Asked by: Mark Harper (Conservative - Forest of Dean)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department has taken to consult with local level self-advocacy groups on (a) covid-19 communication and (b) government guidance relating to covid-19.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The Government constantly monitors public awareness of its communication campaigns. We use regular evaluations to maximise the impact of our campaigns across the UK.
We are committed to supporting individuals with disabilities through every stage of this pandemic. Progress in this area means that COVID-19 guidance is available across multiple channels in a range of alternative formats. Many of our most crucial content assets come in alternative accessibility formats including Easy Read, large text formats, videos with British Sign Language interpretation, and audio. Important health communications, also, regarding COVID-19 symptoms, Stay Alert and NHS Test and Trace content, are available in alternative formats, including Easy Read, British Sign Language and Audio. COVID-19 statements and speeches from the Prime Minister are now also made available in transcript form on GOV.UK, aligning with accessibility standards.
We continuously engage with disability charities using polling and focus groups with hard-to-reach audiences to better understand how our communications are received and how this affects COVID-safe behaviours. We use these insights to improve government messaging, mitigate anxieties and challenge misinformation.
Examples of new guidance are discussed in regular sessions with disability charities and experts in accessibility; this provides an opportunity for these groups to review and make recommendations on how to better government communications. We will continue to work with these organisations to ensure COVID-19 communications are as accessible as possible.
Asked by: Mark Harper (Conservative - Forest of Dean)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Government’s covid-19 communications and in particular for disabled people.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The Government constantly monitors public awareness of its communication campaigns. We use regular evaluations to maximise the impact of our campaigns across the UK.
We are committed to supporting individuals with disabilities through every stage of this pandemic. Progress in this area means that COVID-19 guidance is available across multiple channels in a range of alternative formats. Many of our most crucial content assets come in alternative accessibility formats including Easy Read, large text formats, videos with British Sign Language interpretation, and audio. Important health communications, also, regarding COVID-19 symptoms, Stay Alert and NHS Test and Trace content, are available in alternative formats, including Easy Read, British Sign Language and Audio. COVID-19 statements and speeches from the Prime Minister are now also made available in transcript form on GOV.UK, aligning with accessibility standards.
We continuously engage with disability charities using polling and focus groups with hard-to-reach audiences to better understand how our communications are received and how this affects COVID-safe behaviours. We use these insights to improve government messaging, mitigate anxieties and challenge misinformation.
Examples of new guidance are discussed in regular sessions with disability charities and experts in accessibility; this provides an opportunity for these groups to review and make recommendations on how to better government communications. We will continue to work with these organisations to ensure COVID-19 communications are as accessible as possible.
Asked by: Mark Harper (Conservative - Forest of Dean)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to paragraph 35 of the policy paper, Building Back Better: Our Plan for Health and Social Care, published in September 2021, which organisations in the social care sector the Government has consulted in the production of its adult social care white paper; and whether the Government plans to hold further consultations.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
We will be publishing a white paper later this year with further details on our plans for reform. Engagement with the social care sector, those with lived experience and other key stakeholders is ongoing.
Asked by: Mark Harper (Conservative - Forest of Dean)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Prime Minister's oral contribution on 8 July 2021, Official Report, column 1107, what the evidential basis was for the statement that there was no military path to victory for the Taliban.
Answered by Ben Wallace
The Government made a range of assessments of the military strength and capabilities of the Taliban and the likely speed and success of their efforts to regain control over Afghanistan. However, none suggested that the Taliban assume power through military force alone. As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said during the debate, the Taliban will be aware that there must be 'a peaceful and a negotiated settlement for the political crisis' as well.
Asked by: Mark Harper (Conservative - Forest of Dean)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care whether,with reference to the Government’s consultation entitled making vaccination a condition of deployment in the health and wider social care sector, launched 9 September 2021, whether he plans to extend the requirement of flu vaccinations to the groups for whom a covid-19 vaccination will be required to enter a CQC registered care home under The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2021.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
‘Making vaccination a condition of deployment in the health and wider social care sector’ consultation is currently open and seeks views on proposals where Care Quality Commission-regulated health and care settings can only deploy staff who were fully vaccinated. The consultation also explores whether flu vaccination should be a condition of deployment in health and social care settings to protect those who are at a higher risk of flu.
Asked by: Mark Harper (Conservative - Forest of Dean)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the publications entitled, ‘Building Back Better: Our Plan for Health and Social Care, Command Paper 506, what comparative assessment he has made of how the (a) cap on care costs, and (b) increase in asset thresholds for those who pay for social care will differ between pensioners and working age adults.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The cap on care costs and increase in the capital limits will benefit all those who access adult social care, as the reform changes will be universal. We will be publishing an equalities impact assessment in due course.
Asked by: Mark Harper (Conservative - Forest of Dean)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the New Resource DEL spending, published on page 30 of Command Paper 506, Building Back Better: Our Plan for Health and Social Care, if he will provide a breakdown of that spending by (a) health and (b) social care, per year.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The forthcoming Spending Review will set out the Government’s spending plans for health and social care for future years.
Asked by: Mark Harper (Conservative - Forest of Dean)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to paragraph 35 of Command Paper 506: Building Back Better: Our Plan for Health and Social Care, what the Government's timetable is for publishing the White Paper on adult social care.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We will work with care users, providers and other partners to co-develop these plans and publish further detail in a white paper for reform later this year.
Asked by: Mark Harper (Conservative - Forest of Dean)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to paragraph 36 of the policy paper, Building Back Better: Our Plan for Health and Social Care, published in September 2021, how that funding will be allocated between the objectives noted in paragraph 37 on (a) introducing a cap on personal care costs, (b) providing financial assistance to those without substantial assets, (c) delivering wider support for the social care system and (d) improving the integration of health and social care systems.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We will set out more detail on our plans for reform of adult social care in a white paper later this year.
Asked by: Mark Harper (Conservative - Forest of Dean)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the evidential basis is for the decision to change the NHS Covid App’s operational rules to reduce the time period to notify contacts from within five days to within two days of asymptomatic cases testing positive; and what estimate he has been made of the scale of the consequential reduction in notifications from that change.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
For people who tested positive for COVID-19 but did not have symptoms, it is difficult to know when the period of infectiousness started. Someone without symptoms may have been tested at any point between the start and end of their period of infectiousness. Advice from Public Health England, taking into account operational, clinical and other factors, is that the highest risk period for contacts is most likely to be two days from the test date, this is in line with standard contact tracing practice. The NHS COVID-19 app has therefore been updated to look back two days from the positive test date for contacts of cases who had no symptoms. This change strikes a balance between protecting public health and reducing potential social and economic disruption. The anonymous nature of the app means it is not possible to robustly calculate what impact this change will have, however we are confident this will significantly reduce the number of low-risk contacts being advised to self-isolate.