MPs will tonight debate a Liberal Democrat amendment to the Business and Planning Bill calling for more support to help the tourism and hospitality sector "bounce back" in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The amendment, tabled by local MP Tim Farron, calls for a review into the impacts the Bill will have on the sector, to take into account options such as an extension of the furlough, grants and loans schemes until 2021.
Commenting on the news that the Government will establish a new Trade and Agriculture Commission, South Lakes MP Tim Farron said: "On the face of it this is a very welcome concession from the Government and is thanks to the brilliant campaign run by the NFU that we've been proud to support.
"However, the announcement contained no details about how this new commission will operate or how Parliament will be able to properly scrutinise any new trade deal and the effect it will have on our world-class food, animal welfare and environmental standards .
South Lakes MP Tim Farron has joined cross-party calls for the Government to increase the pay of social care workers to at least the living wage, in recognition of their immense effort during the coronavirus public health emergency.
In a letter to Health and Social Care Secretary, Matt Hancock, the group of 38 MP's also urged the Government to offer staff additional death in service and sick pay benefits, reimbursement for travel between appointments, and to no longer be referred to as low skilled.
The Chief Executives of the Lake District National Park Authority and the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority have lent their support to the campaign led by local MP Tim Farron and Cumbria Tourism for long-term financial support for the hospitality and tourism industry.
The campaign's petition, which calls for the Government to provide a support package lasting until Spring 2021, has garnered more than 3,300 signatures since it was launched last week.
On the floor of the House of Commons yesterday, South Lakes MP Tim Farron urged ministers to ramp up testing of health and social care staff to help reopen local health services that have been forced to shut because of the pandemic.
Speaking during a debate in Parliament, Tim said: "Does the minister agree that to keep care homes safe from the coronavirus, the testing needs to happen ​regularly, not just once or even twice, and it needs to include people displaying no symptoms whatsoever?
