26 January 2021
Necton Flooding

Thousands of Mid Norfolk residents were devastated this Christmas by:

  • Flooding
  • Sewerage outflows
  • Accompanying power cuts
  • Poor response from UK Power Networks, Anglian Water and the Environment Agency

This isn’t good enough.

One such village was Necton and, this past Friday, I joined a Zoom meeting with the Parish Council and some of the worst affected residents to hear of their experiences and better understand the situation.

Their experiences are just not acceptable in this day and age.

This is further evidence of why a  Mid Norfolk Flooding Partnership is so desperately needed – and I look forward to the first meeting of the group later this week.

To learn more about the Partnership, please click here

22 January 2021
Planning - Mattishall

It is no secret that I have deep concerns about the high number of applications in our part of Norfolk – many of which are, often, highly inappropriate and on a scale that is unsustainable and out of keeping with the heritage and identity of our largely rural area, lacking the services and infrastructure needed to support them and the existing community, as well as clearly breaching the sustainable development criteria set out in the National Planning Policy Framework and 2011 Localism Act.

That’s why I have submitted the below letter to Breckland Council – to formally put on record my concerns about the application to build 50 new homes on land south of Dereham Road in Mattishall (due to be heard by the Breckland Planning Committee on Monday).

The application is clearly unsustainable and we must do all we can to stop inappropriate developments that lack the necessary infrastructure to support it.

I believe that there is a better way to do Planning – and to read more about my views on this, please see my submissions to the Government’s recent National Planning Policy consultations here .

Letter to Breckland Council

21 January 2021
BT Roundtable

For too long our area has suffered from poor broadband coverage.

Superfast, reliable broadband is essential to life in the 21st century – and with superfast broadband, alongside improved road and rail connections, we can unlock what I have called a ‘Rural Renaissance’ in our area, allowing businesses to set up in our villages and towns and creating new high-skilled jobs and opportunities.

That’s why one of my key missions since becoming the MP of Mid Norfolk has been the improvement of superfast broadband services in our area, and the county as a whole.

Yesterday, I was delighted to chair BT’s ‘Delivering a Gigabit East of England’ roundtable – with Virgin and Openreach both making presentations too, and over two dozen MPs from across the East attending and asking questions.

Much more needs to be done to get the speeds and reliability required to unlock our ‘Rural Renaissance’ and the opportunity for us as parliamentarians to hold BT, Virgin and Openreach to account and learn more about what we can do in the House to energise the ‘roll-out’ was invaluable.

Rest assured, I shall continue to speak up for Mid Norfolk, and Norfolk as a whole.

15 January 2021
Offshore Wind – National Grid ESO

As a long-time advocate of the move towards renewable energy, I am a major supporter of Offshore Wind Energy – and have previously worked with local communities to ensure that the associated onshore infrastructure is located in the right place.

The UK’s Net Zero commitments to Offshore Wind will make the Southern North Sea the global hub of wind energy production.

That’s why I am delighted to have played a leading role in the campaign calling for a proper strategic plan for connecting offshore wind power – alongside a number of Norfolk and Suffolk MPs – and why I am pleased to say we had a great meeting with National Grid ESO to get an update on the final report for Phase 1 of the work commissioned by BEIS to look into this.

Rest assured, I remain firmly committed to pursuing this in the weeks and months ahead – and look forward to providing another update soon.

14 January 2021
Covid – Tougher Lockdown Rules?

Although the latest 48-hour data shows a slight reduction in infections from the new Tier 5, with a 14-day lag between infection and hospitalisations, and some NHS hospitals already at breaking point, Ministers may have to consider measures such as:

  •  mandatory face masks or a short sharp two-week total lockdown  
  •  a short sharp two week total lockdown

to avoid a longer drawn out crisis.

We need to do everything we can quickly to get the R number back under control to avoid a more damaging long, drawn-out lockdown.

To keep up to date with my latest views on Covid, please do visit my website here or my: Twitter

13 January 2021
Sugar Beet Crop Protection

Sugar Beet plays a key part in our British farming industry.

That’s why I shared the industry’s concern about the impact of the Yellow Virus disease on last year’s harvest – prompting me to visit local growers and meet with representatives of British Sugar and NFU Sugar.

Working closely with British Sugar and NFU Sugar, I wrote to Ministers in the Autumn to help make the case for emergency Authorisation of the neonicotinoid seed treatment, Cruiser SB.

As someone deeply committed to, and with a deep passion for, our agricultural sector, the importance of environmental and wildlife protection must not be forgotten. However, having been fully briefed on the clear programmes of ongoing work in place to develop disease resistant varieties and explore more innovative approaches to protecting crops in the near future, it is evident that these solutions will not be ready in the next three years.

It is therefore crucial that Cruiser SB is available temporarily – to allow the industry to get through a crisis that really is the ‘perfect storm’.

Rest assured, I will continue to follow this issue closely.

To see more about my recent visit to local growers, please click. here

For a full breakdown of my views on this matter, please see my letter to the Minister below.

13 January 2021
Covid Vaccines - Teachers

As we,  a society, look to get the country going again and beat Coronavirus, it is vital that we get our key workers and services back up and running for us all.

That’s why I recently called for teachers and key workers to be prioritised ahead of some of our elderly – including my own parents, who are reconciled that they, as good citizens, might need to shield for longer in order to prioritise those who can get our country up and running again.

It is so important that we do not damage the life chances of a whole generation. Teachers need to be protected so that they can back to educating our students safely, and time spent in lockdown should be used to reassess and revise the vaccination programme.

Rest assured, I am continuing to raise this with the Government to bring this important matter to the fore.

To see my recent comments in the EDP, please click here.

8 January 2021
Mid Norfolk Flooding

Thousands of Mid Norfolk residents were devastated this Christmas by:

  • Flooding
  • Sewerage outflows
  • Accompanying power cuts
  • Poor response from UK Power Networks, Anglian Water and the Environment Agency

This isn’t good enough.

So I’ve convened a new Mid Norfolk Flood Partnership with local Breckland councillors, local Norfolk County councillors, local parishes, Anglian Water, Norfolk County Council Highways/Flooding officials and the Environment Agency to sort out what happened and why, and agree a more coordinated plan to ensure it never happens again.

Rest assured, I will provide further updates as we take this forward.

5 January 2021
New Year Statement on Lockdown

With the arrival of the new Covid mutant strain (70% more virulent), the massive surge in hospitalisations back at March 2020 levels and a serious threat of the NHS being overwhelmed, the Prime Minister really had no choice but to impose another lockdown.

January 2021

A new Year. A new lockdown.

With the arrival of the new Covid mutant strain (70% more virulent), the massive surge in hospitalisations back at March 2020 levels and a serious threat of the NHS being overwhelmed, the Prime Minister really had no choice but to impose another lockdown.

The latest data are very serious:

⚠️ 25,000 patients in hospital w Covid

⚠️ 6% increase in 24hrs

⚠️ 41% increase since Xmas Day

Here in Norfolk:

⚠️ 80% of Norfolk hospital patients with Covid have the new variant

So, with a similarly heavy heart I fully support the PM’s decision.

BUT.

I believe it is critical now that the Government prioritise a number of key groups so that nobody is left behind:

⚠️Properly support the Small Businesses, sole traders, freelance self-employed and SME owner managers who don’t have the luxury of a reliable public sector OR business income.  There are 30,000 businesses in Norfolk.  We must look after the c 3million self-employed people nationwide. Local businesses like pubs and clubs, painters and decorators, hairdressers, builders, theatres, and all the other local small businesses are the backbone of our local economy and our community and more vulnerable than bigger businesses.

⚠️ School pupils, parents and teachers: We must prioritise reopening schools ASAP. We cannot allow a generation of young people to have their life chances damaged.  In the meantime, we need to help ensure pupils can access quality digital teacher interaction not just “e-learning” home alone on the internet.  And put in place a clear framework for proper and reliable grading of pupils if exams have to be cancelled.

⚠️ Re-establish the Community Shielding programme: Continue to encourage local volunteers to help be part of it.

⚠️ Accelerate the vaccination programme: We need thousands of vaccine centres set up around the country.  We should prioritise Key Workers like Teachers and School Staff so we can get children back to school as a priority ASAP.

⚠️ Expand and speed up Test Track and Trace: So that local public health officials can stop infection spreading fast.

⚠️ Install proper testing at our ports & airports: We need to minimise exposure to international virus mutations

⚠️Allow and encourage as much outdoor exercise by households: Which we know is vital for physical and mental health

⚠️ Cut Red Tape and bureaucratic silos and allow much more local innovation: There is a huge public sector estate of buildings which can be used as vaccine and test centres.  We need to encourage innovative solutions by local leaders.

⚠️ Support Local leadership: Make clear that the areas which can show lowest virus transmission can reopen first. Make sure the lockdown is used by local leaders to put in place the necessary Data tracking, integrated management systems and local solutions to allow our economy to reopen ASAP. There is a danger that a national lockdown creates a culture of total dependence on decisions in London.  We need to actively do the opposite and cut centralised bureaucracy to allow local council and agency leaders to lead locally. 

——-

Detailed implementation issues

There are hundreds of detailed questions which will need to be answered.

As last year I will be working flat out to deal with all the issues raised and raise all issues on behalf of constituents to try and get you the answers you need ASAP.

If you have any queries, please email me at george.freeman.mp@parliament.uk

For the current Government guidance head to: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-lockdown-stay-at-home

For my latest information on coronavirus head to: https://www.georgefreeman.co.uk/content/covid-19-help-and-support

This lockdown WILL pass.

We HAVE a vaccine and are leading the world in rolling it out.

We WILL emerge from this in the spring.

In the meantime, we HAVE to do everything we can to minimise the risk to our vulnerable neighbours, protect our NHS from being overwhelmed, do all we can to prevent serious long-term damage to people’s life chances and livelihoods and minimise the length and extent of the lockdown so we can get back to normal healthy life ASAP.

This is another test of our stamina,fortitude and the strength of our mutual commitment as a Norfolk and national community.

Working together we WILL come through it.

 

Yours,

 

George

 

5 January 2021
Supporting business during this tough time

JANUARY BUSINESS SUPPORT

5 January 2021

  • Throughout this crisis, our economic priority remains the same: to protect jobs.
  • We have already set out our economic package of support for businesses over the Winter, including monthly grants for closed businesses worth up to £3,000 per month, extending the furlough scheme to April and providing further SEISS grants to support the self-employed to April.
  • But given further national restrictions announced by the Prime Minister yesterday that will prevent further spread of the virus, today we provide additional support to the most affected businesses, worth £4.6 billion across the United Kingdom. 
    o A one-off grant for closed businesses in England of up to £9,000
    o £500m discretionary funding provided to English local authorities to support local businesses
    o Barnett funding of £729 million
  • This support will help businesses get through this difficult period through to the Spring. We will take further decisions about our economic response to coronavirus and how best to support the economy, businesses and jobs at the Budget on the 3rd March.

New one-off grant to support retail, hospitality and leisure businesses forced to closed

  • Retail, hospitality and leisure business premises forced to close can claim a one-off grant of up to £9,000. The one-off additional grant each business premises will receive depends on their rateable value:
    o Businesses with a rateable value of £51,000 or above: £9,000
    o Businesses with a rateable value between £15,000 and £51,000: £6,000
    o Businesses with a rateable value of £15,000 or below: £4,000
  • This one-off grant is in addition to the existing monthly closed grants of up to £3,000 per month that businesses continue to be eligible for. These grants are worth over a £1 billion in total per month.
  • We expect over 600,000 Retail, Hospitality and Leisure business premises in England to benefit from these grants.
  • Businesses can receive multiple grants, as they are eligible on a per premises basis.
  • Local authorities will receive the funding for these one-off grants next week, and we encourage them to make payments to businesses as soon as possible.

Additional discretionary funding for local authorities to support their local businesses

  • Local Authorities (in England) will also be given an additional £500 million of discretionary funding to support their local businesses.
  • This builds on (and will be allocated in the same way as) the £1.1 billion discretionary funding (worth £20 per head of population) which local authorities in England have already received to support their local economies and help businesses impacted.

Barnett funding of £729m for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

  • Scotland will receive £375 million, Wales £227 million and Northern Ireland £127 million to support their local businesses.