Dear John,

Below is my latest update on the response to the Coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic locally. 

Over the past two weeks, Harrow has started to see a noticeable decline in confirmed cases of coronavirus, a positive sign but there is still much further to go. My thoughts continue to be with the loved ones of those who have sadly died, and with those who have contracted the virus. I can only begin to imagine the sense of fear and loss the families must be feeling.  As a community, we are immensely grateful to all of our NHS staff, social care workers and all of our key workers, who are working tirelessly to help us deal with this crisis. I hope readers continue to stay safe, stay indoors and regularly check in on loved ones. 

I continue to update my website – covering where to find support, keep safe and assist local people in Harrow. If you have anything you would like to me to feature in this update please send me an e-mail with the subject “Covid-19 newsletter” and be sure to share this message with friends, family, neighbours and local businesses in order to strengthen our collective response to COVID-19. The response to Coronavirus is being directed by Government centrally working with Public Health England, the Government’s advice is available here . Government assistance specifically for businesses is available here . 

As always, if you ever need to get in touch about the issues covered here – or anything else – please contact my office on 0207 219 4243 or e-mail me at [email protected]. Please bear with us, as we have received over 5 times our usual weekly amount of correspondence. My team and I are working hard to respond as promptly as possible. Although we have had to cancel face to face surgery appointments, we are now scheduling regular Zoom surgeries and phone calls with Harrow West constituents. 

VE Day 75 Celebrations across Harrow last week, photos from Lucy Baker

Parliament

Lockdown measures

Many constituents will have tuned in to the Prime Minister’s announcement last Sunday evening. For those unable to watch, the PM’s announcement meant a light lifting of lockdown measures, people in England are now allowed out of the house as often as they like for socially distanced outdoor activities such as exercise, sunbathing or reading in the park. Individuals are also allowed to meet with someone (but only one person at a time) who is not a member of their household, so long as they are outdoors and 2-meter social distancing rules are observed. People will now also be permitted to drive to distant destinations (within England). Non-contact outdoor sports such as tennis, golf and fishing are now also allowed — but only with members of your own household — as will swimming in rivers, lakes and the sea, (sadly not a common leisurely activity for us in Harrow).

The proposed relaxation of lockdown has raised a number of questions about the return to work for those unable to work at home. Fundamentally, no worker should have their life, or the lives of their loved ones risked simply by going to work. This is a legal right which held true before this crisis and crucially must not be cast aside now - there cannot simply be a return to business as usual. For constituents that arrive at my surgery with workplace issues, my first question is always – are you a member of a union? Employers should be ensuring social distancing is enforced and that a health and safety assessment is in place. You have a legal right to join a union if you wish. It’s illegal for an employer to disadvantage you in any way just because you are a union member.

Schools

Many of my constituents have written to me to address concerns with the prospective return to schools next month. As a former teacher, I fundamentally believe that returning to school is a priority for the sake of pupils’ education and wellbeing. I share concerns that the attainment gap and inequalities will widen further while schools are closed but there are clearly serious concerns with the proposed plan to reopen schools on 1stJune and it does not guarantee safety. Concerns regarding many of the measures contained within it, including the feasibility of the social distancing measures proposed and protection of children, staff and parents, have been raised in recent days by parents, school leaders, teaching staff and trade unions. Labour are rightfully urging the government to work collaboratively with trade unions and parents’ organisations to create a series of practical safety conditions that must be met within schools before the government confirms a date for their reopening. This is in the best interests of children, families and staff.

Agriculture Bill

This week in parliament, MPs voted on the ‘Agriculture Bill’ – Labour MPs were unable to support the bill without vital safeguards to ensure our food imports in any potential trade deals meet the same high standards of animal welfare and environmental protection as is expected of UK food producers. Given the representation of much of Britain’s farmland, there was a reasonable Tory rebellion in favour of a cross-party position, this was to protect British farmers from the lowering of food standards from abroad. The rebellion from a number of Tory MPs, however, was unsuccessful, the vote at final reading broke down - Ayes 277 noes 328. This conservative on conservative tussle over food standards will continue inside Government as DEFRA continues to take on the Dept. for International Trade. I will support and push for Ministers to change course, as lowering tariffs means that British farms, with their higher welfare standards, will be unable to compete with US factory farms. 

In my role as a Shadow Minister for International Trade, I have continued to meet (via Zoom) with various trade bodies and senior industrial stakeholders to understand what concerns they have regarding both the trading environment for exporting our goods in preparation for the Trade Bill next week. 

Harrow Council

The council has a webpage covering their own response to the coronavirus pandemic, this is regularly being updated and is available here.  

Over £10 billion has been cut from the Local Government Funding Settlement since 2010. These cuts have left local authorities much less able to cope with the increasing costs and falling revenue that have been caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s worth remembering that at the start of the crisis, Ministers told councils to do whatever they needed to do to keep their communities safe and that they would have the resources they need to meet this challenge. So far, the Government has provided £3.2 billion of Covid-19 funding to local government, but the cross-party Local Government Association is predicting that the funding gap for local government this year will be three or four times that.

Local authorities are facing a double hit with both significant losses to income and increasing demands on services as a result of Coronavirus. Services from which councils derive income have stopped, been reduced, or are being offered free of charge during the crisis - this includes leisure, parking, bus operations and commercial waste services. So far, due to additional spending and lost income, Covid-19 is expected to cost Harrow Council just shy of £40 million. The Government must honour its promise to do ‘whatever it takes’ to support local councils and not be tempted by another round of swingeing cuts to Local Authority budgets. This is what I will continue to push in parliament and something I hope the other Harrow MPs will do as well.

Starting tomorrow, the tip will re-open for essential use only:

Headstone Manor #COVIDINHARROW

Headstone Manor & Museum is undertaking a contemporary collecting project focused around the current pandemic the world is experiencing. With lockdowns in place, increased use of social media platforms, food crises, economic setbacks, medical emergencies, and local government pressures, this period of uncertainty has affected us all. Headstone Manor museum believe this is a period of history that needs to be told for the generations to come and so have launched a collecting project to capture the impact of the crisis as it unfolds in Harrow, with the view of framing it within the wider global story. 

The museum are calling on Harrow residents to submit materials for this collection. Full information on what they are hoping to collect can be found here.

Domestic abuse support

Harrow Council has a webpage set up specifically to find support across Harrow and London here.  There has been a steady increase in the number of contacts and referrals involving Domestic Abuse over the past week, which reflects some of the trends seen in other parts of London, and other parts of the country. Harrow Council have had sufficient capacity to deal with this investigative work in collaboration with the Police and other agencies.

Domestic abuse is historically an under-reported crime and victims may now feel even more isolated with less opportunity to access help and support. With this in mind, the police are now publicising more information that will help and support communities. 

If you are experiencing domestic abuse, or you know a friend, relative or neighbour who you think is at risk, call the police right away. In an emergency, always call 999 – high harm domestic abuse calls will continue to be prioritised. The 24/7 National Domestic Abuse helpline, which offers support to victims and people affected by domestic abuse, is free to call on 0808 2000 247. 

Everyone Active, the Council’s leisure contractor, is providing 20 classes free of charge each week live on the main Everyone Active Harrow Facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/eaHarrow/ . The classes are open to anyone and all ages and levels of fitness are catered for. The sessions include yoga, family fitness, conditioning, family pilates, and cardio workouts.



Support for children and young people

Harrow Council, Harrow CCG, and Young Harrow Foundation have put together a joint document signposting residents to a collection of some of the most helpful and trusted sources of information and guidance for children and young people’s wellbeing.

For young people (high school and college age), the document ‘looking after ourselves’ can be found here – covering how to stay healthy, stay connected and learn new skills during this time.

Support and online resources for the family

Harrow Council have collected a range of online resources  for all members of the family to keep entertained while libraries are closed. You will be able to find resource to help with homework, eBooks, newspapers and magazines and keeping yourself healthy and motivated.

Counselling services and mental health support

·       Relate Family Mediation  - a service fully geared up to supporting families through the crisis. Tel: 0300 0032324 or email i[email protected].

·       DAWN  - provide a counselling service to the local community of Harrow and its neighbouring boroughs. Tel: 020 8427 6796 or email: [email protected]

·       Need To Talk  - offering 1 to 1 counselling supporting their clients or any client by telephone or webcam. Tel: call/ text on 07427548559 or email [email protected]

·       Ignite Trust   - During these challenging and uncertain times, Ignite Trust is working hard to ensure they continue to provide support to the boroughs most vulnerable and at-risk young people. Email [email protected].

·        Every Mind Matters - Expert advice and practical tips to help you look after your mental health and wellbeing.

Coronavirus Hotline

The council have set up a hotline telephone number to support those in need of assistance in Harrow, if you are in need of support due to Covid please give the hotline a call - 0208 901 2698

Transport for London

There has been a lot of attention over the past week on the Govt’s support package for TfL. Transport for London is currently facing a substantial reduction in income over a period of months due to its efforts to aid the national effort to reduce the spread of coronavirus and reduce ridership on the transport network. The Government’s proposed package has implications on how we can travel – as soon as practicable, the freedom pass will be suspended during peak hours, free travel for children will be stopped on TfL services, fares on bus travel will be reintroduced, the congestion will be reintroduced and increased  – read more here.  

As the Mayor’s statement addresses, there will have to be a long-term plan to assist TfL and this ultimately goes back to an unsustainable funding arrangement that has been exacerbated by the pandemic – “In the last few years, London has been the only major city in western Europe that hasn’t received direct Government funding to run day to day transport services since it was cut by the last Government. This means we rely very heavily on passenger fares to pay for the services we run. Fares income has fallen by 90 per cent in the last two months because Londoners have done the right thing and stayed at home – so there simply isn’t enough money coming in to pay for our services.”   Read the Mayor’s statement here.

TfL is working to gradually build up service levels to where they were before the pandemic and will return the number of buses and trains running to as close to 100 per cent as soon as possible. TfL is working closely with staff and the trade unions with the intention of, by 18 May, increasing service levels to around 85 per cent on the bus network, at least 70 per cent on the Tube and London Overground (in line with national rail services), 80 per cent on the DLR and a full service on TfL Rail. 

Face coverings - The latest Government advice is that, although face coverings are unlikely to prevent you from getting the virus, they could help prevent you from giving it to others. Face coverings are particularly important where 2m social distancing is hard to maintain. 

As the Mayor has set out, Londoners are being asked to play their part in the national effort against the virus and wear facial coverings whenever travelling on public transport or by taxi or private hire vehicle. This could help reduce the rate of infection. The Mayor, Sadiq Khan says “I am pleased that all TfL frontline staff have been offered basic face masks. Along with the actions we’re asking passengers to take and the introduction of hand sanitizer points in the coming weeks, these additional measures will further protect our heroic staff and passengers at this critical period.” 

As travel restrictions begin to be lifted, all taxi and private hire companies are being asked by TfL to put protective measures in place including ensuring face coverings are worn by drivers. 

Illustration dedicated to the keyworkers that have been keeping us going - from TfL

VCS Feeding Harrow

The collaborative ‘Feeding Harrow’ operation – between Harrow Council, the Voluntary Community Sector (VCS), Harrow Community Transport (HCT), The Bridge, My Yard, The Breaking Bread Trust, Stanmore Temple and Mosque, Harrow School and others continues to operate effectively.

To date, the incredible Harrow Food Bank have donated over 5500 kgs of food to VCS and continue to contribute a surplus of their food donations every week. A huge thank you to every group joining in the combined effort

Over 5000 food deliveries have now taken place across Harrow - VCS have setup an online system taking direct food requests from residents - www.helpharrow.org. All of the Harrow Council and central government shielded list has already been referred for delivery. 

If you can donate any food - Kind Café @ The Bridge, Wealdstone, Harrow HA3 5AB

Monday to Friday 10:30AM-4PM, and they larger quantities can be arranged for collection. 

Can you provide support?

Supporting Women’s Aid - Local Harrow based band ‘The Blue Highways’ have recently released a charity single, a cover of Van Morrison's 'Days Like This', to help raise money for Women's Aid, a charity working with victims of domestic abuse within the UK, who are in need of extra help at this time. You can see the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFgvaBv38Ds / Listen to the excellent cover and donate here:  https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/the-blue-highways



Voluntary Action Harrow, Young Harrow foundation and Harrow Community Action continue to work with Harrow Council to help coordinate a Harrow wide response to the Coronavirus outbreak and a database is being compiled of people who are willing to volunteer. Voluntary Action Harrow are using this database to inform people of organisations looking for volunteers. Please sign up here:  https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/CoronavirusHarrow

Spare room?

My office have been able to match key workers with free rooms for those with family or housemates self-isolating. If you are able to temporarily offer a spare room to a key worker currently unable to be at home due to a family member or a housemate self-isolating, please get in touch with my office by e-mailing [email protected] with subject “spare room”.

Finding Support

Do you have a medical condition that makes you vulnerable? Please register.

A reminder, if you think you fall into a category that makes you vulnerable to coronavirus – register with the Government here. For example, you’ll be able to ask for help getting deliveries of essential supplies like food. The council has just started to receive this information and is working with local organisations to provide support to those who apply.

If you’re not sure whether your medical condition makes you extremely vulnerable, register anyway. This service is free. You can register yourself, or on behalf of someone else.

Age UK is determined to be here for older people and their families throughout the coronavirus crisis, they have compiled a helpful coronavirus information pack to access here:

 https://www.ageuk.org.uk/globalassets/age-uk/documents/information-guides/ageukig59_coronavirus_inf.pdf

Harrow Talking Therapies - The coronavirus crisis is unlike anything many of us will have encountered before and will, at some point, take its toll on our own mental well-being and the well-being of those closest to us. For anyone who is struggling with their mental health at this current time - Harrow Talking Therapies is a FREE NHS service offering support to those who are finding the current situation difficult. They offer 1:1 support via telephone or Video call. They offer bereavement support, anxiety and worry management support, low mood support and also help if you are self-isolating, or feel isolated being on your own at this time amongst other support you might be needing at this time. 

Please get in touch by calling 0208 515 5015 (lines are open Monday-Friday 9am-5pm) or emailing  [email protected]. You will be assessed very quickly and booked in for treatment quickly too.

Coronavirus Scams - The Government are advising the public to be extra vigilant and be wary of scams related to Covid-19, please read the Government's guidance here - https://www.gov.uk/government/news/be-vigilant-against-coronavirus-scams

A COVID-19 Community Support group has been set-up, coordinating action within WhatsApp groups for every ward in Harrow in order to provide support to local residents – you are welcome to  join the Facebook group here and if you are not a Facebook member but would like to join your ward’s WhatsApp group – e-mail [email protected] with your postcode and the coordinators will add you to the correct group.

St Mary’s Church - If you are in need of support or company – a visit (where possible), a telephone call, help with shopping etc. St. Mary’s would like you to get in contact. You can do this in a variety of ways via the Church Office. The Office is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays 9am – 2pm but the messages will be checked daily.

Email: [email protected], Tel: 020 8423 4014 (answerphone: leave your contact details)

Harrow Central Mosque – Harrow Mosque is providing a free food and essentials transport service to elderly and vulnerable people in Harrow who require assistance with medical collection or other essentials – Call or SMS: 07874869484 E-mail: [email protected]

Help from me 

I appreciate that whilst this outbreak of Covid-19 is currently dominating a lot of our thoughts, other concerns and problems do not disappear. However, to help reduce the spread of infection, I am asking members of the public who need to contact my office to do so by phone or email rather than in person and further, I will continue to hold surgery appointments exclusively by telephone and Zoom video conferencing. This is a temporary measure and a sensible precaution to protect vulnerable people. Please be assured we continue to offer a full service of advice and support to members of the public who need it.

As always, my office can be contacted on [email protected] or by telephone on 0207 219 4243 (Monday-Friday).

Stay at home and save lives.

Best wishes,

Gareth