Covid 19 & Vaccinations

An additional 16 cases of Covid 19 have been registered in Sutton Coldfield for the week of 8th-14th May compared to an updated figure of 9 for the week of 1st-7th May based on data from Birmingham City Council’s public health division.

The 7-day case rate between 8th-14th May in Birmingham was 16.46 cases/100K population, compared to an updated figure of 17.1/100K for the period between the 1st-7th May

Over the 7 days leading up to 15th May, of 14,422 PCR pillar 2 tests, 130 (0.9%) were positive in Birmingham, higher than the West Midlands average but lower than the England average.

Birmingham ranks 13th in the region for pillar 2 PCR tests, with 1,263 tests per 100k population. 60,590 LFT pillar 2 tests were also carried out.

Hospital admissions range between 3 and 9 new cases a day at Birmingham hospital trusts over the 7 days from 8th- 14th May.

The attached image shows an overview of vaccinations across different wards in Sutton Coldfield, based on the data that was available on Tuesday. Data published yesterday show that 98,611 vaccine doses have been administered in Sutton Coldfield, with the rollout to younger groups and second doses in older groups progressing well. All those aged 34 and over can now book a vaccination slot.

Royal Sutton Coldfield updates

Congratulations to Councillor Terry Wood who has been elected to serve as our Town’s Mayor.

On Monday I held a Zoom meeting with members of Eco Sutton to discuss a wide range of environmental issues. We talked about specific local ones in the Royal Town and also about the priorities for the big international climate change meeting in Glasgow in November.

On Wednesday I visited (virtually) Arthur Terry for a meeting with pupils as part of the UK Parliament workshop.

On Thursday I caught up with Carl Glasgow the Headteacher of Boldmere Junior School to hear about progress there. This morning I met a fascinating local entrepreneur, scientist Rick Thomas to discuss his new business Survey AR which aims to utilise Unmanned Aerial Systems, remote sensing, monitoring and sampling technologies so that professionals can make more informed decisions in optimising use and management of the built and rural environment. He hopes that his work will help detect urban pollution and that the technology can be used in forests and green spaces to see how much carbon is being stored in these areas.

I then had the great pleasure of visiting the Aquascape Fish Import business based in the heart of Sutton Coldfield and met Andrew Hale and his team. The business is 25 years old and imports exotic fish. So the Royal Town plays host to one of the very few fish importers in the country which supplies tropical and fresh water fish from around the world. I discovered that something like 1 in 2 homes in Britain have played host to fish swimming in pools and bowls and his business which is undoubtedly a Royal Town gem has fortunately not been much disrupted by Covid.

At lunchtime I joined our recently retired Mayor Cllr Jane Mosson and Cllr Ewan Mackey for a local Great British Spring Clean event, tackling some of the litter and rubbish around the Duttons Lane and Weeford Road area. This year's campaign is aiming to clear a million miles of litter from streets, parks and outdoor areas around the UK. https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/get-involved/support-our-campaigns/great-british-spring-clea

This afternoon I visited Moor Hall Hotel and Spa to discuss the ongoing challenges facing hotels and the hospitality sector in Sutton Coldfield. Moor Hall was buzzing with activity and has put a significant amount of effort and resources into ensuring that their venue is Covid secure and thank goodness life is returning towards normal there. Alongside Covid safety measures the hotel has also undergone a significant refurbishment of their rooms and I understand that they have more weddings taking place over the next 6 months than ever before.

This evening I have been lucky enough to receive my second Covid 19 vaccine in our Royal Town Hall. Once again I would like to thank all those who have made the Royal Town’s vaccination programme located in our Town Hall such a success, and strongly encourage everyone who is eligible to secure their jab as soon as possible.

On Wednesday the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games team announced its Hometown Heroes - inspiring local champions of community sport in the West Midlands. The Hometown Heroes include coaches, managers, umpires, and fundraisers, who have dedicated their lives to grassroots sport. Congratulations to Steve Mroso who has worked as a basketball player, coach and manager for over 20 years. Steve is general manager at Team Birmingham Elite and head coach of the women’s team at Birmingham City University as well as coaching a range of other groups. Steve holds trainings at Sutton College and is a huge advocate for grassroots basketball. https://www.birmingham2022.com/hometownheroes/steve-mroso/

The Government is undertaking a consultation to help inform the development of the new Women’s Health Strategy. Currently the West Midlands area is underrepresented in the responses so if you have a spare 5-10 minutes, please do consider filling in the survey: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/womens-health-strategy-call-for-evidence

Westminster news and Parliamentary business

This week I have attended a number of Parliamentary meetings including with the LGBT Parliamentary Liaison Scheme and the Friends of Syria All Party Parliamentary Group.

Yesterday I attended an Oxford University event for students and academics looking at the Future of UK International Development.

I have added my name to a new clause in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill which aims to abolish the power of a court to remand someone to prison ‘for their own protection’. Under the Bail Act 1976, judges and magistrates can order adults to be held in custody for their own protection – or, in the case of a child, for their own welfare – even in cases where the charge they face could not result in a prison sentence. Typically, this power is used to detain the most vulnerable of defendants, predominantly those who present a risk to themselves and have been let down by services in the community. Prison is an unsafe environment for people in crisis; it is wrong in principle, and problematic in practice. The proposed change is based on research carried out by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Women in the Penal System.

On Tuesday the Government set out plans to treble tree-planting rates in England, restore at least 35,000 hectares of degraded peatlands and set a new world-leading target aimed at halting the decline of native species:  https://www.gov.uk/government/news/environment-secretary-to-set-out-plans-to-restore-nature-and-build-back-greener-from-the-pandemic

Yesterday Ministers announced the creation of a new public body, Great British Railways, as part of our plans to improve the railways, putting passengers first and investing in the future of the network. Great British Railways will fuse the best of the public and private sector to deliver better value fares for passengers and helping to ensure that train operators are focused on delivering punctual, high-quality journeys with simpler and clearer prices. The West Midlands Rail Executive has welcomed the publication of the new plan. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/great-british-railways-for-the-passenger

Opportunities and Events

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will open applications for their volunteer programme on the 1st of June: www.birmingham2022.com/volunteering

This week is Dementia Action week and the Alzheimer’s Society has a wealth of resources to help those looking after a loved one, including a free forum where people can share advice and meet other people in similar situations: https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-support/dementia-talking-point-our-online-community

Wednesday was National Numeracy Day. So far 370,000 people in the UK have taken steps to improve their numeracy by using the National Numeracy Challenge. To find out more visit: https://www.nationalnumeracy.org.uk/challenge/

Parent Talk is a free online support service from Action for Children designed to help parents with everything from managing behaviour through to sleep and emotional wellbeing www.parent-talk.org.uk/happy

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As your MP I am here to help. If you feel I can assist with any concerns, please do not hesitate to get in contact by emailing me on andrew.mitchell.mp@parliament.uk