We are moving into our first winter as a country truly shaped by coronavirus and as a nation, we need our Governments in Westminster and Cardiff to be on the ball and get our response right to save lives.
 
I appreciate this has been a challenge that we’ve faced like no other, however for the good of the country Boris Johnson and the UK Government need to hold their hands up and accept they’ve got it wrong on outsourcing the track and trace system in England.
 
Instead of addressing the failures of a privatised and centralised contact tracing model, they’ve squandered millions outsourcing track & trace to big private companies, some of them with truly terrible track records. In October the contact rate in England was as low as 63%!
 
We can’t afford to have companies like Serco putting the public’s health at risk with their frightfully low contact rates.
 
Thankfully in Wales contact tracing is devolved to local communities, and our local authorities have been resourced to do it properly.
 
We can be proud that our track and trace is a public service that is locally run, achieving a 96% contact rate since 21 June. I believe this model where a public service is being delivered in the public sector for the public interest is the best way forward and the results speak for themselves.
 
Therefore, I am urging the government to hand over control of contact tracing to councils and local public health teams, following revelations that the national – largely privatised – system is only making a marginal difference to addressing rapidly rising rates of Covid-19 infection. 
 
For months, Labour has been asking this government to put contact tracing into the hands of councils and local public health teams who know their own communities better than anyone.
 
In the face of all the evidence, I can’t believe the Tories are continuing with a system that rewards failure by handing enormous sums of money to big companies which deliver such poor results.
 
The government should look at the science, follow my call to transfer control of contact tracing to local authorities, so that we can better protect people’s lives and livelihoods. 

As a result of increasing levels of infection across Wales, the Welsh Government have implemented a ‘firebreak lockdown’. From 6pm today until the start of Monday 9 November, there will be a new set of restrictions in place.  We must now stay at home, except for limited and specific purposes, and we must not visit other households or meet with people indoors or outdoors who do not live in our households. Most shops and hospitality venues will close, including pubs and restaurants. For the week after half term, secondary schools will provide online learning only for all pupils except those in years 7 and 8, but primary schools and childcare settings will remain open. Face coverings will continue to be mandatory in the indoor public spaces that remain open, such as in supermarkets and on public transport.  I know this will be a difficult and frustrating fortnight, but it's clear that we are facing a very difficult winter and we must all play our part to help keep levels of infection down.  For more information and to find the answers to frequently asked questions, take a look at the Welsh Government website here.

I was pleased to question the Health Secretary this week as the chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Cancer on the resources that the UK Government are deploying to tackle the more than 110,000 people waiting more than 52 weeks in England for cancer services – the most in 12 years. We had a meeting with the Catch Up With Cancer campaign recently and impressed upon Matt Hancock the importance of not neglecting cancer now and experiencing a tragic and unnecessary loss of lives. The NHS has dealt admirably with the pandemic but now we must ensure that they have the resources they need to support cancer services to deal with their backlog alongside normal winter pressures.

A survey from a cross-university research team with the Welsh Rugby Union has been launched this week about women in rugby. Players and coaches are encouraged to complete the survey, from which the data will be used to help create an evidence base to develop targeted, female-specific interventions to improve player safety. I’ve said for a long time how important it is that we get women into sport and feeling comfortable playing sport, but unfortunately there is a significant sex data gap which exists in medical and sport science, particularly in contact sports. Contrary to popular belief, women are not ‘small men’ and we need to find out exactly how women are impacted by certain sports and what can be done specifically to support them. This survey is a fantastic innovation from some great universities with great reputations for sport and I look forward to reading their findings!

On Wednesday this week, the Labour Party held an opposition debate on free school meals and asked the UK Government to ensure provision of free school meals throughout the holidays in England until at least Easter 2021, given the likely impact of Covid on household finances over the coming months. More than 300 Tory MPs voted against this motion. There are many differences between Labour and Conservative political beliefs, of course, but I had not thought that ensuring children had at least one square meal a day would be a difference. More than 1.4 million children in England are eligible for free school meals. That’s more than 1.4 million children who will go hungry during the holidays. This shouldn’t be an issue that divides politicians; it’s not a political issue, it’s moral. The Welsh Government have already committed to ensuring the provision of free school meals for children in Wales during the holidays until at least Easter 2021. That’s the difference a Labour Government makes.

This week we marked the 54th anniversary of the tragedy at Aberfan. At 9.13am on the 21st October 1966, the village school clock stopped for the final time. We remember the 116 children and 28 adults who were killed, those families who had to face the unimaginable, the survivors who struggled to deal with the trauma, and the rescuers who rushed from across South Wales to help in the rescue effort. We will not forget them and we will work everyday to ensure that no such tragedy befalls the Welsh valleys again. 
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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.
Keep well and remember – and remember - observe social distancing, wash your hands regularly and keep Wales safe!

This week, as a member of the House of Commons Petitions Committee, I was pleased to lead a debate in Parliament on two petitions about this summer’s exam results. While these were petitions from England, this was a really important debate which allowed me to draw on my 9 years experience teaching in the North West of England and the work of the Welsh Labour Government, who are responsible for education in Wales. I want to thank all the students, parents, and teachers who have dealt phenomenally with this unprecedented situation and, in particular, to the students who have shown remarkable resilience. The lack of clarity around the whole situation has been hugely damaging to the mental health of students, who fear that the UK Government’s decisions will have a huge impact on their future lives. Our students have been severely impacted by 5 months of no in-person teaching, particularly in places where internet and IT resources are limited. Any teacher will tell you, 3 weeks’ catch up will not alleviate the situation. The UK Government needs to do much more to listen to those who, unlike them, understand what it is like to work within the comprehensive school system and put in place measures that will support them, rather than beat them down.

It was great to be able to intervene on a debate held on the UK Government's support for women’s rugby this week. Rugby is a fantastic sport for women and having visited West Swansea Hawks in Gowerton recently, I was amazed by the fantastic Covid-secure training sessions that they have managed to set up. All sport gives women confidence and is, of course, vital for their health and wellbeing, both physical and mental - but they often face more and different barriers to men in getting involved. It is incredibly important that sports clubs and organisations are supported to get back up and running (pun intended!) in a safe and secure way to allow people, and especially women, to resume participation in sport.

I was also able to speak again in the Wales Question session on Wednesday and tackled the UK Government on support for tourism and hospitality. Tourism and hospitality is the backbone of the economy of Gower. My constituent, Lara Joslin, who runs the King’s Head in Llangennith, is crying out for support to keep her family business alive. Her popular rural pub and accommodation, like many others in the area, provides a meeting space and entertainment for locals and visitors, and vital jobs for locals, both part-time and full-time, and custom for local suppliers. I asked the Secretary of State why he wasn’t pushing the Chancellor to ensure that adequate support means that strong, independent hospitality businesses like this are able to weather this storm to return to full strength once the pandemic is behind us.

There were two meaningful awareness events this week – we had the week ending yesterday for baby loss awareness and today it’s Wear Red Day for Show Racism the Red Card. Pregnancy and baby loss is a tragic reality for so many parents across the country and for too long, it’s been considered taboo and a private matter. The pandemic has compounded the sense of isolation for so many, but we must ensure that support is there for parents who experience terrible loss, both from professional services as well as friends and family.

As many of you must be aware, I am a big fan of sport – both getting out and playing and enjoying watching a game (usually rugby!). Racism has absolutely no place in sport - or society! - and I am disgusted whenever I see instances of racism both on and off the pitch. We must stamp out these vicious and vile attitudes with the help of educational organisations such as Show Racism the Red Card and teach our children to value the hearts and minds of those they meet rather than the way they look and the colour of their skin.
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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 and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

Keep well and remember – and remember - observe social distancing, wash your hands regularly and keep Wales safe

​Former Welsh international rugby player and Member for Parliament for Gower has welcomed the WRU’s decision to allow community rugby to resume. This is great news especially after the Welsh Government changed coronavirus restrictions to allow children to travel between areas affected by local lockdowns.
 
Clubs and teams of all junior ages in Swansea may now return to training within the current return to rugby guidelines, if they feel they can provide a safe environment for players, coaches and volunteers.
 
This follows the easing of restrictions which allows children to travel between areas under lockdown so they may continue to participate in organised sporting activities.
 
Member of Parliament for Gower Tonia Antoniazzi MP said, “The clubs are doing a brilliant job to protect their youngsters and provide a safe training experience”
 
“We know how important sport is for their mental health and physical wellbeing, as well as with their personal development with skills they gain through teamwork and socialising with their friends outside of school. “ 
 
“The last few months have been hard on everyone with lockdown restrictions upending everyday life and we have all had to make sacrifices as we’ve adjusted to the new normal.”
 
“Likewise, the next 6 months will be a real challenge for us all, so the WRU’s decision to bring back community rugby and let children train again is fantastic. I’ve had many constituents have contact me since March saying their child’s physical and mental health has been drastically impacted by lockdown so it’s only right that we strike a balance with our restrictions.”
 
“The return of community rugby for our youngsters is a welcome reprieve from lockdown life.”

It's been another busy week here in Gower and Westminster.  I was pleased to be called to ask the English Secretary of State for Health, Matt Hancock, a question in this week’s Health Questions. It’s come to light that the Northern Ireland authorities have taken unprecedented action and have committed to paying the private prescriptions for severely ill children in Northern Ireland who need medical cannabis. I have been campaigning on this issue for a long time, and I asked the Secretary of State if he would finally do the right thing and follow the Northern Irish example and support severely ill children with intractable epilepsy. He refused to answer my yes or no question, instead praising significant progress made and promising to follow the clinical advice. The clinical advice is clear: where no other treatments have been found to be effective, medical cannabis can be prescribed.

I was also pleased to join other Catch Up With Cancer campaigners on a call with Matt Hancock to discuss a national cancer recovery plan. Cancer waiting lists and in NHS England, waiting lists are at the highest level since records began. We need the UK Government to ensure that cancer specialist health care workers receive adequate testing to ensure Covid-protected safe spaces so that cancer diagnoses and care can continue throughout the winter and ensure that everyone with a diagnosis is given the best chance of survival. The pandemic has been a worrying and uncertain time for everyone, but for those awaiting cancer treatment there is the added fear of losing precious time. Cancer hasn’t gone away during this pandemic and we need to ensure that our capabilities for treating cancer are not lost either.

This week we had the utterly ridiculous suggestion by the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, that those people employed in the creative industries who are currently unable to work should just find alternative jobs. According to one of the Government’s own press releases from earlier this year, the UK’s creative industries contribute (in normal times) almost £13 million to the UK economy every hour. The sector was growing more than 5 times faster than the national economy before the pandemic hit. It was incredibly moving to see the 400 musicians who assembled in Parliament Square (socially distanced, of course) to protest against the UK Government’s lack of support in the way they know how – by performing one of Gustav Holst’s best known pieces, Mars from his Planets Suite. Holst was an English composer and it is terribly saddening to think of all the talent and hours of enjoyment that could be lost from the UK Government’s short-sightedness.

The Welsh Affairs Committee met this Thursday to discuss the implications of Brexit for Welsh trade, particularly in the areas of pharmaceuticals, the automotive industry, and the steel industry. I’ve noticed over the last few years an issue with the drugs available in pharmacies, particularly HRT. It is very important that we tackle the lack of availability of drugs, especially with the impact of leaving the EU. The UK Government must ensure that the supply of vital drugs, as well as other vital products for trade, is not disrupted by Brexit and that safeguards are put in place to ensure stocks remain able to cope with demand.

Women in Sport are running a fantastic initiative this month called #TimeTogether to get mums and daughters to find new, fun, and active ways to spend time together. Research has shown that only 42% of teenage girls meet physical activity guidelines and that mums are often reluctant to allocate time for themselves to be active as they are busy spending time looking after others. They also found that teenage girls cherish and value time spent alone with their mum and so Time Together have put together 4 weeks of ideas of ways to spend time more actively enjoying that important relationship. Take a look at their website and social media for lots of great ideas and go and have some fun!

On Monday we marked World Teachers’ Day. As a former teacher myself, I know how hard the job is in normal times, trying to plan and prepare for lessons, ensure that every student is given the help they need to succeed, deal with behaviour, and try to keep your head above the ever-growing pile of marking and paperwork! It’s a wonderful job – watching children develop is a joy, but it can be extremely challenging. I want to thank all the wonderful teachers who have worked so hard to ensure that students can go back into Covid-secure classrooms and maintain as much normality as possible. The end of last year was completely unprecedented and the beginning of this year is no less strange. Good luck to all teachers for the academic year and I hope you still find the moments of laughter, joy, and bewilderment that reminds every teacher why they do this job!

This Saturday is World Mental Health Day and this year’s is more important than ever. According to Mind charity’s research, more than half of adults and over two thirds of young people said that their mental health had got worse over lockdown. Some may have developed new mental health problems and others had their existing mental health problems exacerbated. We must now get rid of the idea that mental ill-health is somehow a weakness and that it is something to be ashamed of. In the same way that we need to eat well and exercise to keep our physical health good, we need to look after our minds. For some that mean a jog, or a yoga class, or an hour with a book in a corner somewhere. Others might need more help and that might mean reaching out to others.  Mind mental health charity have lots of information about the support available on their website, or you can visit your GP. It’s important that we look after ourselves – body and mind.

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.
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Keep well and remember – and remember - observe social distancing, wash your hands regularly and keep Wales safe!

As you will know, stricter restrictions have come into force here in Gower this week as a result of the spike in infections across South Wales. The main restrictions mean that people can no longer leave the Swansea council area without a reasonable excuse, households can no longer form bubbles, and people must all work from home where possible. All licensed premises must stop serving alcohol at 10pm. These restrictions are of course frustrating, but we have to support the NHS to bring the infection rate back under control. This means that we must also continue the usual regular hand washing, wearing of face coverings, and social distancing. For more detail on the restrictions and answers to the frequently asked questions, visit the Welsh Government website here.

I was pleased to be able to tackle the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Brandon Lewis MP, on the discussions that took place with the Northern Irish political parties prior to the publication of the United Kingdom Internal Market Bill. Given that the leading member of the United States Congress, the Democrat nominee for President, the Trump-appointed special envoy to Northern Ireland, the Irish Government, the Lord Chief ​Justice of Northern Ireland and three of the five parties of the Executive have all condemned the Secretary of State’s juvenile law-breaking boasts in the House of Commons, I find it astounding that there has been no realisation from this Government of the damage and harm they have done to relations with Northern Ireland, relations with the EU, and the peace and prosperity of Northern Ireland itself. We need a sensible and responsible Government to negotiate a deal with the EU that protects the economy, and peace across the Irish Sea, and so far, we have seen anything but that.

I was also called to speak in Business Questions this week where I was able to ask the Leader of the House to join me in recognising the amazing work of DIY SOS Big Build and all the people who helped them out in Gower. For Children in Need the DIY SOS team, Ben and Ben of Surfability, with the generosity of trades and businesses in Swansea and South Wales built an incredible, unique facility for Surfability – a group that supports people of all ages with disabilities to surf some waves in Caswell Bay. I asked the Leader to prompt the Secretary of State for DCMS to talk to the new Director-General of the BBC about the importance of shows like DIY SOS for the incredible change that they can help bring about. It’s such a heart-warming, inspirational programme and I hope to see many more of their fantastic builds in the years to come. Congratulations to all the team involved for the wonderful premises they built here in Gower!

Yesterday marked the start of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and this year there is a simple message: its never been more important to check your breasts. The Covid-19 pandemic led to the suspension of cancer screening services this spring, with more than 300 women in Wales not having their routine scans as a result. Fortunately, screening services have now resumed, but I cannot say this strongly enough, please check your boobs, and that includes you men as well! Nearly 400 men every year are diagnosed with breast cancer, and, as for women, the earlier a diagnosis is made, the better the chances for recovery. All you have to do is go to your GP at the first sign of any concerning symptoms – your GPs are open, and they are there for you.

I would also like to send huge congratulations this week to the wonderful Carl from the Boot Room in Briton Ferry for the amazing news that he has been nominated for a Pride of Britain Award. What the Boot Room does for the local community is an inspiration and I would love to see more Carls appear across the country to help kids feel confident getting into sport. The Boot Room recycles rugby boots, football boots and sports kit, and takes donations for kit so that teams and individuals who can’t afford the high street prices for sports gear are still able to play sport and feel like they look the part. It’s so important that children are encouraged into sport, we’ve all seen how important it’s been during this pandemic, and it’s important that they are made to feel comfortable playing sport and enjoy it. So, to Carl and your wonderful team, thank you so much for all you do and whatever happens at the Pride of Britain, know that you are the Pride of Gower and the Pride of South Wales.
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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.
Keep well and remember – observe social distancing, wash your hands regularly and keep Wales safe!