Parliamentary Diary

Dear Friend,

This week gave us a sobering insight into the toll the virus has taken -over 5,000 deaths here in Wales and many loved ones grieving. There are encouraging signs that cases are stabilising but the situation remains very serious due to the new highly infectious strain.

I continue to regularly meet with Welsh Government and Cardiff and Vale University Health Board for updates on the progress of the vaccine rollout locally. The Health Board is working hard to roll out vaccines across all front-line staff, care workers and to GP practices to deliver vaccinations to those in priority groups – I cannot thank staff enough for their hard work to vaccinate at pace given the huge logistical effort they face on top of treating our loved ones. The rollout of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has and will continue to accelerate progress. Welsh Government now need a steady and reliable supply of vaccines from UK Government to build on this progress.

Lockdown is working and admission rates are levelling out thanks to the swift action of Welsh Government and your continued efforts to stay at home despite the difficulties these past 6 weeks. This is our only route out from this deadly virus and back to some resemblance of normality. Until then we must continue to stay at home, keep ourselves and our loved ones safe and protect our NHS.

Please remember you will be contacted directly by your GP practice to have your vaccine when it is your turn - please do not call them to enquire as practices are currently swamped. I will continue to monitor progress of the rollout and will continue to raise your questions and concerns.

As ever, my team and I are here to help in any way we can. If there's anything we can do to assist please do not hesitate to get in touch on
[email protected]. (mailto:[email protected])

With very best wishes,
Stop the British Gas Fire Prime Minister!

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This week at PMQs I asked Boris Johnson to stand up for workers’ rights and outlaw shameful fire and rehire practices and condemn the recent remarks of British Gas Director about those on strike.

Workers, including Cardiff North constituents may not have had to go on strike if the PM had acted swiftly to outlaw these practices and stop businesses behaving badly when I asked last year. British Gas have so far refused to listen and I will continue to stand in solidarity with GMB Union members until fire and rehire is taken off the table for workers.
Calls to ensure Welsh Medium Education is not left behind
Children in Welsh Medium Education must not miss out on access to additional educational content when learning from home. I strongly welcome the BBC’s most comprehensive educational programming which started this week. However, I’ve written to the BBC and met with them on Wednesday to seek clarity on what Welsh medium provision is being planned alongside this. I was therefore really pleased to see today's announcement of 80 hours of Welsh education programming available through S4C and Welsh Government's Hwb.

Covid-19 is likely to result in language degredation for Welsh learners and it’s really important that the provision is there to help reach Cymraeg 2050 objectives. I’ll be following this up with Welsh Government.
Cardiff North Eco Team Committee Established
Find Out More ([link removed])

This week the Cardiff North Eco Team Committee – a core group of volunteers to drive the Team forward - was established and met for the first time to discuss our priorities and our first community initiatives. Each and every member has lots of experience and enthusiasm to help get this initiative off the ground and into our communities and I am really excited to be working with them. Keep your eyes peeled for the Eco Team on social media in the coming weeks and let us know if you want to get involved!
Calls to Reduce Student Fees

I recognise the difficulties university students and staff have experienced this year. In light of the disruptions to learning and the experience students are receiving, I understand why many are calling for increased hardship support, including on rent and fees.

Some universities have been able to reach agreements on at least partial rent refunds with their students, as have some independent student housing providers. I am encouraging all universities and providers to engage with student representatives on this, recognising the clear injustice of students paying for housing and services that they are unable to access. I will be supporting Cardiff North constituents in calls for Cardiff University to follow suit and ensure students receive the support they deserve during this difficult time
Trump's Actions Cause Serious Repercussions for Yemen
This damning decision ([link removed]) by Trump to designate Yemen’s Houthis as a terrorist organisation will have a catastrophic impact on the distribution of life-saving aid amidst the world’s gravest humanitarian crisis. Millions of innocent Yemenis who have no free choice to live under Houthi control will pay the price for this dangerous move which represents a last-ditch attempt by the outgoing Trump administration to tie the diplomatic hands of President-Elect Biden and drive a coach and horses through his promised peace efforts.

I have yet to receive a reply from Raab following my letter on this last year. The UK Government must heed Labour, the United Nations and humanitarian aid sector’s calls to show diplomatic leadership and work with the Biden administration and international community to mitigate the impact on humanitarian aid, working towards a lasting political resolution.
Join us on Thursday where we will provide an update on local issues including the cladding at Lydstep Flats and improvements to College Road Park. It's an opportunity for you to raise any concerns you may have affecting the local area.
Casework Catch Up

It's been a busy start to the New Year with my team and I supporting 154 families in January so far. Queries range from Covid-19 and the vaccine, NHS pay rises and educational support. The map above is an indication of the locations across Cardiff North some of the cases are arising from.
Winter Fuel Payment Woes
An elderly constituent had not received her Winter Fuel Payment this year. She lives off a state pension so requires it to heat home. This was concerning giving the very cold weather we’ve experienced recently. We contacted the DWP who apologised for their error and the delay in payment and rectified the mistake.

National Insurance Number Nuisance
A constituent had previously lived outside of the UK and needed to apply for a National Insurance Number but no response from HMRC and DWP was forthcoming which was causing great difficulties. We made contact on her behalf, were able to speed up the process and the National Insurance Number has now been received.

Vaccine Scam Alert!

There is a false text message circulating inviting people for a coronavirus vaccine. If you're eligible for a vaccine you'll only be contacted by the NHS, usually through a phone call or a letter and they'll never ask for your bank details.

If you receive one of these texts, please report to Ofcom on 7726.

As always, please get in touch with your feedback!

Anna
MP for Cardiff North
AS dros Ogledd Caerdydd

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