Dear All,
As a period of national mourning is underway it is time for my latest update.
Yesterday afternoon a sombre statement confirmed Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second had passed away at Balmoral, aged 96, ending not just the reign of a sovereign, but a remarkable life based on dedication to duty and the service of our nation. Political campaigning activity has been suspended by the major political parties as a mark of respect.
HM the King addressed the nation this evening and you can watch his address again by clicking
here. It was also welcome to see the new Dean Designate of St Paul’s, Andrew Tremlett leading the service giving thanks for the life of Queen Elizabeth II this evening. From 1989 to 1992 he served his curacy at St Matthias, Torquay and is fondly remembered by many who worship there today.
Like most reading this update I was not born when Her Majesty first ascended to the throne back in 1952, with her having already marked her silver jubilee the year before I arrived. For over seven decades she fulfilled the pledge she made on her 21
st Birthday in 1947 to devote her whole life to public service, continuing to fulfil her duties until the very end including appointing the new Prime Minister (Her 15
th) on Tuesday. Her reign was exceptional not just for its length, but for the depth of commitment to public service she showed throughout.
Her Majesty had been the constant in our public life, with her visits to our bay fondly remembered by many who were able to be part of them. My thoughts and prayers are with the King and his family at this difficult time.
What was already set to be a momentous week started quietly for me last Saturday with a visit to Central Church Torquay for the Christians Together in Torquay Prayer Breakfast. It was good to reflect with them on the current challenges facing our community and nation. This was followed by a visit to Clifton for the Macmillan Coffee Morning organised by Natalie Holding. This was then followed by attending a drop-in session organised by the Devon Mental Health Alliance at Shekinah Grow in Preston. It was good to catch up with Tom Chapman, who founded the Barber Collective, about the role hair and beauty businesses can play in helping those with mental health issues.
Sunday saw me attend the morning service at St Matthias, before heading up to Westminster ahead of the declaration of the result in the Conservative Party Leadership election. Whilst this week has seen momentous national events, I have also been dealing with issues affecting our bay directly, ranging from the energy crisis to issues around the Home Office using a hotel in Paignton. More on these below.
Monday lunchtime saw me at the QEII Centre in Central London as Liz Truss was confirmed as the new Party Leader. This was followed by Home Office Questions, the last with Boris Johnson still in Number 10.
On Tuesday afternoon some eagle-eyed residents spotted me in the crowd waiting in Downing Street for the arrival of Liz Truss as Prime Minister into Number 10. The weather was as wet as it looked on the TV (Bottom Right), although this did not dampen spirits it did mean a change of clothes being needed shortly after. Thankfully the weather parted for the Prime Minister’s speech, which you can watch by clicking
here.
A new Government means all Ministers need to be re-appointed or replaced. Shortly after attending the first Prime Minister’s Questions taken by Liz Truss, I was called by the Chief Whip (On behalf of the Prime Minister) to be offered a new role as a Minister of State in the Department for Transport, with the Queen confirming the appointment formally a few hours later. Whilst the final details of my brief will be confirmed early next week, it will effectively see me become the rail minister. A bit more below on this.
Yesterday saw an early start as I joined Michael Chequer on BBC Radio Devon’s Breakfast Show to talk about my new role and energy prices. Later in the day I was in the Chamber of the House of Commons as Jacob Rees-Mogg wound up the debate on Energy Prices in which the Prime Minister had outlined the Government’s latest plans. I was also present as the Speaker reflected on the emerging news of the Queen’s ill health.
I caught the train back home to our bay last night, hearing the sad news of Her Majesty’s death whilst travelling.
I will be in the House of Commons tomorrow as Parliament’s Tributes to Her Majesty continue.
MPs will meet at 1pm when a small number of senior Members will take the oath to His Majesty the King. The House is expected to sit until approximately 10pm with tributes to the Queen continuing to be paid by MPs throughout. The last item of business will be the consideration of a formal humble address to His Majesty the King formally expressing the deep sympathy of the House on the death of Her late Majesty The Queen.
Tomorrow will also be a day when I will be thinking of another lady who influenced my life, my Mother. She would have celebrated her 68
th birthday tomorrow, but sadly passed away in January 2014.
This week’s update is below and includes:
Tributes, Next Steps, Rail and Post Strikes Called Off, Energy Bill Support, £4.99m Endoscopy Capital Boost For Torbay Hospital, Torbay Road Bridge, Paignton Hotel, Paignton Zoo, Covid Booster Jab Bookings Start, Kev’s Column: This Week and finally……Tea At The Palace.
Tributes,
Across the world tributes have been paid to the Queen, especially in the Commonwealth which she devoted so much of her life to.
The Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition both paid their own tributes yesterday and in the House of Commons today.
The Royal Family website contains a range of guidance about laying floral tributes at Royal Residences across the UK and links to the online book of condolence. You can find it
here.
Please note there are no physical books of condolence available at Royal Residences. Books of condolence are available to be signed at locations across our bay, along with places to leave a floral tribute, and you can find details on Torbay Council’s website by clicking
here.
Next Steps,
Over the coming days further details of events both locally and nationally will be confirmed.
This will include arrangements for Her Majesty to lay in state within the Great Hall of Westminster, as the Queen Mother did 20 years ago. I am conscious many update readers may wish to take this opportunity to pay their respects personally. I will send details out once they are received.
The Cabinet Office has published guidance for both businesses and the public relating to the period of national mourning. You can find it by clicking
here.
I understand the State Funeral arrangements will be confirmed in time for next week’s update.
For those wondering the formal Accession Council (Which will be televised for the first time) and Proclamation of the New King will take place over the weekend, yet His Majesty King Charles III took office from the moment of the Queen’s passing. Prince William became the Duke of Cornwall immediately on his father acceding the throne and this evening the King also made him Prince of Wales, with Catherine becoming Princess of Wales. She is the first to hold this title since Diana.
Another change which has already happened is in the legal world where all holders of the title “QC” (Queen’s Counsel) are now “KC” (King’s Counsel). Other changes such as to bank notes, stamps, coins, new post boxes and passports will follow in time, but for now the focus is on remembering a remarkable life of service.
As a Unitary Authority Torbay Council will hold a local proclamation of the new King. This will take place in front of Torquay Town Hall at 3:30pm on Sunday 11th September. Residents are welcome to attend. This will be the first such event ever conducted by Torbay Council as the modern borough (as we know it today) was not created until the late 1960s.
I have also been notified this evening of the following services which will be held at Paignton Parish Church, Church St, Paignton TQ3 3AQ:
- Sunday 11th September at 6pm - A Service of Prayer and Reflection remembering her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
- Thursday 15th September at 7.30pm – A Special Commemoration Service Marking the death of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Supported by South Devon Choir.
Rail and Post Strikes Called Off,
Given the period of national mourning the Trade Unions involved have confirmed planned strike days on the railways and at Royal Mail have been called off.
This means rail and postal services will run as normal next week.
Energy Bill Support,
Yesterday the Government outlined its plans to deal with the soaring price of energy which is putting immense pressure on many households and businesses.
The Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) which will give people certainty with their bills. The EPG will apply from 1 October and will discount the unit cost for gas and electricity use.
This guarantee, which includes the temporary suspension of green levies, means that from the 1st October a typical household will pay no more than £2500 per year for each of the next two years. This will save the typical household £1000 a year. It comes in addition to the £400 Energy Bill Support Scheme and other financial support for low income households which has already been announced.
The scheme will start on the 1st October 2022, when Ofgem’s new price cap is due to come into effect. Cost projections for the delivery of the EPG are uncertain as they depend upon usage levels (which are highly dependent on weather patterns) and, for future three-month periods, the wholesale price of energy.
The new guarantee will apply to households in Great Britain, with the same level of support made available to households in Northern Ireland. HM Government will also support all business, charities and public sector organisations with their energy costs this winter, offering an equivalent guarantee for six months. The Secretary of State confirmed this guarantee will apply to care homes.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer will set out the expected costs as part of the fiscal statement later this month.
£4.99m Endoscopy Capital Boost For Torbay Hospital,
Endoscopy services at Torbay Hospital are set to benefit from a £4.99million capital investment which will increase capacity and help reduce local waiting lists.
There are currently three endoscopy rooms at Torbay Hospital. The funding will enable the creation of a fourth room and training facility. Endoscopy services are used to examine inside a patient’s digestive tract for conditions including cancer and inflammatory bowel disease.
Building is scheduled to begin on site in January 2023 and is expected to take nine months. A mobile endoscopy unit will shortly be in place to provide additional capacity and also to support the safe and effective delivery of services during construction. This is due to start receiving its first patients from 12 September 2022.
You can read more on the Hospital Trust’s website by clicking
here.
Torbay Road Bridge,
In last week’s update I mentioned how I planned to have a further meeting with the Rail Minister, once this week’s reshuffle was completed, to look at what lessons they will ensure are learned by Network Rail as a result of the delays in completing the bridge replacement works on Torbay Road.
A week later the Rail Minister is now me.
A couple of residents have asked what this means in relation to my role and the bridge. I and my constituency team can continue to raise this issue as Torbay’s MP, as I can any other transport issue, including meeting with Network Rail and chasing for progress. Yet strict rules bar Ministers from taking decisions (or using their Ministerial Office) on matters which specifically relate to their own constituency. This is to avoid favouritism or clear conflicts of interest. For example, a decision on specific funding for a new station in Torquay or track improvement in Paignton would need to be taken by another Minister, with any briefing papers not shown to me. Yet a decision on the GWR network as a whole, which includes our bay, would be one for me.
This said the experience of the bridge works on Torbay Road and campaigning on transport issues since first being elected is very useful background as I start my new role.
Paignton Hotel,
Several residents and businesses have been in touch after the Home Office decided to use a hotel in Paignton for accommodation.
When notified as local MP, I raised several queries and concerns about this suggestion, including the impact it may have on the ability to house those needing temporary housing locally. I know local Conservative Councillors also raised their objections, with Torbay Council also making representations and issuing a press release.
Earlier this week I chased a response to my query to the Home Office as none had been forthcoming, yet the obvious indications were the hotel had started to be used. At the very least the lack of courtesy in not replying before going ahead was notable.
Following my chase up I spoke with a senior official at the Home Office as the local MP about the position with this hotel and the location. They did not give an immediate answer to my points, but I have since received an email from a Home Office official indicating they won’t provide a representative for any meeting with the community to discuss the usage. I have replied that an empty chair can be arranged instead for them.
One point which was clarified is no hotel is requisitioned or required by law to be part of any Home Office accommodation scheme, it is the choice of the owners if they wish to accept such business. I was also advised anyone the Home Office houses is subject to a security check beforehand, including against international databases. This is based on biometric data (Face and fingerprints) which is collected from all irregular arrivals into the UK, with Border Force able to require someone to provide it and if they refuse use reasonable force to obtain it.
Give the lack of clear answers and on-going concerns about this usage, I have asked the Minister in the Home Office responsible for this area for an urgent meeting about the use of this hotel.
Finally, any hotel the Home Office uses is a temporary measure, with the new Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, already making clear she wants to deliver changes which reduce, then eliminate the use of hotels by the Home Office. This means even if the Home Office insist on using it now, this use will not be long term. Other hotels have only been used by them for a few months normally until busier periods for tourists arrive in places like our bay and hotels switch back to more lucrative tourist trade.
Paignton Zoo,
During a difficult week for our nation Paignton Zoo has been facing its own difficult times due to the arrival of Avian Flu.
I have been keeping in close contact with the team at the Zoo, with a letter from me about the situation being placed in the new Secretary of State for DEFRA’s pigeonhole within minutes of his appointment being announced on Tuesday.
Earlier today I had my latest update from the Zoo’s Chief Executive Officer about the situation and some further queries they have raised. You can read the latest on the Zoo’s website by clicking
here.
Covid Booster Jab Bookings Start,
The autumn booster rollout kicked off this week, as the NHS COVID-19 vaccination programme moves to the next phase.
Around seven million people, including people aged 75 and over, people who are immunosuppressed and health and care workers are now able to book in online by clicking
here or by calling 119. Millions of invitations will be landing on doormats from Wednesday 7 September inviting people to book their appointment for the following week.
Around 26 million people across England will be eligible for an autumn booster over the comings weeks, which includes over 50s, those with a weakened immune system, health and social care workers and care home residents and housebound people, in line with guidance set out by the JCVI. The NHS will contact people when it is their turn to book in for the vaccine – you do not need to contact the NHS.
Kev’s Column: This Week
Every fortnight I write a “Kev’s Column” for the Torbay Weekly and you can read the latest edition by following the link below:
https://www.kevinjfoster.com/news/kevs-column-week-0
and finally……Tea at the Palace.
Looking back on her reign it is now almost impossible to imagine how the Queen’s life started back in 1926.
At the time few expected her to be a Monarch, it took a remarkable series of events to bring about her historic reign. Her Father, then known as Prince Albert, was the King’s Second Son, his elder brother Edward would be the next King. Likewise if her Parents’ second child had been a boy, rather than a girl, under the laws of the time he would have jumped ahead of her in the line of succession.
The Queen would not become the heir to the throne until a decade after her birth, when the abdication crisis of 1936 saw her father become King George VI. With her then succeeding him in 1952.
Her reign was a constant in seven decades of radical change for both the UK and the Commonwealth, with the events to mark the Jubilee earlier this year both celebrating and reflecting on it. There were many ceremonial events and celebrations, but it seems apt to end this week’s update with one aspect of it which now seems extra special.
After decades inviting people for tea at Buckingham Palace a special guest joined her to mark the Platinum Jubilee, Paddington.
It is a quirky, funny and deeply touching tribute to a remarkable woman, You can watch it again by clicking
here. As Paddington says: “Thank you Ma’am, for everything.”
God Save The King.
Best Wishes,
Kevin
