This week marks the twelfth week in lockdown measures during
the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Government has its response to the pandemic constantly
under review and signs are encouraging, with Monday having the lowest number of
deaths in all settings declared since lockdown began in March. It is clear that
the measures we are taking and the sacrifices we have all made are working. We
need to keep going and keep following the latest guidance to finally beat this
virus.
Last week as Members of Parliament we returned to the House
of Commons. As I said last week, there is no substitute for being in Parliament
as an MP - it is easier to debate and
scrutinise the legislation, which is a major part of our jobs, and I was
pleased to see, after some early teething problems, the voting system with
social distancing work smoothly.
On Thursday I sought assurances from Secretary of State for
Culture, Media and Sport Oliver Dowden MP that the Government will be taking
additional steps to support the tourist industry as the country comes out of
lockdown.
In response the Secretary of State confirmed the Government
would be investing extensively in the tourist industry with a major campaign.
The tourist industry is so important for Cornwall, with 1 in 5 jobs reliant on
it, and with Truro and Falmouth constituency featuring heavily in Cornwall’s
tourist offer, I will certainly be pushing for us to have a leading role in the
national campaign, when it is safe to start running it.
On Monday I hosted a virtual event on Ocean Recovery to mark
World Ocean Day.
The webinar was organised by the Wildlife & Countryside
Link Marine Working Group, representing over thirty organisations engaged in
marine conservation and over 250 people attended from afar.
Up for discussion was the role ocean recovery can have in
building natural resilience in the wake of Covid-19. As the Government looks to
foster the nation’s resilience against future crises emanating from the natural
world, healthy oceans can play an important part - including the storing of
carbon and the provision of a sustainable food supply.
A group of experts chaired a discussion panel and DEFRA
Minister Rebecca Pow MP spoke about the Government’s plans to ensure ocean
conservation remains at the heart of environment policy.
As Deputy Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for
Ocean Conservation I work with colleagues in Parliament from across the
political spectrum to ensure ocean conservation remains high on the agenda.
This was a fascinating event and I was bowled over by the
enthusiasm and ideas from the panel about our positive future for our oceans.
We spoke about issues ranging from plastic pollution to sustainable fishing and
what shone through was the willingness of everyone at every level to come
together and do what’s best for our marine ecosystems, coasts and fishing
industries. I think we all came away with a positive impression and fired up to
do more for our precious seas.
Please continue to stay safe. If you need my assistance with
anything, please get in touch at Cherilyn.mackrory.mp@parliament.uk, or on 0207
2193713 (messages will be picked up).
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