Parliament is now in recess until 6 September. Regardless of what you may read in some national newspapers, this period is not a holiday for MPs. We still have plenty of work to do!
I shall continue to be out and about in the constituency on visits and working in my office. For instance, today I will be visiting the regional headquarters of Gigaclear, the company responsible for rolling out fibre broadband across the Forest of Dean, asking them for an update on their progress. While there has been some good progress in many areas across the Forest, other areas are still waiting for fibre broadband. My neighbours and I near Ruardean Woodside share the frustration of some, with the fibre rollout not quite reaching us yet.
My team and I will continue with our work of assisting my constituents in the Forest of Dean throughout the summer. My constituents can contact me about their issues by email, telephone or in writing. My team and I always try to make sure that constituents who contact me receive a clear and comprehensive answer to their question which often involves writing to my ministerial colleagues.
I will continue to hold both virtual and physical surgeries for my constituents to come and speak to me about the issues that concern them.
During the recess an MP isn’t sitting in the House of Commons Chamber in debates, isn’t voting and isn’t able to physically hold Ministers to account in the Commons. However, if it is in the public interest, the Speaker can recall the House of Commons at any time if requested by the Government.
Big decisions on Covid will still be made by the Government. As Chair of the Covid Recovery Group of MPs, I will continue pressing the Government to bring forward the change in self-isolation rules from 16 August to reflect the reduced risk now so many have been double vaccinated.
I’ll also be sending best wishes to Forest of Dean equestrian stars Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin, who are representing Team GB in the Tokyo Olympics. I hope I join many across the Forest cheering them on.