Covid 19 & Vaccinations
An additional 21 cases of Covid 19 have been registered in Sutton Coldfield for the week of 23 - 29 May compared to an updated figure of 14 for the week of 16-22 May based on data from Birmingham City Council’s public health division.
The 7-day case rate between 23- 29 May in Birmingham was 42.1 cases/100K population, compared to 24.4/100K for the period between the 16- 22 May
Over the 7 days leading up to 30th May, of 17,201 PCR pillar 2 tests, 470 (2.7%) were positive in Birmingham, a higher positivity rate than both the West Midlands and England.
Birmingham ranks 13th in the region for pillar 2 PCR tests, with 1,506 tests per 100k population. 50,903 LFD pillar 2 tests were also carried out.
Hospital admissions range between 4 and 10 new cases a day at Birmingham hospital trusts over the 7 days from 22-28 May.
Unfortunately Birmingham City Council is unable to provide a ward breakdown of vaccinations however the attached image shows the number of vaccines per age group for Sutton Coldfield.
Royal Sutton Coldfield updates
The Boundary Commission for England has announced that they intend to publish their initial proposals for changes to Westminster constituency boundaries on Tuesday 8 June. I hope that Sutton Coldfield will remain with the same boundaries. A number of aspects work in our favour including the current ward level boundaries and our local population size. If there are any proposed changes I will highlight these in full next week’s message and I will strongly oppose any changes that impact our constituency adversely.
It was hugely disappointing to read at the end of last week that the Shrubbery School has announced it will be closing in July after 90 years, this has come as a shock to parents, staff and pupils and I have contacted the School asking for a meeting with the Director. The announcement came at very short notice and I appreciate it has caused considerable stress for many local families. I am following up specific concerns on behalf of a large number of local parents. https://www.expressandstar.com/news/local-hubs/birmingham/sutton-coldfield/2021/06/02/devastated-families-in-bid-to-rescue-sutton-coldfield-school-facing-closure/
In happier news, congratulations to Little Sutton Primary School which has been nominated in the Primary school of the year category at the Tes Schools Awards which will take place later this month.
On Tuesday I attended a meeting with the University of Birmingham’s Forum for Global Challenges team to discuss their projects and meetings over the coming year.
Volunteers’ Week takes place between 1-7 June every year and is a time to recognise and thank volunteers. During an exceptionally difficult year, hundreds of people across the Royal Town have taken the time to volunteer and made a huge difference to our local community. I would like to thank the hundreds of volunteers and community groups that have stepped up to support the most vulnerable members of our community during the pandemic, as well as all our longstanding volunteers who have contributed so much to our Royal Town.
Birmingham City Council has approved the submission of a city bid for the right to stage the World Athletics Road Running Championships in 2023 or 2024
A reminder for all EU nationals in Sutton Coldfield that the deadline for applications to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) is 30 June. All EU, EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members who were resident in the UK by 31 December 2020, should apply via: www.gov.uk/eusettlementscheme so they can continue to work, study, and access free healthcare and benefits in the UK after 30 June 2021.
Westminster news and Parliamentary business
On Wednesday afternoon I tabled an amendment introducing a new clause to the Advanced Research and Invention Agency Bill which has its report stage in the House of Commons on Monday. The new clause is a technical amendment to enforcing the 2015 International Development (Official Development Assistance Target) Act, obliging the government to meet a target of 0.7% for official development assistance (ODA), next year (2022). It has been backed by over 30 Conservative MPs, every former Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee still in the Commons, as well as the Chairs of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and International Development Committees. The 0.7% commitment is important not only for humanitarian reasons but to make the world a safer place and to boost our soft power. Last weekend I joined Sebastian Payne for his weekly FT politics podcast to discuss some of the issues around the international development budget cuts (from 21 minutes in) : https://www.ft.com/content/2c48a6bc-6c49-4f18-a71c-d7d0305c440e
I have added my name to a new clause in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill which if passed will increase the maximum sentences for causing or allowing a child or vulnerable adult to suffer serious injury or death https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-57240051
I have signed an open letter organised by Elton John which calls upon the Prime Minister and G7 leaders to demonstrate a commitment to end AIDS by 2030 https://www.eltonjohnaidsfoundation.org/open-letter-to-boris-johnson/
On Tuesday the Government announced a cash boost for apprenticeships, with businesses able to claim £3000 for each new apprentice they take on as part of our Plan For Jobs, improving opportunities for young people to build a career. We also announced £1 billion to support up to 6 million, 15-hour tutoring courses for disadvantaged children and expand the 16-19 tuition fund - targeting key subjects such as Maths and English.
I recently contacted DEFRA to raise concerns about our animal welfare rules around the slaughter of pigs (an issue that has received some press coverage recently - https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/consumers-should-demand-humane-slaughter-of-pigs-sj7nhvd59 ). I received a response from the Secretary of State George Eustice providing details of a recent review into the welfare of animals at time of killing legislation and the Government’s commitment to find an alternative to high concentration carbon dioxide stunning of pigs.
Opportunities and Events
The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Cultural Programme is now open for applications from community groups who want to create art and participatory projects, as part of the six-month festival of culture accompanying the Commonwealth Games. The grants provide an opportunity for residents to come together to co-create artworks, events and performances to occupy the high streets, neighbourhoods, parks, waterways, venues and civic spaces. www.birmingham2022.com/culture/creativecitygrants
June is Bike Month, a celebration of cycling that aims to encourage and support people to get out and ride. By logging rides on the Love to Ride website there is an opportunity to win prizes: https://www.lovetoride.net/westmidlands
If you're aged 16-19 (up to 25 with a learning difficulty/disability) advisers at Birmingham Careers Service can provide advice about your ideas and plans for the future including further education, higher education, apprenticeships and jobs https://www.birminghamcareersservice.co.uk/contact/
With online scams becoming more common, Age UK has created a useful guide for older people on how they can protect themselves from online scams https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/work-learning/technology-internet/internet-security/
The Birmingham Inclusive Sports Festival will take place later this month. To find out more or to register for a place click here: https://www.sportbirmingham.org/inclusive-sports-festival
Now projects centred around heritage and culture are being invited to apply for a share of a new £250,000 Cultural Action Zone fund. https://gbslep.co.uk/resources/funding-calls/
The Great Get Together is an initiative inspired by the late Jo Cox MP, designed to bring people together to celebrate what they have in common. Events will be taking place all over the country later this month. https://www.greatgettogether.org/2021
This week is National Hedgerow week, to support the campaign to protect our hedgerows or to receive a free guide please see the following link: https://hedgelink.org.uk/campaign/national-hedgerow-week/
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