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As 2020 draws to an end, it's a year that I, for one won't be sad to see the back of. This month marked a year since I was re-elected in the 2019 General Election and, I can say with confidence, that the last twelve months haven't panned out quite the way any of us expected! 2020 has certainly brought more than its share of challenge, sadness and loss.  However it has also had some remarkable points of light, examples of great kindness, as the community pulled together to support each other.  So a big thank you to all the residents of Gosport, Lee on the Solent, Stubbington and Hill Head who have looked after each other, protecting loved ones and supporting neighbours over these 12 challenging months - in some ways 2020 has shown our constituency at its very best . 

Despite the pandemic, we have made progress at delivering on our 2019 Manifesto promises over the last year - find out more by clicking on the picture below 👇
In COVID-19 news, the Gosport Constituency joined most of the South East of England in Tier 4 restrictions. I know that many local people will have been as upset as I was with this news.  Like many others across our area, I was unable to spend Christmas Day with my parents - for the first time in my life.  It was a bitter blow at the end of a horrid year and even more devastating for some of the businesses who have already suffered so much.

The stark reality is that nationally this second wave of Covid-19 cases has now exceeded the first. Gosport Borough’s rate of infection is 224 per 100,000 and Fareham 303.7, and these are both rapidly rising, meanwhile Portsmouth Hospitals ICU is at 200% capacity with healthcare staff under enormous pressure. 

There have however been some positive developments this month as the first vaccinations have taken place across the country. On #V-Day - 8th December - WWII veteran Michael Tibbs became the first person to receive his Pfizer/BioNTech jab at QA Hospital. GPs in Hampshire have started to vaccinate local residents. I spoke to Dr Harlow from the Willow Group who have completed all 975 vaccinations for the over 80s so far - that's about half of our local octogenarians. Now, the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine - which we have bought 100 million doses of - has also been approved with vaccinations to start next week! 

On the advice of our Chief Medical Officers and after a comprehensive review of the evidence, the self-isolation period has also reduced to 10 days across the UK. 

Pupils and teachers in Gosport and Fareham will have a staggered return to face-to-face teaching in January. 
  • 4th January: Primary and early year schools to return as usual
    • All vulnerable children and children of critical workers – both primary and secondary schools
    • Remote education for exam year groups (Year 11 and Year 13
  • 11th January: Exam year groups to return to school
  • 18th January: All other school years return to school
Staff and pupils in secondary schools and colleges – which have shown to have higher transmission rates – will be provided with rapid testing to help find asymptomatic cases and tests for primary school staff will be available later in January.
 
My Statement On Tier 4 Restrictions
COVID-19 Restrictions - Tier 4: Stay at Home
Find Out More About The Return To School
In the run up to Christmas we celebrated Small Business Saturday. In recent years I have promoted Small Business Saturday and last year ran a Best Independent Shop competition. This year has been different due to COVID-19 restrictions - so I started #SmallBusinessNovember to promote local businesses who offer deliveries, take away and click and collect services. Over 400 members have joined the group.

This year it is more important than ever to ensure we shop local and support our incredible businesses who have been hard hit by the pandemic. Given that shops have now had to shut their doors again, check out the Facebook Group to see what you can buy online to support.
It is not only our independent traders, but also charities and organisations who are facing the implications of COVID-19, and yet have gone above and beyond to support our community over this time. 

Since January, the National Lottery Community Fund has awarded £144,421 to 7 community projects in Gosport and in November I hosted a webinar with representatives from the Fund and 40 local charities on the funding available to them. Now, Close Encounters – a partnership with Age Concern and the Gosport Voluntary Action Group to assist lonely and isolated older residents – have been successful in their bid, receiving £669,466 for their vital work!

In my role as Minister of State for Digital and Culture, I have also been working to support our cultural venues and organisations that remain at the cornerstone of our community - helping secure the £1.56 billion Culture Recovery Fund. 

Over £1 billion has been now distributed and this has benefitted some of our outstanding local venues and protected jobs from Fort Brockhurst to The Portsmouth Naval Property Trust and The Hampshire Heritage Trust (who run the Gosport Gallery) to the Kings Theatre. You can find a the full list of beneficiaries here. This month, further funding applications have opened for loans and grants to ensure that organisations can remain viable and finance their reopening. 
This month, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport published the Full Government Response to the Online Harms White Paper, which I have been working on since I accepted my ministerial role in February. The Online Safety legislation sets out the most comprehensive approach to online regulation in the world - it will set the global standard for internet safety to protect children and vulnerable users from online harm. 

It includes measures to ensure tech firms have a legal 'duty of care' to users - responsible for removing and limiting the spread of illegal content from child sexual abuse and bullying to terrorist material. They will be held to account by newly appointed regulator, Ofcom, who can can issue fines of up to £18 million. 
Find Out More About The New Online Safety Legislation
Some good news at the end of a truly tough year as we have secured and passed the EU (Future Relations) Bill through Parliament!  The Bill encapsulates the biggest trade and cooperation deal in the world into legislation. It ensures that, as we leave the Single Market and Customs Union on 1st January, we not only take back control, we continue to trade on zero tariffs and quotas, boosting our economy and protecting our businesses.

It is now four years since Gosport Constituents overwhelmingly voted to leave the European Union. This agreement:

✅ Delivers the first free trade agreement based on zero tariffs and zero quotas ever agreed by the EU - keeping costs of imported goods down.
👩‍⚖‍ Ensures there is no role for the European Court of Justice in the UK - we have full control of the laws we live by.
🏡 Delivers on our commitment to maintain high labour, climate and environmental standards - without giving the EU a say over our rules.
🇬🇧  Protects the internal market and Northern Ireland.
🏖  Preserves the ability for UK citizens to travel to the EU easily for work and holidays, with practical benefits including accessing healthcare.
🇪🇺  Keeps financial, security, scientific and research links with Europe.
Read My Full Statement On The Bill
In Parliament, this month we have also seen: 
In addition, as part of the £600 million allocated to upgrade and refurbish NHS hospitals, local healthcare services Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, Solent NHS Trust, Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust and South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust will receive vital funding. This totals over £1.6 million for 10 different projects. 

Hampshire Police will also receive a £21 million cash boost next year, on top of the £26.1 million extra they received this year, to help their vital work keeping our streets safe and fund more bobbies on the beat. So far, 102 new recruits have joined the force. 

I am pleased also that, following a letter that I co-signed with fellow MPs to the Chair of IPSA  - who decides MPs salaries -  IPSA has announced that MP’s pay will remain unchanged for the next financial year.  Since the Chancellor announced that some public sector workers would face a pay freeze next year, it is appropriate that MPs pay follows suit.

It was fascinating to hear from Gosport Place project's chair Andy Grant about the recently launched #GosportStory - celebrating the themes and values of our area's remarkable past . They have also launched the Gosport Ambassadors Network to help promote our wonderful town. To find out more and get involved you can email [email protected]. 
An honour this month to open Autism Hampshire's newest supported living scheme in Gosport, offering individual, self-contained apartments supported by onsite staff, 24 hours a day.  This move is partly driven by the Transforming Care agenda, that I was pleased to work on when I was a Minister in the Department of Health and Social Care, which will see many more Autistic people able to live independently, with the right support. 
I also had the opportunity to say my heartfelt thanks to everyone involved with the Gosport Voluntary Action Surgery Signposters during their farewell event this month.  Their work to promote social prescribing and personal care in our area has been truly ground breaking and helped shape Government policy, which includes the new 'Community Compass' project, offering 40 minute calls to help and support residents on a range of issues. You can find out more about their work here.
I would like to conclude the last newsletter of 2020 with a special thank you to those who are working so hard at the moment to keep us safe - especially the remarkable health and care professionals, and other vital key-workers, for whom this year has already been so tough. And to the volunteers in local organisations that make such a difference to our community.

I know many of us were hoping for the chance to see 2020 out with friends, neighbours and loved ones and the reality will be different, as this New Year's Eve, like the whole year, turns out to be like no other.  We must all do our bit to stop the spread of this dreadful virus, keep each other safe and protect our NHS, while praying for a better, brighter 2021.

Sending my very best wishes to you and your loved ones for a happy, healthy New Year.
Over the New Year period my team will still be responding to any urgent emails, so please do contact [email protected] if you require immediate assistance. (A big thank you to Tash, Joe, Glenn, Eli and Herbie for all your hard work in 2020 x)

Best Wishes
Caroline x
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