By Roberts, MP for Delyn

I can't write this column without paying tribute to Captain Sir Tom Moore, what an absolute inspiration he was. What struck me the most about him was his relentless positivity and kindness towards others. We can all learn something from him. My thoughts are with his family at this very challenging time.

We know the virus has had an unbelievable impact on all of us, as individuals, whole families, businesses, schools, our towns and our high streets. However, taking a leaf out of Captain Sir Tom's book, I believe we must stay positive. There is a long way to go yet, but there is hope.

With vaccine roll-out progressing well in all of the constituent parts of the UK, I'm certain more normality will be with us soon. I want to take this opportunity to repeat the tribute I made in the chamber recently, thanking each and every nurse, doctor, pharmacist, service personnel, and volunteer who are working hard to vaccinate our loved ones.

The biggest risk to this progress will be the dangerous anti-vaccination rhetoric that is circulating on social media. The Minister for Digital and Culture, Caroline Dinenage, agreed with me that harmful disinformation designed to undermine trust in our lifesaving vaccines must be addressed and removed as quickly as possible. That is why I am working on campaign to encourage social media platforms to identify and verify each of their users.

In the constituency, I am aware of the closure of Barclays in Flint, and it disappoints me this is happening. However, having met with Barclays, I am assured that sufficient banking services are available still in Flint, and each customer who needs support to transition to new ways of banking is getting it from the team in Flint. What this does highlight is that we must support our high street wherever this is possible. The greengrocer, florist, butcher, boutique, pub, even your local bank, all of them. Where possible I shop locally and couldn't recommend it more highly, I can't urge you enough to shop local.

As if dealing with a pandemic wasn't enough, some communities have had to contend with the impact of the extreme weather we have been experiencing. Cllr Glyn Banks helped set a meeting up with a group of residents who were severely impacted by flooding in Fynnongroyw.

Having listened to the residents' concerns I have taken action and brought Network Rail, Flintshire County Council, Dwr Cymru, and Natural Resource Wales together to discuss the issue and agree a plan of action to investigate what the actual cause is. Only when the root cause is known can we attempt fixing the problem. My thoughts go out to all the affected families and I will continue to ensure progress is made on this issue.

In Parliament, I asked the Minister for Women & Equalities about equal opportunities for children in Wales. She agreed that although education is devolved it's vital we work together to give children the best start in life. That is why I have worked with local businesses and have been able to provide laptops and Raspberry Pi devices to over 10 schools across Delyn. This means that 145 students who didn't previously have technology to learn from home now do.

I will continue to be a strong voice for Delyn. Keep following the Covid-19 restrictions and stay safe. If you need my help email rob.roberts.mp@parliament.uk or call 01352 710 232.