To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
NHS and Social Services: Sick Leave
Monday 19th December 2022

Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) NHS and (b) social care workers took sick leave due to a covid-19 infection in the latest period for which data is available.

Answered by Will Quince

This information is not held in the format requested. However, data on the number of staff absent due to any COVID-19 related reasons, including the need to self-isolate, is available.

As of 30 November 2022, there were 6,865 National Health Service hospital trust staff in England reporting absences for COVID-19 related reasons. As of 14 November 2022, there were 2,128 of directly employed care home staff and 2,043 of domiciliary care home staff with face-to-face contact absent due to COVID-19 related reasons in England.


Written Question
Department of Health and Social Care: Social Clubs
Tuesday 24th May 2022

Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 7 March 2022 to Question 132393 on civil service staff networks, what recognised staff groups have been running in his Department over the last three years.

Answered by Edward Argar

The information requested is not held centrally.


Written Question
Department of Health and Social Care: Social Clubs
Tuesday 24th May 2022

Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 7 March 2022 to Question 132393 on civil service staff networks, what information he holds on (a) FTE staff time and (b) budgets available to recognised staff groups within each of the last three years.

Answered by Edward Argar

The information requested is not held centrally.


Written Question
NHS Trusts: Equality
Monday 23rd May 2022

Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on the number of diversity and equality staff employed in NHS England trusts.

Answered by Edward Argar

The information requested is not held centrally.


Written Question
NHS: Equality
Thursday 21st April 2022

Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding has been allocated to the Equality Delivery System, commissioned by the Equality and Diversity Council, since July 2011.

Answered by Edward Argar

The Equality Delivery System (EDS) does not have a separate budget and has been supported by NHS England since 2013. National Health Service organisations are expected to deliver the EDS within existing budget allocations as part of the standard contract.


Written Question
NHS: Equality
Friday 8th April 2022

Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding has been allocated to implementing (a) the Workforce Race and Equality Standard, (b) the Workforce Disability and Equality Standard and (c) Workforce Equality and Inclusion since 2011.

Answered by Edward Argar

The information requested is not held centrally. NHS England and NHS Improvement and individual National Health Service trusts have allocated resources to support these initiatives and promote equality and diversity in the NHS. However, this funding is not separately identifiable within budgets.


Written Question
NHS: Equality
Thursday 31st March 2022

Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much the NHS spent on diversity and inclusion roles in 2020-21; what NHS average annual spending on those roles has been since 2011; and what the budgeted spending for those roles is for 2021-22.

Answered by Edward Argar

The information requested is not collected centrally.


Written Question
Department of Health and Social Care: Social Clubs
Monday 7th March 2022

Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will provide a list of (a) professional staff networks and (b) social clubs operating within his Department; and if he will provide the (i) budgets and (ii) FTE staff time allocated to each group within each of the last three years.

Answered by Edward Argar

The Department has the following established staff networks:

- EnABLE (disability);

- Autism;

- Diversity of Thought;

- Race Equality Matters Network;

- PRISM (LGBT+);

- Women’s;

- Parents’;

- Age Diversity;

- Carers’,

- EU Nationals;

- Social Mobility;

- Men’s Health;

- Christian;

- Muslim;

- Jewish;

- Hinduism and Sikhism;

- Healthy Humanists;

- Flexible Working;

- Green;

- Science and Engineering;

- Apprenticeship;

- Personal Assistant;

- Fast Stream;

- Domestic Abuse Support;

- Eating Disorder Support;

- AO/EO;

- HEO/SEO; and

- Grade 6/7.

Information on social clubs is not held in the format requested. There is no specific budget allocated to staff networks, although networks can access the central diversity and inclusion budget if required. No full time equivalent staff time has been allocated to each network or group in the last three years.


Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 14 Dec 2021
Public Health

"This has been a good debate but it is a profoundly frustrating and depressing experience to have to have it at all. Just a few short weeks ago, we thought we were almost out of the woods; now, we are threatened with the return of a terrible uncertainty.

Given the …..."

Gareth Bacon - View Speech

View all Gareth Bacon (Con - Orpington) contributions to the debate on: Public Health

Written Question
Abortion: Coronavirus
Monday 2nd August 2021

Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has (a) commissioned or (b) plans to commission research on the health and welfare of women who have used home-administered early medical abortion during the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

The Department has no plans to commission research on this specific issue.

The Government’s public consultation on whether to make permanent the temporary measure allowing for home use of both pills for early medical abortion up to 10 weeks gestation for all eligible women asked questions about the impact on the provision of services for women and girls with particular regard to safety. The consultation has now closed and we are considering all evidence submitted and plan to publish our response later this year.