Tier 4 Statement
I know how distressing it was for people in Maldon and Chelmsford to hear that new Tier 4 restrictions were being imposed on London and the Home Counties from Sunday morning. In addition, the withdrawal of the five day relaxation for Christmas is another huge blow to families, many of whom have already been unable […]
John Interviewed on the Future of UK Media
John was recently interviewed by Amal Rajan at the Radio Academy Festival for the BBC Radio 4’s The Media Show. In a wide-ranging interview, John was asked about his thoughts on the future of public broadcasting and the licence fee, the growing influence of podcasts and the role of big tech platforms in British media. […]
Regional Test Site Opens in Sandon
John was delighted to learn this week that the Department for Health and Social Care are to open an NHS Regional Test Site in December at Sandon Park and Ride as part of its Test and Trace service. The site is a drive-through site and will offer both assisted and self-administered tests. Welcoming the news, John commented “NHS […]
Maldon Moves Into Tier 3
The decision to place most of Essex in Tier 3 is a huge disappointment but sadly was unavoidable. All of us had hoped that when our Tier 2 status was due to be reviewed on 16th December, it would be possible to relax the restrictions. However, the figures that I saw at an emergency meeting […]
Many Happy (Rovers) Returns!
As part of his ministerial duties, John responded on behalf of the government to a recent adjournment debate in the House of Commons to mark the 60th birthday of the nation’s favourite soap opera, Coronation Street. Click here to see the speech. Happy birthday, Corrie!
December Covid Update
I have been contacted by a large number of constituents about the change in lockdown arrangements after 2 December. Many are understandably concerned about what the new tier system will mean for their business or if they will now be able to visit a loved one at a care home, whilst some remain sceptical about the need for […]
Covid19 Statement
The Coronavirus-19 Pandemic is the greatest threat to Public Health that we have seen in our lifetimes. The Prime Minister has rightly described it as a National Emergency and the measures that have been introduced to tackle it are unprecedented. However, the scientific advice, based on the experience in other countries, is that these are […]
Free school meals
I do not dismiss the importance of ensuring that no child goes hungry. The vote last night was after a debate about how this can be achieved rather than whether it should be done at all. Opening schools to feed children year round is not a sensible option and it is right that parents […]
Fisheries Bill
A number of constituents contacted me about a note on the Fisheries Bill. The disagreements were over parliamentary process rather than disagreement about the importance of sustainable fishing. Officials advised that the opposition amendment on large vessels was unnecessary. The Bill is deliberately a framework Bill to enable the Government to take powers that would enable […]
Cultural recovery fund grants for Maldon
It is fantastic that Maldon District Council has been awarded £40,000 from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage with a further £40,000 going to help restore St Mary’s Church, Mundon. We are very lucky to have wonderful heritage assets in the District and this money will help us get through the current challenges and […]