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Covid-19 Update
26 November 2020
Lead MP
Matthew Hancock
Debate Type
Ministerial Statement
Tags
NHSEconomyBusiness & TradeStandards & EthicsLocal Government
Other Contributors: 50
At a Glance
Matthew Hancock 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
The Minister announced the UK's coronavirus winter plan, emphasising the need to protect the NHS through tough tier restrictions. He stated that cases have fallen by 19% in a week and hospital admissions are down by 7%. The winter plan involves three tiers: Tier 1 with fewer restrictions, Tier 2 where hospitality can only serve alcohol as part of a meal, and Tier 3 with stricter measures like hotel closures. Cornwall, the Isle of Wight, and Isles of Scilly will be in Tier 1 while most other areas will be in Tiers 2 or 3 based on local case rates. The plan includes increased community testing to reduce infection rates and ease restrictions faster. Hancock thanked residents for their sacrifices and emphasised the need for further public adherence to control virus spread. He also mentioned upcoming vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Oxford-AstraZeneca, as well as financial support for businesses affected by lockdowns.
Chris Philp
Con
Croydon South
Question
The MP inquired about the Government's response if tier restrictions fail to control the virus, asking for assurances on readiness for alternative measures.
Minister reply
Hancock replied that the Government is always prepared for all eventualities and has robust plans in place. He assured that current tier arrangements are designed to prevent further national lockdowns by localising restrictions.
Chris Loder
Con
Westbourne
Question
The MP asked about support for businesses forced into Tier 3 despite being previously in Tier 2, seeking assurances on financial aid.
Minister reply
Hancock stated that the Government will continue to provide business grants and support for those affected by stricter tier restrictions. He emphasised the importance of following rules to secure economic recovery.
Barry Gardiner
Lab
Brent North
Question
The MP questioned why the Government was not publishing daily figures on testing as part of its transparency commitments and raised concerns about data accuracy.
Minister reply
Hancock responded that the Department is working to improve data publication, acknowledging past issues with figures. He assured continuous effort to ensure accurate and transparent reporting.
Grahame Morris
Lab
Easington
Question
The MP asked about the impact of tier restrictions on pubs, cafes, and leisure centres in his area and sought clarity on financial support for businesses.
Minister reply
Hancock assured that the Government is committed to providing grants and loans to help businesses affected by tier arrangements. He reiterated the need for compliance with rules to secure economic recovery.
Steve McCabe
Lab
Birmingham Selly Oak
Question
The MP criticised the lack of regional representation in decision-making and sought clarity on whether the Government would involve local councils.
Minister reply
Hancock acknowledged the importance of involving local authorities but stated that decisions are based on scientific advice from experts, including the JBC. He assured ongoing collaboration with local leaders.
Nusrat Ghani
Con
Weaver Vale
Question
The MP praised the Minister for his work and asked about support for businesses in her constituency facing closure due to tier restrictions.
Minister reply
Hancock assured that the Government will continue providing financial support through grants, loans, and other measures to help affected businesses comply with rules.
Leicester South
Question
The MP raised concerns about data availability for local authorities in conducting contact tracing and asked if the Government would provide raw data.
Minister reply
Hancock assured that local authorities have access to necessary data for contact tracing but acknowledged challenges. He emphasised ongoing collaboration with local leaders.
Jon Ashworth
Lab
Leicester South
Question
I thank the Secretary of State for advance sight of his statement. I suppose that we should all thank him for advance sight of the website, but sadly, it crashed before we could check what tiers we were in. The news of a vaccine is indeed light at the end of the tunnel, but we are still in the tunnel and we have a significant way to go to drive infection rates down and keep our constituents safe.
Minister reply
The goal of the Government is to bring R to below 1 to suppress the virus until a vaccine can keep us safe. That is the strategy.
Jon Ashworth
Lab
Leicester South
Question
We understand why tough restrictions are still needed, but let us be clear: today, millions of people trying to survive in the second lockdown will soon be forced to endure further local lockdown restrictions, so does the Secretary of State accept that these interventions succeed when made in tandem with local communities?
Minister reply
I praise Joe Anderson, and I also praise other local leaders such as Ben Houchen in Tees Valley, who is working with us on this, Andy Street and leaders across the west midlands, and the hon. Member for Barnsley Central (Dan Jarvis) in South Yorkshire, who we are working with to get a community testing system up and running in places such as Doncaster.
Jon Ashworth
Lab
Leicester South
Question
I remember that when areas such as Bury and Trafford went into lockdowns in the summer, the Secretary of State promised that MPs would be involved in the decision. Has that commitment been abandoned? Then, Ministers agreed to involve regional leaders, but took exception to being challenged by Andy Burnham, so what role do regional leaders now have in these decisions?
Minister reply
It is important that we have clear public health messaging because unfortunately we did see the number of cases going up and continuing to go up in those areas where local leaders were not working alongside us. It was a sharp contrast to what happened, for instance, in Liverpool.
Jon Ashworth
Lab
Leicester South
Question
Christmas, the Secretary of State will know, is vital for pubs, restaurants and entertainment venues across those areas. They will need substantial financial support to get through this period. Will those areas that went into tier 3 lockdowns before the national lockdown, such as Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire, get backdated economic support for their local small businesses?
Minister reply
We invited councils to engage ahead of the decisions today, and we also invited all colleagues in the House to have an input, but it is important that we have clear public health messaging.
Jon Ashworth
Lab
Leicester South
Question
Parts of the country, such as my own city of Leicester, Bury, Leigh and Heywood, have been under a form of lockdown for months, with families forced apart and grandparents not seeing their grandchildren. Those families today will want to know what the exit strategy is and what voice they will have in that strategy.
Minister reply
The statement I outlined is the exit strategy: it is to keep the virus suppressed with the minimum damage possible to the economy and, indeed, to education, while we work as fast and as hard as we can towards a vaccine and with the widespread use of community testing across the piece to help to keep the virus under control.
Jon Ashworth
Lab
Leicester South
Question
The Secretary of State has outlined five criteria by which local lockdowns will be judged. Will he publish clear, transparent rules for areas entering and leaving tiers—a score card for every area, assessing its covid progress against its criteria, so everyone can judge this publicly?
Minister reply
We publish the data, and if we can make it into an even more accessible format, I think that is a good idea.
Jon Ashworth
Lab
Leicester South
Question
The Secretary of State talks of mass lateral flow testing, and we welcome the advances, but over two weeks ago he announced he was sending, I think, 930,000 of those tests to local authorities, yet only around 8,500 are being used a day. Can he explain why that is?
Minister reply
I would have expected the hon. Gentleman to welcome the massive progress in Liverpool that has shown that a combination of sticking by the rules and community testing at very large scale can help to bring this virus right under control.
Jon Ashworth
Lab
Leicester South
Question
Evidence from Liverpool suggests that there is a lower take-up of tests in poorer, harder to reach communities. Is not the problem that if people and their contacts feel they will be financially penalised for a positive test, they will avoid a test, they will switch off the app and they will not answer their phone to unrecognised call centre numbers?
Minister reply
We have put in place a £500 support payment.
Jon Ashworth
Lab
Leicester South
Question
The test and trace budget has now increased to £22 billion, more than the annual budget for the police and the fire service combined, yet the Office for Budget Responsibility yesterday confirmed that its forecasts are based on the fact that a less effective TTI system necessitates keeping a more stringent set of public health restrictions in place over the winter.
Minister reply
The hon. Member for Leicester South asked about supporting the NHS—absolutely.
Jeremy Hunt
Con
Godalming
Question
May I welcome the Prime Minister back from his splendid isolation to the place that he has no doubt been itching to get back to more than any other—the House of Commons—and say how wonderful it is to see him here?
Minister reply
I hesitate to interrupt the love-in between the Prime Minister and my predecessor, but I am grateful for his support—for their support. This is a set of difficult measures, but I think the public understand why we have to take them and why they are necessary.
Jeremy Hunt
Con
Godalming
Minister reply
On the point about getting visiting going in care homes, my right hon. Friend is absolutely right. Sometimes we talk about these tests and this new technology in an abstract way or from a scientific point of view, but it really matters and it really improves people’s lives. Where we can use testing to make visiting safe in care homes, that is an example of the way in which these new technologies can help to get life a little bit back towards normal.
Central Ayrshire
Question
Many scientists have expressed concern that easing restrictions at Christmas could lead to another surge of covid cases in January. With cases still over 80% of the level at the start of lockdown, is the Secretary of State not worried that allowing outdoor events of 2,000 participants and indoor events of 1,000 in level 2 high-risk areas could drive up infection rates ahead of Christmas? Although lateral flow testing is very welcome, given how it increases capacity, the Secretary of State previously stated that the mass testing in Liverpool was a pilot and would be evaluated before being rolled out elsewhere. As the city has also been under tight restrictions and then lockdown, how will the impact of mass testing alone be evaluated? How does he plan to counter the lower uptake among deprived communities—the very ones at highest risk, as seen in Liverpool—and with no clinical evaluation yet published, how can he justify putting out contract tenders for an eye-watering £43 billion and rolling out this approach to 67 other areas? Should this strategy not be compared with investing money and energy in getting the traditional test, trace and isolate system working properly?
Minister reply
We are constantly evaluating the impact of people isolating. The number of cases in Liverpool city region is down by two thirds, but in the city itself it is down by over three quarters due to mass testing combined with community testing and incentives to take up testing. We want to work with local directors of public health to understand how this can work effectively in their areas.
Greg Smith
Con
Mid Buckinghamshire
Question
It is incredibly disappointing news that Buckinghamshire will emerge from the national lockdown into tier 2, a decision that will be hard to understand in rural communities with low infection rates. Will he commit to ensuring that Buckinghamshire Council and our local NHS are fully consulted as these tiers are reviewed going forward?
Minister reply
Yes, we will ensure full consultation with local authorities and public health officials. The case rate in Buckinghamshire is 138 per 100,000, and positivity is above 5%. We will review these allocations regularly to support efforts to reduce the case rate and move towards tier 1.
Munira Wilson
Lib Dem
Twickenham
Question
A recent University College London study found that less than half the public understood what the rules were in the previous tier system. There are inconsistencies between statements made by different officials and a need for clear, consistent and honest communication to ensure public trust and compliance.
Minister reply
Yes, there will be a widespread public information campaign about these new tiers. Notwithstanding the rules, we all need to behave responsibly to control the spread of the virus.
Julian Sturdy
Con
York Outer
Question
As York’s covid rate continues to fall and is the lowest in Yorkshire, can the Secretary of State outline how we can get to tier 1 as fast as possible? Will he publish the assessment and data based on which York was placed in tier 2?
Minister reply
We have a regular weekly session to go through these. We are committing to regular reviews rather than weekly ones, but there will be more frequent reviews if necessary. Data and reasons for decisions will be published.
Ruth Cadbury
Lab
Brentford and Isleworth
Question
I share the concern of my neighbouring colleague about clarity over tiers and messages. One clear but unwelcome message is the 11 pm curfew for pubs and restaurants. Curfews fail to address crowds in streets and on public transport, which risk spreading infection. Will the Secretary of State commit to meeting London government, including the Mayor of London, as soon as possible to discuss this and agree criteria that London needs to meet to de-escalate as soon as possible?
Minister reply
Of course we have been engaging with the team who work across London. There is a lot of work to do in London to keep it in tier 2.
Ben Spencer
Con
Runnymede and Weybridge
Question
People living in Runnymede and Weybridge often ask me on what basis we are subject to local tiers and restrictions. Will local hospital bed utilisation be part of the reasons published?
Minister reply
Yes, pressure and anticipated pressure on the local NHS including bed occupancy rates is a critical part of that assessment.
Robert Syms
Con
Poole
Question
There will be bitter disappointment in Dorset that we are in tier 2 even though our infection rates are now falling quite rapidly. If we are going to have regular reviews, that is great and fine, but if not, would the Secretary consider some kind of appeals process?
Minister reply
We work as a cohesive team of Ministers in the Department and will review the tiers regularly, typically weekly. I chair a meeting on a Wednesday for an announcement on Thursday of any change to the tiers.
Geraint Davies
Lab
Cynon Valley
Question
The Secretary of State knows I chair the all-party parliamentary group on air pollution, so he will not be surprised if I point out that tier 3 areas tend to be the areas with the highest pollution. Every microgram of PM2.5 per cubic metre increases covid deaths by between 14% and 18%, and that is on top of the 40,000 deaths annually from air pollution. Does he agree that we need cross-Government activity and an all-Government report annually—from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department for Transport—on what they are doing individually and collectively to combat air pollution and, in so doing, to reduce the covid death rate and the overall death rate? I can see the Prime Minister nodding sagely. Would the Secretary of State agree to an annual report?
Minister reply
It is very impressive that the hon. Gentleman can see the Prime Minister, since he has just left the Chamber, but I am sure the Prime Minister is nodding sagely, wherever he is. The hon. Gentleman makes a very serious and important point, on which we agree. Air pollution is a very serious issue. In lockdowns, air pollution has been reduced; that is one upside to what are otherwise very damaging things to have to do, but they are necessary to keep the virus under control. I hope we can continue to work together on tackling air pollution long after this pandemic is over.
Richard Graham
Con
Gloucester
Question
With Gloucestershire in tier 2, next to South Gloucestershire, in tier 3, and the Welsh border, will the Secretary of State confirm that there will be no travel restrictions between different tiers or across the Welsh border? Since the Government can change tiers without debate, which has a huge impact, especially on the hospitality sector in terms of moving from tier 2 to tier 3, will he also confirm when the tier decisions will be published?
Minister reply
I am afraid that I cannot confirm that with respect to the Welsh border, because the legal restrictions on travel were a decision by the Welsh Administration, rather than by the UK Government for England. We have taken the view that travel restrictions should be in guidance, because there are all sorts of complicated circumstances in which people might need to travel. We have done that when we have been in national lockdown across England, as well as locally. I am sorry that I cannot be clearer than that. On the point about renewal and when we review these matters, we are proposing to review first on 16 December and then regularly thereafter to ensure that we keep the tiered restrictions as up to date as possible.
Yvette Cooper
Lab
Pontefract and Castleford
Question
The Health Secretary will know the pressure that Pinderfields Hospital, especially, has been under. The staff there have been doing an incredible job. It is welcome that the number of covid patients in hospital is starting to fall and that the number of infections locally has fallen by around 30% in the last week, but he will also know that our NHS, social care and public health staff have had a really difficult year and that the winter is going to carry on being tough, with many operations to catch up on. Will he now look swiftly at the case for added support and pay for NHS, public health and social care staff this winter, in recognition of the incredible job they have been doing to care for all of us?
Minister reply
I am delighted that we have a significant increase in the number of NHS staff. The figures published this morning show that there are 14,800 more nurses than there were this time last year in the NHS. I am really pleased about that. The right hon. Lady will no doubt have seen yesterday that the pause on pay increases across the public sector announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor does not apply to nurses and doctors. That is, in part, in recognition of the incredible work that they have done during this pandemic.
Jeremy Wright
Con
Kenilworth and Southam
Question
As the economic damage the pandemic is doing becomes increasingly apparent, it is clearly right that businesses of all types are reopened as soon as it is safe to do so. This will take longer than it needs to if the restrictions on those businesses are calculated on the basis of virus information for places a long way away or as a geographical average for a wide area encompassing urban and rural parts. That is exactly what is going to happen to the businesses in my constituency, which will not be able to open next week if they are hospitality businesses, not because of the rates where they are, but because of the rates somewhere else. Surely it is more sensible to calculate restrictions on the smallest geographical area where data is reliable, which is largely boroughs and districts. Will my right hon. Friend commit in his review in two weeks’ time to look not just at whether individual areas are in the right tier but at whether the areas are properly constructed?
Minister reply
Yes, absolutely. My right hon. and learned Friend is absolutely right about the importance of this. We have to balance the need for an area to reflect the human geography in which people live and effectively communicate the tiering decisions across that geography, with precisely the concerns that he mentions. For instance, Slough is in tier 3, despite the fact that Berkshire, of which it is a part, is in tier 2, so we are prepared to take those decisions at a lower-tier local authority area level. That is the exception rather than the norm, but we look at this every single week.
Patricia Gibson
SNP
North Ayrshire and Arran
Question
Covid-19 is a world pandemic and it needs to be tackled on a global basis. International travel will expose the UK to future outbreaks, particularly if the virus mutates, so on both humanitarian and public health grounds, does the Secretary of State not agree that it is indefensible to cut the international aid budget, just as a global vaccine roll-out begins?
Minister reply
Of course, we have been hugely supportive. In fact, the UK is the biggest supporter internationally of providing vaccines in countries that would not be able to afford them themselves. I am sure that that will continue, because we will continue to have one of the largest international aid budgets in the world.
Peter Aldous
Con
Waveney
Question
I know that my right hon. Friend will thank everyone in both East and West Suffolk for getting down the level of infections, and that it is with a heavy heart that he has concluded that the county cannot exit to tier 1. Will he ensure that there are clear indicators as to what else needs to be done so that Suffolk may move to tier 1 as quickly as possible, and will he liaise with the Chancellor of the Exchequer to put in place additional support for the hard-hit hospitality sector?
Minister reply
I have constant discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer about the support needed. My hon. Friend is right to raise that, especially in Suffolk. It is with a heavy heart that we took the decision on Suffolk. Its case rate is higher than the Isle of Wight or Cornwall, which are the two areas in tier 1, but that gives an indication of where we need to get to. I am sure that if we all work together, we will be able to get there.
South Shields
Question
We are stuck in an endless cycle of lockdowns that are simply not working. The Government have again wasted the opportunity over the past few weeks to get a handle on testing, tracing and isolating. Once again, hospitality in South Shields will be absolutely battered, and my constituents’ liberty impacted on. Will the Secretary of State tell us exactly what will be different this time that will make our sacrifices yield a reduction in the infection rates?
Minister reply
First, I urge the hon. Lady to look at the figures published this morning, which show that the majority of tests when done in person are now turned around within 24 hours across the country, and capacity has increased radically. What I would ask of her for the future, to help the north-east get out of tier 3, is to work with her local councils, with the directors of public health, to embrace the community testing that has been effective in Liverpool. If they are up for doing that—it has to be in consultation and conjunction with the local council, because they know the area—I very much hope that they will come forward to pick up the baton and make that happen.
Tewkesbury
Question
This is not an easy question, but how will the Health Secretary take into account the wider mental and physical health implications for people who are prevented from living their lives as they would wish to live them?
Minister reply
We look as much as we can at taking the impacts into account. For instance, the mental health of people under lockdown is of course more challenged than in normal circumstances. We balance that against the impact of covid both directly and in filling up the hospitals on the healthcare that we all get for all the other conditions that exist. It is a difficult balance to strike. On the particular impact on mental health, which my hon. Friend raised, the Royal College of Psychiatrists has done very interesting work to understand the nuanced balance between the impact of covid on people’s mental health and the impact of lockdown. Both are significant and I commend its work to him.
Mary Glindon
Lab
Newcastle upon Tyne East
Question
It is devastating that after all its efforts, the north-east will be in tier 3. Across the whole country, obesity remains a serious factor in covid-19. Yesterday, the all-party group on obesity launched its report to build on the Government’s obesity strategy. Will the Minister meet officers of the group to discuss the report’s recommendations and work with us to ensure a focus on the prevention and treatment of obesity in the fight against covid-19?
Minister reply
Yes. the hon. Member and I share an enthusiasm for this agenda with the Prime Minister, who is a personal convert to the need to tackle obesity. In fact, this crisis shows how important it is, because people who are obese are more likely to have a more serious impact from covid, if they catch it.
Rob Butler
Con
Aylesbury
Question
We have consistently been told that we must accept restrictions to protect the NHS, and Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust has done an amazing job in dealing with the pandemic from the very beginning. Can my right hon. Friend therefore explain the weighting that he puts on the pressures on the local NHS as one of the five indicators in the decision-making process over tiers? It will be very difficult for people in Aylesbury to accept stringent controls on our lives and livelihoods if, in fact, there is plenty of capacity in hospitals for both covid and non-covid cases.
Minister reply
We look at all five indicators essentially equally. The point about pressure on the NHS is a more sensitive indicator on the decision to go into tier 3. If an area is in the situation that Buckinghamshire is, for instance, where the case rate is elevated, but not as high as in many other parts of the country, the key thing to do is to keep that case rate where it is or lower.
Rachel Hopkins
Lab
Luton South and South Bedfordshire
Question
The good people of Luton will want to get out of tier 2 as soon as possible, but the current resources provided to Luton Borough Council for the lateral flow rapid testing pilot are insufficient to enable it to provide the level of mass testing that is being described nationally. The contained funding—£8 per person—just will not cover tests for 10% of Luton’s population, as the funding also needs to be used for the wider covid response, including wellbeing support for vulnerable residents. Can the Secretary of State confirm that there are national plans to provide additional support and resources to expand testing if the intention to test close contacts daily is pursued?
Minister reply
Yes, there will be further funding for those areas that go into tier 2 and yet more funding for the areas that go into tier 3. That funding will go to the councils for the extra support that is needed.
Bury South
Question
I thank the Prime Minister for the flexibility that the Government are providing so that we can all have a family Christmas. However, let me ask my right hon. Friend the Health Secretary: what consideration has been given to Hanukkah, which starts two weeks today, regarding family gatherings and public menorah lightings? Does he think it is fair if no flexibility is shown to the Jewish community?
Minister reply
We carefully considered this issue, consulted on it and discussed it widely. Christmas is a national holiday, as well as being very much a Christian celebration. That is reflected, for instance, in the fact that we have two days of bank holidays. We consulted members of different faiths around precisely the question that my hon. Friend rightly raises, and there was a strong degree of support for having something special in place for Christmas for everybody.
Liz Twist
Lab
Blaydon and Consett
Question
May I start by assuring the Secretary of State that directors of public health and local authorities in the LA7 area and the wider north-east are certainly very focused on getting that figure down and have had some success? The real point I want to make, however, is about public health. Nothing has shown more than this pandemic that public health should be at the heart of what we do. We know it affects outcomes in covid-19, and we know it affects health inequalities and the rate of transmission. Will the Secretary of State ensure that he impresses that on the Chancellor, and ask him for more funding for public health services, both now and in the future?
Minister reply
Yes, I agree with every word of what the hon. Lady said.
Bob Stewart
Con
Beckenham
Question
My constituency of Beckenham is very relieved to be in tier 2. Very kind of you, Secretary of State. I have had a couple of constituents ask me whether they have to have a vaccination. Can he tell the House what percentage of the population is required to be vaccinated in order for the measures to be effective, so we can get back to normal?
Minister reply
I would urge everybody to get a vaccination, if we manage to get a vaccine that is approved by the authorities, because the regulator will only approve a vaccine if it is safe and effective. Having said that, we are not planning to make it mandatory, because we hope that the vast majority of people will take it up.
Barbara Keeley
Lab
Worsley and Eccles South
Question
The winter plan confirms that the Government will be taking action to restrict the movement of care staff between care homes. On the face of it, that is a perfectly sensible infection control measure. However, many care staff are forced to work between multiple homes because of low hourly wages. Can the Secretary of State therefore give a commitment that care workers will suffer no loss of income as a result of the policy? Can he set out what he will do to ensure that no care staff lose any of their jobs because they are being forced to choose between the different homes they work in?
Minister reply
I hope that, partly through this measure and the increase in the national living wage that the Chancellor confirmed yesterday, we can improve the pay and conditions of staff across social care. The proportion of people in social care who work in a number of settings and work in agency and less secure work is, in my view, something we should tackle together.
Julian Lewis
Con
New Forest East
Question
I am sure my right hon. Friend appreciates that many elderly people die with serious illnesses, such as prostate cancer, but not from those illnesses. How certain is he that statistics showing the number of people dying with covid-19 are not being presented or misinterpreted as people dying from covid-19?
Minister reply
The statistics on the number of people dying with covid-19 are the best estimate that the statistics authorities, both in Public Health England and the Office for National Statistics, come up with. It is one of the widest definitions, which countries use internationally.
Layla Moran
Lib Dem
Oxford West and Abingdon
Question
May I first thank the Secretary of State for listening to local leaders, who have been pushing for a one-Oxfordshire approach to coronavirus as we go into tier 2? Despite Oxfordshire’s data being better than that of surrounding counties, we cannot risk any further damaging lockdowns. Does the Secretary of State agree that the key to beating this virus is to treat local areas as partners, and when they say they should be moving up and down tiers will he give their voice considerable weight?
Minister reply
Yes, I do give considerable weight to local leaders when they make a case for a particular tier for their area.
Wakefield
Question
Today’s decision will be disappointing to businesses and residents across Burnley, who have had extra restrictions on their lives and their businesses for longer than most. Can my right hon. Friend set out exactly what support is going to go to Burnley and the wider Lancashire area, and when it will be delivered, so we can end these restrictions as soon as we possibly can?
Minister reply
Yes, Burnley has been in restrictions for a long time now. It has brought its case rate down by about half since the peak in late September.
Warrington North
Question
Warrington will be breathing a sigh of relief that we are emerging from national lockdown into tier 2, but while I welcome the return of fans to stadiums, I cannot support the extension of the substantial meal requirement to tier 2, which will leave many pubs across my constituency closed. The pub sector faces an existential threat and it flies in the face of logic and fairness that thousands can congregate at the rugby but wet pubs that are at the heart of our community must stay closed. Will the Secretary of State commit to publishing the specific evidence that underpinned the substantial meal requirement extension and, if he cannot, to removing this requirement?
Minister reply
Unfortunately, we will not be removing that requirement from tier 2. It is incredibly important that we keep the cases under control. The local team in Warrington has worked very hard along with the Liverpool city region to get the case rate down. They went into national lockdown in tier 3 and have come out in tier 2, and the people of Warrington should be commended for that, but the measures of tier 2 are necessary to keep the virus under control because, unfortunately, the virus thrives when people get together.
Question
First, I want to thank residents in my constituency for their hard work and sacrifice; their borough has been hard hit by the virus. With my constituency being in one of the worst affected areas, will my right hon. Friend consider rolling out the vaccine as a priority when it is ready to the country’s worst affected areas, which have been not only blighted by this virus, but hard hit economically? These are the areas that will be in much need of assistance to get back on their feet following prolonged lockdown of the local economy. The vaccine would provide much needed respite in these worst affected areas.
Minister reply
We have taken the decision to roll out the vaccine UK-wide at the same pace. I want to get it as soon as possible to the west midlands and to everywhere else, but it is fair to the areas that have had a low, or relatively low, incidence of the disease to make sure that they also have access to the vaccine.
Nusrat Ghani
Con
Sussex Weald
Question
In keeping with my right hon. Friend’s spirit of working together, I stand not only to represent Wealden, but to speak on behalf of my hon. Friends the Members for Bexhill and Battle (Huw Merriman), for Eastbourne (Caroline Ansell) and for Hastings and Rye (Sally-Ann Hart). We wish to collectively thank the CEOs of the clinical commissioning group and East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, our county leader, Keith Glazier, and our local department for public health for working with us day in, day out to understand the data and the reason for the infection rates. We are deeply disappointed that, considering all the five indicators, where we mark extremely low, we are in tier 2, and we are disappointed that central Government have not consulted local leaders, because they would then have been able to investigate the data and, hopefully, show us how we can move into tier 1 from tier 2. Will my right hon. Friend provide some assurances that these conversations will take place with local leaders and confirm that transparent objective criteria will be published for each tier, and how we can slide between each tier?
Minister reply
Yes, absolutely—I can give both those assurances. Across Sussex, case rates are at 120. They do need to come down. Like my hon. Friend, I would like to see Sussex get to tier 1 as soon as possible, and we will keep talking to the local area.
Question
The Secretary of State will be aware of reports on the Oxford vaccine that the sub-group that suggested 90% effectiveness was due to a manufacturing error, rather than being a planned protocol. It included fewer than 3,000 people and did not have any participants over 55. Does he agree, therefore, that further research is required to verify the efficacy of the lower dose in all age groups before it can be adopted as a standard regimen?
Minister reply
Questions over the interpretation of the data in the clinical trials are rightly for the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, which will assess these clinical trials and will only approve a vaccine for use if it is effective and safe.
Question
The first review of Kirklees being in tier 3 will be on 16 December. Will the Secretary of State please confirm that his Department will consult local MPs, council leaders and the local director of public health? Will he publish the full numerical criteria so that we know what we need to achieve to get out of tier 3? Will the Government support Kirklees in delivering mass testing? Finally, will the Secretary of State have a conversation with the Chancellor about delivering extra financial support for our hospitality businesses?
Minister reply
I will absolutely take up all those suggestions. We are in discussions with Kirklees about what more we can do, including in the area of large-scale community testing and the other considerations necessary to make that happen.
Carla Lockhart
DUP
Upper Bann
Question
The Secretary of State is to be commended for the initiative that he and the Minister for Care have spearheaded to allow close-contact visits between relatives and residents in care home settings. Will the proposed access vary depending on what tier a home is located in? I acknowledge that care is a devolved issue, but with little progress being made in this regard in Northern Ireland, will the Secretary of State undertake to share the experiences of his pilot with the Health Minister in Northern Ireland so that my constituents can also look forward to visiting loved ones as soon as possible?
Minister reply
Subject to the results of the pilots, which are ongoing, we hope to allow testing in England to allow for visiting in care homes before Christmas. I will absolutely have another conversation with my opposite number Robin Swann, who is the Health Minister for Northern Ireland.
Shadow Comment
Jon Ashworth
Shadow Comment
The shadow Health Secretary welcomed the vaccine news but criticised the Government's decision-making process on local restrictions. He questioned why MPs and regional leaders were not involved in decisions as initially promised. The Labour MP also highlighted financial support for small businesses and asked about backdated economic aid for areas under previous lockdowns. Ashworth demanded transparency around criteria for entering and leaving tiers, including a public scorecard. Concerning testing, he raised issues of low uptake in poorer communities due to fears of financial penalties and called for better support for isolating workers. He also criticised the £22 billion test and trace budget as insufficient based on OBR forecasts and demanded local authorities take over contact-tracing work. Ashworth also expressed concerns about NHS capacity during January and asked how many elective operations might be cancelled due to ongoing pressures.
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Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy
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