Over the last few weeks, our lives have changed beyond recognition. I understand this is a period of great worry, but we must continue adhering to the lockdown to ensure our lives can return to normal as quickly as possible and keep those we love with us and healthy.
I recognise that the extension of the lockdown, however necessary to save lives and protect our NHS, presents significant concerns about our economy. We will ultimately beat the virus by staying home, but it’s vital that our economy gets up and running again as soon as it’s safe – and the Government’s unparalleled support will allow that to happen.
On Monday, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme opened for applications ten days early meaning all PAY-E employers can now claim up to £2,500 a month per employee towards their wages. I know it will be a huge reassurance to Rutland’s employers that direct cash grants will be paid within six days of application.
In these extraordinary times it is right that we provide extraordinary support to our businesses and workers.
As I said earlier our lives have changed and for the first time in the 700-year history of the House of Commons, MPs will participate virtually in Parliamentary procedures.
Under the new mechanism Parliament will sit from Monday to Wednesday and MPs can participate in Departmental Questions (including Prime Minister’s Questions), Urgent Questions and Ministerial Statements via video link for the first two hours of each day. Make sure you keep your eyes peeled on BBC Parliament to see me raising residents’ concerns directly from Rutland! This week I also participated in my first virtual meeting of the Foreign Affairs Committee reviewing the Foreign Office’s work to get British Nationals home from abroad.
I am grateful to the Oakham Scouts for helping me practice my video conferencing skills this week. I joined their virtual meeting and answered lots of their questions from COVID-19 to Star Wars! I thoroughly enjoyed speaking to such engaging younger residents, and I look forward to having them visit me in Parliament when our country has healed!
I remain moved and humbled by the number of nominations I am receiving for my ‘Unsung Heroes’ award and it’s clear Rutland has a uniquely strong sense of civic spirit. This week, the award goes to the team at Rutland Sewing who have closed their sewing school and supply service and focused all their efforts on producing almost 1,000 headbands and scrubs for NHS and care staff to make PPE less painful to wear. Lucy Stevenson, Jo Stanton, John Wolloff, Liz Clarke, Kerrie Lambert and the team at Rutland Sewing are enormous assets to our community, and indeed our country. Thank you.
I am also immensely grateful to residents who are supporting local media at this difficult time. The Rutland Times and Rutland Radio are pillars of our community, and I am hopeful our communities will remain as dedicated to them as they have been to us for all these years.
