Parliament resumed this week - albeit somewhat differently to usual - and it was great that Welsh Questions was the first virtual session with MPs asking questions via videolink.  Our new Shadow Welsh Secretary asked the UK Government to ensure that 100% of business interruption loans are underwritten to give our businesses a sense of security during these difficult times. Our small and medium sized enterprises are so important to our local economy and need the UK Government’s support - alongside that announced by the Welsh Government - to get them through this and to ensure that they are able to fully recover once this pandemic is behind us.

It was a great first PMQs for our new Labour leader, Keir Starmer, who took the UK Government to task for their poor handling of PPE supply and distribution.  Keir also tackled the UK Government over the mismatch in their promises of testing numbers and the reality we’re seeing on the ground.

On the subject of PPE, it’s fantastic to see our local community pulling together to support the NHS. The Gower Gin Company are continuing to make their wonderful hand sanitiser (for every £5 bottle bought, one gets donated to the local NHS staff - bestonlinebutcher.co.uk/product/glan-hand-sanitiser/) and Penyrheol D&T Department have produced over 300 face visors for use by local front line workers. The generosity of spirit and innovative minds at work here truly show the best of the Welsh people and I am proud to represent such a fantastic community.

I think I read somewhere this week that this April is one of the warmest we’ve seen and we’ve certainly not had the showers that the month is famous for. Despite the glorious weather outside, we all must remember the social distancing guidelines. I know it’s so difficult not being able to see family and friends in person and just give them a massive hug, but we have to stick to the guidelines to support the NHS and to protect those who are more vulnerable. We will have to continue to embrace the wonders of technology and the internet a little bit longer to virtually cook and eat together, have a chat over a cuppa, and even watch the same TV!

Ramadan began this week and for those observing the holy month, it will be a very different experience. With mosques and community centres closed, Muslims who are used to being together to pray and share food when breaking fast will need to be creative with how they do that. I am confident that communities will weather this challenge and will find new ways of observing this month together.

We marked Earth Day this Wednesday, which, despite the more immediate crisis of the coronavirus pandemic, raises awareness of one of the most serious issues facing the world. There have been reports linking high levels of seriously ill people from coronavirus with cities that have high levels of pollution. More research needs to be done to prove this link, but the links between high levels of pollution and greater incidences of respiratory illnesses such as asthma are well established. Once this pandemic is behind us, we must not let a return to normality be a return to high pollution, high carbon emissions, and little care for our natural environment. This is our only home and we must protect it.

It’s been very concerning to see the high number of grass fires afflicting our local area, with a large area near Fairwood Airport set on fire this week. Arson is a crime. Not only does it put people at risk, but it has a wider impact as the many firefighters needed to bring the blaze under control are then diverted from other emergencies.  During this particularly difficult time, when our emergency services are already swamped with work and are sacrificing so much to look after us and our loved ones, any fires set deliberately show an appalling lack of responsibility and compassion. Anyone with any information on these grass fires is asked to call the Arson Reduction Team on 01792 705130.
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You can keep up to date with Welsh Government announcements and information on their dedicated coronavirus page. If you have any issues or concerns to raise with me as your local MP, please get in touch by emailing [email protected] or calling 01792 899025. My office is not open, my staff and I are working from home, but my email and phone are still being monitored and responded to. You may experience a slight delay in receiving a response from us as the demand has increased, but we will get back to you as soon as we can.
Stay home, keep well, and remember – keep washing your hands!

This week, the Government has announced that the lockdown will be extended for a further three weeks at a minimum.  I know it's frustrating, but whatever the weather, we all must remember the social distancing guidelines and respect the measures implemented to slow the spread of the coronavirus. By continuing with social distancing, we are supporting our NHS and our key workers who are continuing to work so hard to keep our loved ones safe, our shelves stocked, and our public transport moving.

In order to further support the NHS, I would encourage everyone to download the new NHS app to track and log symptoms of the coronavirus. We’re asking people to take a minute out of each day to track how they feel, even if they’re not experiencing any symptoms. It will help the NHS plan their response across Wales, our scientists to track the coronavirus and highlight high-risk areas, and ultimately help us defeat the spread of the virus.

I’m absolutely thrilled to have been appointed this week as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Jonathan Reynolds MP, the Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.  This is going to be a particularly important area when we begin to transition out of the lockdown measures and back into ‘real life’. We will need to support the businesses that have had to close, the workers who have been laid-off, and the self-employed who have seen business fall away.  It’s going to be a challenge, but I’m really looking forward to working with the whole team.

There was some welcome news this week as the UK Government announced that the furlough scheme has been extended to include all employees registered on PAYE until 19 March 2020. This will provide some security for many thousands of employees who have been struggling to get by during this difficult time. While there are still issues with the support offered by the UK Government, and too many people still falling through the gaps, I hope this announcement will come as a relief to many of you who were previously missing out.

I spoke last week about the fantastic work that some of our local businesses are doing, among them the Gower Gin Company who have turned their skills to making hand sanitiser and donating bottles to local NHS hospitals. I’ve been so pleased to see the innovation and generosity of spirit that has galvanised our communities, and to have been able to distribute donations of hand sanitiser among our hard-working volunteers in Gower who are out and about, supporting those who are vulnerable in our community.

Swansea Council have also done a brilliant job supporting our volunteers, putting in place local area coordinators who are there to help people who are isolating because they are at a higher risk of illness.  You can find more information about the different local area coordinators and the areas that they cover on the Swansea Council website here.

Unfortunately, there are still a number of unscrupulous employers who are not doing their bit in protecting their employees from the risk of coronavirus. If you are concerned about a lack of PPE, a lack of social distancing in your workplace, or no time or opportunity to regularly wash your hands, you can contact the TUC anonymously here to share your concerns. If employees are unable to work from home, employers should be implementing staggered shifts or changing work patterns, providing the appropriate facilities to allow access to washing facilities and implementing strict cleaning regimes to ensure the safety of all employees. Its up to everyone - including employers - to play their part and help us tackle this challenge.

Tuesday will see Parliament return from the Easter recess - but with some changes to allow for social distancing.  Parliamentary authorities have proposed that around 120 MPs dial in via  Zoom calls to ask questions - with a further 50 allowed to sit in the chamber.  I’m really pleased that we’ll be able to scrutinise the Government while still respecting social distancing.  The new measures shouldn’t mean that Ministers can take decisions without scrutiny, so it's great that MPs will still  be able to debate and discuss the important issues, from PPE provision to domestic abuse.

You can keep up to date with Welsh Government announcements and information on their dedicated coronavirus page.

​If you have any issues or concerns to raise with me as your local MP, please get in touch by emailing [email protected] or calling 01792 899025. My office is not open as my staff and I are working from home, but my email and phone are still being monitored and responded to. You may experience a slight delay in receiving a response from us as the demand has increased, but we will get back to you as soon as we can.
Stay home, keep well, and remember – keep washing your hands!

As we look ahead to an Easter weekend of glorious sunshine here in beautiful Gower, I know it will be even more frustrating than usual to be stuck inside. But it's vitally important that we continue to obey the rules on social distancing. We have seen over 200 people die in Wales as a result of the coronavirus, among them a dedicated doctor. Each of these people leave behind grieving friends, family and colleagues, and their deaths are a stark reminder to us all of the importance of following the Government guidance which can be found here.

We must do our part to support our fantastic NHS staff and other key workers who are operating under exceedingly difficult circumstances, and we must not forget their dedication, sacrifice, and professionalism when all of this is over. I also want to send my best wishes to the Prime Minister and his family this week - I hope that he gets well very soon.

This week has seen a new chapter begin for the Labour party with Keir Starmer having been elected as its new leader. I look forward to working with him and all his Shadow Cabinet team both to support the Government in the fight against the virus, and to provide an effective opposition to ensure their actions are properly scrutinised. I’m also really pleased to see fellow Welsh MP Nick Thomas-Symonds take on the role of Shadow Home Secretary. I know that he’ll be a brilliant addition to the Shadow Cabinet and his talents will be put to best use!

​We’ve seen a fantastic response from our local community and I’m really proud of the way Gower businesses have stepped up to support the public health campaign against the coronavirus. This week we’ve seen the Gower Gin Company team up with Hugh Phillips Butcher to turn a gin distillery into a production line for hand sanitiser with the butchers providing a delivery service to distribute it. Every £5 bottle will cover the £2.50 cost of making the hand sanitiser and the other £2.50 will see another bottle made and delivered to NHS staff on the frontline. The Glân hand sanitiser is available from bestonlinebutcher.co.uk. Feed the NHS Wales is another fantastic initiative – a collaboration of independent restaurants and food businesses from right across Wales that are providing food and drink to our staff in hospitals. Sian Lloyd and Alun Wyn Jones have set up a crowdfunding page to raise £100,000 to get free food to NHS staff on the frontline. This not-for-profit organisation is being coordinated by our very own Môr Restaurant from the Mumbles, but they are looking for more organisations to participate. If you are able, please do contact [email protected] or check our @FeedtheNHSWales Facebook.

Our NHS staff have worked admirably throughout this crisis to care for us and our loved ones, and as we have seen from the tragic deaths of nurses and doctors, at considerable personal risk. 13.3% of NHS staff come from overseas, rising to almost 30% of our doctors. This week I signed a letter from Christine Jardine and David Lammy to the Home Secretary asking that indefinite leave to remain be granted to all of our wonderful NHS workers who have contributed so fantastically to our national health service. Whatever immigration system we have in place once we leave the EU, there can be no doubt that these are the sorts of people we want to have as part of our society - people who will step up and put themselves on the line for the protection and care of British citizens. They all deserve our thanks.

I was also pleased to sign a letter this week written by Gill Furness MP to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy Alok Sharma and the Chief Executive of Royal Mail in support of the proposals from the Communication Workers Union to protect Royal Mail staff. They have quite rightly been classed as key workers for their role in delivering not only our post and parcels, but also essential items such as prescription medicine. They must be protected through social distancing in all offices that remain open, personal protective equipment for all staff, and a suspension of non-essential post such as unsolicited flyers. We cannot expect people to go out to work to keep services we need running without protection and I support the CWU’s call completely. You can keep up to date with Welsh Government announcements and information on their dedicated coronavirus page.

If you have any issues or concerns to raise with me as your local MP, please get in touch by emailing [email protected] or calling 01792 899025. My office is not open as my staff and I are working from home, but my email and phone are still being monitored and responded to. You may experience a slight delay in receiving a response from us as the demand has increased, but we will get back to you as soon as we can.

Stay home, keep well, and remember – keep washing your hands!