Debate in parliament on health inequalities and the covid-19 outbreak in West Yorkshire.
The MP for Hemsworth, Jon Trickett is leading the debate
The MP for Hemsworth is leading a debate in parliament today about the covid-19 outbreak in West Yorkshire.
MP Jon Trickett says rates in his area are currently 5 times higher than the national average.
"The government is doing what it can with the vaccine, but it's not tackling this issue."
He believes one of the reasons rates are still high in the region, is due to the types of jobs people have in the North compared to the South; those who work in factories or distribution, can't work at home, meaning people in the South are in a safer environment.
He said:
"There are parts of my area where it's 5 times higher than the national average, a couple of villages in my area where it's 17 times higher than parts of the South of England.
"The vast majority of people in Yorkshire, are still working in their place of work, they've got that type of job, and what I've discovered is more than a third of all of the outbreak infections for the whole of the country, took place in Yorkshire in the last 4 weeks.
"The government is doing what it can with the vaccine, but it's not tackling this issue."
Stephen Griffin, a virologist at Leeds University said:
"After this last lockdown, the areas that maintained high levels, are very similar to the ones that did last year, there has to be something to that.
"The major driver here is with people who are unable to access tests, or could even lose their job if they were to test positive, or take a test.
"If we don't resolve the problems in West Yorkshire, in terms of cases continuing, then there is a very real danger, as we saw last year from far lower levels, we could see another home grown wave of infection."