Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Islwyn)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to enable the re-introduction of close contact care home visits in England.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
New visiting arrangements have started on 8 March. Every care home should ensure that each resident can nominate one named person who can have regular, indoor visits.
Those residents with the highest care needs can also receive visits from a family member or friend who is an ‘essential care giver’. Following agreement between the care home, resident and their family or friends, these visitors will be able to visit more often in order to provide care that is critical to the resident’s immediate health and wellbeing. They will have the same testing and personal protective equipment arrangements as care home staff so that they can also provide extra support, such as help with washing and dressing or eating well.
We will assess the data and take a decision on opening up further opportunities for visiting, setting out a plan for the next phase of visits for people in residential care.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Islwyn)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish a timetable for the vaccination of all care home (a) residents and (b) staff in England.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
We met our target to offer a first vaccine to everyone in the top four priority groups, as identified by the Joint Committee of Vaccination and Immunisation by 15 February. This included all residents in a care homes for older adults and their carers.
Second vaccination visits to care homes are taking place over the next month to offer vaccinations to staff or residents who were unavailable on the day of the first visit. Everyone will receive their second dose within 12 weeks of their first.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Islwyn)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many soliped and equidae were slaughtered for meat in UK abattoirs in each month of 2020.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Food Standards Agency holds the following data. For each month of 2020 the following numbers of soliped and equidae were slaughtered for meat in United Kingdom abattoirs:
Month / Year | Numbers (Throughput) |
January 2020 | 53 |
February 2020 | 123 |
March 2020 | 183 |
April 2020 | 107 |
May 2020 | 112 |
June 2020 | 65 |
July 2020 | 95 |
August 2020 | 105 |
Note: Numbers are recorded under one heading of ‘soliped’.
No soliped or equidae were slaughtered in Northern Ireland in 2020.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Islwyn)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will undertake a review on the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of mould sickness in the UK.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Public Health England published a review in 2019 on bioaerosols, which include mould, related to composting and intensive farming, and their potential effects on the health of those living nearby. This followed two other reviews published in 2018.
NHS England is aware of how damp and mould can lead to respiratory problems, infections, allergies, asthma and affect the immune system. Aspergillus is a group of moulds common in the home. Most people are naturally immune and do not develop disease caused by Aspergillus. The European Respiratory Society have produced guidelines for the diagnosis and management of chronic pulmonary aspergillosis.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Islwyn)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will make an assessment of the knowledge of mould sickness among doctors, and what steps he plans to take to improve the diagnosis of mould sickness.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Public Health England published a review in 2019 on bioaerosols, which include mould, related to composting and intensive farming, and their potential effects on the health of those living nearby. This followed two other reviews published in 2018.
NHS England is aware of how damp and mould can lead to respiratory problems, infections, allergies, asthma and affect the immune system. Aspergillus is a group of moulds common in the home. Most people are naturally immune and do not develop disease caused by Aspergillus. The European Respiratory Society have produced guidelines for the diagnosis and management of chronic pulmonary aspergillosis.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Islwyn)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of whether personal protective equipment used in the NHS has been made by forced labour in the Xinjaing province of China.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Detailed Government guidance is provided to public sector contracting authorities on how to assess and mitigate the risks of modern slavery in procurement. Contracts routinely include clauses requiring Good Industry Practice to ensure that there is no slavery or human trafficking in supply chains. In the event that allegations of modern slavery are substantiated in relation to a supplier, we will consider all available options.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Islwyn)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that no personal protective equipment procured for the NHS has been made by forced labour.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Detailed Government guidance is provided to public sector contracting authorities on how to assess and mitigate the risks of modern slavery in procurement. Contracts routinely include clauses requiring Good Industry Practice to ensure that there is no slavery or human trafficking in supply chains. In the event that allegations of modern slavery are substantiated in relation to a supplier, we will consider all available options.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Islwyn)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many horses slaughtered in UK abattoirs in (a) 2018, (b) 2019 and (c) 2020 held horse passports issued by Weatherbys passport issuing agencies.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We are unable to provide the information requested as it is commercially sensitive.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Islwyn)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many soliped and equidae were slaughtered at each abattoir licensed to slaughter horses in 2019.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Food Standards Agency holds the following data.
In 2019, the numbers of soliped and equidae slaughtered at each abattoir licensed to slaughter horses was 2,146 and 24, totalling 2,170.
Notes: Numbers are recorded under one heading of ‘soliped’. No soliped or equidae were slaughtered in Northern Ireland in 2019.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Islwyn)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of GP practices who have adopted the care for young carers package launched by NHS England.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer the then Minister of State for Care (Caroline Dinenage MP) gave to the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon MP) on 4 February 2020 to Question 8280.