Gillian Keegan

Parliament is back in full swing and alongside our response to coronavirus, Brexit is back in the news as negotiations head into the final stretch. Investing in training and skills is very much in focus as we work on our economic recovery, particularly for our young people as they are expected to be the most greatly affected by the impact of coronavirus on the job market.

In my ministerial role, I signed off my first piece of legislation last week which will pave the way for a new generation of engineering and construction apprentices, and reinvest funding from the sector to provide training and development opportunities for young engineers and those looking to retrain.

As schools and colleges head back, I was able to restart physical visits for the first time since March.

Last week, I visited Gloucestershire College to launch an innovative cyber security degree apprenticeship in partnership with the University of the West of England, plus I attended a skills and apprenticeships Lift Off event at Gloucester Rugby, where local employers and training providers welcomed young people from schools and colleges, as well as those looking for employment.

Apprenticeships are a great way to start a new career and the Government is offering incentive payments of up to £2,000 to encourage employers to hire more apprentices.

Last week, I, and other West Sussex MPS, attended a debate led by Andrew Griffith MP, to discuss the impact of housing development locally and outlined our concerns about some aspects of the ‘Planning for the Future’ white paper.

The proposed algorithm has the potential to increase our housing numbers without taking into account the unique geography of our area, with the protected national park to our north and the AONB, Chichester Harbour, in the south. Further, it does not consider the disproportionate affordability ratio or environmental factors such as flood plains and our wildlife corridors.

I have raised these concerns in person with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, and have followed up in writing to ensure he is aware of our issues and the strength of feeling of my constituents.

The white paper does put more emphasis on the renewal of buildings and development of brownfield sites, which I support.

This is something that needs to happen, and I am encouraged that a simplified and more transparent planning system would deliver housing and infrastructure on these long underutilised sites.