21 January 2022
Andrew Mitchell MP’s 93rd weekly message to constituents and local residents across our Royal Town

I am sure everyone is pleased that we are now lifting the Plan B restrictions.

Throughout the pandemic, the government has tried to maintain a balanced and proportionate approach to Covid-19 measures. We moved to Plan B following the rapid speed of Omicron, buying us time to assess the variant, ramp up the booster programme and strengthen our defences.  

People will no longer be advised to work from home and face masks will no longer be mandatory in classrooms in schools, and from Thursday 27 January, face coverings will no longer be mandatory in indoor venues, and organisations will be able to choose whether or not to require NHS Covid Passes.

It is thanks to the efforts of people up and down the country and our phenomenal vaccination programme that we are able to move to these steps and restore more freedom to our country - and please let us all  continue to urge everyone to get boosted now.

You can read the full details here:  England to return to Plan A following the success of the booster programme - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

 

Royal Sutton Coldfield Updates

I have had an unusually large number of communications regarding the Prime Minister – more than 600 – from constituents helpfully giving me their views on the current situation.  I am now waiting for the report from Sue Gray, a senior civil servant of unimpeachable integrity, before reaching any final conclusions.

During the pandemic, an organisation called The Angels Foundation has carried out many projects at their own expense for the betterment of our local community.  This includes distributing over 2,000 face masks, food, work packs, books and stationery to families and children.

They are now distributing their winter packs which will include sleeping bags and food and I shall be with them at the Baptist Church on Trinity Hill in our Royal Town on Friday 4th February at 10am to assist them handing out parcels to organisations who help people in need.

Love Life Again: This week, I have visited a new start-up venture run by Lucy Jayne Cole that specialises in grief recovery coaching based in our Royal Town which was opened last year by our Mayor.

Lucy is a fully qualified Grief Recovery Specialist and trained with Grief UK and it was interesting to learn of the one-to-one coaching programmes that Lucy has to offer for adults and children, to help with mental health, depression/anxiety, grief recovery and Personal Development.  

You can learn more about Lucy’s work here: Love Life Coaching & Events – Let us guide you to a happier & healthier life (lovelifecoaching-events.co.uk)

Andrew Mitchell MP and Lucy Jayne Cole

Childcare and Early Education Week is taking place from 24 to 31 January 2022, run by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Childcare and Early Education.  Every year the APPG use this opportunity to celebrate and reflect on a particular aspect of the work of our vital early years sector. For 2022, the theme is ‘We are educators’, focusing on the integral work early years professionals do with our children and how we as policymakers can best support them.

I visited Ducklings Nursery based at Moor Hall Primary School where I had the pleasure of meeting the Manager, Shelley Armstrong, and Deputy Manager, Megan Hampshire.  It was a lovely warm and bright environment for the children, and a joy to meet them all and hear about their current theme which is the rainbow fish with an emphasis on how to share (since you ask!).  They have a capacity of 36 children and a dedicated staff and Shelley and Megan are pictured here along with some of their charges.

Andrew Mitchell MP visits Ducklings Nursery

Sutton Coldfield Cottage Hospital I have today had a strategy meeting in the Cottage Hospital with Richard Kirby, CEO of the Community Trust, Karen Helliwell,  Accounting Officer of the CCG and David Melbourne, Interim CEO of the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board.

I am concerned that long agreed plans for the development of the RSC Cottage Hospital have been inevitably delayed by the Covid Pandemic.  Hence this meeting to discuss the health services strategy to deliver these plans.  I will be meeting the Health Service again on Friday 11th February when Simon Ward, the Leader of the RSC Town Council, and I will be drilling further into their plans both monitoring progress and also with the clear intention of establishing a roadmap with the NHS and specific dates and targets for implementing these new plans. 

I believe that for the Royal Town, expanding the services that will enable us all to stay in our own homes as we live longer (thanks to medical progress) is an extremely important priority.

Sutton Coldfield Police Station I also had a meeting with community activists and Royal Town Councillors, Janet Cairns and Alison Jolley. Both these Vesey Councillors are extremely concerned about the extraordinary labour proposal to close our police station instead of injecting additional police resources - which we have a right to expect in a town of 100,000 people.  Both Janet and Alison have asked me raise this again with the Minister for Policing, Kit Malthouse MP, following last week’s debate in the House of Commons.

Andrew Mitchell MP outside Sutton Coldfield Police Station with Town Councillors, Janet Cairns and Alison Jolley

Westminster news and Parliamentary business

I took the opportunity to contribute in the Commons this week to speak about Somaliland and the important subject of it becoming an independent state during a speech made by Gavin Williamson MP – he and I are the only Ministers who have been into Somaliland in recent years.

I visited Hargeisa when I was Secretary of State for International Development, and we spent quite a lot of time supporting the Government which has very close connections with Britain. We strongly supported them against the terrorism of Al-Shabaab as well as promoting their development. 

There is an enormous degree of normalcy there. The democratic structures, when they have elections, have held together in extraordinarily difficult circumstances. There is proper governance.

I have travelled on a bus in Hargeisa that was a result of British investment. The case for Somaliland becoming an independent state is one which the Foreign Office normally takes the view that it does not want to lead but it would support. The African Union is at least passively acquiescent in that view, if not actively supportive. You can view here: https://youtu.be/knNkjoCMNZQ

With so many events cancelled in Parliament, I was fortunately able to attend the Scope briefing via Zoom this week.  Scope is a disability equality charity and does a tremendous amount of work including in the Royal Town.  During the call I received messages from my constituents about their experience of the assessments process and how they feel it could be improved.  In addition, Scope will send further information which will be helpful in Sutton Coldfield.

 

Events and Useful Information

Mobile Household Recycling Centres:  Please see below the visits scheduled week commencing 17th January 2022 of the Council’s Mobile Household Recycling Centre in your Constituency. 

Dates and locations for MHRCs are publicised locally, shortly before a planned visit.  Visit times are 07:00-12:00.  The locations in your constituency are:

Tue 25/01/2022                     Tudor Hill B73 6BH

Fri 28/01/2022                       Calder Drive B76 1GG

Tue 01/02/2022                     Slade Road B75 5PG

West Midland Metro Service update: The ongoing repairs to the West Midlands Metro tram fleet are progressing well and I am pleased to report that we expect to be able to return regular services to Grand Central and the Library by Sunday 30 January, dependent on tram availability.

A service between Wolverhampton and Bull Street has been maintained over the last month and this was achieved with a mix of fully repaired trams from the existing fleet and some new vehicles we were able to fast track into service.

Engineers from both West Midlands Metro and the tram manufacturer have been working round the clock to ensure the new repairs are robust and that once a full service resumes it will be safe, reliable and sustainable.

I would like to thank you again for your patience and support during this time, as our Metro team have worked diligently to get our trams back on track.

The latest information will be updated regularly on our website and social media. If you would like any further information, please do email  customerrelations@tfwm.org.uk

Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Tickets - General Sale Now Open

Tickets are now back on sale and this time it will be on a first come first served basis, so people are encouraged to go to birmingham2022.com to plan their visit to the Games.

Buy your tickets for Birmingham 2022 now!

Secure your seat to #B2022 right now by buying tickets here →  https://bit.ly/3pcsxnx

Be quick - tickets are now being sold on a first come, first served basis.

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

 

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