Views

Question at the COVID-19 Statement

20/10/20

This evening I questioned the Secretary of State for Health yet again on why gyms in Halton are closed, when they are allowed to stay open in the other Tier 3 Areas – Manchester and Lancashire. I asked him to either use government powers to re-open our gyms or give the power to re-open them to the Local Authority. This time he agreed to have a conversation with me to progress this issue. You can watch the exchange below. I will be following this straight up to arrange the conversation and will update on progress as soon as the meeting has taken place.

UPDATE

Instead of waiting to arrange a meeting, I managed to speak to Matt Hancock, the Secretary of State for Health outside the Chamber tonight. I put forward the case for our gyms to re-open, chiefly that they are so important to people’s physical & mental health, the work and money that local gyms have put in to make them Covid Secure environments, the unfairness that gyms here are closed while they are allowed to stay open in other Tier 3 areas and the lack of scientific evidence to support their closure here. The Health Secretary has now given me assurances that he will look again at/review the decision to close our gyms. I will update you when I receive his decision.

https://fb.watch/1e-ZjzdjBP/