Hertford and Stortford's Conservative MP Julie Marson on the Coronavirus Act 2020, Winter Economy Plan, jobs and the Environment Bill
Julie Marson, the MP for Hertford and Stortford, writes for the Bishop's Stortford Independent...
I was very pleased to hold what, as far as I am aware, was the first ever Member of Parliament's online jobs and apprenticeships fair. Whilst of course I would have loved to have hosted it physically, I was none the less determined for the event to be a success in this new format.
And a success it was, with many dozens of people attending to speak to some truly brilliant businesses about jobs and apprenticeships currently on offer, advice for entering specific career paths and help with CVs and interview skills.
My Westminster office staff even hosted a stall of our own and spoke to about 25 people to give advice for entering the world of politics.
I always wanted this to be an event for all ages, whether you are at school or university and thinking about your next steps, new to the jobs market and looking for your first job, or an experienced worker in search of a new challenge. As such, I was thrilled with the variety of people who showed up on the day and I was very pleased to meet some of the attendees over Zoom throughout the event.
After its success, I plan to hold a similar event next year, perhaps even sooner, and I very much hope that we will be able to host it physically instead of online next time. I want to say a big thank you to the Bishop's Stortford Independent and others for the help they gave in promoting the event and to all 26 of our exhibitors who gave generously of their time and energy to participate. It was a truly great day and I am thrilled to have spoken to so many of the businesses and organisations now holding follow-up conversations with attendees about different roles and opportunities.
Unfortunately we are now living under new restrictions because of Covid-19. It's not an easy thing for the Government to ask of us again and I understand the additional strain this has placed on many residents and businesses in our community.
Since the new measures were brought in, I have been speaking to business owners and employees about the potential ramifications of this new action and am in continued dialogue with the relevant Government departments to highlight the various cases and suggest alterations which could be made as we move forward.
It looks likely to be another lively week in Parliament as we consider the six-month renewal of the Coronavirus Act 2020. No minister or parliamentarian imagined enacting such legislation in these unprecedented circumstances and I am sure I speak for all of us when I say I can't wait for this Act to be completely redundant.
I am very keen to hold the Government to account, and do this in many ways all the time, but I also accept that the necessity to act quickly and decisively in the face of this pandemic means that exceptional powers are justified.
I will wait to see what, if any, amendments are selected and what the Government's response is before deciding how to vote on this issue, but I will be trying to use my best judgement to balance the need for effective Government intervention and our precious civil liberties.
I am very pleased to support the extensive package of measures the Chancellor announced last week: a series of new initiatives aimed at supporting as many businesses and employees as he can through this next stage of the crisis. Dubbed the 'Winter Economy Plan', this includes the new Jobs Support Scheme, an extension to the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme and the cut in VAT for sectors like hospitality and tourism, and additional support for businesses and workers.
In my role on the Treasury Committee, I have pressed for as much support as possible as the furlough scheme comes to an end in October. As such, I am pleased that the Treasury has once again produced substantive and creative measures to support jobs and the economy.
When the Environment Bill came to the Commons for its second reading I spoke in the debate about chalk streams, a priority for me in Hertford and Stortford.
Often described as "the rainforests of England" due to their vital place in our ecosystem, I am very committed to protecting our chalk streams, both nationally and locally. There are only around 200 in the world and about 10% of those are in Hertfordshire.
Apart from their obvious beauty, they are also the reason for so much of the biodiversity that we enjoy in Bishop's Stortford, Sawbridgeworth and beyond.
I was therefore delighted to be a founding member of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Chalk Streams under the chairmanship of our neighbour, Broxbourne MP Sir Charles Walker, and last week I also met with Rebecca Pow, minister for the natural environment, to make the case for added Government protection ahead of the Chalk Stream Summit which she is hosting in October.
As ever, please do not hesitate to contact my office should you need support or advice. Email me at Julie.marson.mp@parliament.uk and we will respond as quickly as possible.