Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of staff employed in care homes in England who have not been vaccinated against covid-19 for (a) clinical reasons and (b) reasons of personal choice including religion, belief and conscience; and if he will make it the Government's policy to compensate people who are dismissed from their employment as a result of regulations requiring those deployed to work in care homes to be fully vaccinated against covid-19.

The Department is developing an impact assessment and operational guidance in support of the proposed regulations which will be published in due course. We have no plans to offer compensation.

As of 8 July, 86.2% of staff working in older adult care homes and 82.8% working in younger adult care homes have had their first dose of a vaccination against COVID-19. As of 8 July, 75.1% of staff working in older adult care homes and 71.9% working in younger adult care homes have had their second dose. The Department does not collect data on individuals on the reason they have not been vaccinated.