Although it is August I am still here to help, if I can assist you please do not hesitate to get in contact, as set out at the bottom of this issue of my message.
Covid 19 & Vaccinations
An additional 267 cases of Covid 19 have been registered in Sutton Coldfield for the week of 1st- 7th August compared to an updated figure of 321 for the week of 25th-31st July based on data from Birmingham City Council’s public health division.
The 7-day case rate between 31st July- 6th August in Birmingham was 328.8 cases/100K population, compared to 307.8/100K for the period between the 24th- 30 July.
Over the 7 days leading up to 7th August, of 22,751 PCR pillar 2 tests, 3,648 (16.0%) were positive in Birmingham, a higher positivity rate than the West Midlands and England.
Birmingham ranks 12th in the region for pillar 2 PCR tests, with 1,993 tests per 100k population. 44,550 LFD pillar 2 tests were also carried out.
Hospital admissions range between 36 and 45 new cases a day at Birmingham hospital trusts over the 7 days from 31st July- 6th August with a total of 294 cases.
The attached image shows the number of vaccines per age group for Sutton Coldfield from data published yesterday. Over three quarters of UK adults have now received both doses of a Covid 19 vaccine.
Walk-in appointments are taking place at a mass vaccination centres across the Birmingham City Council area. Please check the latest availability via: www.birminghamandsolihullcovidvaccine.nhs.uk/walk-in you can also continue to book in advance online as normal including bringing forward your second dose if your appointment is more than 8 weeks from your first vaccine: www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination
From Monday, people who are double jabbed or aged under 18 will no longer be legally required to self-isolate if they are identified as a close contact of a positive Covid 19 case. Double vaccinated individuals and under 18s who are identified as close contacts by NHS Test and Trace will be advised to take a PCR test as soon as possible to check if they have the virus and for variants of concern. People can order a PCR home test online or by calling 119 and these individuals will not be required to self-isolate while they wait for the results of the PCR test. Anyone who tests positive following a PCR test will still be legally required to self-isolate, irrespective of their vaccination status or age, in order to break onward chains of transmission. Meanwhile anyone who develops symptoms should self-isolate as normal and get a PCR test, remaining in isolation until the result comes back.
Royal Sutton Coldfield updates
Congratulations to A Level and GCSE students across the Royal Town on their results this week. I understand that the past 18 months have been very difficult for many students, teachers and their families and while the examination system has taken a different format this year I know that students across Sutton Coldfield have worked incredibly hard on their studies. For those looking for advice on what to do next, the National Careers Service helpline is available: https://www.gov.uk/careers-helpline-for-teenagers
Yesterday I opened the new Mutiny Loft at 28a Birmingham Road as part of their official launch. It is great to see another business open in the area and our local hospitality sector continue to grow. Mutiny offers a variety of international street food as well as a pop-up brand space which will change on a monthly basis.
Since the start of 2021, Arts Council England has supported our nation’s creative and cultural sector through their regular investment programmes. This year between January and July, Arts Council England invested a total of £50,595 in Sutton Coldfield. Across the Midlands, it has invested a total of £9,714,482 in 496 organisations and individuals, including supporting the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity.
The West Midlands Combined Authority and Department of Work and Pensions are promoting the Government’s £2bn Kickstart scheme. Kickstart funds employers to create six-month paid jobs with local employers for 16- to 24-year olds on Universal Credit who are at risk of long-term unemployment. It enables young people to gain hands-on experience while getting paid, boosting their future job prospects. To make sure young people can easily find opportunities, the Youth Employment WM website lists thousands of Kickstart jobs including trainee construction workers, beauty therapists, social media assistants, receptionists, gardeners, kitchen assistants, and IT technicians. https://www.youthemployment.org.uk/kickstart-vacancies/ Young people can also find help applying for roles from their local Jobcentre work coach.
A new toolkit has been developed to help a wide range of organisations prevent and relieve homelessness. The Commitment to Collaborate to Prevent and Relieve Homelessness Toolkit has been developed by the West Midlands Combined Authority Homelessness Taskforce in partnership with Birmingham Voluntary Service Council. The toolkit can be viewed here: https://www.wmca.org.uk/who-we-are/meet-the-mayor/commitment-to-collaborate-c2c-to-prevent-and-relieve-homelessness-toolkit/
Good news as business confidence rebounded sharply during the second quarter of 2021. The latest results from the West Midlands Quarterly Economic Snapshot shows that 62 per cent of businesses expect to increase their turnover over the course of the next 12 months, compared to 43 per cent in Q1. Data comes from quarterly surveys conducted by Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, Black Country Chamber of Commerce and Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce. https://www.greaterbirminghamchambers.com/media/892902/wm_qes_q2_2021.pdf
Westminster news and Parliamentary business
Earlier this week the Government opened a consultation on plans for new Local Nature Recovery Strategies across England, part of the measures we are taking in our landmark Environment Bill to protect our natural environment. Local Nature Recovery Strategies will allow local communities work together to identify where we should take action as part our national Nature Recovery Network. They will also identify opportunities to mitigate flood risk, plant trees or restore peatland for carbon sequestration to mitigate climate change. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/local-communities-urged-to-help-shape-the-natural-world-around-them
The Government has recently expanded the number of university medical training places by 1,500 and opened up five new medical schools in areas with lower rates of doctors. Last year the Government lifted the cap to accommodate additional medical and dental students. On the back of the unprecedented demand we are seeing this year to study medicine and dentistry, the Department of Health and Social Care will provide new funding to expand medical and dentistry university places for the 2021/22 academic year for UK students who have achieved the required grades and who have met the conditions of their offer and hold a firm or insurance offer at a medical or dental school in England. The Government will also provide up to £10m of funding for the Strategic Priorities Grant.
Offshore wind manufacturers Siemens Gamesa and GRI Renewable Industries will receive grant funding from the government’s Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Support Scheme to further develop manufacturing facilities in the Humber region. Both companies will be supplying essential components to offshore wind farms providing clean power across the UK – as well as for export around the world. Siemens Gamesa will invest a total of £186 million to expand its blade manufacturing site located near Hull, creating and safeguarding up to 1,080 direct jobs. GRI Renewable Industries is providing £78 million investment in an offshore wind turbine tower factory, creating up to 260 direct jobs.
Today we have announced a £16.2 million funding boost for five programmes to protect the world’s oceans and tackle climate change as part of our £500 million Blue Planet Fund, including a new UK-led programme which will help developing countries partner with the UK’s scientific community to better manage marine protected areas, and improve our understanding of the impact of climate change and contaminants in our oceans.
Opportunities and Events
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street has launched the West Midlands Great Clean Up, which is backed by Keep Britain Tidy. The campaign aims to help our region look its best before it comes under the international spotlight as host of the Commonwealth Games next year. A target has been set to recruit 1,000 volunteers to help with litter picking across the West Midlands. In the Royal Town we have a number of very regular litter picking groups, but if you would like to sign up for the Mayor’s clean-up campaign you can do so here: https://beta.wmca.org.uk/the-mayor/wm-clean-up/
The West Midlands Combined Authority is holding a virtual careers fair to highlight apprenticeship opportunities and to allow potential recruits to hear directly from apprentices about their experiences. The event will take place on Tuesday from 11am. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/careers-and-opportunities-roadshow-apprenticeships-virtual-event-tickets-163610454273
Our Town Hall’s events calendar is filling up for the coming months. To see the latest events and book tickets visit: https://www.suttoncoldfieldtownhall.com/events/
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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.ukMy weekly updates are available via email: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/bhE9MGy/AndrewMitchellNewsletter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andrewmitchellmp and my website: https://www.andrew-mitchell-mp.co.uk/news. Please feel free to share with anyone who might like to receive a copy.