Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when vaccines produced and administered in Scotland will be added to the NHS covid pass.
Answered by Maggie Throup
NHS Digital has established live bi-directional data flows between England and Scotland which can demonstrate both vaccine doses on the general practitioner (GP) record and NHS COVID Pass.
Individuals who have had one or both of their primary course vaccines administered in Scotland can access the NHS COVID Pass, provided they are registered with a GP in England or otherwise have a National Health Service number. Individuals who are registered with a GP in Scotland can access the Scottish certification service, which will demonstrate their vaccination status anywhere in the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the availability of conditional test tubes for cancer labs; and if the NHS has now restarted all non-urgent cancer testing.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The supply of consumables used for cancer tests is constantly monitored. Shortages of blood collection tubes were experienced in August and September 2021 due to increased global demand resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Supply has now been restored and the National Health Service has restarted all non-urgent cancer testing which may have been impacted.
Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what mechanisms are in place to lodge a complaint against the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is required by law to have a complaints system in place to deal with complaints against its staff or service. Details are available on the IOPC’S website: Our service - complaints, compliments and how to challenge our decisions | Independent Office for Police Conduct
Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the proof of the booster jab will be added to the NHS Covid Pass in response to foreign entry requirements requiring evidence of a booster jab.
Answered by Maggie Throup
From 19 November the NHS COVID Pass can be used to demonstrate proof of a booster or third dose for outbound international travel. This is available through the NHS App and NHS.UK.
Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason passengers entering the UK from overseas cannot use an NHS issued covid-19 lateral flow test.
Answered by Maggie Throup
Free National Health Service tests cannot be used for travel in order to preserve existing lateral flow device testing supplies to protect public health. Since requirements were introduced for international travel testing, the costs have fallen significantly and we are committed to working with the travel industry and private providers to reduce the cost of travel testing further.
Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress the Government has made on the roll out of veteran's ID cards.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave on 20 September 2021 to Question 47041 to the hon. Member for Portsmouth South (Stephen Morgan).
Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure consistency in the legal aid fees payable for family law disputes involving children across England and Wales.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
This Government is committed to ensuring that everyone gets the support they need to access the justice system. The legal aid scheme is designed to target funding at those that need it most; legal aid is available in certain family matters, including public family law cases which fall under the Children Act 1989.
The consistency of legal aid fees is considered within the context of the wider civil and family legal aid system. More widely we continue to consider the long-term sustainability of the civil legal aid market and we have been engaging with representative bodies and providers within the sector to increase our understanding of the challenges the system is facing.
The Legal Aid Agency keep legal aid provision under constant review and take action when necessary to ensure consistency of provision.
Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason the Government is allowing travellers from the USA who have been double vaccinated against covid-19 to enter the UK without quarantining but not those double vaccinated travellers from Canada.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
From 2 August, passengers that have been fully vaccinated with vaccines authorised by the European Medicines Agency in European countries and Food and Drug Administration in the United States of America have been able to travel to England without quarantine, or a day eight test. Decisions related to this policy are based on the latest risk assessment from the Joint Biosecurity Centre. We are working on expanding the number of people who can enter the United Kingdom more easily, including through engaging with international partners. We will provide an update in due course on how we will approach vaccinated individuals from other countries, including Canada.
Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason healthcare staff and nurses who are subcontracted to the NHS are not entitled to the same employment protections during periods of covid and long covid infection as staff employed by the NHS and under the agenda for change system.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Subcontracted healthcare workers and nurses are not employed by the National Health Service and are therefore subject to their employer’s terms, conditions and entitlements, including sick pay. The Government has made it clear that agencies are required to pay Statutory Sick Pay to their workers where they cannot work due to COVID-19.
Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
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 potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to ensure that healthcare staff and nurses who have long covid get the same employment protections and financial help for the duration of their illness as people subject to the NHS agenda for change.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not plan to bring forward legislative proposals specific to one group of staff. Statutory employment protections and statutory financial support applies to all eligible individuals.
The majority of healthcare staff and nurses are employed on national Terms and Conditions, including Agenda for Change which contains sick pay and additional contractual provisions regarding the management of long-term sickness. Employers should develop local policies and procedures regarding long-term sickness, in line with Annex 26 of the national Terms and Conditions.