Gerald Jones MP

Dawn Bowden MS MP and MS Joint Update Funding for local transport projects a welcome investment for our communities It was great to see the confirm funding for a number of transport projects in the constituency. Further funding of £6 million for the new bus station has been delivered, as well as £5 million to support the development of the new Metro hub at Pentrebach. In addition, the Welsh Government has provided funding for studies of the A469 in the Rhymney Valley, with £900,000 allocated to Caerphilly CBC for studies of the section between New Tredegar and Pontlottyn. Caerphilly CBC has also started to publicise news about the roll-out of investment in the South Wales Metro, and the information to be provided to people living near the rail line. You can read more here about “the £1.3 billion deal to unlock significant economic growth across the Cardiff Capital Region (CCR), including £738 million for the design, delivery and implementation of the South Wales Metro. Funding consists of £158 million from the European Union, £445 million from the Welsh Government and £125 million from Dawn with Economy Minister MS and Cllr David Jones the UK Government”. at the site of the new Merthyr Tydfil bus station, early March 2020

Support for our local community pharmacies Recent events have reinforced the importance of the community pharmacies in Wales. Many of them have responded with innovations to the virus so that patients can continue to receive vital medicines. This is now underpinned by a new three-year deal between the Welsh Government and Community Pharmacy Wales, which will see further support offered to our local network of pharmacies. Health Minister has confirmed that a three-year funding package of £18.3 million will be allocated to pharmacies in Wales, providing long-term certainty for all community pharmacies. This is a very welcome investment, and great news for our local pharmacies. Full A&E services to be retained at Royal Glamorgan Hospital

We were both very pleased to hear that the emergency department at Royal Glamorgan Hospital is to be retained in full, with 24-hour consultant-led services. After recent discussions, it is very welcome news that Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board has agreed to retain the department, as this will help ensure that A&E services at Prince Charles Hospital do not come under any additional pressures. Along with fellow MPs and MS’s in Cwm Taf Morgannwg, we wrote to the Health Board earlier this year to highlight our concerns over the potential closure of the A&E department, and we are delighted that these vital services for local residents have now been retained in full. We know that this will be welcome news for constituents who use these services.

New industrial units under construction Water mains upgrades in the Upper on estate in Rhymney Rhymney Valley a welcome investment It was good to see work beginning on Welsh Water’s scheme to upgrade the water mains network in the Upper Rhymney Valley this

month. The current mains network in our area dates back to Victorian times, and this investment to improve our local water quality is very welcome.

Despite the difficulties posed by the Construction is progressing well with the new pandemic, we appreciate that Welsh Water units at The Lawns Industrial Estate in have tried to engage local communities in Rhymney. Led by Caerphilly County Borough different ways, keeping local residents Council, this is another welcome investment informed with letters and also establishing in the area and follows on from the opening of Sharp Clinical and the investment made in site offices in the Upper Rhymney Valley to Williams Medical Supplies. coordinate the work.

Should any constituents have queries or In spite of the difficult economic conditions due to the pandemic, these have all been concerns about the works we’d encourage positive announcements for local jobs and them to contact Welsh Water in the first the economy in the Upper Rhymney Valley. instance and/or to contact our offices. Gerald Jones MP Dawn Bowden MS

www.geraldjones.co.uk www.dawnbowdenam.co.uk

[email protected] dawn.bowden@.wales

01685 383 739 01685 386 672

/GeraldJonesLabour /DawnBowdenMS

@GeraldJonesLAB @Dawn_Bowden Applications open for Welsh Government grant support for start-up businesses

On Friday, First Minister of Wales announced a start-up grant to support new businesses dealing with the severe impact of coronavirus. The fund will be worth £5 million initially, with flexibility for the future. It will support start-up firms, which fall outside the UK Government’s Self Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) as they only began trading in 2019. Applications for this grant opened on 29th June, at the same time as phase two of the Economic Resilience Fund opened to applications. Speaking on Friday, First Minister Mark Drakeford said: “Today’s announcement will help to support new businesses in Wales which are currently falling through the gaps of existing financial assistance schemes. “A number of people who have started a business in the last year don’t qualify for support from the UK Government’s Self Employment Income Support Scheme and it remains unclear if it will take steps to ensure they’ll change the criteria to help this group of people. “This is why we have acted and set up a start-up grant. This has come from our work with Welsh Local Government Association and local authorities to look at what more support the business community needs at this time.” The new grant will support up to 2,000 businesses in Wales, with £2,500 each, providing crucial funding to people who established their businesses between 1 April 2019 and 1 March 2020, helping them to continue trading through the pandemic. To be eligible for the start-up grant, businesses must:

• Have not received funding from the Welsh Government’s Economic Resilience Fund or the non-domestic rates grant

• Have been set up between 1st April 2019 and 1st March 2020 and have not qualified for the UK Government’s Self Employment Income Support Scheme

• Have less than £50,000 turnover

• Have experienced a drop in turnover of more than 50% between April and June 2020 To apply, businesses will need to submit a two-page application form and self- declaration supported by evidence. The grant will be administered by local authorities, and businesses can check their eligibility on the Business Wales website here: https:// fundchecker.businesswales.gov.wales/. Coronavirus: useful advice and contacts

Key government information and advice

• UK Government latest advice: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus • Welsh Government latest advice: https://gov.wales/coronavirus • Public Health Wales latest information and guidance: https://phw.nhs.wales/topics/latest- information-on-novel-coronavirus-covid-19/ • Welsh Government roadmap for exiting lockdown: https://gov.wales/unlocking-our-society-and- economy-wales-roadmap-published • Welsh Government lockdown regulations: https://gov.wales/coronavirus-regulations-guidance

Financial and workplace support

• UK Government Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wages -through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme • UK Government support for the self-employed: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-a-grant- through-the-coronavirus-covid-19-self-employment-income-support-scheme • Welsh Government financial support for businesses: https://fundchecker.businesswales.gov.wales • Business Wales advice and support: https://businesswales.gov.wales/coronavirus-advice/covid-19- support-business • UK Government Universal Credit advice: https://www.understandinguniversalcredit.gov.uk/ employment-and-benefits-support/ • Welsh Government guidance on essential and non-essential workers: https://gov.wales/ coronavirus-key-critical-workers • Acas workplace advice for employers and employees: https://www.acas.org.uk/coronavirus

Local services and support

• Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council latest information: https://www.merthyr.gov.uk/ coronavirus | 01685 725000 • Caerphilly County Borough Council latest information: https://www.caerphilly.gov.uk/Coronavirus | 01443 815588 • Citizens Advice: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/wales • Merthyr Tydfil Branch: 01685 382188

• Caerphilly & Blaenau Gwent Branch: 03444 772020 • Merthyr Cynon Foodbank: http://merthyrcynon.foodbank.org.uk | 07427 537 437

• Rhymney Valley Foodbank: http://rhymneyvalley.foodbank.org.uk | 01443 829556

Charities and mental health support

• Age Cymru: https://www.ageuk.org.uk/cymru/ | 08000 223444 • Mind Cwm Taf Morgannwg: [email protected] | 01685 707480 • Mind Caerphilly: [email protected] | 01443 816945

• Samaritans Cymru: https://www.samaritans.org/wales/samaritans-cymru/ | 116 123 • CALL Helpline Wales: http://www.callhelpline.org.uk/ | 0800 132737