ON TUESDAY, in the debate (on new national coronavirus measures) I urged the government to take those measures which both help control the virus and allow economic recovery.
I pressed the government again on where are the results of the tests of other drugs that might help treat CV-19 patients. After the good break-through with the steroid it would be good to hear about other possibilities.
I urged them to work harder with the hospitality industry on air extraction and other measures which would enable safer working in inside spaces, as many hospitality businesses will only survive if they can earn more money soon.
I asked them to reconsider the issue of compensation and support for the self employed, where many small business owners who work in their own business do not qualify for the support.
I have regularly raised the issue of creating specialist isolation hospitals for CV 19 so there is more capacity in the District Generals for all other medical problems.
This of course means continuing the extra recruitment of staff the government has promised, and requires suitable Training and protective clothing for the volunteers staffing the CV 19 facilities.
I raised the issue that many of my constituents feel strongly about.
Why are West Berkshire and Wokingham in Tier 2 when numbers are quite low and we were in Tier 1 before the lockdown.
I voted against the Regulations.
The Christmas break
As the Prime Minister says, the virus will not know it’s Christmas. He tells us to be jolly careful.
Nonetheless the government proposes a five day period when we are free to make more of our own decisions about social contacts in our homes with family.
Some families will decide they do not wish to run any risk of infecting elderly or vulnerable people, and will not use the new freedoms to have a crowded house and table over the festive season.
Others will decide that the risk is low for them of catching the disease at all or for getting a bad version of it, and will go ahead and use the freedoms the state permits.
Some elderly people will want the warmth and friendship of a family occasion and will assess their own risks accordingly.
This has itself created a further debate.
A few have contacted me to say the relaxation is too generous, as they fear some will make bad judgements.
More contact me to say if we can be trusted to make these decisions for five days, why cannot this be extended or why can’t there be a more general relaxation of rules?
People after all do not wish to pass on a bad disease to loved ones and can make their own decisions about risk.
Where the government can help and reassure is to see what can be done about train travel.
Now the railway is fully under state control for the time being the state has a duty of care to passengers.
What actions have been taken or are being taken to ensure safer airflows in carriages?
What evidence is there about spread rates for the virus at different levels of seat occupancy?
The railway is examining fare structures to avoid an incentive for more people to want to travel on an off peak train.
Over a holiday period and in an era of homeworking off peak is a less clear idea anyway.
They also need to renew the guidance about safe use of the railway and tell us what they think the risks are to inform people making those difficult judgments about family reunions over the five days of Christmas allotted.
John Redwood, Member of Parliament for Wokingham
