A view from Clwyd South’s Member of Parliament

Wrexham.com has invited Wrexham & Clwyd South constituency Members of Parliament and Members of the Senedd to write a monthly article with updates on their work in Parliament and the Senedd, and closer to home. (You can view an archive here).

Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes writes…

This month, my Westminster and constituency staff and I have continued to provide advice and support to Clwyd South residents navigating their way through the Covid-19 pandemic and the Welsh Government firebreak. Since becoming a Member of Parliament in December, my team and I have dealt with over 1,500 cases brought to me by constituents and a similar number again of campaign and policy enquiries. If you’re a Clwyd South constituent and you’ve got an issue of concern, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me on [email protected].

The Cenotaph in Rhosllanerchrugog at the Service of Remembrance on 8th November 2020.

On Sunday 8th November, it was an honour to attend the moving Service of Remembrance in Rhosllanerchrugog. And I want to thank the Royal British Legion, Rev’d Phil Bettinson, Rhos Community Council and everyone else involved in making it a socially distanced but very poignant service and such a special way to remember the fallen who gave their lives for our freedom. I was selected to speak in the Remembrance Day Debate in the House of Commons but time ran out and therefore I posted my speech on my website and Facebook page in which I referred to the contribution by the Army and Air Cadets in Clwyd South and my own family, including my father and grandfather, who served in the Armed Forces.

This month, I was also very honoured to officially open the Llangollen Virtual Food Festival 2020. It was a great opportunity to be able to thank the farmers, food and drink producers and local personalities for coming together and sharing their work. For that reason, I welcome the decision by the UK Government to extend the Trade and Agriculture Commission (TAC) and place it on a full statutory footing in the Trade Bill, thereby giving farmers a stronger voice in UK trade policy. It is also good news that the UK Government has announced the introduction of new rules and logos to guarantee the authenticity of regional and traditional foods for shopping. This will help protect our Welsh and British producers from imitation.

Simon Baynes MP at the House of Commons during UK Parliament Week 2020.

I marked UK Parliament Week 2020 (1–7 November) with a virtual ‘Meet your MP’ event alongside Sarah Atherton MP and hosted by AVOW – the Association of Voluntary Organisations in Wrexham. There were some excellent questions and I was pleased to talk more about my role as a local MP. I’ve also chaired an industry briefing with Parliamentary and Senedd colleagues to discuss how we deliver faster digital connectivity in all parts of Wales with BT, Openreach and Virgin Media. It is absolutely vital that homes and businesses in Clwyd South and the rest of Wales are getting the full benefits of gigabit capable broadband.

Simon Baynes MP chairing an industry briefing with MP and Senedd colleagues to discuss delivery of faster digital connectivity in Wales with BT, Openreach and Virgin Media.

In Westminster, I was very pleased to speak in the debate to mark Black History Month which provided an opportunity to bring to the fore the many untold stories of Black Britons of African and Caribbean descent who for many generations have made significant contributions to our society but deserve much greater recognition. I was also pleased to speak in support of the new Botulinum Toxin and Cosmetic Fillers (Children) Private Member’s Bill which would prevent under-18s from accessing botox or dermal filler procedures for aesthetic reasons and ensure practitioners are properly qualified. On Monday 9th November, I was proud to speak in the Live Events and Weddings: Covid-19 Support debate in Westminster Hall in which I focused on the problems being experienced by the wedding venue industry in Clwyd South and elsewhere in the UK.

I have also welcomed the excellent news that across North Wales, 95 more police officers have been recruited. This means that the Conservative UK Government is on target to recruit 6,000 new officers across England and Wales by March 2021, delivering on people’s priorities from the election.
As your Member of Parliament, my team and I are always here to provide advice and support. If you’re a Clwyd South constituent, you can contact me at any time by email on [email protected]. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if there’s anything I can do to help you.

Wrexham.com has invited Wrexham & Clwyd South constituency Members of Parliament and Members of the Senedd to write a monthly article with updates on their work in Parliament and the Senedd, and closer to home. (You can view an archive here).