Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has for a Covid Pass.
Answered by Maggie Throup
The NHS COVID Pass was launched on 17 May 2021. The COVID Pass allows English, Welsh and Isle of Man residents to demonstrate COVID vaccination status abroad and will continue to be developed in line with international standards. This is expected to remain a common requirement for international travel until the summer of 2023.
The Domestic Pass was removed on 12 May 2022 following the end of domestic certification.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will take steps to ensure that park home residents receive the full benefit of the support available to households to help meet the rise in the cost of energy.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government is aware that not all households have electricity provided through a domestic electricity supply contract, such as mobile home residents. The Government raised this in its technical consultation on the Energy Bills Support Scheme. Households without a domestic electricity supply contract are not eligible for the scheme and the Government is exploring options for other ways in which they might receive similar support. The responses to this consultation are being analysed and a response will be published later in the summer.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to prevent the export of seed potatoes to Russia.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The UK Government is delivering the largest package of sanctions in our history, cutting off funding to Putin's war machine.
I welcome commitments already made by several seed potato exporters to divest from Russian exports. I am urging firms to think very carefully about further investments in Russia; I am clear that there is no case for new investment in Russia.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether visitors to residents in care homes will continue have access to free covid-19 lateral flow tests.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
Most visitors to care homes will no longer need to test before entering a care setting. Visitors are asked to take necessary precautions to keep themselves and their loved ones safe, in line with general population guidance. There are a small number of residents who need support with personal care from a visitor with whom they have a close relationship. These visitors may be asked to test before entering, up to twice weekly if visiting more than twice, with free lateral flow device tests available for these visitors.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether care home staff who were dismissed for failure to receive covid-19 vaccinations may now be re-employed in care homes.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
Regulations making vaccination a condition of deployment in care homes were in force between 11 November 2021 and 14 March 2022. During that period, care homes were legally required to only deploy vaccinated or exempt staff. The matter of re-hiring staff who have been dismissed or resigned as a result of the regulations is a matter for individual employers.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether the Government plans to make assistance with travel to UK available for refugees from Ukraine who successfully acquire a visa and match with a host under the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
Ukrainian beneficiaries will be eligible for a single onward journey via national rail, light rail, bus and coach, free of charge to their final destination in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales).
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will take steps to change guidance so that child-minding professionals are able to use their judgment and chose to work if a member of their household tests positive for covid-19.
Answered by Will Quince
Keeping children and staff safe is the department’s utmost priority. Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, we have listened carefully to the latest scientific and medical advice when developing departmental guidance.
On 24 February 2022, the government removed the legal requirement to self-isolate following a positive test. Public health guidance continues to advise adults and children who test positive to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for at least five full days. They should then continue to follow the guidance until they have received two negative test results on consecutive days. The guidance also advises that people with symptoms of COVID-19 or a positive test result should not have social visitors at home. The guidance can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-people-with-covid-19-and-their-contacts/covid-19-people-with-covid-19-and-their-contacts.
This means that the guidance on managing positive cases for childminders has not changed. Childminders should not childmind in their home if someone in their household has tested positive or has symptoms of COVID-19. This is because there is a higher risk of transmission to those attending the provision for childcare as they are close to the case for extended periods of time.
Considering the changes to the legal requirement to self-isolate, the department has reviewed and updated the guidance with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). In the guidance, the department has outlined options for childminders to continue childminding if someone has tested positive or has symptoms of COVID-19 in their home. This can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/additional-actions-for-childminders-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic/additional-actions-for-childminders-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic.
The department continues to work with the UKHSA to keep guidance under review and ensure that the right control measures are in place for childminders.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many sole traders have experienced delays in repayment of VAT following an HMRC VAT Refund software upgrade in 2021; and what steps his Department is taking to tackle those delays.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
HMRC made no upgrades to its VAT repayment software in 2021. There are no current delays, other than those that may occur from time to time in the course of business when HMRC carries out additional checks on a repayment claim.
HMRC makes VAT repayments to over half a million VAT registered businesses every year, including sole traders. It is important that HMRC makes checks on repayments in order to prevent fraud. HMRC aims to complete these checks as quickly as possible to minimise disruption for businesses.
HMRC’s code of practice for dealing with delayed VAT repayment returns is set out in Notice 700/58. As explained in the notice, HMRC will in certain circumstances pay a repayment supplement if a repayment is not made within 30 days. Over 95 per cent of repayments are made within 10 days and over 99.75 per cent of repayments are made within 30 days.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will (a) make an assessment of the disputed interpretation HMRC has placed on the scope of the agreement between HMRC and Roadchef Employee Benefit Trustees, arrived at by mediation and (b) take steps to resolve that matter.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The administration of the tax system is a matter for HM Revenue and Customs, who continue in dialogue with the customer.Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to ensure that abortion pills sent to patients by post without an in-person consultation are taken by the patient for whom they were intended.
Answered by Maggie Throup
Women seeking an abortion should be informed during the consultation process that medical abortion is a two-stage process which requires the administration of Mifepristone followed by Misoprostol to successfully complete the procedure. If a woman is eligible to receive both abortion pills at home under the provisions of the temporary approval currently in place, providers should supply medicines obtained through a regulated supply chain, appropriately labelled for individual patients to be safely used only by those patients.
Abortion providers should provide women with information on what to do with the pills if they choose not to take them after they have been received, such as returning pills to a pharmacy, clinic or general practitioner for safe disposal. Supply of abortion medication outside of the provisions of the temporary approval is unlawful.