Beth Winter MP July 2021 Report Mark Drakeford this month moved us into Covid Alert Level One. This means we will be able to meet as many people as we like outdoors without socially distancing and up to 6 people can meet indoors with masks. All being well we could be moving into Alert Level Zero on 7 August. This would mean a further relaxation and no limit on the number of people who can meet indoors. Mask wearing will be eased off gradually in line with the risk to public health. We are not yet out of the woods despite the easing of restrictions and we all have a role to play in keeping Wales safe, and protecting the NHS. The 5th July 2021 marked the 73rd birthday of the NHS. Read here the article I wrote on this which was published in the Western Mail. It is past time for a pay rise for key workers across our society. That’s why on Saturday 3rd July, I was proud to join NHS Workers Say No marching in Cardiff to demand a pay rise for NHS staff. They have more than earned it. Also in the news this month was the Mineworkers Pension Scheme (MPS). The Government have so far taken over £4bn from the MPS without putting in a penny. The cross-party BEIS Committee (which is majority Tory) recently recommended that the Government amend the 50:50 surplus sharing arrangements in favour of the miners and hand over £1.2bn to the miners immediately. This month we saw an appalling response from the Government who rejected the recommendations out of hand and refused to change the deal. This despite a promise from Boris Johnson during the election campaign. I was interviewed on GTFM and BBC Radio Wales on this subject and expressed my frustration as well as asking in Parliament for the Government to review this decision. A better, and more trustworthy Government can be found here in Wales and I am pleased to be able to continue to sing the praises of our progressive Welsh Government on the Climate Crisis. In the last month we have seen not only a commitment to plant 86 million trees, but also a freeze on road building. This will allow time to reassess schemes through the lens of the Climate Crisis and for Welsh Government to plan how it will reach its target of 45% of journeys being made by sustainable modes. I wanted to make sure local people had the chance to have their voices heard on transport in the Cynon Valley and so the second of my Climate Assemblies was themed around Green Transport, with Future Generations Commissioner Sophie Howe, RCT Climate Champion Rhys Lewis and public transport expert Gemma Lelliott addressing us. Like the previous event on Green Jobs, this was a positive event with an excellent turnout by local people & groups who raised many important issues and made lots of useful suggestions about how Cynon Valley could transition to a Green Transport system. Thanks to those of you who attended and contributed to this very important discussion. WORKING TOGETHER IN CYNON Beth Winter MP FOR A FAIRER FUTURE FOR ALL In Cynon The 28th June was the national Right To Food day of action organised by my friend and colleague Ian Byrne MP. In recent weeks I have tried to visit all of the foodbanks and food pantries across Cynon Valley to get a feel first hand for the level of food poverty in our communities. It was inspiring and upsetting in equal measure to visit Merthyr Cynon Foodbank, the Salvation Army, Glyncoch Community Pantry, Cilfynydd Community Pantry, Penderyn Community Pantry, Big Bocs Bwyd in Aberdare and Penywaun School’s community pantry. I also took a few hours to help collect for Merthyr Cynon Foodbank in Tesco. I understand that the Food Bank at Ramoth chapel in Hirwaun has now ended and a new Community Pantry has opened up at Hirwaun Primary school. I am inspired by the amazing people who come With the inspiring Cleide at Merthyr Cynon Foodbank together to make sure nobody in the community needs to go without, but at the same time I believe that none of these initiatives should be needed because everyone should have a right to food. Something has gone seriously wrong when hundreds of people in Cynon Valley are relying on food parcels. As well as an inspiring visit to Penywaun primary school with Chair of Governors Cllr Helen Boggis, I hosted a meeting of primary schools this month to hear about how lockdown has been for pupils and their hopes and dreams for the future. Thank you to all those schools who participated. I also visited two comprehensives in the constituency. I was accompanied by Cllr Steve Bradwick, Chair of Governors, when I met Mrs Morgans at Aberdare Community School and was also pleased to visit Pontypridd High School where I met the Head, Mr Cripps. The first of July marked the second anniversary of the tragic death of Christopher Kapessa. I have been working with and trying to support Christopher’s mother, Alina, since starting in the role of MP and I felt honoured to be invited to speak at an emotional anniversary event on Zoom. Thanks to Mountain Ash Town Football Club who this month unveiled a plaque dedicated to Christopher. This November, Royal Mail will be ending their post office accounts. Thousands of older people rely on these accounts for their State Pension and other benefits and will need to open an alternative bank account. This can be a complicated and time consuming process so my office has joined Age Connects Morgannwg and Citizens Advice RCT in raising awareness of the upcoming change, so that people are prepared. If anyone you know relies on post office card accounts, please let them know! I also joined my fellow RCT MPs Chris Bryant and Alex Davies-Jones in writing to the main banks in RCT asking them to make sure that there remains a physical banking service in our communities. With so much of my first 18 months(!) in the job dominated by Covid, I have continued playing catch up and trying to get out and meet as many people as possible in Cynon Valley. As well as the visits to food banks and schools mentioned above, this month I popped in to Abercwmboi Social Club, to Mountain Ash market, to the Bryncynon Strategy and to My Valley, an online marketplace for sustainable products based in Aberaman. It was also great to meet David from RCT Heart Heroes in person at the unveiling of a new defibrillator in Ynysboeth, the first community defibrillator in that community. Finally, I had a brilliant time with my family at the launch of Caban Guto at Daerwynno outdoors centre in Ynysybwl. I also enjoyed visiting the new splash pool at Aberdare Park one evening with my youngest. Thanks to everyone who took the time to meet me during these visits! Finally, I spent an evening with local police officers looking at the pressures they face in our community – particularly with the effects of Government underfunding. I will continue to raise this matter in Parliament and will continue to work collaboratively with our local police force . WORKING TOGETHER IN CYNON Beth Winter MP FOR A FAIRER FUTURE FOR ALL In the Bubble Following the Right to Food Day, I used a question I had been called for in Parliament to call for a lift to the benefit cap. In my view, it is straightforwardly wrong that the DWP calculates how much people need to get by, and then forces them to live on less than that. It is inhumane and it is forcing thousands of families in Wales to choose between eating and heating their homes. Read more here. This month also saw the dreadful news that Rishi Sunak intends to phase out the £20 Universal Credit uplift this Autumn. The uplift has been a lifeline to millions, including an estimated 7000 people in Cynon Valley. To remove it is cruel and callous and will drive families into poverty and debt. I will continue to argue for making the uplift permanent and extending it to those on legacy benefits. As the co-chair of the cross party group on UBI I have continued to meet various groups to discuss the UBI trial, including the Future Generations Commissioner Sophie Howe and expert on the topic Guy Standing. I’ve also been in correspondence with the relevant Minister in Wale, Jane Hutt MS. A quick reminder as well about the latest inquiry of the Welsh Affairs Committee, of which I am a member. The inquiry will look into the benefits system here in Wales, asking what needs to change in Wales, and whether or not further devolution is needed in this area. If you would like to submit evidence to the inquiry, please do so ahead of the 10th August deadline. The Welsh Affairs Committee has also this month completed its report on railways in Wales, which you can read here. We concluded that a ‘Wales Rail Board’ should be established to take a strategic approach to rail investment in Wales. We also concluded that HS2 should be labelled as an England- only project, not an England and Wales project, as it brings no discernible benefit to Wales in its current form. This would mean Wales receiving Barnett consequentials, which we currently do not. A number of incredibly concerning pieces of Tory legislation were brought to the House this month, including the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.