Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll and Bute)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what quality control methods were used by by his Department to help ensure that PPE procured from China met UK standards during the covid-19 pandemic; and if he will make an estimate of the proportion of PPE that did not meet the required standard for use in the UK.
Answered by Will Quince
The Department regularly reviews optimal storage solutions for personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure value for money. The Department reviews the quality of all PPE purchased and to determine whether these products are suitable for use by frontline staff. Stock which has not passed initial quality assurance will be identified as not for use in medical settings. The Department undertakes a full visual assessment of all the stock held in China and in the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll and Bute)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether analysis has been undertaken to establish whether all the PPE stored in China is (a) still usable and (b) meets the standards required for use in the UK.
Answered by Will Quince
The Department regularly reviews optimal storage solutions for personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure value for money. The Department reviews the quality of all PPE purchased and to determine whether these products are suitable for use by frontline staff. Stock which has not passed initial quality assurance will be identified as not for use in medical settings. The Department undertakes a full visual assessment of all the stock held in China and in the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll and Bute)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the value for money to the public purse of Government storage arrangements for PPE in China.
Answered by Will Quince
The Department regularly reviews optimal storage solutions for personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure value for money. The Department reviews the quality of all PPE purchased and to determine whether these products are suitable for use by frontline staff. Stock which has not passed initial quality assurance will be identified as not for use in medical settings. The Department undertakes a full visual assessment of all the stock held in China and in the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll and Bute)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has taken recent action with ministerial colleagues to assess the extent to which contracts entered into by the UK government to procure PPE in the last five years represented value for money.
Answered by Will Quince
The Government Internal Audit Agency analysed the prices paid for individual products in the personal protective equipment (PPE) supply chain. This included 12 contracts where the Agency found a proportionate control environment which balanced the need to urgently procure PPE with the need to secure value for money.
Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll and Bute)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
What steps he has taken to prepare the NHS for the UK leaving the EU in October 2019.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
As a responsible government, we must continue to plan for every scenario. We continue to carefully review the implications of the latest extension to Article 50 on our no deal planning. We are working closely with partners across the health and care system, and stakeholders, to make detailed plans to ensure the continued supply of medicines and medical products and secure the future of our European Union health and care workforce.
Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll and Bute)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department consulted health and social care service providers on the effect on those sectors (a) throughout the UK and (b) in each of the four nations of the UK of leaving the EU.
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Department has regular conversations with health and social care providers as well as with the devolved administrations to ensure an exit is delivered which works for the health and social care sector throughout the entire United Kingdom.
Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll and Bute)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has consulted people who require health and social care services on the impact on those sectors (a) throughout the UK and (b) in each of the four nations of the UK of leaving the EU.
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Department has regular conversations with health and social care providers and users as well as with the devolved administrations to ensure an exit is delivered which works for the health and social care sector throughout the entire United Kingdom.
Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll and Bute)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department consulted organisations working for and on behalf of individuals who require health and social care services on the effect on those sectors (a) throughout the UK and (b) in each of the four nations of the UK of leaving the EU.
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Department has regular conversations with health and social care organisations such as charities and patient advocacy groups as well as with the devolved administrations to ensure an exit is delivered which works for the health and social care sector throughout the entire United Kingdom.
Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll and Bute)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effect on the health and social care sectors in each nation of the UK of the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
We are committed to securing a deal that works for the entire United Kingdom - for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England. The Department for Exiting the European Union and the Department of Health and Social Care regularly engage with the devolved administrations to update them on the negotiations.
Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll and Bute)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether assessments made by his Department of the effect of the UK leaving the EU on the health and social care sectors on (a) the UK and (b) each of the four nations of the UK have been shared with the relevant Ministers in those administrations.
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
We are committed to securing a deal that works for the entire United Kingdom - for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England. Department for Exiting the European Union Ministers engage regularly with Ministers from the Scottish and Welsh governments to update them on the negotiations, including through the Joint Ministerial Committee on EU Negotiations.