Asked by: Jane Stevenson (Conservative - Wolverhampton North East)
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 scientific advice from SAGE on the potential need for a national covid-19 lockdown in January 2021.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
Throughout the pandemic, the Government has listened carefully to the views of the scientific community, the information from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies and its sub-groups when taking decisions on the best way to tackle the pandemic. Data and scientific advice informing the fight against COVID-19 are published on GOV.UK and specific relevant findings are shared in presentations accompanying significant policy announcements.
Asked by: Jane Stevenson (Conservative - Wolverhampton North East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to roll out rapid covid-19 saliva testing nationally.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Good progress is being made with utilising technologies to help improve our testing service. We announced £500 million in next generation tests, including saliva tests and rapid turnaround tests that can deliver results in just 20 minutes, which are being piloted in Hampshire, Southampton and Salford. We are continuing to trial new tests and future plans will depend on the outcomes of those trials.
Asked by: Jane Stevenson (Conservative - Wolverhampton North East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the criteria he has set for removing additional covid-19 restrictions in (a) Wolverhampton and (b) England.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
We work closely with local leaders and public health teams to inform decisions on local interventions, taking into account a range of factors, and all decisions are based on the latest data and advice from experts, including our epidemiologists and the Chief Medical Officer.
There is no single hard threshold. The thresholds are not fixed between the local COVID alert levels because they take into consideration a range of metrics and intelligence. This includes positivity rates, case rates through the age groups, and hospital pressures including COVID-19 admissions but also indirect impact, staffing levels and absences.
Asked by: Jane Stevenson (Conservative - Wolverhampton North East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will set out the criteria for moving a local area from tier two covid-19 restrictions to tier one.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
The Joint Biosecurity Centre closely monitors a range of data - case rates, hospital admissions, positivity and age distribution - to understand and track the spread of the virus across local areas. This data combined with local insight and professional judgement from local partners and leaders is used to make recommendations on the escalation and de-escalation of areas to Local COVID Alert Levels.
Recommendations for the allocation of areas to Local COVID Alert Levels are made at a weekly meeting of the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care-chaired Local Action Committee, with the Chief Medical Officer and senior representatives from NHS Test and Trace, Joint Biosecurity Centre and Public Health England, before decisions are finalised, where necessary, by the COVID-O Cabinet Sub-Committee and the Prime Minister.
Asked by: Jane Stevenson (Conservative - Wolverhampton North East)
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 effectiveness of the covid-19 restrictions in Wolverhampton announced on 22 September 2020; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
The Government is in constant and regular dialogue with local authorities and local Directors of Public Health about the situation across the different areas of England. This engagement and analysis by Public Health England and the Joint Biosecurity Centre ensure measures in all areas are being considered constantly. This allows timely local interventions to bring in stricter measures when needed, and also supports decisions about how and when areas will have restrictions loosened.
Wolverhampton has regulations to prevent household mixing in private homes and gardens because transmission was being driven by households meeting each other. We know that the virus is spread by people, particularly when they are in close proximity of each other, so these restrictions reduce that risk. From 14 October, the interventions in force in Wolverhampton will prohibit household mixing in any indoors venue but allow people to meet up in groups of no more than six people in outdoor venues including gardens.
Asked by: Jane Stevenson (Conservative - Wolverhampton North East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support is available to mothers who suffer baby loss; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
Support is available for parents who suffer baby loss through the National Bereavement Care Pathway. The pathway covers a range of circumstances of a baby loss including miscarriage, stillbirth, termination of pregnancy for medical reasons, neonatal death and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.