On Monday the week started with Education Questions in the house where I thanked the Department for Education for the work that they have done for vulnerable children in Heywood and Middleton during the pandemic. I asked for an assurance that the department would continue to champion children as we come out of lockdown and life begins to get back to normal. I was pleased that the house received that assurance of the Government’s full commitment to protecting and promoting children’s rights. The day also included departmental meetings with the Ministry of Justice and a meeting with Amanda Solloway about Aria.
On Tuesday I took part in Foreign and Commonwealth Office Questions.
I also spoke in the chamber about the great value and benefit that people in Heywood and Middleton have had from the Department for Culture, Media and Sports. The funding that Link4Life has received from the Arts and Culture fund has been the lifeblood of local cultural projects and I am pleased to be supporting their bid for additional funding.
I took part in a meeting of the Science and Technology Committee, had a meeting with Matt Hancock, and also participated in a meeting about the safe reopening of schools as all children begin to return on from Monday.
On Wednesday I attended a further meeting of the Science and Technology Committee and had meetings with the Lord Chancellor.
Of course, Wednesday was also budget day and I was pleased to see the suite of support measures that was presented by the Chancellor. The measures being introduced and extended mean that people and businesses in Heywood and Middleton will have the support and security they need to help them emerge from the lockdown with confidence and get back to business.
On Thursday I asked the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) a question in the house.
I also spoke on the budget where I thanked the Chancellor for a range of support that will not only help large enterprises but also support SMEs, the self-employed, and those on low-wage employment.
I was glad to see that the Budget included an extension to the £20 uplift in Universal Credit, a measure which several constituents have contacted me about in recent weeks.
I was particularly pleased with the new Super Deduction which, for businesses in Heywood and Middleton, will be one of the biggest tax cuts in their history. It will spur the creation of jobs, get businesses investing and drive our economic recovery.
Many people in Heywood and Middleton will be supported back into work with extensions to the Furlough Scheme and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme. By extending these schemes until the end of September the Chancellor has given businesses here the headroom they need to restart and welcome back local workforces safely.
For those local people who will, unfortunately not be able to return to their previous jobs I was pleased to hear about how training and development are being supported through a range of schemes. Bigger financial incentives for apprenticeships, the Lifetime Skills Guarantee, and the Restart Scheme will all ensure that people here in Heywood and Middleton have excellent opportunities to retrain and develop their skills for a post-covid economy. This is something that I had the opportunity to discuss with the Principal of Hopwood Hall College this week, one of the outstanding Further Education providers in the constituency who will be delivering those opportunities locally.
On Friday I had a meeting with the Vaccines Minister for an update on the rollout which is continuing at a rapid pace and spend some time in the office catching up with admin and correspondence.
As ever if there is anything that you would like me to help you with, I can be contacted by email at [email protected] or at my constituency office on 01706 538 262. Please get in touch with any concerns or problems and I will always do my best to help.