Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
What discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on the effectiveness of passive technology in reducing the transmission of airborne microbes in enclosed spaces.
Answered by Maggie Throup
Through the UK Health Security Agency we have worked with academic experts and businesses, to explore the most suitable air cleaning technologies to be used in enclosed spaces and further commissioned research projects, studying their effectiveness at reducing transmission rates of airborne microbes, including those for COVID-19.
As part of managing these important studies officials continue to have discussions across government and with relevant stakeholders for which we will publish results in due course.
Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the impact of rising fuel costs on disabled people in receipt of benefits.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The Chancellor announced (on 3rd of February) a £200 rebate for households delivered via their energy bill this autumn, paid back automatically over the next 5 years, spreading the increased costs of global prices over time in a way that is more manageable for households.
Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of people who have been affected by the underpayment of benefits after transitioning from incapacity benefit to employment support allowance in (a) Eltham, (b) Bromley and Chislehurst, (c) Beckenham, (d) Orpington, (e) Old Bexley and Sidcup and (f) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency.
Answered by Chloe Smith
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19th January to question number 104377.
Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will publish the scientific advice on which he based his decision to remove the requirement for wearing face coverings in secondary schools from 17 May 2021; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nick Gibb
From 17 May, the Department no longer recommended face coverings for pupils in classrooms or communal areas in schools, or for staff in classrooms. In Step 4 of the roadmap, face coverings were no longer advised for pupils, staff and visitors either in classrooms or in communal areas.
The Department worked closely with Public Health England (PHE) and the Cabinet Office to consider a range of evidence, balancing both health and educational considerations. This included the latest available education data, latest data analysis on case rates in secondary school age children and the broader COVID-19 epidemiological position, as well as stakeholder intelligence from schools and further education colleges on their experiences of wearing face coverings in classrooms and any perceived effect on teaching, education, and communication.
As COVID-19 becomes a virus that we learn to live with, there is now an imperative to reduce the disruption to children and young people’s education, particularly given that the direct clinical risks they face are extremely low and the wider success of the vaccine programme.
The reintroduction of face coverings for pupils, or staff, may be advised for a temporary period in response to particular localised outbreaks, including variants of concern. In all cases, any educational drawbacks should be balanced with the benefits of managing transmission.
The Department’s policy on face coverings and other control measures is kept under review and is informed by the latest scientific and medical advice from PHE.
Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if any outbreaks of newcovid-19 variants have originated from people in quarantine in hotels having just arrived from abroad; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This information is not held centrally. However, the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies’ Environmental Modelling Group Transmission sub-group is currently reviewing the evidence on the risk of transmission in hotels, including mobile quarantine facilities. This will be published by autumn 2021.
Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with (a) NHS England and (b) SAGE on the potential risk of outbreaks of new variants of covid-19 originating from people who are in quarantine in hotels having recently arrived from abroad; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
There have been no specific discussions with NHS England or the Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies.
However, Public Health England has risk assessed guest journeys and advised the Managed Quarantine Service on the public health mitigations which should be applied. This is regularly reviewed.
Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of vaccinating workers in hotels being used to quarantine people who have recently arrived from abroad; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
In line with the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s advice, workers in hotels used as managed quarantine facilities are being called for vaccination according to their age and clinical risk along with the rest of the population. They will not be prioritised based on their occupation. The vaccination programme is currently on track to offer a first dose to all adults over 18 years old by the end of July.
Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with NHS England on the rate of (a) covid-19 vaccination and (b) supply of vaccines in London compared to the rest of England; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The Department has regular discussions with NHS England on the vaccination programme and the supply of vaccines, including in particular locations, such as London. Specific data on uptake is being monitored to drive and improve the national deployment plan. This is shared daily with local authority directors of public health to enable them to see emerging trends and act quickly to any developing inequalities locally. This is the case for all areas across England.
The Government is in close contact with vaccine manufacturers and remains confident that the supply of vaccines to the United Kingdom will not be disrupted. We remain on track to offer a vaccine to all adults by the end of July.
Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure a consistent supply of vaccines to those areas in London on the watch-list for the Delta variant of covid-19; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Vaccines are supplied on a consistent basis to all regions within England on a weekly basis and have been throughout the programme. Each integrated care system works with borough management teams and local Directors of Public Health to allocate the supply to sites, considering a number of factors, including infection rates. An additional 92,000 Pfizer vaccines were made available to the region and 60,000 doses were allocated to North West London, which had high rates of infection/surge testing.
Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information he received from Public Health England on the (a) aggregate number of covid-19 cases and (b) incidence and location of Coronavirus variant B.1.617.2 linked to schools before 10 May 2021 prior to the decision to remove the requirement for face coverings to be worn in schools.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Data on variants of concern is held by the Department of Health and Social Care, where Public Health England (PHE) leads on surveillance and outbreak management. Data on variants, including the Delta variant (B.1.617.2), was considered by the Government as part of meeting the four tests, in making the decision to proceed with Step 3 of the roadmap announced on 10 May.
PHE has published a technical briefing on COVID-19 variants of concern and variants under investigation in England, which is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/991343/Variants_of_Concern_VOC_Technical_Briefing_14.pdf. This sets out (page 36-45) data on the number of clusters or outbreaks associated with a range of settings, including education settings, covering the latest available data and the period prior to the decision and announcement on Step 3.
PHE also publishes the total number of cases of each variant in the UK as part of information on variants of COVID-19, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/new-sars-cov-2-variant. This includes total confirmed Delta variant cases and prevalence split by region, as part of PHE weekly technical briefings, covering the latest available data and previously the period prior to the decision and announcement on Step 3.
The Government’s decision that face coverings no longer need to be worn in classrooms by staff, pupils or students, or in corridors or communal areas by pupils and students, was made in line with Step 3 of the roadmap. When the policy on face coverings in classrooms was introduced, this was an appropriate precautionary temporary measure while rates of infection were high in the community. As the four tests for easing restrictions in Step 3 of the roadmap were met, it was an appropriate time to remove the recommendation. In all schools we continue to recommend that face coverings should be worn by staff and visitors in situations outside of classrooms where social distancing is not possible.
While this moves children towards a greater sense of normality, measures within the PHE-supported system of controls remain very important to reduce transmission in schools, for example, social distancing and regular hand washing. Regular rapid testing will also continue to help find and isolate asymptomatic cases when they do occur, and we continue to encourage everyone to play their part and test themselves twice each week.
The reintroduction of face coverings for pupils, students or staff may be advised for a temporary period in response to localised outbreaks, including variants of concern. In all cases, any educational drawbacks should be balanced with the benefits of managing transmission. The Local Action Committee structure (bronze/silver/gold) should be used in such circumstances to re-introduce the use of face coverings. Immediate outbreak response (at the level of individual settings or a cluster of settings) remains for local directors of public health to advise on.