Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
These initiatives were driven by Lord Mann, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
A Bill to make provision for local authorities to determine their short-term housing needs and housing allocation numbers; and for connected purposes
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to remove powers of the Secretary of State in relation to the location of and planning permission for new housing developments; to give local authorities powers to establish requirements on such developments in their area, including requirements on the proportion of affordable and social housing; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to make social media service providers liable for online publications in respect of civil proceedings in specified circumstances; to establish and confer functions upon a commissioner for online safety; to make provision about the disclosure of certain information by social media service providers; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to require pension providers to make lump sum payments and other pension benefits available to people with ill health, including people with a terminal diagnosis, prior to such people reaching minimum pension age; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to require the Secretary of State to relocate the headquarters of the Department for Transport to Birmingham; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to abolish the payment of grants to persons ceasing to hold Ministerial and other offices; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to reduce the number of police forces in England to ten; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to require the Secretary of State to relocate the headquarters of the Department for Work and Pensions to Leeds; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to require the Secretary of State to relocate the headquarters of the Department for International Development to Newcastle; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to require the Secretary of State to relocate the headquarters of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to Bristol; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to require the Secretary of State to relocate the headquarters of the Department for Education to Nottingham; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to require the Secretary of State to relocate the headquarters of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to Manchester; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to require the Secretary of State to relocate the headquarters of the Department for Communities and Local Government to Liverpool; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to require the Secretary of State to relocate the headquarters of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to Sheffield; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to require the authorisation by Parliament of corporate tax reductions by amounts exceeding £100,000 by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to amend the Local Government Finance Act 1992 to provide for an additional council tax band applicable to second homes; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to amend the Sexual Offences Act 2003 to create an offence of paying for sexual services of a person under the age of 21 years; and for connected purposes
A Bill to permit voters to recall their elected representatives in specified circumstances; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to stipulate a maximum salary for public sector employees; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to prohibit the payment of bonus payments to higher rate taxpayers working in the public sector; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to provide that Ministerial salaries shall not exceed the basic salary paid to Members of Parliament by more than 25 per cent.; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to make provision to limit the membership of the House of Lords to 300 unpaid members; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to amend the Local Government Finance Act 1992 to provide for three additional council tax bands applicable to homes valued at over £500,000, £1 million and £1.5 million respectively; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to require the Secretary of State to repatriate to the United Kingdom before the end of 2015 all British military personnel serving on British military bases in Germany; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to amend the Local Government Act 1992 to allow for the establishment of unitary authorities throughout England; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to amend the Child Benefit Act 2005 to disqualify nationals of European Union member states other than the United Kingdom who are resident in the United Kingdom with children living overseas from eligibility for child benefit payments; and for connected purposes.
Lord Mann has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chair of the Services Committee, to respond on his behalf. The Parliamentary Archives will be removed from the Victoria Tower by the beginning of September 2025. The Victoria Tower occupies seven percent of the Palace of Westminster. Future use of the space is yet to be determined.
The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chair of the Finance Committee, to respond on his behalf. There are a number of private businesses that operate using facilities within the Palace of Westminster, including the Gym, Creche and Hairdressers, none of which have requested or received financial support from the House of Lords Administration. As these are private businesses, we are not aware of the extent to which they might have sought or received Government provided COVID-19 business support.
(1) 42
(2) 192
(3) 91
The answer is based on the total number of members who were members on 20 October (819). The total includes members on leave of absence and those yet to be introduced, and excludes those who were members from 1 January but have since died or retired.
Office holders, or the holders of ceremonial roles, may speak rarely or not at all, and for some voting is not appropriate to their role.
For the 2020-21 financial year, the maximum amount available for financial assistance to opposition parties and the Convenor of the Crossbench Peers (“Cranborne money”) is as follows:
Labour - £656,948
Liberal Democrats - £328,008
Office of the Convenor of the Crossbench peers - £ 99,770
No other groups or parties are able to claim it.
The strategic review of the Restoration and Renewal Pogramme, which is currently being conducted by the Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority, has considered the possibility of the two Houses sharing some facillities during any period of decant, including catering and library functions. However, the desirability of doing so would be subject to the agreement of both Houses, if recommended as part of the decant strategy proposed by the strategic review. The strategic review's draft recommendations will be considered by the Sponsor Body Board in November. The report will then be discussed with both Houses before it is published.
The possibility of combining or rationalising facilities after the Palace has been restored has not been considered by the Sponsor Body and would be a matter for both Houses to determine rather than the Programme.
The Government is not responsible for and does not hold information on appointments made across the whole of the public sector, which would include appointments to local authorities, education establishments, the NHS and other public bodies. The Cabinet Office holds data on appointments made to bodies listed in the Public Appointments (No. 2) Order in Council 2023, as well as some other categories of public sector roles. Public appointments are announced on GOV.UK.
983 Post Office-related convictions have been identified during the relevant period.
To date, 2745 former postmasters have applied to the Horizon Shortfall Scheme for those who suffered losses due to the Horizon IT System. There were 555 postmasters as members of the original Group Litigation Order against the Post Office. There were over 900 prosecutions during the relevant period. Therefore, around 4000 people could potentially have been affected by Horizon shortfalls, albeit over a longer time period than 10 years.
The Government does not hold information on the number or size of solar PV installations on council properties. This information will be held by individual councils.
In total, the Department and its precursors have paid a total of £96,282.85 in costs to BBH Legal Services Limited. All payments have been made in respect of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss claims.
Under the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund (RHLGF) businesses in England that would have been in receipt of the Expanded Retail Discount (which covers retail, hospitality and leisure) on 11 March 2020, with a rateable value of less than £51,000, will be eligible for cash grants of up to £25,000 per property.
It is for local authorities to decide, having regard to the Government’s guidance, whether individual properties are eligible for the RHLGF based on the circumstances of each case.
The Government has introduced important social distancing measures for all types of businesses to consider in order to minimise the risk of transmission in the workplace. The Government has been clear that it is vital that all employers follow this guidance, which is clinically led and based on expert advice.
The Government has stated that vulnerable people who are at increased risk of severe illness from coronavirus (COVID-19) need to be particularly stringent in following social distancing measures. Additionally, the government guidance sets out that members of staff who are vulnerable or extremely vulnerable, as well as individuals whom they live with, should be supported by their employers as they follow the required social distancing and shielding measures.
If a business is not operating in line with the government guidance, there is a role for the relevant health and safety enforcing authority – the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) or a Local Authority. Where the enforcing authority identifies employers who are not taking action to comply with the relevant public health legislation and guidance to control public health risks – for example, employers not taking appropriate action to socially distance or ensure workers in the shielded category can follow the NHS advice to self-isolate for the period specified – the enforcing authority will consider taking a range of actions to improve control of workplace risks. These actions include the provision of specific advice to employers through to issuing enforcement notices to help secure improvements with the guidance.
The priority for the British Business Bank (BBB) has been to get the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan scheme up and running, delivering urgently needed finance to UK SMEs. In order to achieve that, the Bank has worked with the already existing infrastructure and the 40 accredited lenders to make this operational as soon as possible. Existing lenders range from high-street banks to challenger banks, asset-based lenders and smaller specialist local lenders.
Now that the scheme has successfully launched, accrediting new partners is a top priority. The Bank has put in place substantial additional resource to assist with processing applications from new lenders as quickly as possible.
The scheme went live on Monday 23 March, so businesses are able to speak to lenders now and apply for facilities. Businesses should check on the British Business Bank’s webpage to find out which lenders are able to provide the type of finance they are looking for.
Museums and galleries in the UK operate independently of Her Majesty’s Government. Decisions relating to their collections are a matter for the trustees of each museum.
Some national museums are prevented by law from disposing of objects in their collections unless, broadly, they are duplicates or unfit for retention. The two exceptions to this are when the objects are human remains that are less than 1,000 years old, and objects that were spoliated during the Nazi era. Her Majesty’s Government has no plans to change this law.
The Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) has already set out the technical requirements needed for seats with barriers or independent barriers in the current (6th) edition of its Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds (Green Guide). Additionally, the SGSA’s current all-seater policy enforcement approach details, amongst other things, how to identify risks to spectator safety arising from persistent standing in seated areas, and potential mitigation for such risks.
It is for a football club to decide, in consultation with the relevant local authority and other partners, which parts of its ground would benefit from seats with barriers or seats with independent barriers to address the identified risks to spectator safety.
The Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) has already set out the technical requirements needed for seats with barriers or independent barriers in the current (6th) edition of its Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds (Green Guide). Additionally, the SGSA’s current all-seater policy enforcement approach details, amongst other things, how to identify risks to spectator safety arising from persistent standing in seated areas, and potential mitigation for such risks.
It is for a football club to decide, in consultation with the relevant local authority and other partners, which parts of its ground would benefit from seats with barriers or seats with independent barriers to address the identified risks to spectator safety.
In 2019, the Government made a commitment to work with fans and clubs to introduce safe standing at football stadia. The Government is working closely with the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) on planning the next steps for implementing this manifesto commitment. In June 2021, the SGSA published its research into the Safe Management of Persistent Standing in Seated Areas at Football Stadia, which found that the installation of barriers or rails can have a positive impact on spectator safety, particularly in mitigating the risk of a progressive crowd collapse.
The technical requirements for seats with barriers or independent barriers are detailed in the current (6th) edition of SGSA’s Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds (Green Guide). Football clubs may, in consultation with the relevant local authority and other partners, install such types of spectator accommodation in any part or all of their grounds as part of their management strategies for persistent standing.
As the all-seater policy remains in place, these areas are licensed as seating areas only at present.
In 2019, the Government made a commitment to work with fans and clubs to introduce safe standing at football stadia. The Government is working closely with the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) on planning the next steps for implementing this manifesto commitment. In June 2021, the SGSA published its research into the Safe Management of Persistent Standing in Seated Areas at Football Stadia, which found that the installation of barriers or rails can have a positive impact on spectator safety, particularly in mitigating the risk of a progressive crowd collapse.
The technical requirements for seats with barriers or independent barriers are detailed in the current (6th) edition of SGSA’s Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds (Green Guide). Football clubs may, in consultation with the relevant local authority and other partners, install such types of spectator accommodation in any part or all of their grounds as part of their management strategies for persistent standing.
As the all-seater policy remains in place, these areas are licensed as seating areas only at present.
In 2019, the Government made a commitment to work with fans and clubs to introduce safe standing at football stadia. The Government is working closely with the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) on planning the next steps for implementing this manifesto commitment. In June 2021, the SGSA published its research into the Safe Management of Persistent Standing in Seated Areas at Football Stadia, which found that the installation of barriers or rails can have a positive impact on spectator safety, particularly in mitigating the risk of a progressive crowd collapse.
The technical requirements for seats with barriers or independent barriers are detailed in the current (6th) edition of SGSA’s Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds (Green Guide). Football clubs may, in consultation with the relevant local authority and other partners, install such types of spectator accommodation in any part or all of their grounds as part of their management strategies for persistent standing.
As the all-seater policy remains in place, these areas are licensed as seating areas only at present.
In 2019, the Government made a commitment to work with fans and clubs to introduce safe standing at football stadia. The Government is working closely with the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) on planning the next steps for implementing this manifesto commitment. In June 2021, the SGSA published its research into the Safe Management of Persistent Standing in Seated Areas at Football Stadia, which found that the installation of barriers or rails can have a positive impact on spectator safety, particularly in mitigating the risk of a progressive crowd collapse.
The technical requirements for seats with barriers or independent barriers are detailed in the current (6th) edition of SGSA’s Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds (Green Guide). Football clubs may, in consultation with the relevant local authority and other partners, install such types of spectator accommodation in any part or all of their grounds as part of their management strategies for persistent standing.
As the all-seater policy remains in place, these areas are licensed as seating areas only at present.
In 2019, the Government made a commitment to work with fans and clubs to introduce safe standing at football stadia. The Government is working closely with the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) on planning the next steps for implementing this manifesto commitment. In June 2021, the SGSA published its research into the Safe Management of Persistent Standing in Seated Areas at Football Stadia, which found that the installation of barriers or rails can have a positive impact on spectator safety, particularly in mitigating the risk of a progressive crowd collapse.
The technical requirements for seats with barriers or independent barriers are detailed in the current (6th) edition of SGSA’s Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds (Green Guide). Football clubs may, in consultation with the relevant local authority and other partners, install such types of spectator accommodation in any part or all of their grounds as part of their management strategies for persistent standing.
As the all-seater policy remains in place, these areas are licensed as seating areas only at present.
The Government takes both the protection of personal data and the right to privacy extremely seriously. Organisations that are processing people's data for the purposes of providing online services should comply with data protection laws, including the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations.
In February 2019, DCMS announced a programme of work to consider how online advertising is regulated in the UK and in January 2020, a call for evidence was launched to gather views on online advertising standards. The UK Government also established the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation, an independent advisory body, which provides advice on how we maximise the benefits of data-driven technologies.
We are working closely with the sector to facilitate the return of spectators to elite sport, and we have noted the return of spectators in Hungarian football. A multidisciplinary working group, including a number of sports’ medical directors, has begun to consider the breadth of guidance needed in Stage 5 of the return of competitive sport. Guidance will include medical, sports, and venue expertise as well as the experience of other sectors that will reopen to audiences.
We will continue to be led by wider public health guidance, and we will reflect on all emerging best practice, both domestically and internationally, in future guidance on spectators at sports events.
We are working closely with the sector to facilitate the return of spectators to elite sport, and we have noted the return of spectators in Hungarian football. A multidisciplinary working group, including a number of sports’ medical directors, has begun to consider the breadth of guidance needed in Stage 5 of the return of competitive sport. Guidance will include medical, sports, and venue expertise as well as the experience of other sectors that will reopen to audiences.
We will continue to be led by wider public health guidance, and we will reflect on all emerging best practice, both domestically and internationally, in future guidance on spectators at sports events.
We are working closely with the sector to facilitate the return of spectators to elite sport, and we have noted the return of spectators in Hungarian football. A multidisciplinary working group, including a number of sports’ medical directors, has begun to consider the breadth of guidance needed in Stage 5 of the return of competitive sport. Guidance will include medical, sports, and venue expertise as well as the experience of other sectors that will reopen to audiences.
We will continue to be led by wider public health guidance, and we will reflect on all emerging best practice, both domestically and internationally, in future guidance on spectators at sports events.
Schools are required to record in the register once in the morning session and once in the afternoon session whether or not a pupil is absent.
The attached table below shows the number of pupil enrolments in England with one or more sessions of unauthorised absence by academic year.
In the 2021/22 academic year, 366,042 pupil enrolments missed 10% or more of possible sessions due to unauthorised absence. This figure covers state-funded primary, state-funded secondary and special schools in England.
Unauthorised absence includes pupils who arrived late (after registration has closed), unauthorised holidays, reason for absence not yet provided, and other unauthorised absence.
The data used in this answer are published in the National Statistics release on pupil absence in schools in England, available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/pupil-absence-in-schools-in-england.
Individual local authorities are under a duty to ensure that children in their areas are receiving a suitable education. We do not routinely collect data on the nationality of children whose parents are seeking school places. However, because of the high levels of migration from the beginning of 2022, the department did conduct a monthly survey of school placements for children from outside the UK between May and September 2022 to obtain better data on school place pressures. The data is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-placements-for-children-from-outside-of-the-uk.
Schools are required to record in the register once in the morning session and once in the afternoon session whether or not a pupil is absent.
The attached table below shows the number of pupil enrolments in England with one or more sessions of unauthorised absence by academic year.
In the 2021/22 academic year, 366,042 pupil enrolments missed 10% or more of possible sessions due to unauthorised absence. This figure covers state-funded primary, state-funded secondary and special schools in England.
Unauthorised absence includes pupils who arrived late (after registration has closed), unauthorised holidays, reason for absence not yet provided, and other unauthorised absence.
The data used in this answer are published in the National Statistics release on pupil absence in schools in England, available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/pupil-absence-in-schools-in-england.
29. The answer is based on the total number of members who were members on 6 January 2021 (817). The figure of 29 includes 10 members on leave of absence, 2 disqualified as members of the judiciary and 6 members who were yet to be introduced including two who joined the House after 20 December 2020.
The Environment Agency is committed to better protecting the East Midlands and the area remains a high priority.
In the previous financial year 2022/23, the Environment Agency’s East Midlands Area, which encompasses Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire as well as parts of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, spent a total of £35.5 million of Grant in Aid funding on flood alleviation projects.
The Environment Agency’s investment plan currently projects spending £155.6 million across the area between 2023/24 and 2026/27.
The table below shows the funding split for each of the counties. Investment that benefits more than one county is captured in the row titled ‘cross county boundaries’.
Grant-in-Aid (GiA) | ||
Counties | Previous Financial Year 2022/23 (£m) | Programme 2023/24 – 2026/27 (£m) |
Cross county boundaries | 3.7 | 23.4 |
Derbyshire | 15.5 | 59.7 |
Leicestershire | 1.3 | 7.8 |
Nottinghamshire | 11.1 | 53.1 |
Yorkshire | 0.2 | 2.0 |
Lincolnshire | 3.7 | 9.6 |
Totals | 35.5 | 155.6 |
The Environment Agency has no records of orphaned waste sites containing hazardous waste. Local Authorities will hold records of orphan sites on their contaminated land registers.
A Call for Evidence was held from 21 July to 18 August 2022 on a Proposed Landfill Tax Grant Scheme. The Grant Scheme, announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer at the last Spring Budget, will help Local Authorities cover the cost of landfill tax in land remediation projects. The Government Response to the Call for Evidence was published on 15 March 2023 and the Grant Scheme is currently under development.
Transit passengers need to complete a passenger locator form with their journey and contact details. If they remain airside (do not pass border control) they do not need to self-isolate. However, if transit passengers pass through border control they must self-isolate for 14-days.
The regulations permit departure from England within 14 days of arrival.
The Civil Aviation Authority has published guidance for businesses and consumers with respect to cancelled holidays and flights due to COVID-19.
The Government recognises the challenges businesses and consumers are experiencing with processing large volumes of refunds. In particular, we appreciate the frustration consumers may be experiencing. The Government’s position is clear - if a customer asks for a refund, that refund needs to be paid.
Most businesses are trying to do the right thing in these unprecedented circumstances, but where enforcement bodies have significant evidence that businesses are trying to take advantage of the crisis, we would expect them to take action.
A table is attached due to the size of the data involved. The information available on children admitted to hospital for asthma is shown in this table, with data for 2022 being provisional.
Data is not held by locality, but the number of admissions for children with asthma by hospital trust and by site, is provided in tab (i) within the table. The average number of monthly child admissions for asthma into English hospitals in 2022 is shown in tab (ii) within the table. Tab (iii) in the table shows the number of annual child hospital admissions for asthma in each of the past 20 years.
A table is attached due to the size of the data involved. The information available on children admitted to hospital for asthma is shown in this table, with data for 2022 being provisional.
Data is not held by locality, but the number of admissions for children with asthma by hospital trust and by site, is provided in tab (i) within the table. The average number of monthly child admissions for asthma into English hospitals in 2022 is shown in tab (ii) within the table. Tab (iii) in the table shows the number of annual child hospital admissions for asthma in each of the past 20 years.
A table is attached due to the size of the data involved. The information available on children admitted to hospital for asthma is shown in this table, with data for 2022 being provisional.
Data is not held by locality, but the number of admissions for children with asthma by hospital trust and by site, is provided in tab (i) within the table. The average number of monthly child admissions for asthma into English hospitals in 2022 is shown in tab (ii) within the table. Tab (iii) in the table shows the number of annual child hospital admissions for asthma in each of the past 20 years.
A table is attached due to the size of the data involved. The information available on children admitted to hospital for asthma is shown in this table, with data for 2022 being provisional.
Data is not held by locality, but the number of admissions for children with asthma by hospital trust and by site, is provided in tab (i) within the table. The average number of monthly child admissions for asthma into English hospitals in 2022 is shown in tab (ii) within the table. Tab (iii) in the table shows the number of annual child hospital admissions for asthma in each of the past 20 years.
A table is attached due to the size of the data involved. The information available on children admitted to hospital for asthma is shown in this table, with data for 2022 being provisional.
Data is not held by locality, but the number of admissions for children with asthma by hospital trust and by site, is provided in tab (i) within the table. The average number of monthly child admissions for asthma into English hospitals in 2022 is shown in tab (ii) within the table. Tab (iii) in the table shows the number of annual child hospital admissions for asthma in each of the past 20 years.
During the last year, the government agreed a number of measures to improve the finances in the NHS provider sector in England. These included writing off £13.4 billion of NHS debt, as part of a major financial reset for NHS providers; temporary arrangements that saw trusts receive block payments to fund their spending through the pandemic, supported by c£18bn of additional funding to support the NHS response to COVID. As a result, the amount and levels of deficits across in the NHS provider sector fell significantly.
Work is ongoing to support the minority of trusts who ended 2020/21 in a deficit position and to develop solutions to secure future financial sustainability.
Final deficit figures for 2020-21 will be published as part of the NHS’s final accounts in due course.
Re-configuring service delivery to ensure sufficient National Health Service capacity was central to our preparedness for a pandemic and the COVID-19 response. However, the Department does not have - and did not have in January 2020 - a pandemic triage policy for hospitals and care homes, as this is a clinical matter. In the event that patient triage becomes necessary, clinical guidance would be produced to support decision-making.
Non-clinical stewarding roles at vaccination centres will be filled by volunteers allocated through the Royal Voluntary Service, working with the National Health Service. The only role which requires a Disclosure and Barring Service check is a patient transport role.
Retired clinicians can support the National Health Service COVID-19 vaccination team via the Bringing Back Staff programme. A comprehensive training package has been put together by NHS England and NHS Improvement with professional groups and Public Health England. New vaccinators will have undergone both a comprehensive training programme and competency assessment to ensure they can safely administer vaccines to patients under the clinical supervision of an experienced health care professional.
The total number of people tested for COVID-19 in Nottinghamshire between 29 October 2020 and 27 January 2021 is 329,057.
NHS England and NHS Improvement have commissioned the general practice COVID-19 vaccination service in line with agreed national terms and conditions, as an enhanced service. Individual general practices opted in to delivering COVID-19 vaccinations, coming together in primary care network groupings to administer the vaccine as ‘local vaccination services’.
As of 10 January 2021, 785 local vaccination services had been stood up to deliver the vaccine. The number of individual practices that have and have not opted into the enhanced service is not collected or held centrally.
Where there are gaps in provision, NHS England will commission additional providers such as community pharmacy, hospital hubs, and mass vaccination centres to provide COVID-19 vaccinations. The first community pharmacy sites opened in the week commencing 11 January 2021. As more vaccines become available, there will be increased flexibility in local delivery.