Asked by: Meg Hillier (Labour (Co-op) - Hackney South and Shoreditch)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the planned timescale is for allowing statutory wedding ceremonies to reconvene with a minimum number of participants during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Paul Scully
As my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister has said, we intend to publish our plan for taking the country out of lockdown in the last week of February. That plan will depend on the continued success of our vaccination programme, and on deaths falling at the pace we would expect as more people are inoculated.
Asked by: Meg Hillier (Labour (Co-op) - Hackney South and Shoreditch)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he will publish the daily recovery rates for confirmed covid-19 cases.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This information is not available in the format requested.
Asked by: Meg Hillier (Labour (Co-op) - Hackney South and Shoreditch)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish the Equalities Impact Assessment on the decision to remove free travel for under-18s in London.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Any changes made to under 18s concessions in London will ensure that any child eligible for free home to school travel under the Education Act 1996 will still receive this. The Department is carrying out an Equalities Impact Assessment which will help consider categories of children that should continue to receive free transport.
My officials are working with the Department for Education, the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Transport for London and London Boroughs on the Equalities Impact Assessment which will be published in due course.
Asked by: Meg Hillier (Labour (Co-op) - Hackney South and Shoreditch)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, when the Intelligence and Security Committee will be reconstituted.
Answered by Jacob Rees-Mogg
Under the Justice and Security Act 2013, the members of the Intelligence and Security Committee must be nominated by the Prime Minister following consultation with the Leader of the Opposition. An announcement on membership will be made in due course in the usual way and then a motion will be tabled for agreement by the House.
Asked by: Meg Hillier (Labour (Co-op) - Hackney South and Shoreditch)
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 process by which Resource Departmental Expenditure Limits for Personal Protective Equipment are set in his Department.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Department is not aware of the Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit being referred to.
At the Budget on 11 March 2020 the Chancellor of the Exchequer said, “… whatever extra resources our NHS needs to cope with coronavirus – it will get.”
On 13 April, the Chancellor announced COVID-19 funding of £14.5 billion, of which £6.6 billion related to health services.
To date, the Department has been allocated COVID-19 revenue funding of £3,373 million and capital funding of £40 million in the Main Supply Estimate. Due to the timing of Main Estimates, it was agreed that further budget cover would be provided at Supplementary Estimates. The Government continues to support the National Health Service to access the resources it needs to tackle COVID-19.
Asked by: Meg Hillier (Labour (Co-op) - Hackney South and Shoreditch)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the Resource Departmental Expenditure Limits were for Personal Protective Equipment set by his Department on 25 March 2020.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Department is not aware of the Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit being referred to.
At the Budget on 11 March 2020 the Chancellor of the Exchequer said, “… whatever extra resources our NHS needs to cope with coronavirus – it will get.”
On 13 April, the Chancellor announced COVID-19 funding of £14.5 billion, of which £6.6 billion related to health services.
To date, the Department has been allocated COVID-19 revenue funding of £3,373 million and capital funding of £40 million in the Main Supply Estimate. Due to the timing of Main Estimates, it was agreed that further budget cover would be provided at Supplementary Estimates. The Government continues to support the National Health Service to access the resources it needs to tackle COVID-19.
Asked by: Meg Hillier (Labour (Co-op) - Hackney South and Shoreditch)
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 (a) evidence and (b) modelling that indicated that the Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit for Personal Protective Equipment set on 25 March 2020 was sufficient for his Department’s needs.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Department is not aware of the Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit being referred to.
At the Budget on 11 March 2020 the Chancellor of the Exchequer said, “… whatever extra resources our NHS needs to cope with coronavirus – it will get.”
On 13 April, the Chancellor announced COVID-19 funding of £14.5 billion, of which £6.6 billion related to health services.
To date, the Department has been allocated COVID-19 revenue funding of £3,373 million and capital funding of £40 million in the Main Supply Estimate. Due to the timing of Main Estimates, it was agreed that further budget cover would be provided at Supplementary Estimates. The Government continues to support the National Health Service to access the resources it needs to tackle COVID-19.
Asked by: Meg Hillier (Labour (Co-op) - Hackney South and Shoreditch)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he was first made aware of EU's personal protective equipment procurement scheme.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Owing to an initial communication problem, the United Kingdom did not receive an invitation in time to take part in the European Union Joint Procurement schemes for personal protective equipment launched to date, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, no briefing was provided to the Secretary of State on these schemes prior to them being launched.
The Secretary of State has subsequently been briefed on the issues related to EU Joint Procurement and now receives regular updates and advice on current and possible current future EU schemes.
Asked by: Meg Hillier (Labour (Co-op) - Hackney South and Shoreditch)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he was notified that the number of critical care beds would be inadequate to deal with the predicted number of cases of covid-19.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Secretary of State held a series of meetings in February and March to review critical care bed capacity within the National Health Service (NHS) and COVID-19 case number projections provided by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies.
There is currently enough capacity in the critical care network to look after all coronavirus patients and others who need care, and this is being kept under constant review. The NHS is continuing to build on that capacity, which has included building new Nightingale Hospitals and agreeing a landmark deal with the independent sector to alleviate pressure on Intensive Care Unit departments when and where needed.
Asked by: Meg Hillier (Labour (Co-op) - Hackney South and Shoreditch)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many no recourse to public funds restrictions have been removed since 23 March 2020.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Migrants with limited leave to remain under the Family and Human Rights routes can apply to have the no recourse to public funds restriction lifted by making a ‘change of conditions’ application if there has been a change in their financial circumstances.
The information you have requested is not assured to the standard required by ONS for publication and as it would be too costly to do so, we are unable to provide it. However, my department has recently digitised the application form, to make sure it is accessible for those who need to remain at home, and I can assure you that the applications are being prioritised and dealt with swiftly and compassionately.