Coronavirus (Covid-19) is worrying and affecting us all. I know I have spoken with and exchanged emails with many of you, but I have compiled a communication collating information on what action the Government is taking on those issues of concern.

I have published this email below, but if you would like to sign up to my mailing list, you can do so by clicking here or by emailing [email protected] with your full name and address. 

 

Mail-out March 29th 2020

Dear Constituent, 

Firstly, I’d like to thank you for following the Government guidelines. I know this is difficult, particularly when it distances you from vulnerable relatives and disrupts your daily life in a way which most of us have never experienced. The Government is embarked on a massive exercise, unparalleled in peacetime, to protect the people of our country as far as is possible from the impact of the global Covid-19 pandemic. You will know that our local services are stretching to ensure that everyone affected gets the support they need, but it is absolutely crucial that we continue to stay apart in order to limit the rapidity of the spread of the virus so that the NHS, in particular, is able to treat everyone that needs it.
 
I appreciate fully that each and every one of us in our constituency is united by a shared concern for friends, family, and our future. As your MP, I will continue to work hard on behalf of Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner whilst the nation tackles Coronavirus (Covid-19). I will continue raising enquiries with ministers and government departments – to hold the Government to account and to highlight local examples of the impact of the crisis and the Government’s supportive measures on individuals, families, and businesses.
 
During this time of uncertainty, I have compiled this communication for our community to highlight the relevant publicly available information during this crisis. I also wish to clarify what action is being taken, on the basis of the reports I have received over the past few days.
 
This is a very concerning time for us all, with many anxieties about the impact that the virus will have on our lives. At this time, it is vital that any measure should be considered and implemented at the correct time. The Government’s advice has been continuously guided by the UK’s Chief Medical Adviser, Prof Chris Witty, and Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, and is based on scientific, medical and clinical evidence. To prevent spreading this virus we must all follow that advice. 

 

Restrictions on Movement

The responsibility is on individuals to follow the guidance produced by the Government’s experts; for both their own safety and the safety and wellbeing of others. I also understand that our local police are monitoring the current situation and will act accordingly if they see anyone in breach of social distancing.
 
I am fully supportive of our Prime Minister and Government and that measures are being implemented at the right time. 

You should now only leave the house for very limited purposes:

• shopping for basic necessities, for example food and medicine, which must be as infrequent as possible.
• one form of exercise a day, for example a run, walk, or cycle - alone or with members of your household.
• any medical need, including to donate blood, avoid or escape risk of injury or harm, or to provide care or to help a vulnerable person.
• travelling for work purposes, but only where you cannot work from home.

These reasons are exceptions - even when doing these activities, you should be minimising time spent outside of the home and ensuring you are 2 metres apart from anyone outside of your household.

It is important to consider the mental wellbeing of individuals at this time, particularly those who are most vulnerable, as well as the guidance provided by the Government. Individuals are able to leave their house but only for the reasons outlined above and social distancing in these instances should also be adhered to.
 
Finally, I am assured by updates from TfL that travel on the tube and buses in London has seen a decrease and it is believed this will continue. Commuters are being continuously urged to use public transport only when absolutely necessary and this advice is being heard.

 

Local Council Information

At a local level both Hillingdon and Harrow Councils will be delivering support. To access their information pages concerning the local response, and to find out more about assistance you can access, please visit the frequently updated pages on their websites here:

Harrow: https://www.harrow.gov.uk/coronavirus

Hillingdon: https://www.hillingdon.gov.uk/article/3745/Latest-advice-on-coronavirus

 

Community Support for Residents of Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner

I would like to thank volunteers across Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner who stand ready to support our community. Your local Councillors are among these volunteers. From running small errands, getting shopping or picking up prescriptions, they are here to help.

I know that many of you might feel anxious about yourself or a loved one being isolated for a long period of time. I have been advised that if anyone would like to pick up the phone for a chat, our local Councillors and Conservative Association can make that happen by matching you with individuals and groups who can help.

If you would like support or know someone who may need support, please contact [email protected] or telephone 01923 822 876.

 

Surgeries

It is with regret, but with absolute necessity, that I will be changing the format of planned surgeries. These will now be telephone-based for the foreseeable future, in line with social distancing advice, to protect ourselves and those most vulnerable in our community. Please telephone: 01923 822876 to make an appointment, or email: [email protected].

 

School and Nursery Closures
 
Previously, the closure of schools was not justified by the evidence, due to the detrimental impact this would have on parents working in the NHS and other key public services. However, it has always been the case that the medical and scientific evidence is a balanced judgement, and one that is being kept under constant review.  
 
In order to allow the NHS and other critical workers to continue supporting us at this difficult time; their children, and those who are vulnerable, will continue to be able to attend school or nursery.
 
I am assured that these measures will contribute to the Government’s efforts to suppress the upward trend of the virus, as will continuing to look after the children of key workers, who will be a critical part of our fightback against coronavirus. 
 
If the school or nursery cannot accommodate this, for example due to staff sickness, arrangements are being made in the local area to ensure that your child can still attend school. If your school hasn’t already informed you about those arrangements, please contact your local authority. They will be working with regional school commissioners and neighbouring providers to make alternative arrangements. You can find out which is your local authority by entering your postcode here: https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council
 
Government guidelines for local schools advises that: “children with at least one parent or carer who is critical to the COVID-19 response can attend school if required. However, many families with a parent or carer working in critical sectors will be able to ensure their child is kept at home. Every child who can be safely cared for at home should be, to limit the chance of the virus spreading.”
 
While they are not obligated to follow this advice, the Government have asked independent and private schools to remain open for children of critical workers and vulnerable children. However, it will be for individual private schools and nurseries to decide whether they will continue to charge parents fees during the school closures. They are able to access a range of financial support from government in order to mitigate the impact on their budgets and parents may wish to take this into account if they are asked for fees which are felt to be unreasonable in the circumstances.
 
A full list of guidance is available on the Government website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers
 
There is also a DfE coronavirus helpline is available to answer questions about COVID-19 relating to education and children’s social care. Staff, parents and young people can contact this helpline as follows:

• Phone: 0800 046 8687
• Opening hours: 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 4pm Saturday and Sunday

The Government have announced plans to support early years providers as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. The Chancellor has decided that they will be eligible for a business rates holiday for one year. That means non-local authority providers of childcare will pay no business rates in 2020-21, from 1 April. The Government are also funding nurseries for all their government funded places in order to keep them open by continuing to pay Early Years providers for the government funded hours they have been providing even when children are absent, which is the bulk of hours in most settings.
 
Payment for staff in private nurseries should be eligible for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, announced by the Chancellor last week. This will contribute 80% of the salaries of retained workers, up to £2,500 per month. This funding will be backdated to the 1st of March and it will be available to employers for an initial three month period.  

 

Free School Meals

According to the guidance that has been set out by the Government, it is at the discretion of the Headteacher to decide which option will be best for families in the area. Schools can provide food on site, arrange deliveries or purchase a voucher to be given to the family. I understand this is dependent on factors such as school staffing.

Full guidance for parents is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers#free-school-meals

Further information can also be found in a press release published 19th March here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/plans-set-out-to-support-pupils-eligible-for-free-school-meals

Hillingdon Council have also set out some information for parents and carers which can be found here: https://www.hillingdon.gov.uk/article/4373/Schools-information-for-parentscarers

I recognise the importance of free school meals for some children and I am pleased that meals and food vouchers will be made available to ensure children eligible for free school meals will continue to receive this. Effective from ‘day one’ of closures, schools are able to order vouchers directly from supermarkets or shops in their communities, to be emailed or printed and posted to families, and they will have their costs covered by the Department for Education.

 

Food Supply
 
Having visited a number of local food shops prior to the new distancing guidelines, I have seen that they are working hard to ensure that stocks are maintained. Like you, I am incredibly grateful to the workers on the frontline who are a critical part of our fightback against coronavirus. That is why I have welcomed announcements from supermarkets to increase access to stock supplies for NHS workers by introducing exclusive shopping times for NHS staff, restrictions on the purchasing of essential items and protecting stock of essential groceries for medical workers. I also understand that a lot is being done on a local level across the country to get food to hospitals.
 
It is crucial that the Government manage the pressures on the food supply chain at this difficult time, to help ensure that our shelves are fully stocked. I want to reassure you that the Government are managing these pressures by working doing the following: 

• Working closely with the retail industry to establish any additional support they may need. The Environment Secretary is speaking regularly with industry, including the British Retail Consortium, to determine what additional support the Government can provide. Under discussion are additional measures to support the continued flow of groceries into our shops and steps to ensure people staying at home can get the food and groceries they need.
• Issuing guidance to help supermarkets keep the supply of food flowing. We have issued guidance to local authorities advising them to extend the hours that deliveries can be made to supermarkets and other food retailers, making it easier for shelves to be replenished and to help the industry respond to Covid-19.
• Announcing a temporary relaxation of the rules governing delivery drivers’ hours. The Transport Secretary has authorised a temporary relaxation of the rules on drivers’ hours, so they can continue to help deliver vital goods to shops across the country, while also continuing to be mindful of driver welfare.
• Closely monitoring the resilience of food retailers’ supply chains. UK retailers already have highly resilient supply chains, and they are working around the clock to ensure people can access the products they need. Food supply into the UK has continued, and we are monitoring the situation very closely to ensure this continues and will provide an update if anything changes.

 
I also understand that limits have been put in place by most supermarkets on the purchase of essential items, which includes infant formula. I am confident that the Government has taken appropriate measures to manage the stock supply chain and that panic buying has seen a decrease. 
 
I am confident that these measures will help to reduce the pressures on the food supply chain and, as panic buying seems to be settling down, the situation will improve. Supermarkets are also recruiting 20,000 extra staff to help deal with the current situation. 
  
Social distancing is key and it is therefore vital that measures are taken to reduce this as much as is pragmatic. For more information, Which? has an excellent article on supermarket measures, which can be found here: https://www.which.co.uk/news/2020/03/supermarkets-ration-essential-items-to-prevent-coronavirus-stockpiling/

 

Reported Price Increases

I have been contacted by a few constituents complaining of apparent price increases in various local shops, since the crisis began. This is a deeply concerning development, and I know that the Prime Minister is very much aware of the problem; and he is looking at how the Government can act to combat it. Profiteering, especially at a time of national crisis, is completely unacceptable. 

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which is the body tasked with ensuring a fair deal for consumers, has already set up a Covid-19 taskforce to address concerns that a small number of companies are exploiting this crisis through their pricing practices. If you have specific examples of companies you feel are acting in bad faith, you can report them directly to the CMA, which has the power to take action against firms breaching competition or consumer protection laws. You can contact them on [email protected].

The Prime Minister has also explicitly said that the Government will look at what more it can do legislatively if it needs to take further action to prevent profiteering. As you can appreciate, this is a fast-moving situation and the Government’s advice is regularly updated. I would strongly encourage you to check https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus for the latest information.

 

Self-Employed

My office is currently receiving an extremely high volume of correspondence concerning the Chancellor’s support for workers – as the unprecedented challenge which this country is facing truly affects each and every one of us. Your patience, courtesy, and understanding as my team endeavour to provide comprehensive responses with up-to-date guidance to as many constituents as possible, as quickly as possible, is appreciated.

It is the case that providing support for self-employed people is operationally very challenging – everyone’s circumstances are very different. That’s why it has taken the Government slightly longer to work through these challenges, but I am pleased to be able to now outline the measures that the Chancellor has announced for self-employed people.

The Government will launch a Self-Employed Income Support Scheme, to make sure people who work for themselves are getting the financial support they need. Through the scheme, the Government will pay self-employed people across the whole of the UK who have been adversely affected by coronavirus a taxable grant worth 80 per cent of their average monthly profits over the last three years, up to £2,500 per month, for three months – but we will extend it if necessary.

In order to qualify for this support, you must have trading profits of less than £50,000 and HMRC will ask you to demonstrate that the majority of your income comes from self-employment. You must also have filed accounts for 2018-19 to qualify, although you have four weeks from now in which to do so if you have not already. If you are eligible, HMRC will contact you directly, and ask you to fill in a simple online form. They will pay the grant directly into your bank account.  

The Government and HMRC are working day and night to get this scheme up and running – you will be able to access it by the beginning of June. I completely understand that you may be experiencing financial difficulties now, which is why the Government has taken a number of steps on Universal Credit, making it more accessible for the self-employed and more generous overall. It is also already the case that people can get an advance payment almost immediately after they claim if they need one, so they do not have to wait five weeks if they have pressing bills to pay. On top of this, the Government has also deployed extra resources into local authorities to help those who are most vulnerable with things like council tax bills, which can be a large bill for families every month. 

Many self-employed people can also access business interruption loans, and self-assessment income tax payments due in July can be deferred to the end of January next year.  

The Government has also announced measures to help people with the cost of living during this unprecedented time. Self-employed people can benefit from a three-month mortgage holiday and deferring the next three months of VAT, alongside further measures to protect renters and to help people with their energy bills.

On 15 April, the Chancellor’s announced that the cut-off date for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme would be extended from 28 February to 19 March. I know that many constituents have contacted me about this and I am pleased that the new cut-off date will ensure that the scheme benefits as many people as possible. This is just one of the many sources of support made available by the Government to help businesses and employees through this difficult time. 

 

Dental Care

I know that the Chief Dental Officers for England, Wales and Scotland have offered guidelines for NHS Dental Practices dealing with COVID-19. For more information on this, please visit the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/20200305-COVID-19-PRIMARY-CARE-SOP-GP-PUBLICATION-V1.1.pdf

This document is being regularly updated to reflect the latest guidelines and ensure that dentists are fully supported throughout this difficult time. Further to this, the Chief Dental Officer of England has prepared letters which outline the latest changes to guidance. The most recent can be found here: https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/wp-content/uploads/sites/52/2020/03/issue-3-preparedness-letter-for-primary-dental-care-25-march-2020.pdf

Practices are being asked to radically reduce the number of routine check-ups, by calling people in vulnerable groups and cancelling appointments, and offering others the chance to cancel. Moreover, practices should speak with patients to ensure that people with symptoms in their household are not attending appointments. They should also carry out robust infection control procedures.

Dentists have been designated as key workers during this difficult time, and as such will receive priority access to education provision if they cannot keep their children safely at home.

 

British Nationals Overseas

I have been assisting a great many constituents who are either stranded overseas themselves, or concerned for loved ones who are struggling to return to the UK.

If you or a loved one require urgent consular assistance overseas, including repatriation, please email: [email protected] and include the relevant British National’s name, contact details (email, mobile phone number etc), DOB, passport number if you have it, and the address where they are staying in country. The number for the public to call is: 0207 008 1500.

If you have not received a response from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, please do also email my office at: [email protected]

 

Airport Arrivals

I appreciate that incoming flights from highly infected areas is concerning. I can confirm that there has been a significant reduction of flights, many of which are being cancelled by the airlines. However, some do need to keep running to allow British nationals to travel home. Those who are coming from infected areas should be self-isolating upon their return, in accordance with Government guidelines.

 

Coronavirus Act

The Coronavirus Act 2020 received Royal Assent on Wednesday. The purpose of this emergency legislation is to ensure that sufficient staff are available, and deployed where they are most needed, as well as supporting members of the public, containing and slowing the virus, and managing the deceased with respect and dignity. This can be read in full here: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2020/7/contents/enacted/data.htm

 

Business Support

If you are able to support the Government with any of the following, please follow this link to register you company online and to help the national effort: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus-support-from-business

• medical testing equipment
• medical equipment design
• protective equipment for healthcare workers, such as masks, gowns and sanitiser
• hotel rooms
• transport and logistics, for moving goods or people
• manufacturing equipment
• warehouse or office space, for medical use or storage
• expertise or support on IT, manufacturing, construction, project management, procurement, engineering or communications
• social care or childcare

 

Thank you

The Government and the whole country are facing an unprecedented challenge. We will overcome this virus and restore normality. Until that time, we must all contribute to the national effort and look out for our neighbours and the vulnerable in our communities.

I hope the above helps and I look forward to meeting more local residents in person when normality is restored.

Kind regards,

David

 

Further Information and Government Guidance:

For the latest medical advice, please visit:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

COVID-19: guidance on social distancing and for vulnerable people:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-social-distancing-and-for-vulnerable-people

COVID-19: stay at home guidance for households with possible coronavirus infection:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection

COVID-19: guidance for health professionals and other organisations:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-list-of-guidance

COVID-19: guidance for employees, employers and businesses:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19