Asked by: Ian Mearns (Labour - Gateshead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the methodology that was used to determine which tier of covid-19 restrictions apply to each region of England.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
Decisions on tiers are made by Ministers based on public health recommendations informed by the case detection rate in all age groups and in particular, among those over 60 years olds; how quickly case rates are rising or falling; positivity in the general population; pressure on the National Health Service; and local context and exceptional circumstances such as a local but contained outbreaks.
As decisions are informed by a range of factors, it is possible for variation between individual factors when comparing areas.
Asked by: Ian Mearns (Labour - Gateshead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to (a) provide transparent face coverings to front line service workers and (b) encourage workers required to wear a face covering, to wear something transparent, to help people who are deaf or rely on lip reading to communicate.
Answered by Jo Churchill
The Government is guided by the scientific evidence emerging in this area. Separately, clear face masks are being piloted in some health and social care settings and the lessons will be taken on board for future policy.
If workers are speaking to or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expressions to communicate, they have a reasonable excuse to not wear a face covering. Employers must undertake risk assessments to ensure their business addresses the risks of COVID-19, using Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy guidance to inform decisions and control measures including social distancing rules and screens, which is available on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Ian Mearns (Labour - Gateshead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of excess deaths due to lack of access to (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment during the covid-19 outbreak restrictions since 16 March 2020.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
The Department and the Office for National Statistics (ONS) jointly produced the paper ‘Direct and Indirect Impacts of COVID-19 on Excess Deaths and Morbidity: Executive Summary’ for the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies in which the ONS estimated that of the 32,000 COVID-19 deaths, which occurred between 21 March and 1 May 2020, 25,000 of them were deaths that would not have occurred otherwise within 12 months. Therefore, 7,000 of the 32,000 COVID-19 deaths are deaths which would have likely occurred within 12 months, had they not contracted COVID-19.
Asked by: Ian Mearns (Labour - Gateshead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for its policies of the findings and recommendations of the publication, Understanding high mortality rates among people with multiple and complex needs: exploring underlying factors and opportunities for prevention in Newcastle and Gateshead, published in October 2020.
Answered by Jo Churchill
This report is an important addition to the evidence base around a complex subject, which as the report suggest requires a whole systems approach to support people. The Government announced £46 million from the Shared Outcomes Fund to provide improved support to individuals overcoming multiple complex needs, such as homelessness, reoffending and substance misuse. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government-led programme will undertake a two-year pilot to support eight to 15 local areas to deliver new interventions and systems change to better support up to thousands of individuals with multiple complex needs.
Asked by: Ian Mearns (Labour - Gateshead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his speech at the PinkNews summer reception on 4 July 2019, when his Department intends to (a) complete and (b) publish the review into IVF treatment equality for all, including the LGBT community.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The internal review of National Health Service fertility services has been delayed due to prioritisation issues during the COVID-19 pandemic. We expect the review to be commissioned and report in 2021.
Asked by: Ian Mearns (Labour - Gateshead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to encourage employers to follow the Government's guidance pertaining to allowing employees to work from home in response to increased covid-19 cases.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The Government made the announcement on 22 September that people should work from home if they can. It is expected that employers will follow this advice, where it is appropriate to do so. A number of guidance documents are available, targeted at specific sectors, on working safely during the COVID-19 pandemic at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19
Asked by: Ian Mearns (Labour - Gateshead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to encourage the NHS to introduce a £6 per month payment for employees working from home to cover the increased costs of working in that way.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
There are no plans to introduce a £6 per month payment for National Health Service staff working from home. Employers do have local flexibility to pay an extra £6 per week for weekly paid employees or £26 per month for monthly paid employees should they choose to do so.
If required to work from home on a regular basis, it is possible for employees to claim tax relief for additional household costs for things like heating and water bills; this does not include costs that would remain the same regardless of working at home or in an office, like rent and council tax.
The full guidance on tax relief can be found at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/tax-relief-for-employees/working-at-home
Asked by: Ian Mearns (Labour - Gateshead)
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 risk of spread of covid-19 at (a) organised weddings and (b) organised funerals; and what the reason is for the different numbers allowed at those events.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
The Government recognises the significance of life events, particularly funerals, and treats them with sufficient sensitivity therefore there are different exemptions to the rule of six for weddings and funerals. The grieving process and related formal and informal rituals through which we mourn the passing of loved ones are important for the health and wellbeing of the bereaved.
Although gathering in larger groups does increase the risk of transmission, we have been clear that people should follow social distancing rules when gathering with people they do not live with. People should continue to follow this advice at these events, making sure to wash their hands, cover their face and maintain space. We continue to keep these restrictions under constant review and will ensure they remain proportionate to the threat to public health posed by COVID-19.
Asked by: Ian Mearns (Labour - Gateshead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the changes to covid-19 restrictions, announced on 22 September 2020, whether the (a) national and (b) local lockdown restrictions allow (i) established long-term partners who do not live in the same household to see each other and (ii) long-term partners who live in different households to meet with people from other households.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
Under the new gatherings limit of six people that applies nationally, individuals can meet anyone they want, whether they live with them on not.
Under the local restrictions that apply in parts of the country, individuals must not host or meet with people they do not live with in their home or garden, whether inside or outside of the affected area, unless they are in a support or childcare ‘bubble’. Individuals can still enter a home or garden for specific purposes set out in the regulations, which are available at the following link:
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/828/regulation/5