Covid-19 Update

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Why has Greater Manchester not been placed in tier three and what additional financial support will be provided?

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What measures will be taken regarding the roll-out of vaccines?

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Sends condolences and wishes; virus continues to grow with R rate between 1.3-1.5, care homes seeing outbreaks, admissions rising slowly but still rising; welcomes testing progress, asks for timescale of millions of tests a day by end year; frontline healthcare workers need testing to help NHS through winter; test results not in 24 hours yet; test and trace fails due to badly designed system costing £12 billion; local public health teams needed for tracing; economic support vital with consent of locals; Bishop describes Liverpool, Lancashire, Manchester negatively; if imposing greater restrictions on Greater Manchester, financial support necessary; tier 3 restrictions proposed but R number high in south-east, south-west, east of England; circuit break advised by SAGE but ruled out by Cabinet Office now.

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Congratulates on LAMP and lateral flow testing news, suggests aligning incentives for local leaders to bring down R rate with powers/resources if necessary.

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Economic impact on hospitality industry significant, ventilation key in reducing spread of virus; asked if VAT removed and made tax deductible for installation of antimicrobial technology.

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In Hyndburn and Haslingden—and, in fact, across Lancashire—we have some of the strongest people I have ever met. We will do everything we can to get our infection rate down, because that is what we do when times are tough: we come together. However, morale is low and mental health is suffering as people cannot see their families and some have been unable to see their loved ones in care homes since March. Will the Secretary of State outline what the Government are doing to mitigate that situation, and what steps are being taken to try to facilitate safe visits, given that there is no clear end date?

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I thank the Secretary of State for the meeting he had with north-east MPs on Friday. I can tell him that, if the data is accurate, the signs over the weekend are that we are moving in the right direction. I understand that SAGE highlighted that the impact of further potential restrictions will be felt very differently by different communities. SAGE suggests the need for immediate planning to refine measures to minimise potential harms and to mitigate impacts on vulnerable groups. Given the Government’s commitment to the levelling-up agenda, what are the Government’s plans to reduce the real risk that measures taken to respond to covid will continue to increase inequality and worsening levels of poverty and deprivation? In the north-east, we are not out of the woods by any stretch of the imagination, but can I urge the people of the north-east to carry on doing the right things?

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How correct my right hon. Friend is that the most effective actions are those that are local and targeted. Will he confirm that he will look at tier 2 reviews in the light of regulation 8 in part 4 of the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Local COVID-19 Alert Level) (High) (England) Regulations 2020, so that we can target on a local basis? Given that so many cases are asymptomatic, could he say when he expects the new test to be more widely available across the community?

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The Welsh Government have today announced a stringent two-week firebreak to try to bring the R number down. Central to the strategy, of course, must be sufficient economic support for businesses and livelihoods. Will the Secretary of State press the Chancellor to ensure that the Welsh Government have sufficient financial flexibility to pursue their chosen public health policy?

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The Secretary of State knows that pubs, bingo halls and gyms have gone to enormous lengths to ensure that they offer a safe environment, and many of us in Greater Manchester and elsewhere are sceptical that closing those institutions would make a significant difference to the spread of the virus, but can I ask him why the Government will not extend the additional resources for Test and Trace independently of those measures? Surely, it would be beneficial to do so.

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Small businesses in a tier 2 area such as Newcastle may not be asked to close, but they will face severe reductions in revenue due to local restrictions affecting football, for example, in the centre of our great city. The Secretary of State talks about unprecedented support, but these are unprecedented challenges for viable jobs in our city centre. In addition to what he has already mentioned, what local economic support will he offer to businesses in Newcastle?

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Most of the MPs in Essex have reluctantly felt the need to support the tier 2 measures that are now being applied, but we are very concerned about the effect of this on the hospitality sector, in particular. Is it not very important that we align the economic interests of our constituents with the public health interests instead of polarising the debate such that one is either in favour of the economy or in favour of controlling the virus? May I also emphasise that one of the reasons why public confidence in the Government’s strategy is somewhat in decline is that we have yet to see the transformation of the leadership of test and trace, which I have discussed with the Secretary of State many times?

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As Warrington’s neighbouring Liverpool city region and Lancashire are in tier 3, with Greater Manchester expected to follow shortly if financial support is agreed, we need confidence that if we are asked to follow suit, there is robust evidence for the required closure of hospitality businesses, leisure businesses and salons. Will the Secretary of State commit to publishing the specific UK transmission data for these sectors compared with other workplaces—or are they merely a soft target?

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The October 2020 “World Economic Outlook” published by the International Monetary Fund clearly states that the short-term economic costs of lockdowns could be compensated by stronger medium-term growth, possibly leading to positive overall effects on the economy. The Government clearly disagree with the IMF’s assessment, but can the Secretary of State tell me whether he or his colleagues have carried out any analysis of the economic impact of a national circuit break?

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The Secretary of State quite rightly finished his statement by saying that we must all play our part in getting the virus down. Does he think it was that shared population-wide commitment in Wuhan in China that has seemingly got life back to normal? What lessons are there from what China has done that we could usefully apply here in the UK?

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This weekend, I spoke to pub landlords, café and bar owners and staff across our towns, and they all said that business had plummeted since Wednesday, when we became a tier 2 area. They were all cutting staff hours, some were considering closing completely, and none of them was getting additional support, because the tier 2 job support scheme simply does not work for them. Does the Secretary of State not understand that in order to sustain support for additional health measures, he has to listen to the people who are most affected by them? Will he look again at support for tier 2 and tier 3 and make sure that jobs and businesses get the support they need?

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How many separate covid vaccines are undergoing trials at present in the United Kingdom, and what is the planned duration of the trial period for each?

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I was alarmed, as were many public health experts, to read reports over the weekend that test and trace data is being shared with the police. Even a source in the Secretary of State’s own Department said that that will put people off getting tested. I hope the Secretary of State agrees that that is the exact opposite of what we need. Public trust and confidence in test and trace is critical, and transparency of the use of personal data is central to that, so will he publish today the memorandum of understanding that he and his Department have signed with the National Police Chiefs’ Council?

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Since the beginning of the pandemic, there has been no recorded covid-19 outbreak in public houses in my constituency. Taking into account low national rates of transmission in pubs, when my right hon. Friend is in negotiations with colleagues from Greater Manchester, will he think very carefully before closing these covid-secure environments, which have spent thousands to ensure that they are secure, and cease introducing extra restrictions that will make trading an impossibility?

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I thank the Secretary of State for his regular attendance in the Chamber and for his responses to questions. Will he outline the procedures and criteria for the vaccination schedule, bearing in mind that news reports state that a fully tested vaccine will be available in the near future? Does he agree that frontline workers in shops need to be part of the list of priority recipients, after the medically vulnerable, NHS staff and those in the caring profession?

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I make no apology for again bringing up the question of co-trimoxazole since I believe the drug can help very much in the fight against covid. Following the successful trials in India and Bangladesh, has there been any progress here?

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At the weekend, Mrs Helen Perry, one of my constituents, contacted me to say her son and three of his flatmates at Northumbria university had tested positive for covid. They are all self-isolating, but despite that are being bombarded up to 10 times a day by NHS Test and Trace. It is the same story for Mr Brian Sayer and his family, who are self-isolating because a family member has tested positive. In Brian’s words, “We’re not stupid people; we don’t need pointless telephone calls every other day”, and Mrs Perry says, “What a waste of time and money.” When will the Secretary of State admit that the national system has failed, and when will he hand over testing and, more importantly, tracing to local directors of public health, who know their areas and their communities and know how to do test and trace properly?

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Further to this consensual statement, we are all keen to be guided by the science, so what scientific behavioural assessment has been made of the effects of closing covid-secure venues on the likelihood of people meeting in one another’s homes instead, thus spreading the illness further? If my right hon. Friend has not got the information immediately to hand, perhaps he would care to write to me, as is the fashion.

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As the chair of the all-party parliamentary group on cancer, I thank the Secretary of State for a recent meeting regarding the Catch Up With Cancer campaign. I, too, pay tribute to those delivering frontline cancer services throughout the pandemic, but the 63% figure that he mentioned does not reflect the totality of the backlog, as the NHS has announced new figures since then. In August, the number of people waiting more than 52 weeks in England continued to surge to more than 110,000—the most in 12 years. The only way that the backlog will go away is through action and resources being deployed to tackle it. What progress has he made to address the need for a boost to cancer services, so that cancer does not become the forgotten “c”?

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The concern that many of us have is that restrictions can be imposed in a day, but take months to lift. In London, the restrictions were imposed not because of a higher level of infections, admissions to hospital or deaths, but because of a rapidly increasing rate of infection. If it turns out, when the Secretary of State conducts his fortnightly review next week, that the rate of increase of infection is no greater in London than in places in a lower tier, will he rescind those restrictions and return it to a lower tier?

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Earlier this year, the Government committed to give the NHS whatever resources it needed. The NHS has that money for dealing with coronavirus, but will need more to treat backlog conditions.

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Supports targeted approach rather than broad-brush lockdown. Requests disaggregation of London areas where case rates are below 100 per 100,000.

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Families are concerned about impact of isolation on dementia patients in care homes, requests for regular meaningful visiting for every resident.

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Welcomes introduction of three alert levels, asks if Rugby staying on tier 1.

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Asks if people can survive winter with workplaces closed and receiving only two thirds of the national minimum wage.

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Approves localised lockdowns but suggests involving both national and local resources in Gloucestershire for tracking and tracing.

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Inquires about difference between closure of gyms in Liverpool and Merseyside vs. opening in Lancashire.

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Asks to commend local public health message from Bucks NHS trust and council, encouraging other authorities to follow suit.

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Asks when local public health teams will receive £300 million funding and data from Serco.

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Inquires about research on far-ultraviolet C light emitted by krypton-chlorine lamps inactivating coronavirus.

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Requests bringing forward job support scheme by eight days and increasing support level.

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The MP congratulates the Secretary of State on achieving 500,000 tests a day and asks about false positive rates in current PCR testing technology.

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The MP expresses concern about lack of funding support for Test and Trace and financial assistance to local authorities in tier 2 areas.

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The MP asks about adherence to tier rules across different levels and advises on sticking to the rules in Barrow to aid its transition from high to medium tiers.

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The MP seeks additional provisions from the Chancellor to support small businesses in tier 2 areas struggling financially.

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The MP inquires about the exit strategy from tier 3 to lower tiers and asks for reassurance on maintaining virus containment.

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The MP questions the effectiveness of sharing data with the police for enforcement and asks if a memorandum of understanding exists.

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The MP requests the release of all data to local authorities and provision of resources for effective contact tracing.

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The MP contrasts UK's pandemic management with New Zealand’s success in ending domestic transmission and returning to normal life.

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The MP suggests a borough-by-borough approach for Greater Manchester to account for local efforts in controlling transmission.

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Asks the Secretary of State to arrange a roundtable on UV sanitisation technology for hospitality, with specific mention of constituents ready to contribute.

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Questions the Secretary of State about care homes' dilemmas and asks for more proactive policy support from the Department of Health.

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Requests clearer financial support frameworks and timescales for moving between tiers in West Yorkshire.

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Asks why quarantine rules remain strict for people arriving from low-risk countries, citing its detrimental impact on the travel industry.

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Suggests vitamin D could reduce mortality and morbidity rates, asking for urgent advice on this intervention.

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Critiques inconsistency in gym closures across different areas under tier 3 restrictions, calling for evidence-based consistency.

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Follows up on the inconsistency of gym openings and calls for a review to get gyms open again.

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Questions the effectiveness of Test and Trace systems in Liverpool and Knowsley, noting declining percentages.

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Praises the Test and Trace system and raises an issue of courier delays in test collection.

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Suggests that outsourcing Test and Trace is ineffective and should be handled by local public health teams.

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Asks for clarity on the review process for tier 3 restrictions in Blackpool and Lancashire, seeking a pathway out.

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I echo the words of my hon. Friend the Member for Garston and Halewood and thank the Secretary of State for his tribute to my dear friend Bill Anderson, who will be a great loss to my whole region and to the maritime community. The specific geography of Chester means that many businesses are being damaged on one side by restrictions and lockdowns in Wales and on the other by tier 3 restrictions in Merseyside. Will the Secretary of State provide financial support for businesses in Chester, which is being crushed between two lockdowns?

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Will the Secretary of State give an update on the availability of the Roche reagent that Scunthorpe has seen a shortage of? Can he reassure me that those who need urgent blood tests can get one and that the lack of reagent will not affect covid tests?

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My constituents in Lancashire are confused by the changes in restrictions last week. They want to follow the rules but find it difficult with the constant changing of regulations. I ask for clearer communications from the Department. Additionally, district councils have not been told under what criteria they will be able to distribute financial support and have not had cash released from Government. When will this situation be addressed?

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The people of Lancashire and South Ribble understand that restrictions are about saving lives. However, they are weary after weeks of restrictions and worried about their jobs. Can the Secretary of State assure me and them that we will be in tier 3 for only as long as it takes to save lives?