Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch 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 effect of a person's vitamin D levels on the severity of covid-19; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jo Churchill
Public Health England (PHE) supported the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) to review emerging evidence on vitamin D and the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 in spring 2020. The review concluded that there was currently no robust evidence to support taking vitamin D supplements to reduce the risk or severity of COVID-19. The review is available at the following link:
In autumn 2020, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and PHE were asked to re-consider the evidence on vitamin D and COVID-19. The resulting rapid guideline on vitamin D and COVID-19 reiterated existing advice for everyone to take a daily 10 microgram supplement of vitamin D during winter months and noted that there was not enough evidence on vitamin D and the prevention or treatment of COVID-19. However, NICE, PHE and the SACN will monitor emerging evidence on this issue. The guideline on vitamin D and COVID-19 is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng187
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his policy is on clinically extremely vulnerable asylum seekers under his jurisdiction accessing covid-19 vaccines; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations (JCVI) has advised that for Phase 1 of the COVID-19 vaccine programme, the vaccine first be given to care home residents and staff and those over 80 years old, followed by health and social workers, then to the rest of the population in order of age and clinical risk factors.
Asylum seekers have the same access to the COVID-19 vaccine as the rest of the population. If they have not done so already, they should register with a general practice, and if they have health conditions that would make them clinically vulnerable or clinically extremely vulnerable then that should be recorded.
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to introduce mandatory fortification of flour with folic acid.
Answered by Jo Churchill
The Department published a United Kingdom-wide consultation on the proposed mandatory fortification of flour with folic acid which ran from 13 June to 9 September 2019. A post-consultation update was made available on the GOV.UK website. We received 1,442 responses from a wide range of stakeholders. Publication of the consultation response has been delayed due to COVID-19 related work taking priority. We will publish our response as soon as possible.
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
What recent assessment he has made of the potential effect of negotiations on the future relationship with the EU on the health and social care sector.
Answered by Edward Argar
The negotiations between the European Union and the United Kingdom are ongoing. The UK has been engaged continuously and constructively in those negotiations, and issues which affect the health and social care sector play an important part in them. We must not prejudge the outcome of those negotiations.
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people who have (a) been infected with and (b) died from covid-19 were (i) British nationals, (ii) EEA or Swiss citizens, (iii) family members of EEA or Swiss citizens, (iv) Non-EEA or Swiss nationals with indefinite leave to remain or a right of abode, (v) Non-EEA or Swiss nationals with any temporary leave to remain and (vi) Foreign nationals with no leave to enter or remain in the UK.
Answered by Jo Churchill
This information is not available in the format requested.
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to work with EU member states to procure medical equipment needed during the covid-19 pandemic
Answered by Edward Argar
The Government is working with industry, the National Health Service, social care providers and the army to ensure the supply of key medical equipment for the duration of the COVID-19 outbreak. We are in active discussions with the European Union Commission on future shared procurement opportunities and we will decide whether to participate in each on the basis of public health requirements at the time. We are exploring all procurement options for medical equipment to give the NHS and the social care sector everything they need to tackle this outbreak.
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason his Department is targeting advice at people aged over 70 when the World Health Organisation advice targets people aged over 60 as being at risk.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
International data shows that the hospitalisation rate is greatest in the vulnerable, including those aged 70 and older. Asking this group to be most stringent with social distancing is important for reducing the pressure on intensive care beds. The United Kingdom policy is based on a review of the scientific evidence by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies at the following link: