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Covid-19 Update

14 September 2021

Lead MP

Sajid Javid

Debate Type

Ministerial Statement

At a Glance

Sajid Javid raised concerns about covid-19 update in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.

How the Debate Unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:

Government Statement

Sajid Javid

NHSEmploymentLocal Government

Government Statement

Mr Speaker, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care offered condolences on behalf of the House regarding the Prime Minister's mother. He then provided an update on the Government's autumn and winter plan to manage the risk of COVID-19. The statement highlighted significant progress in vaccination with over 80% of people aged 16 or older having received both doses, expanded testing capacity, support for long-COVID research with £50 million investment, and a weakening link between cases and deaths since the start of the pandemic. However, autumn and winter conditions are favourable for virus spread, prompting the Government to strengthen its defences. The plan comprises five pillars: pharmaceutical defences (boosters, vaccine extensions), testing and tracing, NHS support, personal preventive measures, and an international approach. The Secretary of State confirmed acceptance of JCVI's advice on booster doses, extending vaccine offers to 12-15 year olds, enhancing antiviral efforts, maintaining free PCR testing over autumn and winter, reviewing financial support for isolation, supporting the NHS with a £5.4 billion injection, exploring vaccination conditions for healthcare staff, and publishing an international travel framework. Plan B involves contingency measures like face coverings mandates and work-from-home advice if data supports it, while keeping vaccine-only certification as a reserve measure to avoid unsustainable pressure on the NHS.

Rebecca Long-Bailey Salford and Eccles, Lab

Question

The MP questioned why the Secretary of State had not mentioned ventilation in public buildings despite evidence that aerosols spread infection. She asked what measures would be taken to ensure compliance with legal standards for air purification.

Minister reply

The Minister responded by acknowledging the importance of ventilation and stated that he would work with relevant authorities to improve air quality in public places.

Greg Hands Hammersmith, Con

Question

This MP supported the Government's response and praised the measures taken for autumn and winter preparedness. He asked about the timeline for delivering booster vaccines and how the NHS would manage distribution.

Minister reply

The Minister confirmed that the NHS is preparing to offer booster doses from next week, with more details provided on the rollout schedule.

Chris Philp Croydon South, Con

Question

This MP sought clarification on the international travel framework and its impact on business travel. He asked how the Government would balance public health risks against economic recovery goals.

Minister reply

The Minister outlined plans for a new travel framework to be published soon, aiming to manage public health risks while supporting economic recovery.

Jonathan Ashworth Leicester South, Lab

Question

Reiterating his earlier points on social care funding and vaccine passports, the MP asked about the financial support for isolation payments in local authorities and the position on vaccine certification.

Minister reply

The Minister stated that plans were being reviewed to extend infection control funds beyond September 30th. He also confirmed that decisions on vaccine-only status would be made based on public health needs.

Jon Ashworth Lab

Denton and Reddish

Question

Asked about plan B triggers, local lockdowns, vaccine take-up in low-rate areas, and measures to boost vaccination among younger adults. He also raised issues regarding flu vaccines, immune-suppressed individuals, and social care funding.

Minister reply

The Secretary of State stated that plan B would be triggered by unsustainable pressures on the NHS due to significant rises in hospitalisations. He highlighted the importance of vaccines, noting that 99% of those who died from COVID-19 were unvaccinated. For immune-suppressed individuals, details are available in the published plan, including treatments and a third dose as part of primary treatment. Regarding social care funding, substantial funding is provided with £34 billion allocated for the NHS and social care this financial year.

Jeremy Hunt Con

Godalming

Question

Welcomed the announcement on boosters but raised concerns about mental health backlog treatment. He questioned whether the NHS would adhere to the mental health investment standard.

Minister reply

The Secretary of State committed that the NHS and Government are dedicated to parity of esteem and will continue to adhere to the mental health investment standard, ensuring that mental health spending increases at a higher rate than overall NHS spending.

Martyn Day

Question

I start by extending my condolences and those of my party to the Prime Minister on his family bereavement. I am also grateful to the Secretary of State for advance sight of his statement, and I echo his call for vigilance and the importance of getting vaccinated... What more does the Secretary of State think can be done to encourage the million people over the age of 60 who have not yet been double-vaccinated to become so? The winter will be a difficult time for many in the UK... Why are the UK Government insisting on ending two of the key measures supporting people through the pandemic shortly before a potentially difficult winter for millions? It is essential that self-isolation remains affordable. Finally, the UK Government have cancelled the contract with vaccine company Valneva... Those on these Benches would be very grateful if the Secretary of State could provide an explanation of why the deal was cancelled before the trials were even completed, threatening jobs in Scotland.

Minister reply

I thank the hon. Gentleman for again raising the importance of vaccines... A number of things are being done both here in England and in Scotland to focus on that, including making greater use of family GPs and taking the time necessary to allay hesitant people’s concerns, allowing them to speak to the clinicians to whom they want access to give them that comfort. That work will continue, and we are constantly looking for new and perhaps even better ways to do that... On universal credit, it was made clear when the Government announced the increase that it was temporary. As it is temporary, it has to come to an end at some point, and the time for that is now... Lastly, the hon. Gentleman asked about Valneva. I should be careful what I say as there is a commercial contract, but it might help him to know that I have been in touch with the Health Minister in Scotland, who is fully aware of the situation. We remain in dialogue.

Esther McVey Con

Tatton

Question

Given that figures sent to me by the Secretary of State’s Department show that since the pandemic the number of hospital beds has fallen by more than 6,000, will he assure me that proper additional capacity will be built back into the NHS as part of his plan rather than resorting to hugely damaging lockdowns and restrictions?

Minister reply

My right hon. Friend is right to raise the importance of capacity in the NHS... She will know that the reason for the fall in capacity in the first place was to control the spread of the virus and ensure that those in hospital, who are naturally vulnerable in any case, are protected. Hospitals currently have what are referred to as green channels and red channels to try to segregate those who have the virus from those who do not... I assure her that the NHS keeps that under review and would like to get rid of the segregation as soon as possible. When it does, that will increase capacity.

Vicky Foxcroft Lab

Lewisham North

Question

What are the Secretary of State’s plans for communications with immunocompromised people who do not yet know how effective the vaccine is for them?... Does he agree that we should be advising them not to return to unsafe workplaces until we know more?

Minister reply

The hon. Lady is right to raise this important issue... Throughout the pandemic we have offered advice for those who are immunocompromised and given guidance through clinicians working with the NHS, and that is constantly updated as the nature of the covid threat is constantly changing... We got clear advice that for certain people who are immunocompromised but can take the vaccine—I think it affects about 500,000 people—the antibody response from two doses was not enough and there should be a third dose as part of a primary course. We accepted that advice and acted on it immediately. We will continue to keep that under review and do whatever we can.

Graham Brady

Question

I welcome the Government’s rethink on vaccine passports... Does he accept that that makes a powerful case for getting rid of the day 2 PCR test for people returning from those countries?

Minister reply

My hon. Friend is right to raise that point... That is why we have kept our travel rules relating to covid constantly under review. He may have heard that I referred in my statement to a set of changes that we are looking to make, and my right hon. Friend the Transport Secretary will bring those changes to the House as soon as he possibly can.

Diane Abbott Ind

Hackney North and Stoke Newington

Question

The Secretary of State is quite correctly urging people to get vaccinated... Has he considered anything that the Government could do nationally to support outreach to ethnic minority communities?

Minister reply

The right hon. Lady makes an important point... We want everyone to take up the offer of a vaccine, and she is right to point out the disparity in take-up in certain communities. The good news is that—I think partly as a response to Government action and especially because of the fantastic people I have come across in London working for Public Health England, who have worked with and reached out to communities to increase uptake—we saw a significant increase in uptake over the summer in the communities to which she referred... That work continues, and it remains a priority.

Robert Halfon

Question

I welcome the booster programme for the vulnerable as set out by my right hon. Friend, but may I ask him about the vexed issue of parental consent? The NHS website states that it would rarely be appropriate or safe for a child to consent without parents’ involvement and that a parent’s consent must be sought before vaccination... If he is to make that decision, there must be parental consent to ensure credibility in the system.

Minister reply

I reassure my right hon. Friend that, first, the legal basis that we are following for vaccinations, and for child vaccinations in particular, has been set out since the 1980s and applied by successive Governments for all child vaccinations... The covid-19 vaccine offer will work no differently from the processes currently deployed. That requires, in the first instance, parents to be asked for their consent... There is no dispute between what a child and the parent decide in the vast majority of cases; it works normally.

Clive Efford Lab

Eltham and Chislehurst

Question

We know that the ring of protection that the Government spoke of last year was non-existent and left many vulnerable adults in social care exposed to infection... Will the Secretary of State therefore say what specific resources will be made available for care homes this winter to ensure that they have the staffing levels they need and to prevent the devastating infection rates we saw last year?

Minister reply

This year, we have already planned to spend an additional £34 billion on both the NHS and care homes, helping to pay for additional measures such as infection controls and some additional staffing costs... We keep that under constant review.

Angela Richardson

Question

I echo the comments my constituency neighbour and the Chair of the Health Committee, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Jeremy Hunt) made in raising concerns about mental health... Would my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State look at increasing capacity in the most severe cases so that families do not have to undertake such a journey in what is already a difficult set of circumstances for them?

Minister reply

My hon. Friend is right to raise that... It is a very difficult situation, as of course I think everyone in this House understands. It is one of the reasons we are increasing capacity—there is new funding and support—and it remains a priority.

Munira Wilson Lib Dem

Twickenham

Question

Could I start by extending my condolences and, on behalf of my party, those of my right hon. and hon. Friends to the Prime Minister and his family today? Children and young people have done everything that has been asked of them through this pandemic, as have their parents, yet children have paid a high price in lost learning and mental health particularly, and they have been an overthought for the Government throughout. It is all very well announcing today that the power to close schools in the Coronavirus Act will be expired—it makes a great headline—but the Health Secretary is well aware that that power was never used previously to close schools; it was just guidance from the Education Secretary. Will the Health Secretary give pupils and parents across the country a cast-iron guarantee today that his Government will not close schools again this winter?

Minister reply

I think the hon. Lady would agree that we are as a country in a much better place today with covid than we were even at the start of this year. That is down to many factors, and I referred to a number of those in my statement, but I believe that with the measures we have set out today, we can be confident that our children will not have to go again through the kind of disruption they have seen in the last couple of years.

David Davis Con

Goole and Pocklington

Question

The distinguishing characteristic of the emergency Coronavirus Act was not so much the new powers, which already existed in the Civil Contingencies Act 2014 and other Acts, but in the fact that Ministers were not required to get them approved by Parliament before implementation, which is one of the reasons for the poor quality of some of the decisions taken in the last year. Will the Secretary of State give an undertaking that any new regulations and indeed any regulations he retains will be put to the House before implementation, including vaccine certification if the Government are unwise enough to pursue that course?

Minister reply

I can tell my right hon. Friend that when the Government or any Government make decisions that have such an impact on people’s liberties, even if those decisions are made for all the right reasons—in this case, of course, to deal with this pandemic—they should be working with the House and working with colleagues. On any measures that are significant, of course the Government will come to the House and seek a vote of the House.

Meg Hillier Lab Co-op

Hackney South and Shoreditch

Question

The Secretary of State talked about international work, and unless we tackle this issue across the world we are going to be in a pandemic forever. When he was at the G20, he shared with other countries what we are doing to help tackle it internationally, so could he please share with the House what is being done to tackle vaccination rates across the globe?

Minister reply

I can tell the hon. Lady that there was significant discussion about that with my G20 colleagues, but not all of them have, let us say, behaved in the same way as the UK in offering donations to poorer countries of vaccines. The hon. Lady will know that we are committed to offering 100 million doses to international friends, and that we have already provided or donated 9.2 million doses, most of those for the COVAX programme. We remain committed to that programme, and one of the things we are trying to do internationally, including through the Foreign Secretary, is encourage more countries to honour their commitments to COVAX and encourage those who have not joined the COVAX commitment to come forward and help in that way.

Dean Russell

Question

Across Watford, we are served by some amazing GP surgeries, including the Manor View practice and its team. However, I am hearing from constituents that some GP surgeries are still not opening their doors to do face-to-face appointments. Would the Secretary of State agree with me that we should encourage those GP surgeries to start opening up to help with the backlog and help see people face to face?

Minister reply

Yes, I agree with my hon. Friend, and he is right to raise this. I think everyone can understand why, during the height of the pandemic, GPs could not provide access in the normal way, but we are way past that now. Life is starting to return almost back to completely normal, and as that is happening it should be happening in our GP surgeries too. More GPs should be offering face-to-face access, and we intend to do a lot more about it.

Hannah Bardell

Question

The Secretary of State rightly speaks of the importance of vaccines, and Valneva in my Livingston constituency is playing a crucial role in the global fight against covid. Those at Valneva have worked incredibly hard to augment and adapt their work on a vaccine as new variants have emerged, as requested by his UK Government. So, Mr Speaker, you can imagine their shock and mine that its contract to produce 100 million vaccines was cancelled with very little notice or consultation. To compound that shock, there appears to be little clarity and reasoning, and while I will not repeat the rumours printed in the media, does the Health Secretary not agree that this is a shocking way to treat a company that is working tirelessly on a vaccine? Will he meet me to ensure that the future of this site, its work and its workers is secure, and will he rethink this disastrous decision?

Minister reply

I have to say to the hon. Lady that I do not agree with her. There are commercial reasons why we have cancelled the contract, but I can tell her that it was also clear to us that the vaccine in question that the company was developing would not get approval by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency here in the UK, and obviously she is not recommending that we administer vaccines that do not get approval. I do understand her point about Livingston and the factory there. That is very important to the UK Government and of course to the Scottish Government, and it is something we will be working on together to see what more we can do.

Luke Evans Con

Hinckley and Bosworth

Question

I have a clarification and a request. On the clarification, I welcome the boosters, but could the Secretary of State clarify whether people who have had the AstraZeneca or the Pfizer will be having the same vaccine or mixing vaccines? On the request, one of the slowest things when it comes to dealing with the Pfizer vaccination is the 15-minutes that people have to wait to see that they do not have a reaction. We should now have the data, so will he ask the NHS to look at whether this could be removed to relieve some of the pressure on those delivering the vaccines over the winter?

Minister reply

On the booster programme, everyone on that programme will be offered either the Pfizer vaccine or half a dose of the Moderna vaccine. In the vast majority of cases I think it will be the Pfizer vaccine. On the data that is now available on the 15-minute wait, we are analysing it to see whether we can make any difference to the way in which we administer vaccines.

Jack Dromey

Question

Jane Roche from Erdington lost her father to covid and then, five days later, lost her sister to covid. She led the hundreds of families who came to London last week to walk down the memorial wall, calling with one voice for the promised inquiry to take place. They are frustrated because they want not just to know why their family members died, but that no one else should die as a consequence of mistakes made. When will the Secretary of State and the Prime Minister agree to honour the pledge that has been made to meet Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice, because those families have a right to be heard at the next stages?

Minister reply

The hon. Gentleman is right to raise the concerns of Jane and many others up and down the country and to express her frustration in the way he did. I am certain that, when this inquiry gets going, people such as Jane and many others will have the opportunity to set out their views.

Mark Harper

Question

First, thank you, Mr Speaker, for granting the statement last night. I think it was important that the House heard at an early opportunity the Government’s decision. Regretfully, there were one or two inadvertent inaccuracies in some responses to the questions, but having raised those with the Minister for Covid Vaccine Deployment, whom I respect greatly, I am very pleased to say that a correction has either been made or is going to be made very quickly. I think it is admirable that the Department has sought to put the record straight at a very early opportunity. In his statement, the Secretary of State said of those in education: “Regular asymptomatic testing…will also continue in the coming months”. My understanding is that there was to be a review at the end of September of regularly testing children who have no symptoms. Is that still going to continue? My view is that we should not be regularly testing children who have no symptoms, only those who have symptoms, and that is also the view of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. Can I urge the Secretary of State to drop regular asymptomatic testing of children, which I think would be good for their education and good for their mental health?

Minister reply

My right hon. Friend mentioned yesterday’s statement. My hon. Friend the Minister for Covid Vaccine Deployment was referring to whether the Department had received advice on boosters from the Joint Committee on Vaccines and Immunisation, but at the time of his statement he was not aware that we had received such advice. As my right hon. Friend says, that was inadvertent, and the Minister has written a letter of correction that will go in the Library of the House today. Asymptomatic testing of schoolchildren is planned to continue this month. I am not aware whether a final decision has been made on whether we will continue beyond that, and that is something on which my Department consults the Department for Education. My right hon. Friend’s general point is that we should end such testing as soon as we can, especially if we believe it is not making much of a difference. Of course we keep the issue under review, and if we continue with it, it must be supported by the evidence.

Angela Eagle Lab

Wallasey

Question

In Wirral there has been a 13% increase in levels of infection in one week, and sadly four people have died in hospital. After a period of there being very few deaths, we now have a much higher infection rate. What level of deaths are the Government prepared to accept from covid before they consider measures to try to prevent the ongoing spread?

Minister reply

No one wants to see deaths from any disease, including covid. As we have learned more about covid, everyone understands that it is not completely preventable, but our vaccines are making a difference in Wirral and across the country. There is no level of deaths that I would describe as acceptable, and the job of the Government is to keep that to an absolute minimum. However, there are not just covid deaths, and we must also be alive to deaths from cancer, heart disease and other things. As the hon. Lady will know, at the height of the restrictions many people suffered in other ways because they were not able to go to the NHS, and we must keep that at the front of our minds.

Andrew Selous Con

Central Devon

Question

Covid has been tough for all health professionals, so will the Secretary of State wholeheartedly condemn the abuse that some GPs have been suffering recently? If vulnerable people are unable to get through on the telephone to their surgery, should it be the clinical commissioning group or the Department that steps in to try to sort that out?

Minister reply

I join my hon. Friend in condemning anyone who gives abuse to our fantastic GPs up and down the country. If someone cannot get through to their GP, they should try their clinical commissioning group. If for any reason that does not work, they should please come to the Department and consult Ministers.

Emma Lewell-Boulton Lab

South Shields

Question

The Secretary of State has not delivered a concrete plan today, and there is no real clarity on thresholds for further lockdowns, or details of what draconian and unnecessary powers in the Coronavirus Act 2020 he wants to hold on to. Will he at least say when that soon-to-expire Act will be back before the House for a vote?

Minister reply

May I suggest that the hon. Lady reads the plan before she comments on it?

Steve Brine Con

Winchester

Question

I welcome much of what is a sensible plan from the Secretary of State, although I have a creeping feeling that we are preparing to treat flu like covid, more than the other way round. Before we start extending the vaccine programme and boosters, will the Secretary of State get a grip on the creeping issue of people who have had one vaccination in England and another in Scotland, or the other way round, but the two systems are not talking to each other, and people are not getting the benefits of having been fully jabbed? We need to deliver for those who have done what we asked them to do before we deliver vaccines to others.

Minister reply

My hon. Friend is right to make that point—indeed, people in my family had that very issue. I know that the Minister for Covid Vaccine Deployment is looking at that matter, and I have discussed it with the health Minister in Scotland. We are working to see what more we can do.

Dave Doogan SNP

Angus and Perthshire Glens

Question

As we go into another winter, placing the welfare of our communities in the hands of health and social care staff, will the Secretary of State reflect on the fact that in England the 3% NHS pay rise does not marry up well with the 4% backdated pay rise in Scotland? Why will he not grant the same esteem to health and social care staff in England as we do in Scotland?

Minister reply

When it came to the pay rise to which the hon. Gentleman refers, we accepted the recommendation of the independent pay review body. I think that was the right thing to do.

Greg Clark Con

Islington North

Question

Is my right hon. Friend aware that the likely course of the pandemic means that more and more people, vaccinated or not, are likely to be infected by covid, but that levels of protection from the vaccines will keep them from serious disease? Will he say something about the triggers for any future lockdown or other restrictions, and confirm that the expected increase in the transmission of covid will not be among them?

Minister reply

My right hon. Friend is right about the importance of vaccines. On any potential triggers, I have not yet today mentioned the importance of being on guard against future variants, especially if there is ever a vaccine-escape variant. No one can rule that out, which is why our surveillance system is so important, and in that situation the Government would have to take further action. We cannot say today what such action would be, but that is the kind of risk against which we need to be on guard.

Diana R. Johnson Lab

Kingston upon Hull North

Question

Hull has the second highest rate of covid infection in the country, and one ward in my constituency has only 51% coverage of second doses of the covid vaccination. The Secretary of State said that the national average is 81%, and those figures go to the heart of our problems with regional and health inequalities. How will he ensure that we maximise the number of people in Hull who receive the vaccination, so that people in Hull are not left behind in the recovery?

Minister reply

Of course no one should be left behind, wherever they are in the UK. The differential take-up of the vaccine can be based on a number of factors—for example, there is definitely a difference in age groups. Working with the NHS, we are trying to tailor our message to convince people about the benefits of the vaccine to those respective age groups, and we also try to do that on a localised basis. If the right hon. Lady has any particular suggestions about Hull, we would be more than happy to listen to her.

Desmond Swayne Con

New Forest West

Question

The Secretary of State retains all the powers of the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984, which were used to take away our liberties without prior parliamentary authority. Will he undertake to review that and to give us a new public health Act?

Minister reply

We keep all rules and Acts under review at all times.

Ben Bradshaw Lab

Exeter

Question

The Secretary of State will know from the discussions he describes with international colleagues that although travel in the rest of Europe has recovered to 60% of pre-covid levels, it is a fraction of that in the United Kingdom. When will he scrap the outdated, unnecessary and hugely expensive travel testing regime, save what is left of an industry, and end a situation in which foreign travel has once again become the preserve of the rich?

Minister reply

I would say two things to the right hon. Gentleman. First, it is important that we have a system of surveillance, especially for variants across the world. There are different ways to do that. We have chosen a particular path at the moment, and I hope he agrees it is important to have that surveillance. Also, as I said in my statement, we are planning to make some changes to the travel regime, and my right hon. Friend the Transport Secretary will come to the House as soon as he is ready.

Saqib Bhatti Con

Meriden

Question

Time and again I hear from constituents that they cannot get face-to-face appointments with GPs, who I know are under immense pressure. Further to the answer that he gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Watford (Dean Russell), will the Secretary of State elaborate on the work that he and his Department are doing to encourage GPs to give face-to-face appointments to those who need them?

Minister reply

Yes, I will. This is an important issue, and we are working on it with the British Medical Association, the NHS, and other important organisations. We can do a number of things, but we are trying to do so by agreement at this point. My hon. Friend is right to raise that issue and, as I said, it is high time that GPs started operating in the way they did before the pandemic, and offering face-to-face appointments to everyone who would like one.

Anum Qaisar-Javed

Question

The first issue that the Secretary of State mentioned in his statement was the importance of vaccines. We know that 40% of the world’s population has been single-vaccinated against covid, but only 1.8% of those in low-income countries have been vaccinated, and those countries are not on track to vaccinate their populations until 2023. To be frank, the Government have previously taken a dangerous route with their international policies, such as their anti-refugee Bill for an insular Britain. Will they commit to ensuring that the UK plays its part in vaccinating the poorest nations in the world, first to save lives and secondly to avoid the potential emergence of further covid variations?

Minister reply

We are more than playing our part, Mr Speaker.

Huw Merriman Con

Bexhill and Battle

Question

I know that the international travel sector will welcome the framework. Given that it will come out on 1 October, will that give colleagues, and indeed Select Committees, the opportunity to feed in their ideas on behalf of their constituents? Will the Secretary of State entertain the idea of moving to lateral flow tests, which are cheaper, with only the small proportion of positive cases needing to take a PCR test?

Minister reply

I know that these are important issues for the House, and particularly for my hon. Friend, who chairs the Transport Committee. I do not want to pre-empt the statement by my right hon. Friend the Transport Secretary, but I believe that when he makes that statement, my hon. Friend will be pleased.

Alistair Carmichael Lib Dem

Orkney and Shetland

Question

Pages 23 and 24 of the autumn and winter plan specify that, as part of plan B, the Government will introduce vaccine passports for all nightclubs, for indoor settings of 500 people or more, which presumably would include this Chamber of 650 Members, for outdoor settings of 4,000 or more, and for anywhere—that is a very big place—where there are 10,000 people. How does the Secretary of State square that with his assertion in reply to the shadow Secretary of State, the right hon. Member for Leicester South (Jonathan Ashworth), that the evidence on the usefulness of vaccine passports is just not there? If the evidence is not there, why are they part of plan B? The Government’s document also says that plan B could be brought into force at very short notice, so can the Secretary of State give the House some assurance that that will not happen without a vote?

Minister reply

We have made huge progress as a country in fighting this virus, and that is why we do not need certification; we do not need the plan B measures that the right hon. Gentleman has just set out. As I made in clear in my statement, while we can keep other measures in reserve, what matters is what we are actually doing, and if we keep making progress against this virus in the way that we are, we will not need any of the things he talked about.

Jason McCartney Con

Colne Valley

Question

It is worth highlighting once again the latest stats from the Office for National Statistics, which show that almost 99% of covid deaths in the first half of this year were of people who had not received both doses of the covid-19 vaccine. That really shows the importance of our world-leading vaccination programme. As we roll out these booster jabs, how will the Secretary of State build on the success of the network of GP surgeries, community pharmacies and volunteers who have helped, particularly in my part of the world, roll out all these covid vaccinations?

Minister reply

My hon. Friend is right to raise that. The booster jabs will be hugely important in maintaining protection. The GP networks and the NHS vaccination centres have all been part of our planning for this. Given that these are booster jabs, I think we can move much more quickly than we did with the original doses.

Emma Hardy Lab

Kingston upon Hull West

Question

Parents will quite rightly have questions and concerns, but can the Secretary of State confirm that those questions and concerns should not be directed to school staff or headteachers, even if the vaccination happens to take place in a school building, and that all questions related to the vaccine should instead be directed to the appropriate medical team?

Minister reply

Yes.

Steven Baker Lib Dem

Devon, South Hams

Question

Among other things, my right hon. Friend is keeping covid status certification in reserve, and he is leaving mass asymptomatic testing in place, together with contact tracing. As my right hon. Friend the Member for New Forest West (Sir Desmond Swayne) said, the public health powers are still there, allowing the Secretary of State to lock us down at the stroke of his pen without prior votes or any formal way of justifying the proportionality of those powers. When can we expect all those things to be dealt with?

Minister reply

I know that my hon. Friend may not agree with every measure that the Government are keeping in place, but I hope he agrees that measures around vaccinating the public, offering vaccines to as many people as possible, having a testing regime and surveillance of test results for new variants are necessary.

Patricia Gibson SNP

North East Fife

Question

We were told by the UK Government that vaccine passports were going ahead, then they were not going ahead, then we were told that they were still the first line of defence against a winter wave, and now the latest position is that they are a definite maybe. We have not seen such dithering since the great confusion over mask wearing. How irresponsible does the Secretary of State think that dangerous and confused public messaging is during a pandemic?

Minister reply

I believe we have been very clear on this issue.

Jane Hunt Con

South East Cornwall

Question

Last Friday, Leicestershire MPs met NHS officials locally. We were told that around three quarters of all those in hospital with covid are not vaccinated. Does my right hon. Friend agree that if we do not want to be in lockdown this winter, all who can get the vaccine should get it?

Minister reply

I agree with my hon. Friend. Some 6 million adults throughout the UK remain unvaccinated, and we should encourage them to think about taking the vaccine.

Rachael Maskell Lab Co-op

York Central

Question

I am seriously concerned about the hole in the Secretary of State’s defence—taking away contact tracing from public health teams. The data coming through is now insufficient to carry out an effective operation locally and therefore to lock down the virus, not people, in the future. Will he look at that?

Minister reply

There are measures we must remove when it makes sense. As vaccination rates increase, this allows us to start removing these restrictions, additional costs and burdens on individual livelihoods.

Simon Clarke Con

Mole Valley

Question

I welcome the Secretary of State’s statement. May I raise the plight of care home residents, many of whom have been kept apart from their families and loved ones owing to outbreaks being declared in their homes? Will the Secretary of State commit to looking at that so we can ensure that people can see their loved ones throughout the winter ahead?

Minister reply

Yes, I can give my hon. Friend that commitment.

Layla Moran Lib Dem

Oxford West and Abingdon

Question

Back in June, the Prime Minister committed the UK and other G7 nations to vaccinating the world by the end of 2022. Can the Secretary of State tell the House how offering a third vaccine to a fully vaccinated healthy adult in the UK before a first vaccine to a nurse in a lower-income country helps that goal?

Minister reply

I understand the point, but I suggest she reads the JCVI’s advice on booster vaccines. In terms of co-administering the covid vaccine with flu, while there is no reason it should not happen, practical issues may prevent it.

Ben Spencer Con

Runnymede and Weybridge

Question

I thank my right hon. Friend for his statement. May I ask the Secretary of State to lay out exactly what “unsustainable pressure” means? In his assessment of NHS capacity over winter, where does he see the bottleneck?

Minister reply

When discussing unsustainable pressure, it includes hospital occupancy, particularly in ICUs; admissions of vaccinated vs unvaccinated individuals; and growth rate in admissions.

Jim Shannon DUP

Strangford

Question

On behalf of the Democratic Unionist party, I convey my sincere sympathies to the Prime Minister and his family. Will he confirm that the booster roll-out for the over-50s will be managed in line with the flu jab roll-out? Will additional funding be allocated to GP practices?

Minister reply

Yes. GPs do get and will get additional funding for vaccination programmes, including flu vaccinations.

Ruth Edwards Con

Harrow East

Question

As my right hon. Friend said, our vaccination programme has enabled us to get almost back to normal. Will he join me in thanking staff and volunteers at Gamston community centre for rolling out the vaccine?

Minister reply

Yes, I will thank them for their amazing work.

Gary Sambrook Con

Great Yarmouth

Question

Vaccine take-up in Birmingham has been very good overall but as low as 47% in some parts. Will he join me in encouraging anyone who is hesitant to use the quick one-minute survey about their vaccine anxieties?

Minister reply

Yes, I will join my hon. Friend in encouraging people to do that.

Jack Brereton Con

Stockport

Question

Across Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire, uptake of the vaccine has been very good. Many 16 and 17-year-olds currently cannot use the online booking system. Will my right hon. Friend look at extending that online booking system to all 16 and 17-year-olds?

Minister reply

We keep this under review, but have found the quickest way is through schools and GPs.

James Wild Con

North West Norfolk

Question

My local hospital, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, currently has 46 covid patients. Is not the best way to ensure that the QEH and the NHS have the capacity to cope with winter pressures to increase the level of vaccine take-up? Will he ensure that evidence of what works in doing that is shared across the country?

Minister reply

I very much agree with my hon. Friend. We are constantly publishing information on the impact and effectiveness of vaccines.

Sara Britcliffe Con

Bolsover

Question

The Secretary of State will be aware that Hyndburn and Haslingden have faced restrictions for longer than most in the country. Will he clarify whether local restrictions are being considered by the Government?

Minister reply

We retain some powers for local restrictions, working with local authorities if necessary.

Paul Holmes Con

Hamble Valley

Question

Emphasised the anger in Eastleigh due to difficulty obtaining face-to-face GP appointments and asked whether GPs should be instructed to return to work.

Minister reply

Acknowledged the importance of patient choice, noting that some prefer virtual appointments. Suggested measures are being looked into by the Department and Jo Churchill, with a willingness to meet.

Antony Higginbotham

Question

Asked about steps taken to understand vaccine hesitancy after taking the first dose and how to encourage people to take their second dose.

Minister reply

Confirmed individual contact by GPs or clinicians for those hesitant about the second dose, including phone calls and meetings.

Tom Hunt

Question

Inquired about the development of bi-variant or multi-variant vaccines to better protect against variants and asked for a potential timeframe.

Minister reply

Predicted that such vaccines may be available as early as next year, similar to the flu vaccine model.

Aaron Bell

Question

Welcomed recent decisions allowing for a return to normalcy and questioned whether the decision made on 19 July was correct based on current data.

Minister reply

Agreed that the opposition against lifting restrictions was unfounded, noting steady case numbers and the need for vigilance.

Shadow Comment

Jon Ashworth

Shadow Comment

The shadow Secretary of State welcomed vaccination plans for children and boosters but highlighted concerns about low vaccine uptake in certain areas. He asked how the Government will boost vaccinations among younger adults and what support is available for those who are immune-suppressed. Regarding flu, he questioned the effectiveness of this year's vaccine due to limited data from Australia. For testing, he wanted clarity on future PCR testing arrangements post-2021/22 winter. Ashworth also inquired about local authority resources for contact tracing and isolation payments. On mask wearing and ventilation standards in workplaces, he sought more action to ensure air quality. He expressed concern over the end of infection control funding for social care and asked for a clear position on vaccine passports given conflicting statements from the Government.

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