Bassetlaw MP says government will do all it can to help families be together at Christmas

However, in a couple of weeks we will be out of lockdown and there is now light at the end of the tunnel.

Whether it’s for birthday celebrations, Bonfire Night or religious events such as Diwali, there are many who haven’t been able to celebrate special moments with the people who are important to them and in the ways they normally would.

The government is doing its very best to move out of restrictions as soon as it can and make this possible once more, including loosening restrictions for Christmas.

Thank you for playing your part in helping achieve this.

It has been a particularly difficult period for those in care homes and their friends and families who have been unable to make visits in many cases.

However, named family and friends may soon be able to regularly visit loved ones in care homes as a new testing pilot was launched this week.

The pilot is taking place in around 20 care homes across Hampshire, Cornwall and Devon and will be rolled out more widely across the country in December and in time for Christmas.

The bidding process for freeports also opened this week and regionally we have two great opportunities, with both East Midlands Airport and Doncaster Sheffield Airport in the running.

Freeports are zones that are treated as independent for customs purposes and could see no tariffs, import VAT or excise on goods from overseas unless they enter the UK domestic market.

In theory, this means a company could import components, manufacture a product and then export it without paying tariffs .

This will potentially create tens of thousands of jobs across the region and would be a huge boost to the local economy.

I think freeports are a great idea and our local bids have my full support.

We have also seen a £700 millon investment in helping rough sleepers.

This will enable people who sleep rough, or at risk of sleeping rough, to be rehoused in secure, long-term accommodation, providing some of the most vulnerable in society with a permanent place to live and help to rebuild their lives.

Brendan Clarke-Smith is MP for Bassetlaw.