For those of you that watch Parliament regularly, I am sure you noticed how different it is at the moment due to the restrictions that we all have to follow to combat Covid. I have made several contributions to debates since the New Year, but all over Zoom, which is not the same as being physically in the Chamber. So last week, I was pleased to get back in person and make my first speeches from the famous green benches in 2021.
Before I did so, I made sure that I took a lateral flow test to check that I didn’t have the virus. These tests are available for anyone who has no symptoms and are being taken by secondary school aged children twice a week. I used the testing facility in Parliament, but there are test centres across the Moorlands, which I really would encourage you to use. Identifying people who have the virus is a really important way of controlling Covid and, together with the vaccine programme, will allow us to move along the PM’s roadmap out of lockdown.
I spoke in the Budget debate and whilst there was a lot of good news in the Budget, I know that many businesses still have questions and concerns. I raised those with Ministers in my speech and encouraged them to support all affected so that when they can reopen, they are able to do so.
Listening to businesses is vital, but face to face meetings are not easy to hold now. I have organised Zoom calls with many businesses and last week was a chance to hold a number of calls with local wedding businesses, pubs, cafés, restaurants and tourism businesses.
I was joined in the calls by others helping local businesses, including UK Hospitality, Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce and Cllr Sybil Ralphs.
