Asked by: Mike Hill (Labour - Hartlepool)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that elderly people who do not have access to new technologies to sign up online can access testing facilities.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
Tests can be booked by calling 119 in England and Wales or 0300 303 2713 in Scotland and Northern Ireland from any telephone.
Asked by: Mike Hill (Labour - Hartlepool)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what support is available for circuses and travelling shows during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
My department is in constant contact with cultural sector representatives to assess the impact of Covid-19 on the sector and we are working to develop support for the sector in response to COVID-19. Significant support has already been delivered at speed by DCMS arm’s-length bodies. Arts Council England having launched a £160m Emergency Funding Package, the National Lottery Heritage Fund launching a £50m Heritage Emergency Fund, and Historic England launching a £2m Emergency Fund. All of these are delivering support across the cultural sector.
The Government continues to monitor the impact of these funds and the other measures announced by the government for the cultural sector.
DCMS is engaging daily with HMT and other government departments to ensure the needs of the cultural sector are factored into the developing economic response, and to support those working in the sector during this period.
Asked by: Mike Hill (Labour - Hartlepool)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timeframe is for (a) cancer and (b) other life-saving treatments to be resumed.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The suspension of non-urgent elective operations did not apply to emergency admissions, urgent cancer treatment and other clinically urgent care.
The Government has been clear from the start of the pandemic that hospitals providing cancer care, including radiotherapy, should keep doing so where it is safe for the individual patient. This is in line with guidance from professional bodies such as the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges.
Cancer Alliances across England are working hard to make sure there is enough capacity for cancer treatments. They are also urged to make full use of the negotiated deal with the independent sector to make sure essential cancer treatments and diagnostics can go ahead.
Asked by: Mike Hill (Labour - Hartlepool)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that covid-19-related medical aid from the UK and its allies is reaching (a) countries under international (i) sanctions and (ii) embargoes and (b) other countries in need of help.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The UK is helping to lead the global response to COVID-19, working with our international partners to stop its spread. UK aid is countering the health, humanitarian, and economic risks and impacts of this pandemic in the developing world. We are working hard to ensure that our help reaches those most in need through close collaboration with our partners. The UK has, to date, pledged £744 million of UK aid to help end this pandemic as quickly as possible. Alongside our aid funding we are working closely with international partners, as combatting COVID-19 requires a transparent, robust, coordinated, large-scale and science-based global response.
Our funding is supporting a range of initiatives and partners to ensure that it can reach those who need it the most. This includes support to the United Nation’s Global Humanitarian Response Plan to tackle COVID-19 and help to the most vulnerable across the globe.
Our latest UK aid announcement on 12 April of £200 million, is supporting humanitarian organisations to help reduce mass infections in developing countries that often lack the healthcare systems to track and halt the virus. This includes £130 million to UN agencies in response to their COVID-19 humanitarian appeals.
The UK government is also working with Unilever to fund a £100 million global programme to urgently tackle the spread of COVID-19. It will reach up to a billion people worldwide, raising awareness and changing behaviour, to make sure people are washing their hands with soap regularly and disinfecting surfaces. The programme will also provide over 20 million hygiene products in the developing world, including in areas where there is little or no sanitation.
By preventing the virus from spreading in the poorest countries we will save lives and reduce the risk of future waves of infection spreading around the world, including to the UK.
Asked by: Mike Hill (Labour - Hartlepool)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what additional funding is being made available to tackle wealth inequality in coastal communities throughout the UK.
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
This Government will level up every region and nation of the UK, spreading opportunity and ensuring everyone benefits from growth. Coastal communities will benefit from the major investment announced at the Budget, including a share of £5bn to support the rollout of gigabit broadband and the next £5.2bn for flood and coastal defence. This builds on the £3.6bn Towns Fund where 36 coastal communities, including Hartlepool, are eligible for Town Deals as well as support through the Coastal Communities Fund.
Asked by: Mike Hill (Labour - Hartlepool)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to support large industrial businesses affected by the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
A range of measures to support all businesses has been made available. These include the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, allowing businesses to benefit from loans of up to £5m, with the first 12 months interest free, and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to help keep people in employment. This scheme means businesses can put workers on temporary leave and the government will pay them cash grants of 80% of their wages up to a cap of £2,500, providing they keep the worker employed. They will receive the grant from HMRC, and all UK organisations can self-certify that it has furloughed employees. The scheme will cover the cost of wages backdated to 1 March.
Further details of the significant package of financial support for businesses and employees are available at: www.businesssupport.gov.uk
Asked by: Mike Hill (Labour - Hartlepool)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the maintenance of sufficient numbers of energy sector staff to ensure energy supplies in the event that the covid-19 outbreak escalates to peak levels of infection.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
BEIS is maintaining daily contact with the energy sector. All critical energy operators have existing pandemic influenza contingency plans, which they have put into action to respond to Covid-19. BEIS and critical operators are working together to ensure they can maintain sufficient staff to continue to deliver essential services.
Asked by: Mike Hill (Labour - Hartlepool)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure the future of (a) Hartlepool and (b) other nuclear power stations.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Nuclear energy currently provides around 20% of the UK’s electricity needs, powering homes and businesses in this country for over 60 years. It will continue to have an important role to play in the UK’s energy future as we transition to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
The UK’s existing fleet of eight nuclear power stations are owned and operated by EDF Energy, and we expect EDF to generate electricity from these stations for as long as it is economically viable and safe to do so.
Hartlepool is currently expected to operate until 2024. When EDF’s nuclear power stations come to the end of their generating life, they will need to be decommissioned, which will continue to provide jobs at the sites.
New nuclear projects in the UK are developer-led and it is for developers to decide whether or not to pursue building a nuclear power plant at a specific site.
Asked by: Mike Hill (Labour - Hartlepool)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding the Government is making available to North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust to tackle the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Chancellor has been clear that the National Health Service will get whatever funding it needs to respond to COVID-19. Through the Emergency Response Fund, HM Treasury stands ready to provide necessary funding to support our crucial frontline NHS and public services.
Asked by: Mike Hill (Labour - Hartlepool)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to use University Hospital of Hartlepool as a resource to tackle the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
NHS England and NHS Improvement have asked all hospitals and National Health Service facilities across the country take action to support and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. These actions include but are not exhaustive of:
Maximising inpatient and critical care capacity; preparing for, and responding to, large numbers of inpatients requiring respiratory support; supporting their staff, and maximising staff availability; support the wider population measures newly announced by Government; stress-test their operational readiness and removing routine burdens. A copy of the communication to hospitals and NHS facilities can be found at the following link: