I hope you find this newsletter a useful summary of local support, initiatives, COVID-19 updates and my work on your behalf.


** HUW MERRIMAN MP NEWSLETTER
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** Dear Resident,

I’m writing this welcome whilst volunteering at the Heathfield Vaccination Centre. We’ve been here from 8am to help get as many boosted before Christmas. Yet again, we have a tremendous team effort across the constituency from our GP teams, the NHS workforce and volunteers.

I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and to thank you for your understanding through another difficult year. It’s been tough. I do hope for better times to come and I am sorry for the disappointing recent events.

I hope you have an enjoyable Christmas and, if you haven’t already, give yourself the present of a booster!

Best wishes,

Huw
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Covid booster programme

As I am sure you know from media and government announcements, the Covid booster vaccination is our most effective line of defence against the new Covid-19 variant, Omicron, which is causing much concern due to its high transmission rates. In response to this new variant, on Sunday 12 December, the government asked the NHS to deliver a Covid booster to all over 18s in England, who would like to receive it, by the end of December. This is a significant challenge for our NHS workforce who are already working extremely hard to restore normal services to patients at local surgeries, in the community and at our hospitals.

To give you an idea of this enormous task, our local NHS and GPs will need to deliver 22,000 jabs in East Sussex every day until the end of December. Last week over 150,000 vaccines were given, the previous week it was 90,000 so, as you can see, the local NHS response has been outstanding.

All existing vaccine sites are being extended, both the Eastbourne DGH and the Conquest Hospital have set up vaccine centres and more GP surgeries will be running vaccine clinics to boost access in Bexhill, Battle, Heathfield and rural areas. The NHS booking website will be updated regularly as the increased appointments and locations go live.

In order to deliver the booster, it will be necessary for our GPs to prioritise their work. I know that the majority of patients will fully understand the need for this and will be supportive of GPs and their staff. I appreciate it will be frustrating for some. I hope, collectively, we can show our appreciation and support to all our NHS workforce and volunteers who are working so hard for us all.

Full details of the East Sussex vaccine booster programme can be found here ([link removed])

Plan B Vote

More COVID measures were introduced last week in response to the new Omicron variant following votes in the House of Commons. Like much of the country, MPs have differing views on whether restrictions are necessary and proportionate.

Over the last year, I have supported some COVID measures and voted against some as well.

Where measures have felt to me to be disproportionate to the wider harm or the wording of measures have felt contrary to the aims they sought to deliver, I have voted against their introduction.

This week I voted to introduce the Plan B measures proposed by Government. They are as follows:

1. Face-coverings: I had previously voted for the same outcome for retail and public transport. I don’t want to see face coverings being a permanent feature and I do not want to see them reintroduced in the classroom. For a limited period of time, in the settings referenced, it felt right for me to extend the scope.
2. Vaccinations for NHS staff: I voted for the same outcome for the social care workforce and did so again. We know that getting vaccinated reduced the Delta transmission rate by 60%. We also know that patients who get vaccinated are not completely protected from serious illness or death. In these circumstances, it does not feel unreasonable to expect vaccination to be a workforce entry point.
3. NHS COVID Passes: Last month, I got asked for my passport when I came back to the country. I have to show evidence of purchase when I watch a football match. People have to show age ID to buy alcohol. I do not think there is an issue in temporarily asking someone to evidence vaccination or a negative lateral flow test for certain venues. If it keeps people safe, and in jobs because we don’t have to put more draconian restrictions on events and hospitality, then I am happy to oblige. The NHS COVID Pass measure ends automatically on 26 January 2022.

These restrictions are limited in time and scope. I asked myself this, what is it I will not be able to do tomorrow which I could do last week? The answer, is absolutely nothing. A little more face mask wearing, a little more administration to go to the football.

Watch my speech in the Debate on Plan B measures here ([link removed]) . Read my Observer article on this here ([link removed])

Heathfield and Firs Surgeries Booster Clinic

Heathfield & Firs surgeries are running a week of Covid Booster Vaccination clinics from the 20th of December to the morning of the 24th of December. All the clinics will be held in the Heathfield Community Centre on Sheepsetting Lane. Full details can be found here ([link removed]) .

Pevensey Heritage Trail

I was delighted to be invited to celebrations to mark the installation of Pevensey Heritage Trail tourism boards. It was a great community effort, thank you to everyone who was involved. Read more here ([link removed]) .

Bexhill Talking Newspaper

I was really pleased to meet the Bexhill Talking Newspaper volunteers who provide such a valuable service to those with visual impairment in our area. If you are interested in getting a copy of the Talking Newspaper or would like to volunteer your time to help, please do get in touch with them. Full details of my visit and contact details are here ([link removed]) .
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Support for GPs

In the Health Secretary's COVID-19 Statement to the House of Commons, I called on the Government to provide greater support to GP services who have a big task on their hands to deliver the Government's target of providing COVID booster doses to all adults by the end of the month.

Watch here ([link removed]) .

Autism Roundtable

Earlier this week as Chair of the APPG for Autism, I joined Birmingham University’s Autism Centre for Education and Research’s virtual roundtable on the exclusion of autistic children and young people from educational establishments.

The Centre's recent research paper found that children and young people with autism are twice as likely to be excluded from school than others who do not have special educational needs.

The roundtable heard from Wendy Peel who spoke about her son Sam’s experience of exclusion alongside Ian Mackintosh the Inclusion Director of Inspiration Trust who has overseen the implementation of policies that have dramatically reduced the exclusions of SEND pupils.

I spoke of the need to turn the data from this research into action and suggested facilitating a meeting with Department for Education Ministers to discuss how we can address this problem.

Read the Centre’s full report
here ([link removed]) .
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APPG for Football - Tracey Crouch Review

Earlier this month, I attended a meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Football where we met with Tracey Crouch to discuss the Independent Fan Led Review of Football Governance, which she led.

One of the report’s key recommendations is for the Government to create a new independent regulator for English football (IREF). The review says this is necessary for the long-term financial stability of the men's professional game. Too many clubs across the country have been affected by poor ownership, and when I asked Tracey which clubs would not have had the torrid time they have had if her report had already been implemented, she listed Derby, Bury, and Macclesfield as examples. I will continue to work with Tracey to press Government to legislate in this area.

The full report can be found here ([link removed]) .

Transport Committee Airlines and Airports Inquiry

This month, the Transport Select Committee held two evidence sessions in our Airlines and Airports inquiry, focusing on the future outlook for the UK aviation industry and the restrictions currently imposed on international travel.

As I mentioned in my last newsletter, aviation has been one of the sectors most affected by the COVID pandemic. These sessions were a really useful opportunity to learn more about the rationale behind international travel restrictions, as well as how the pandemic has impacted upon domestic air connectivity, and the opportunities and challenges the aviation sector faces in decarbonising and achieving ‘Jet Zero’ by 2050.

You can watch both sessions here ([link removed]) and here ([link removed]) .

Observer Article

In my column for the Bexhill and Battle Observer for 19 November, I wrote about Parliamentary standards and illegal Channel crossings. Read the full article
here ([link removed]) .

Transport Questions-Rail

At Transport Oral Questions in the House of Commons last Thursday, I asked the Transport Minister whether he would consider automatic and automated compensation for passengers who experience delays on our railways.

I have previously introduced and 10 Minute Rule Bill on this issue and was encouraged by Minister’s response that this issue will likely be included in the forthcoming reforms to the railway.

You can watch my question and the Minister’s response
here ([link removed]) .

International Travel PCR Tests

Since the end of last month, all arriving travellers have been required to take a PCR test on or before day 2 and self isolate until they have received a negative result. These PCR tests can be purchased from private providers and free NHS tests are not valid for this purpose.

In the Health Secretary’s Statement to update the House on new measures to contain the Omicron Variant, I called on the Government to ensure the provision of affordable and accurate PCR tests for international travel. The international travel community is just getting back on its feet and these measures must not last a day longer than is absolutely necessary.

Watch here ([link removed]) .
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