THE Prime Minister recently set out the next steps in the Government’s Covid response, to help protect the gains of our historic vaccine rollout that has allowed life to return to a sense of normality in recent months.

The Autumn and Winter Plan seeks to sustain the progress that has been made and prepare the country for future challenges and includes how vaccines will continue to be our first line of defence alongside a range of other interventions and the recently announced vaccine booster programme.

Also, this week the Government accepted the recommendations of the UK’s Chief Medical Officers to offer young people aged 12 to 15 one Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine dose.

We all know however that the last 18 months has shown how the pandemic can change course rapidly, so the Government has also announced contingency planning in case the initial approach is not sufficient in keeping the virus at manageable levels.

Locally I am delighted the county council has approved funding for the new £11 million Digital Innovation Centre at the Firepool site in Taunton.

I worked hard with stakeholders to secure the initial funding for this project which will now be at the heart of the Firepool development and will kickstart other developments on this key site.

The centre will develop an area of expertise that will not just benefit the local economy but will have wider regional consequences with its focus on Somerset’s growing digital economy.

In Parliament I continue to work on the Environment Bill, a landmark piece of legislation that will set us on a sustainable trajectory for the future.

One part of the Bill brings in measures that will reduce all waste and ensure products last longer, are reusable and recyclable.

While policy is a key driver for change, we can all also do our bit.

Recently, I was pleased to take part in Second Hand September, an initiative to encourage buying second-hand clothing for one month.

With the average person throwing out 31.75kg of clothing every year, which if donated or recycled could save the same greenhouse gas emissions as driving a car for 800,000 miles, it can make a real difference.

REBECCA POW
MP for Taunton Deane