Covid-19 Update

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The MP questioned the decision to delay Step 4 of the roadmap, asking whether the Government would have taken a different approach if the delta variant had not emerged in India.

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The MP expressed disappointment in the delay and asked for assurance that the Government would act swiftly if hospitalisations rose again.

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The MP asked if there were any plans for the private sector to contribute in reducing transmission.

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The MP inquired about the impact on local economies, particularly with regards to weddings.

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I thank the Secretary of State for advance sight of his statement. I congratulate Sir Richard Sykes on his new role and I thank Dame Kate Bingham... (full question omitted for brevity)

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May I start by saying that I totally agree with your expression of disappointment, Mr Speaker, that in a parliamentary democracy Parliament heard about this news after the media... (full question omitted for brevity)

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While hospitalisations and ICU admissions are, thankfully, not increasing as fast as covid cases, they are both rising significantly, so this delay was inevitable... (full question omitted for brevity)

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Virtually everybody in the most vulnerable category, which made up 95% of hospitalisations and deaths, is protected by both jabs, the vaccines work against all variants thus far... (full question omitted for brevity)

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Asked about the delay in designating the delta variant as a variant of concern and questioned the impact this delay might have had on its spread.

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Expressed gratitude for the progress made in vaccinating people and saving summer for vital sectors such as weddings, but asked about support for motorsport events.

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Asked for consideration of those getting married in July and August due to delays, suggesting the formation of a working group of experts.

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Asked if it is possible to maintain a low prevalence of the virus and about bringing back restrictions in autumn/winter.

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Asked about extra support for businesses given the uncertainty due to extended restrictions.

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Asked about hospital stays for patients with covid-19 and requested data breakdowns.

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Critiqued the decision not to put India on the red list, citing potential costs for local businesses.

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Asked about ruling out a regional approach for easing restrictions.

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Why do we not have surge vaccination in areas with high rates of infection, such as Greater Manchester?

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Can weddings proceed without restrictions given that social distancing rules are being reinstated?

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Why is there a lack of Pfizer doses for surge vaccination in hotspots like Salford?

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Is it just and fair to extend business closures without extending financial support for those businesses?

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What measures will be taken to address disparities in vaccination rates between wealthy and poor areas?

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What conditions must be met before full freedom from restrictions can be achieved?

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How will the Test and Trace app be improved to prevent unnecessary disruption in high infection areas?

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Will my right hon. Friend advise us about the demographics of those he believes are likely to be hospitalised? The Pfizer vaccine is 94% effective against hospital admission after one dose and 96% effective after two, while the AstraZeneca vaccine is 71% effective against hospitalisation with one dose and 92% effective after two. Who would be hospitalised to the extent that the NHS would be swamped? Will he promise us that our country will not be locked down because some individuals who could be immunised choose not to be?

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Given the evidence that women who contract covid during their pregnancies are twice as likely to experience a stillbirth or a premature birth, will the Secretary of State now rethink the decision not to prioritise such patients for the vaccine?

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Will the Secretary of State tell the country his assessment of risk and personal responsibility, and whether he feels that as a country we remotely have that right at this time?

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Why was India not placed on the red list earlier despite warnings from other countries about high levels of covid cases arriving from there?

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What reassurance can my right hon. Friend give businesses that this delay to full step 4 is really the last delay?

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Why was India included on the travel red list a full two weeks after countries with much lower rates of infection, immediately after the Prime Minister's visit to India was cancelled?

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My right hon. Friend will understand my dismay because, as we have discussed between ourselves, economic harm and the sustainability of businesses is a real concern of mine. The cruise industry has been closed for international sailing for more than 15 months; it needs its own road map to embark on international travel again.

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Does the Secretary of State feel any shame that the reason we need to delay the easing of restrictions is entirely down to the incompetence of his Government—not only the three-week delay in putting India on the red list, but the utter failure to suppress the virus through basic infection control, tracing and effective isolation? This is the fourth time the Government have let the virus spread. That might be great news for Serco, whose profits are up today, but it is a disaster for everyone else.

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My constituents in Newcastle-under-Lyme have done everything we have asked of them during this pandemic. They have stayed at home and protected the NHS, and then they went out and got vaccinated in huge numbers, so any sense that these restrictions are to protect those who chose not to get vaccinated will be seen by them and me as deeply unfair. Will the Secretary of State set out what assessment he or his scientific advisers have made of the extent to which these restrictions are required to protect those who chose not to get protected?

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The Secretary of State will know that the hospitality and tourism industry has probably been hit more than any other part of our economy throughout this period. One of the challenges at the moment is that the ongoing restrictions mean that hospitality and tourism businesses need more staff than normal in order to cater for fewer customers than normal. Is he aware that the biggest single issue raised with me by hospitality and tourism industry bosses in the lakes and the dales is a lack of staff? This lack of staff is largely caused by the Government’s new visa rules. Would he agree to get his Immigration Minister friend to sit down with me and, more importantly, hospitality and tourism leaders from Cumbria and other rural areas—and other parts of the country involved in tourism—to discuss an emergency way of getting that vital boost to our hospitality and tourism industry just now?

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Young people have made big sacrifices during the pandemic and seen two years of their lives disrupted. Many students and school leavers will be leaving school and university between now and 19 July, so will the Secretary of State confirm that what he said in his statement about removing the 30-person limit on commemorative events will include graduation ceremonies and school-leaving parties in commercial venues? After all, school students in particular have been educated in bubbles with each other for months now, and it would add insult to injury if they were to be denied an opportunity to say farewell to each other.

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I am sure, Mr Speaker, that the Secretary of State for Health heard what you said at the beginning of this statement. May I ask the Secretary of State how we got ourselves into this position? He has been very good at coming to the House and making statements on covid, but on the biggest, most important day, the press were given an embargoed statement at 3 o’clock and the Prime Minister had a big showy press conference at 6, yet he could not be bothered to turn up until 8.30. This is a clear breach of the ministerial code. How did it happen? Who thought it was a good idea, and who actually broke the ministerial code?

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Mr Speaker, this is an unexpected surprise, and I am sure it is for the Secretary of State as well. I am sure that he will be interested in my question. Ultimately, these decisions are a matter of judgment. Can he publish that data on the risk to the health service and the risk to individuals of death, as opposed to those on the social harm and the harm to businesses? Can he therefore tell us why this judgment has been made?