I am sure that many Swindon Town fans will be sympathising with Derby County fans, who are currently experiencing the same uncertainty that Swindon Town fans did last summer. Derby Football Club was one of the founding Football League clubs – their very existence now under threat. Earlier this week I spoke in the chamber to call on the Government to take urgent action, and for all parties to work together.
Not only are football clubs important to their fans, but they play a vital role in local communities. Whilst this is an immediate issue for Derby fans, it could happen to any club in the future - as we saw in Swindon, where I actively supported the fantastic Trust STFC efforts - so we need the right rules, protections and actions.
In May last year, the Government announced a fan-led review of football, chaired by my good friend Tracey Crouch MP. The review will canvass fans’ views on ownership and governance and will assess if there is a need for an independent football regulator.
I am delighted that Swindon Town were saved and have thrived under the new leadership – I hope the same outcome can be reached for Derby. I look forward to the review’s findings and recommendations, and hope measures can be introduced to prevent other clubs experiencing the same uncertainty and upheaval that Swindon and Derby have.
Over the past few months, a number of residents have contacted me to raise their concerns regarding the DVLA and delays to licence applications and renewals.
I understand that social distancing measures implemented by the Welsh Government meant that fewer staff were able to be on site to process mail and paper applications (the DVLA receives 60,000 pieces of mail every day!). Industrial action between April and the end of August by members of the Public and Commercial Services Union has, unfortunately, compounded these problems.
Last week, I submitted a written question to the Department for Transport to ask what measures and progress had been made to reduce delays and clear the backlog. Transport Minister Trudy Harrison has written to confirm that to help reduce waiting times for paper applications, the DVLA has introduced additional online services, recruited more staff, increased overtime working and has secured extra office space in Swansea and Birmingham.
I am pleased that steps are being taken to reduce these unacceptable delays and ensure that applications are dealt with more quickly. I will continue to monitor the situation and do what I can to ensure that the situation improves.
Last November concerns were raised about the new more transmissible Covid mutation, Omicron. Thankfully, we appear to be over the worst of it, with case numbers and hospital admissions falling. This is thanks to an excellent booster campaign, with 34 million boosters administered (including 90% of those over-60).
We have also been helped by the biggest testing programme in Europe, registering almost twice as many tests as France, and four times as many as Germany.
Thanks to this work, the Government has now ended its work from home guidance and announced that Plan B restrictions will not be renewed. This means that from next Thursday, Covid passes will be optional for large events and nightclubs, and face masks will not be mandatory indoors.
Once again, thank you so much to everyone who has made the booster campaign such a success!
