WE always knew that the road to recovery from the pandemic would not be straightforward. As the days get colder and shorter, I want to remind my constituents that we must remain vigilant and follow the updated guidance to minimise the risks to ourselves and others.

Back in Westminster, although not all MPs or staff are allowed into Parliament at the same time, it’s getting more like business as usual. Recently, in the House of Commons, the Internal Market Bill has had its third reading – setting out to ensure businesses will be able to continue trading seamlessly across the UK after we leave – and we renewed the Coronavirus Act.

In my ministerial role, we had positive announcements of more funding to arts and heritage organisations. I’m pleased that my constituency got its share, with grants awarded to heritage sites St Lawrence’s Church in Evesham and Hartlebury Castle, and to two arts organisations. I know the funding will be a vital lifeline to heritage and arts bodies across the UK who have been one of the hardest hit industries in the face of the pandemic.

Elsewhere in the constituency, I had the opportunity to merge my role as Sports Minister and constituency MP at the Ombersley Golf Club, and on a visit to Sixways Stadium, the home ground of the Worcester Warriors. I met with the owners and management team to talk about the challenges sports teams are facing as difficult decisions were made about when fans would be back in stadiums.

I’ve visited a variety of local businesses recently to see how they’ve been impacted and hear about future plans. Not all sectors are yet open, and many in the business events sector have been particularly impacted by our inability to hold conferences and exhibitions. I’m working with ministers in other government departments to assess how to sustain these businesses while working on plans to reopen them safely.

We all need to remember to do our bit – keep washing hands, social distancing and following the launch of the new app, I want to remind my constituents to download and help our contact tracing: nhs.uk/apps-library/nhs-covid-19/