Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, if it is the Government's policy to use public fear as a tool to ensure compliance with covid-19 restrictions; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
It is not Government policy. Throughout the pandemic the vast majority of people and businesses have been compliant with the restrictions we have needed to introduce to help reduce transmission of the virus. Tremendous sacrifices have been made, and it is thanks to our collective national resolve that we have been able to protect the NHS and save lives, which has been our priority from the start.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 13 April 2021 to Question 174724 on Caravan Sites and Holiday Accommodation: Coronavirus, if he will publish the scientific evidence that opening facilities too early or too quickly risks another lockdown.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The Government published scientific evidence underlying the roadmap in February. The evidence indicated that reopening accommodation and encouraging non essential travel across England raised the risk of transmission, and the Government therefore decided to introduce reopening in phases - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-response-spring-2021/covid-19-response-spring-2021
I refer the hon. Member to the SAGE 81 minutes which can be found here. We have also shared SPI-M-O: Summary of modelling on roadmap scenarios.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people have died in each week since 1 February 2021 within (a) 28 days and (b) 14 days of having received a vaccination against covid-19.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to Government advice in relation to self-contained accommodation under Step 2 of the Covid-19 Response Spring 2021, whether (a) touring caravans and motor homes will be allowed to access supplies of fresh water and waste disposal facilities at camp sites and (b) self-contained holiday accommodation with more than one bedroom can be occupied by members of two households; and what assessment his Department has made of the relative risk to public health arising from the different options.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
Self contained accommodation is defined as accommodation in which facilities (kitchens, sleeping areas, and indoor lobbies, lifts, staircases, and internal corridors for entry and exit), are exclusive to a single household/support bubble.
Self-contained accommodation can open at Step 2, not before 12 April. Campsites and caravan parks may also open at Step 2 provided that the only shared facilities used by guests are washing facilities, toilets, water points and waste disposal points. Where it is reasonably possible to do so, access to bathing facilities and water points should be operated on a rota basis as was previously the case last summer.
The scientific evidence shows that opening too early or too quickly risks a further lockdown. Therefore, we committed to a phased reopening of accomodation prioritising settings that are self contained to allow individual households (including support bubbles where eligible) to visit these settings at Step 2 whilst reducing the risk of household mixing.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to Step two of the Government's guidance, Covid-19 Response-Spring 2021, published on 22 February 2021, whether touring caravans and motor homes will be allowed to access supplies of fresh water and waste disposal facilities at camp sites during that stage; whether self-contained holiday accommodation with more than one bedroom can be occupied by members of two households during that stage; and what assessment he made of the relative risk posed to public health arising from those different options.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
Self contained accommodation is defined as accommodation in which facilities (kitchens, sleeping areas, and indoor lobbies, lifts, staircases, and internal corridors for entry and exit), are exclusive to a single households/support bubbles.
Self-contained accommodation can open at Step 2, not before 12 April. Campsites and caravan parks may also open at Step 2 provided that the only shared facilities used by guests are washing facilities, toilets, water points and waste disposal points. Where it is reasonably possible to do so, access to bathing facilities and water points should be operated on a rota basis as was previously the case last summer.
The scientific evidence shows that opening too early or too quickly risks a further lockdown. Therefore, we committed to a phased reopening of accomodation prioritising settings that are self contained to allow individual households (including support bubbles where eligible) to visit these settings at Step 2 whilst reducing the risk of household mixing.