Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
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 potential effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the availability of specialist treatment services for gambling disorders.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The National Health Service remains on track to deliver the expansion of specialist treatment services for those individuals addicted to gambling. The existing gambling clinics have remained open throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, providing a combination of remote and face to face treatment, where safe to do so.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans the Government has to launch a public information campaign on the correct use of face masks and face coverings.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government continues to run a public health campaign across different media on responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. This campaign includes alerting the public to where face coverings are required and how to wear one correctly.
Most Government communications efforts surrounding face coverings are now part of the ‘Hands, Face, Space’ campaign, for which video resources demonstrating correct face covering usage have been produced. These resources have been used on multiple social media channels alongside in person prompts such as in transport hubs and shop windows.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
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 potential merits of allowing two children under the age of 12 to meet outdoors with an adult present as part of the covid-19 lockdown restrictions announced in January 2021.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
It is against the law for anyone, including children under 12 years old to meet socially with friends outdoors, including if an adult is present, unless they are part of their household or support bubble. Under the current restrictions, individuals cannot leave home for recreational or leisure purposes.
The Government keeps its restrictions under continual review and will make changes if the data and science supports it.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what additional funding the Government has provided to support the expansion of the problem gambling clinic network from two services to 14 services as part of the NHS Long Term Plan.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The NHS Long Term Plan announced the creation of 15 new specialist problem gambling clinics with up to £15 million of funding allocated over five years until 2023/24. The following table shows the committed annual spend for problem gambling mental health support.
| 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 |
Total annual funding (£ million) | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
Source: NHS Mental Health Implementation Plan 2019/20 – 2023/24
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many applications for the UK Global Health Insurance Card have been received since the introduction of that scheme.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The NHS Business Services Authority has received over 38,000 applications for the United Kingdom Global Health Insurance Card since the announcement of the scheme on 11 January 2021.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
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 produce and publish additional evidence on assessing the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca and Moderna covid-19 vaccines for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
There are currently no plans to produce and publish additional evidence regarding the use of COVID-19 vaccines on pregnant or breastfeeding women. It is recommended to that women affected should discuss whether to receive the vaccine with their doctor, pharmacist or nurse.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the differences in coverage of (a) countries and (b) services are between the European Health Insurance Card scheme and the UK Global Health Insurance Card; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The reciprocal healthcare coverage under the United Kingdom-European Union Trade and Cooperation Agreement for those on a temporary stay in an EU member state is the same, in terms of healthcare services which can be accessed by individuals, compared to the previous coverage under EU Regulations 883 and 987. However, under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement, crew or passengers of a vessel or aircraft may now be covered for necessary healthcare on their arrival in an EU member state if the need arose whilst on a voyage, which is not the case under the EU Regulations.
The UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement provides reciprocal healthcare coverage for travel to EU member states only. European Free Trade Area states are not covered. The UK Global Health Insurance Card has been launched to recognise this new agreement and will gradually replace old European Health Insurance Cards (EHIC) once they expire.
Under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement, UK nationals who were residing and/or working in the EU, and EU citizens residing and/or working in the UK, before 1 January 2021 are eligible to apply for a new UK EHIC which can be used for travel to EU member states, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. For those who are not covered by the Withdrawal Agreement, the UK has agreed a bilateral reciprocal arrangement with Norway which means UK nationals are covered for necessary healthcare there.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
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 made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on rates of childhood obesity.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
No assessment has been made.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has been made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on health services for seriously overweight children.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The findings of Public Heath England-led research indicates that during the COVID-19 outbreak children’s face-to-face behavioural weight management services were suspended. Some services however continued to provide support remotely.
The research is available to view at the following link:
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
What steps the Government is taking to ensure adequate provision of mental health services in schools when they reopen as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
The Government’s £8 million Wellbeing for Education Return programme will support staff to respond to the emotional and mental health pressures some children and young people may be feeling.
We are continuing to establish mental health support teams in schools, including two teams in the Sheffield area.
This complements the new Relationships, Sex and Health Education curriculum, which makes mental health a key part of primary- and secondary-school education.