This week we had an announcement on Covid-19 tiers in our area. From Saturday morning, 19th December, Havant will enter Tier 3, while Winchester and East Hampshire will remain in Tier 2.
Splitting the Meon Valley constituency into different tiers is not the outcome I wanted, but with infection rates so high in the Havant Borough and Portsmouth, I believe it is the right decision to save lives. I have had many meetings this week with Health Ministers and local health officials, including the CEO of Queen Alexandra Hospital, so am keeping abreast of the situation.
The good news is that the UK is leading the world in vaccinations and we have made further progress this week. GP surgeries such as Wickham have started vaccinating their most vulnerable patients, but it is slow progress with the Pfizer vaccine as it has to be kept at very low temperatures. We are still waiting for approval of the AstraZeneca vaccine which is more stable and will make a difference.
The rules for the different Tiers can be found on the Government’s website here. If you are unsure about which council area you live or work in, you can check here by entering your postcode.
This week I had a meeting with Ministers about the Planning White Paper. I know that many constituents have been worried about the house building algorithm. I emphasised the problems it could cause in communities like ours, and I am pleased the algorithm has now been withdrawn.
The Department has received over 44,000 responses to the consultation which they will be wading through to ensure all views are taken into account. I will continue to follow this closely and expect to hear more in the New Year.
Most importantly, final Brexit negotiations are still underway with the EU. It is proving to be a frustrating process and I continue to support the Government in its efforts to find a good deal. If one cannot be found, however, we have to be prepared to walk away – we must retain sovereignty over state aid and fishing, the two biggest obstacles.
As next Friday is Christmas Day and the following one is New Year’s Day, this will be my last weekly update for a fortnight. Parliament will remain in session into next week and we may have to continue between Christmas and New Year depending on the EU negotiations.
I hope that you are all able to get a good break. The rules are being relaxed during the 5 days of Christmas but we still need to take care not to catch or spread the virus so please be careful as cases have been increasing quickly in some areas.
Happy Christmas, and let us hope that 2021 is a better year for all of us.
