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Gerald Jones is the Labour Member of Parliament for the Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney constituency.
Vaccine rollout: thanks to our amazing NHS
Thanks to the incredible efforts of our NHS, the military and all the frontline workers involved in the vaccine rollout, we can now see light at the end of the tunnel and a gradual return to normality.
Our frontline NHS workers have shown amazing effort and commitment in helping us reach this stage, and we can all be proud of everything they’ve done so far to protect the most vulnerable among us and deliver a world-leading vaccine programme.
The figure achieved last week of one million vaccine doses given in Wales is a fantastic achievement, especially since the programme started just over 12 weeks ago from now, and from my regular virtual meetings with both Aneurin Bevan and Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Boards, I have been amazed at the work being done by all those involved to help keep our communities safe and give us real hope that 2021 will be a far better year for us all.
For any constituents with concerns over the vaccine process or queries regarding appointments, please contact my office at gerald.jones.mp@parliament.uk or on 01685 383739 for support.
Working to improve our local Post Office services
With high street banks closing more and more branches, and people unable to travel outside their local area due to Covid-19 restrictions, access to local Post Offices for residents is now more important than ever.
Sadly, there are currently a number of communities in our area without any access to Post Office services, including Elliotstown, New Tredegar and other locations across Merthyr Tydfil and the Upper Rhymney Valley. Following a recent meeting with Dawn Bowden MS and Post Office Limited about restoring more local services, I have written to the Government Minister for Postal Services urging him to take action and ensure that they can be restored as quickly as possible. I also raised this in the House of Commons this week.
Working together with our local community organisations
I was pleased to meet, albeit virtually, with Stephen Tiley, CEO at Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations (GAVO) this week to talk through the role of the voluntary sector through the pandemic. GAVO has been a great source of support to volunteers and community groups, and I’m sure that their work is welcome and appreciated across our communities.
I also met (virtually) with Citizens Advice recently, to discuss how they have developed and adapted in recent months to continue offering support to many across our communities. I recently held a joint advice surgery with Caerphilly CAB, following on from a similar surgery with Merthyr Tydfil CAB last month.
As well as working with local community organisations, I am also continuing to attend regular virtual meetings with our local authorities, Health Boards and police forces.
2021 elections: register for a postal vote
This year sees important elections in our area and across Wales for the Senedd, as well as our Police and Crime Commissioners.
While arrangements are now being made to ensure voting in person is safe and complies with Covid-19 regulations, if you’d prefer to have your say without having to visit a polling station then you can register for a postal vote and cast your vote early, without having to make a journey to do so.
You can apply for a postal vote online here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apply-for-a-postal-vote
Caerphilly Council’s ‘Place Shaping’ Fund exciting news for Upper Rhymney Valley
I was very pleased to hear more from Caerphilly County Borough Council about its new ‘Place Shaping’ investment proposals recently, as part of a £231 million plan for a range of new projects across the county borough – a very welcome investment in our communities.
I’ve been working together with Dawn Bowden MS and the council around its proposals, with previous projects in our area including the new business units at the Lawn Industrial Estate in Rhymney, improvements to the street scene at Rhymney High Street as well as flood recovery funding to support affected residents in Deri and elsewhere in the local area, and these new proposals are exciting news for the future of the Upper Rhymney Valley.
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