Coronavirus. The Government is constantly monitoring the situation and will take more intervention measures when necessary.
Despite the pandemic, Parliament has still been in session. The emergency Coronavirus Bill has been introduced which will grant the Government addition powers to help deal with Coronavirus and as you can imagine, the key focus of politicians will be on Coronavirus for some time to come.
I know there is great concern among my constituents about the impact of Coronavirus but I am confident that working together we will get through these very challenging times.”
