Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how much warehouse space was required to house (1) the total contents of the COVID Strategic Intensive Care Unit Reserve on 31 December 2023, and (2) the ventilators that make up part of that reserve.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The warehousing of the COVID Strategic Intensive Care Unit Reserve is managed by NHS Supply Chain on behalf of the Department. The requirement is based on number of pallets. On 31 December 2023, the reserve totalled 29,844 pallets, of which 3,317 related to ventilators.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what were the contents of the COVID Strategic Intensive Care Unit Reserve on 31 December 2023.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The following table shows the contents of the COVID Strategic Intensive Care Unit Reserve as of the first week of December 2023, the latest period for which data is available:

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government when the Government lease expires on the warehouse space currently used to house the COVID Strategic Intensive Care Unit Reserve.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The warehousing of the COVID Strategic Intensive Care Unit Reserve is managed by NHS Supply Chain on behalf of the Department.

There is no dedicated warehouse space allocated to the reserve. It is stored across multiple sites, in and amongst NHS Supply Chain’s wider holdings, making the best use of the capacity available. The Department pays for this storage on a ‘per pallet, per week’ basis, resulting in zero costs once all holdings have been disposed of following closure of the reserve.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government further to the Written Answers by Lord Markham on 4 January (HL1377) and 24 January (HL1768), under a realistic worst case scenario for Risk 54 (an unmitigated respiratory pandemic) in which 1.34 million people require hospital treatment, how many (1) additional mechanical ventilators, (2) non-invasive ventilators (BiPaP), and (3) NIV continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) units, would be required in addition to those currently held by hospital intensive care units; and what would be the estimated cost, at current prices, of replacing the equipment held in the COVID Strategic Care Unit Reserve.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department continues to plan and prepare for a range of pandemic and emerging infectious disease scenarios, including those caused by respiratory contact and vector-borne pathogens, both influenza and non-influenza related. These plans are built on lessons learned from exercises and incidents, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

NHS England routinely monitor the total number of ventilators available against the number of ventilators in use. NHS England published Adult critical care surge plan guidance in December 2023 which sets out the actions to ensure capacity is mobilised at a sufficient rate to meet increases in demand. In response to any pandemic, NHS England would implement the published surge planning guidance to review capacity and demand within the current context of the situation. A copy of this guidance is attached.

The Department’s COVID Strategic Intensive Care Unit Reserve was established to operate for a set lifespan in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, after which point it would close. Due to lower-than-expected demand for equipment from the stockpile by the National Health Service, the strategic pandemic intensive care unit reserve is now closing in March 2024 and there are no current plans to replace it. No estimate has been made of the cost of replacing it.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 24 January (HL1768), how many of each of the categories of equipment contained in that answer (1) are being offered or have been offered for sale in the period up to 31 March, (2) have been destroyed, (3) are scheduled for destruction, and (4) have been donated, or will be donated, to medical charities for use overseas, including but not confined to Ukraine.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The COVID Strategic ICU Reserve was set up in April 2020, in response to shortages in key respiratory equipment and in anticipation of increased demand during the pandemic. Over the last two years, the National Health Service has not needed to access the reserve to manage increases in the numbers of respiratory patients. With lack of demand from the NHS, and increasing costs associated with storing and maintaining ageing equipment, the decision was taken to close the reserve by March 2024.

Information on the money raised from the auction of equipment is not currently available. The following table shows the planned disposal routes for equipment within the COVID Strategic Intensive Care Unit Reserve from 1 December 2023 to 31 March 2024:

Notes:

1. The table does not include equipment that has been deployed to the NHS across the United Kingdom since December 2023, and so the sum of the disposal columns will not equal the December 2023 holdings. Information reflects plans as of 5 February 2024.
2. Until the final closure of the reserve in March 2024, we will continue to respond to requests from the NHS and overseas meaning these plans are subject to change.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 24 January (HL1768), how much money has been raised to date from the auction of equipment listed in that answer.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The COVID Strategic ICU Reserve was set up in April 2020, in response to shortages in key respiratory equipment and in anticipation of increased demand during the pandemic. Over the last two years, the National Health Service has not needed to access the reserve to manage increases in the numbers of respiratory patients. With lack of demand from the NHS, and increasing costs associated with storing and maintaining ageing equipment, the decision was taken to close the reserve by March 2024.

Information on the money raised from the auction of equipment is not currently available. The following table shows the planned disposal routes for equipment within the COVID Strategic Intensive Care Unit Reserve from 1 December 2023 to 31 March 2024:

Notes:

1. The table does not include equipment that has been deployed to the NHS across the United Kingdom since December 2023, and so the sum of the disposal columns will not equal the December 2023 holdings. Information reflects plans as of 5 February 2024.
2. Until the final closure of the reserve in March 2024, we will continue to respond to requests from the NHS and overseas meaning these plans are subject to change.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government further to the Written Answers on 24 January by Lord Markham (HL1769 and HL1770), how much the Department of Health and Social Care pays per pallet per week for equipment stored by NHS Supply Chain; whether the Department currently makes payments for storage to NHS Supply Chain other than, and in addition to, payments for the COVID Strategic Care Unit Reserve; and, if so, how many pallets were on average being paid for, per week, in 2023, over and above those storing the COVID Strategic Care Unit Reserve.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are unable to provide the information requested as it is commercially sensitive.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government how much money has been transferred to small and medium-sized enterprises by levy-paying businesses using their apprenticeship service account to transfer unused levy funds in (1) 2020–21, (2) 2021–22, and (3) 2022–23.

Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Transfers are a great way for large employers to use their levy funds to support apprenticeships in other businesses, including small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), flexi-job apprenticeship agencies and charities, to help meet local or sector specific needs.

As announced this week, from April the department are increasing the proportion of their funds that levy-paying employers can transfer to support more apprenticeships in other businesses, including those in their local area or supply chain, from 25% to 50%. This will help SMEs hire more apprentices by reducing their costs and enabling them to benefit from the support and experience that larger employers can provide.

Hundreds of large levy-paying employers have already taken advantage of the opportunity to transfer their unused levy funds to other businesses. Since September 2021, over 550 employers including ASDA, HomeServe, and BT Group, have pledged to transfer over £37 million to support apprenticeships in businesses of all sizes.

​The below table shows the number of non-levy paying employers that have received levy transfer funding and the value of that funding. It is extremely encouraging that use of transfers continues to increase year-on-year. The department does not hold transfer data specific to SMEs (currently defined as businesses with fewer than 250 employees) but can confirm that most non-levy paying employers are SMEs.

To note: Values include new apprenticeship starts and those who started in previous years but are still being funded. If an employer receives a transfer for an apprenticeship which continues across more than one financial year, they will appear in each year’s employer count. Values are actual payments made to date - they do not represent the total committed cost of transfers into future months and years.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many small and medium-sized enterprises have received funds for apprenticeship training as a result of levy-paying businesses using their apprenticeship service account to transfer unused levy funds in (1) 2020–21, (2) 2021–22, and (3) 2022–23.

Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Transfers are a great way for large employers to use their levy funds to support apprenticeships in other businesses, including small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), flexi-job apprenticeship agencies and charities, to help meet local or sector specific needs.

As announced this week, from April the department are increasing the proportion of their funds that levy-paying employers can transfer to support more apprenticeships in other businesses, including those in their local area or supply chain, from 25% to 50%. This will help SMEs hire more apprentices by reducing their costs and enabling them to benefit from the support and experience that larger employers can provide.

Hundreds of large levy-paying employers have already taken advantage of the opportunity to transfer their unused levy funds to other businesses. Since September 2021, over 550 employers including ASDA, HomeServe, and BT Group, have pledged to transfer over £37 million to support apprenticeships in businesses of all sizes.

​The below table shows the number of non-levy paying employers that have received levy transfer funding and the value of that funding. It is extremely encouraging that use of transfers continues to increase year-on-year. The department does not hold transfer data specific to SMEs (currently defined as businesses with fewer than 250 employees) but can confirm that most non-levy paying employers are SMEs.

To note: Values include new apprenticeship starts and those who started in previous years but are still being funded. If an employer receives a transfer for an apprenticeship which continues across more than one financial year, they will appear in each year’s employer count. Values are actual payments made to date - they do not represent the total committed cost of transfers into future months and years.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what medical equipment they have donated to Ukraine since 1 January.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department donated no medical equipment to Ukraine during the year 2023.

The Department donated no medical equipment to Ukraine between 1 January 2024 and 29 February 2024. However, it did donate medical equipment in 2022. The Government continues to actively consider options for making donations of surplus medical equipment to Ukraine, in addition to those made in 2022.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what medical equipment they donated to Ukraine during 2023.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department donated no medical equipment to Ukraine during the year 2023.

The Department donated no medical equipment to Ukraine between 1 January 2024 and 29 February 2024. However, it did donate medical equipment in 2022. The Government continues to actively consider options for making donations of surplus medical equipment to Ukraine, in addition to those made in 2022.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 9 February (HL2216), why the information mentioned in the Answer on government expenditure is commercially sensitive.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

At the time of answering, the Department was engaged in commercial negotiations with NHS Supply Chain and their sub-contractors, relating to ongoing storage requirements for the COVID Strategic Intensive Care Unit. In December 2023, the average per pallet per week cost for equipment in the COVID Strategic Intensive Care Unit was £5.52.

The Department currently makes payments to NHS Supply Chain in relation to storage of personal protective equipment (PPE). At end of December 2023 there were 492,259 pallets, or 5.1 billion items, of COVID-19 PPE remining in storage. This includes both business as usual and excess stock.

Found: of Fforestfach; Lord Lamont of Lerwick; Lord Razzall; Lord Rooker; Lord Turnbull; Lord Verjee; Baroness

Found: Baroness Liddell of Coatdyke; Lord Londesborough; Lord Razzall; Lord Rooker; Lord Turnbull; Lord Verjee; Baroness

Found: Baroness Liddell of Coatdyke; Lord Londesborough; Lord Razzall; Lord Rooker; Lord Turnbull; Lord Verjee; Baroness

Found: Lord Lamont of Lerwick; Lord Layard; Lord Londesborough; Lord Razzall; Lord Rooker; Lord Turnbull; Baroness

Found: Wolf of Dulwich.

Found: Baroness Liddell of Coatdyke; Lord Londesborough; Lord Razzall; Lord Rooker; Lord Turnbull; Lord Verjee; Baroness

Found: Wolf of Dulwich.

Found: Wolf of Dulwich.