← Back to House of Commons Debates
Covid-19 Update
15 October 2020
Lead MP
Matthew Hancock
Debate Type
Ministerial Statement
Tags
NHS
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 Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matthew Hancock, made a statement regarding the current state of coronavirus in the UK. He highlighted that positive cases are up by 40% across Europe, with some countries doubling their figures over the past fortnight. In the UK, daily deaths reached their highest figure since early June. The strategy is to suppress the virus while supporting the economy, education, and the NHS through localised actions. Hancock emphasised the importance of local restrictions to control the spread effectively, despite the difficulty they bring. He detailed plans for a new system of local COVID-19 alert levels moving areas into higher tiers based on viral prevalence data. London and other high-risk regions have been moved into stricter measures effective from midnight on Saturday morning. Hancock thanked everyone involved in these decisions and reiterated that collective effort is essential to suppress the virus.
Jon Ashworth
Lab
Denton and Reddish
Question
Ashworth inquired about the current position concerning Greater Manchester and Lancashire and asked whether further announcements are expected. He also criticised the lack of financial support for tier 2 and tier 3 areas, stating that it fails families and small businesses.
Jon Ashworth
Lab
Denton and Reddish
Question
Ashworth questioned the high payments to test and trace consultants despite poor performance. He urged for a short, time-limited circuit break as recommended by SAGE to control the virus growth.
Jon Ashworth
Lab
Derby South
Question
Asked about discussions with Greater Manchester and Lancashire, financial support for tier 2 areas, the performance of the test and trace system, and criteria for a national circuit break.
Minister reply
Discussions were ongoing but not concluded; financial support was in place. The minister highlighted that contact tracing had reached a record high number of people, despite criticisms about its performance.
Jeremy Hunt
Con
Godalming and Waverley
Question
Asked if uncertainty about health and economic future is the biggest issue facing the country now. Suggested setting a date for weekly testing by February/March/April next year.
Minister reply
Agreed on expanding testing capacity but did not commit to a specific deadline, stating they were on track to meet current goals.
Central Ayrshire
Question
Emphasised the need for financial support for those isolating. Criticised centralised Serco system and proposed local public health teams should lead contact tracing.
Minister reply
Acknowledged isolation payments' importance, emphasising collaboration between UK and Scottish systems.
Richard Drax
Con
South Dorset
Question
Asked about the Government's intention to continue shutting down the economy until a vaccine is found, seeking details on a plan B.
Minister reply
Emphasised that suppressing the virus through local action was best for both health and economic outcomes.
Lucy Powell
Lab Co-op
Manchester Central
Question
I have just come off a call with Greater Manchester colleagues and the Minister for Care about the moving of Greater Manchester into tier 3. There was unanimous fury about the process, the evidence base and economic support packages on the table. The chief medical officer says that the measures in tier 3 will not make a material difference to the infection rate but will cause widespread economic damage to our region. It is not good enough that meaningful conversations began only this morning; will the Secretary of State ensure they reach a conclusion so we can get infection rates down while protecting livelihoods and businesses?
Minister reply
I urge the hon. Lady to work together for the best outcome for the people of Greater Manchester, and I also urge her to look carefully at what the chief medical officer said, as it was not as she quoted. Cases are rising in Greater Manchester, so action is needed fast.
Ben Spencer
Con
Runnymede and Weybridge
Question
I thank my right hon. Friend for his statement today. With increasing rates in Elmbridge, it is right to bring in these measures. Ensuring that we have sufficient NHS surge capacity to deal with high rates of cases for non-covid and covid care is also important. What does he anticipate the bottlenecks will be for surge capacity? Is it beds, staff or ventilators, and what is he doing to tackle those bottlenecks?
Minister reply
I welcome my hon. Friend’s thoughtful approach. In London, we have not yet had to stand up the NHS Nightingale again but are ready to do so if necessary. We now have a huge quantity of ventilators; we have the Nightingale hospitals for bed capacity; we have brought more people back into the NHS over the past six months; and we have retired NHS staff on standby.
Lisa Cameron
Ind
Lothian
Question
Many staff have put themselves on the frontline to protect the most vulnerable but tragically lost their lives, leaving families devastated. Alongside support, appropriate tribute must be paid to their sacrifice. Will the Secretary of State support bereaved families and take this issue forward across Government?
Minister reply
Yes, we have done a huge amount to support bereaved families. I would be very happy to talk to her about how we can take this forward.
Julie Marson
Lab
West Bromwich West
Question
My right hon. Friend will be aware that the World Health Organisation has praised Hertfordshire health authorities for measuring the pulse and feelings of our community through an online platform, adjusting service provision accordingly. Does he agree that good local data could enable a district-wide approach rather than a county-wide approach in Hertfordshire?
Minister reply
Yes, we look at a district-by-district approach as the decision in Elmbridge attests. There was quite a serious outbreak in Hertfordshire a month ago that was brought under control by local action and collaboration.
Zarah Sultana
Lab
Coventry South
Question
In March, the Government were advised by SAGE to lock down but delayed it by a week. Senior scientists estimate this delay cost tens of thousands of lives. I fear that the same mistakes are being made again. Three weeks ago, SAGE advised a circuit-breaker lockdown. In Coventry, we have seen cases rise rapidly with over 100 new cases in 24 hours. Before it is too late and there are more avoidable deaths, I urge the Secretary of State to impose a circuit-breaker lockdown and bring in economic support.
Minister reply
That is not an accurate description of history, but if that is how the hon. Lady feels about Coventry, she may like to know that we are working with the leadership of Coventry City Council.
Sarah Dines
Con
Derbyshire Dales
Question
I have been contacted by a Derbyshire Dales constituent whose grandfather was taken into a care home in May and cannot see his wife, with whom he has lived for 70 years. Will my right hon. Friend please update the House on what is being done on rapid testing to stop the scourge of loneliness in our care homes?
Minister reply
Yes, I am working on how we can safely allow visiting, especially by people who have been married for 70 years, in a way that is safe according to the risk level and background rate of infection. Testing can be part of the solution.
Rachael Maskell
Lab Co-op
York Central
Question
I welcome the Secretary of State’s greater attention on York, but although we are in tier 1, I am concerned that there are areas with a lower infection rate in tier 3. The measures in tier 2 will not be sufficient to stop the spread of infections in our city where cases are rising sharply, including among older people who are at risk from covid. Without taking more acute action now, we will face serious difficulties.
Minister reply
We are expanding capacity at the hospital in York. The number of cases increased by 60% last week, so I welcome her support for measures and am happy to continue talking about what is needed.
Daniel Poulter
Con
St Albans
Question
I draw the House’s attention to my declaration as a practising NHS doctor during the pandemic. The Secretary of State is right to introduce these measures but a number of hospitals still face challenges in getting NHS staff tested, with some being offered only 15 tests a day for their staff. Will he please look into this matter urgently?
Minister reply
Absolutely. We are making significant progress in expanding asymptomatic testing of members of NHS staff in tier 3 areas and expanding the capacity for covid tests within the NHS itself.
Barbara Keeley
Lab
Worsley and Eccles South
Question
We know that case rates are rising in Greater Manchester, but as the chief medical officer has made clear imposing new restrictions on its own will not be enough to turn this situation around. Instead, we need people to be supported to do the right thing and we need to use appropriate enforcement powers when they do not.
Minister reply
We are putting in more support and if any area goes into the third level, into tier 3, it gets further support. We are putting more into local test and trace, although on its own that will not work as effectively as the partnership, which is improving and expanding all the time.
Greg Clark
Con
Islington North
Question
A lot of weight is being shouldered by the Joint Biosecurity Centre, which is engaged in decisions that are having big consequences for millions of people across the country. It is concerning that there was nothing in the Secretary of State’s statement about the criteria for exiting these measures.
Minister reply
In fact, very shortly the Joint Biosecurity Centre will be making further of its analysis public. It works within the Department and its officials are civil servants, so it is different from SAGE, which is made up of independently employed scientists.
Munira Wilson
Lib Dem
Twickenham
Question
As a London MP, may I start by saying thank you for the briefing call that London MPs had with the care Minister and officials this morning about today’s announcement? A number of questions remain unaddressed from both that call and today’s statement.
Minister reply
We are seeking to publish further evidence on the impact of measures. For instance, I have often mentioned Leicester and Bolton—in Bolton, the curve was flattened and in Leicester we brought it down with a much stricter intervention than the one we are proposing in London.
Newton Abbot
Question
Will the Secretary of State please explain what formal and detailed assessment his Department has made of the long-term health cost that a second blanket lockdown would have on the physical and mental—not just covid-related—health of the population, and whether he believes that that is an acceptable trade-off?
Minister reply
I have looked into this in great detail, as my hon. Friend will imagine, as she is experienced in these areas. The result of what I have looked at is that there is no trade-off. If covid gets out of hand, that increases non-covid ill health and non-covid deaths too.
Taiwo Owatemi
Lab
Coventry North West
Question
During our coronavirus briefing for Members on Monday, the deputy chief medical officer, Jonathan Van-Tam, said of the pandemic that it was very easy to lose control and harder still to gain it. Only yesterday, the Department of Health and Social Care released figures stating that 19,724 people had tested positive for the virus.
Minister reply
Yes, I do think more action is needed, and that is why we are taking it today.
Caroline Johnson
Con
Sleaford and North Hykeham
Question
The Prime Minister has been very clear on the risk of obesity for those who get coronavirus, in that people who are obese have a more severe disease course than those who are slimmer. In tier 3 areas, however, many gyms are being closed and many sporting activities are being restricted.
Minister reply
I love the idea of work out to help out. It is undoubtedly true, from the science that I have seen, that obesity contributes to a worse impact for those who catch coronavirus.
Mohammad Yasin
Lab
Bedford
Question
My constituents are being denied routine blood tests because the Swiss company, Roche, that supplies the labs in Bedford is having supply chain issues. If one company with one supply chain problem can cause a national shortage of medical components that are vital to patient care for at least three weeks, is the Secretary of State as concerned as I am about the disruption to medical supply chains during a pandemic when we leave the EU in just over two months?
Minister reply
We have prepared for years to ensure that we have the supplies that are needed, and I have of course been in contact with Roche over this distribution issue. It is actually an issue about distribution from a warehouse in England.
Tim Loughton
Con
East Worthing and Shoreham
Question
I agree with the local approach that my right hon. Friend is taking. He has to make a judgment based on balancing what the science is telling us, what the economy is telling us and the sustainability of public consent. I am concerned about care homes.
Minister reply
I would be very happy to take up my hon. Friend’s suggestion about the volunteers. I commend to him the social care winter plan, which sets out how we will balance the very difficult issues that he mentions.
Kate Osborne
Lab
Jarrow and Gateshead East
Question
In my constituency, schools are already closing due to confirmed cases of coronavirus. What conversations has the Secretary of State had on routine testing in schools? Will he publish the science behind the decision not to introduce routine testing for teachers and tell us why schools have been issued with only 10 testing kits each?
Minister reply
We have a testing prioritisation board which takes into account the order of priorities within testing. Of course, as testing expands it means we will be able to use it for more things, including in schools.
Bob Blackman
Con
Harrow East
Question
London as a whole is going into tier 2 due to an infection rate of 97, but transmission rates vary across boroughs. Will the criteria for London moving from tier 2 to tier 1 be that every borough must come down below a certain rate?
Minister reply
The time in tier 2 should be as short as possible if we follow level 2 rules. The cross-party London group sets clear criteria, including reaching an average of 100 cases per 100,000 people for exiting from level 2.
Question
Scotland used the summer to get its public health-based contact tracing system running effectively. When can we expect the UK Government's Serco track and trace to reach even 70% of community contacts?
Minister reply
The national system works with local systems, reaching a high proportion of cases through teamwork between private businesses and the public sector.
Andrew Griffith
Con
Arundel and South Downs
Question
Will the Secretary of State pay tribute to those working in testing endeavours from private businesses and agree they are key workers?
Minister reply
Yes, it is a big team effort involving both private businesses and public sector workers working together.
Richard Burgon
Lab
Leeds East
Question
Serco’s outsourced tracing system is failing to contact one third of close contacts. Is the Secretary of State reassured or worried by the fact that Serco's former chief spin doctor is now his Minister for Health?
Minister reply
The national system has doubled its reach in the last week, and teamwork between national and local systems works best.
Question
Is it targeted to use a London-wide average when cases are so different across boroughs? Will he speak to the Chancellor about support for hospitality businesses suffering?
Minister reply
We considered a borough-by-borough approach but decided on a whole-of-London tier 2 due to integrated nature and rising cases.
Question
Does he understand that an indefinite period in tier 3 would mean the pauperisation of people in Greater Manchester, with no certainty of coming out better?
Minister reply
The best way to avoid this outcome is for everyone to pull together across party lines and communities.
Question
What support is he giving Warrington Hospital so that normal NHS treatment can continue uninterrupted amid rising hospital admissions?
Minister reply
We are supporting hospitals under strain in the region to ensure they can manage their covid admissions.
Dan Carden
Lab
Liverpool Walton
Question
What is the latest scientific advice for clinically extremely vulnerable people, and will he reintroduce this advice with financial support?
Minister reply
Details on the approach were set out Tuesday. He can join a briefing with Jenny Harries or receive updated guidance.
Alicia Kearns
Con
Rutland and Stamford
Question
Should pregnant women in their third trimester be shielding given their higher vulnerability to covid-19, and should employers support them?
Minister reply
Employers should take duty of care towards pregnant employees. Guidance for the third trimester will be sent, potentially joining a briefing with Jenny Harries.
Sarah Owen
Lab
Luton North
Question
A care home manager testified to long wait times for test results; when will testing issues be resolved?
Minister reply
Turnaround times have significantly improved, including for care staff tests, even amid capacity pressure.
Mike Wood
Con
Kingswinford and South Staffordshire
Question
If there were a circuit-breaker national lockdown, how would it be possible to judge after two or three weeks if restrictions could be lifted?
Minister reply
We aim for local approaches where possible; tiers allow action where necessary while maintaining public understanding.
Selaine Saxby
Con
North Devon
Question
Does my right hon. Friend agree that the Opposition should not play politics with people’s lives and livelihoods? A national circuit-break lockdown is not the answer, particularly for areas such as my North Devon constituency, where covid cases per 100,000 are still fewer than 40.
Minister reply
My hon. Friend sets out why, with case rates like that, we are focusing our attention on the parts of the country with the most serious problem. Throughout this, we try to ensure that we take action that is necessary but proportionate, in order to slow and suppress this disease.
Vicky Foxcroft
Lab
Lewisham North
Question
Communication for shielding people has been poor in the past. Now as we sadly return to further restrictions, communication remains poor, with news being fed to the press before updating the country in a clear way. That really is not good enough. The Government have had seven months to get it right. When letters are sent to shielding people, will the Secretary of State ensure that they are in accessible formats, especially since many potentially are disabled people? Will he let them know what extra support they will be entitled to?
Minister reply
This is a very sensitive issue and it is very important for those who are shielded. I invite the hon. Lady to the briefing with the deputy chief medical officer so that she can ask any questions that she has.
Robert Largan
Con
High Peak
Question
Since March, the Government’s top policy priority has been to save lives by preventing the NHS from becoming overwhelmed. Given that, the Government have rightly been preparing for this winter by significantly expanding free flu vaccinations. Given that parts of High Peak, including Glossopdale where I live, have just gone into tier 2 restrictions, may I urge the Secretary of State to do everything that he can to make certain that sufficient flu vaccination doses are available in High Peak and other areas with extra restrictions?
Minister reply
Absolutely—not least because there is evidence that if someone has flu and catches covid it is even worse. The flu programme this winter is incredibly important—even more important than it always is. I will look into the roll-out in High Peak and ensure that it goes well. I am very glad to say that the uptake of the flu vaccine is much higher this year than it has been in previous years, and we have a record amount of the flu vaccine—more than 30 million doses available. Everybody on the priority list in High Peak who wants a flu vaccine can get one.
Rosie Cooper
Lab
West Lancashire
Question
Thank you, Mr Speaker. Four British teenagers in Sicily continue to test positive after two weeks of isolation. In Britain, they would be back in the community spreading the virus, so does the Secretary of State recognise that a test, trace and retest system is needed to protect us? When could it be implemented? Also, what action can be taken to protect my West Lancashire constituents who have been alerted via social media to the fact that supporters who want to watch the Liverpool versus Everton match this Saturday intend to travel from nearby tier 3 areas into pubs in West Lancashire? This could be a super-spreading event leading to a public health disaster.
Minister reply
I will write to the hon. Lady on the first point. It is a very important point, but the proportion of people who are still infectious after two weeks if they do not have symptoms is thought to be very low. I cannot remember the figure off the top of my head, but it is very low. On the second point, I strongly agree with the hon. Lady. The principle behind the levels is that, if someone is resident in an area on a very high local covid alert level, that level applies to them wherever they are. If someone lives in a lower alert level area and they travel to a higher alert level area, the rules of the higher level apply if that is where they are.
Dave Doogan
SNP
Angus and Perthshire Glens
Question
Operation Moonshot was the UK Government’s latest world-beating covid intervention, but it seems that it has perhaps missed its target and is heading off into deep space. The public did not ask for world-beating; they asked for competent, and they deserve availability. Can the Secretary of State advise us on whether there are any positive signals from Operation Moonshot? When will it be rolled out nationally, or is it another testing failure?
Minister reply
It is going pretty well, actually, and it is going to benefit the people of Scotland as well as people right across this united land.
Desmond Swayne
Con
New Forest West
Question
What advantage is there to be had from accommodating non-intubated covid cases in Nightingale hospitals, and if there is an advantage what additional facilities would need to be provided?
Minister reply
Some of the Nightingale hospitals can take non-intubated patients—not ones who need full intensive care, if they have multiple organ failure—but not all of them can because of the way that they are set up. We need the ventilators, the space and the staff to ensure that the Nightingale hospitals can be expanded as much as possible.
Florence Eshalomi
Lab Co-op
Vauxhall and Camberwell Green
Question
Yesterday I received an email from my constituent, Anna Shipman, who is really concerned about test, track and trace. She has a friend who is on a vaccine trial and has a routine test every Wednesday. At the beginning of the trial, he would normally get his test results the next day. Anna is pregnant. She told me that her friend met her on Friday and then, on Saturday, he met his elderly mum, who is 75. On Saturday and Sunday, he went back to work as a full-time carer, exposing extremely vulnerable adults. He did not receive his test results until Sunday. This system is a shambles. Will the Secretary of State highlight when we will protect vulnerable people from being infected by people who do not know because they are not getting results on time?
Minister reply
No, the turnaround times are reducing. While I absolutely pay tribute to the hon. Lady for raising this individual case, it is very important to look at the system as a whole, where the number of tests is at a record level and the turnaround times are, I am glad to say, reducing.
Jason McCartney
Con
Colne Valley
Question
Is the Secretary of State currently having discussions with West Yorkshire leaders about our covid alert status? Does he anticipate any change to our current status of “high” in West Yorkshire this weekend? Will he continue to be guided by the localised data?
Minister reply
The localised data is very important so that we take the action that is needed as locally as possible, as we have in Kirklees over the past few months of the crisis. We are in constant dialogue with the leaders in West Yorkshire, but no decisions have been taken.
Rushanara Ali
Lab
Bethnal Green and Stepney
Question
Tower Hamlets faced one of the highest death rates in the country in the first wave of the pandemic, including for those among black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. For weeks, the borough has been given the lowest testing capacity in the capital despite high incidences of positivity. Will the Secretary of State focus on the specifics and explain when he will get a grip on testing and tracing and localised resources for it; when he will get local authorities, businesses and communities the resources they need; and what action he will take to produce the action plan that was promised months ago after the disparities report was published by his Government?
Minister reply
Yes, absolutely. The hon. Lady rightly raises the issues in Tower Hamlets. The good news is that the testing being delivered in Tower Hamlets is going up. The bad news is that both the number of people testing positive and the positivity are also going up. Because of today’s decision on putting London into level 2, further resources will be available for local test and trace.
Chingford and Woodford Green
Question
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for allowing me to get in at the last minute, because this is a London statement. When a Minister gets a collection of London MPs together, it would be great if they could actually be allowed in to ask a question for a long enough time to save them having to scrabble into the House of Commons. I want to follow on from the comments of my hon. Friend the Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Sir Robert Neill). London is huge. Whether people like it or not, it is very diverse, and many of the boroughs are bigger than most of the towns in the rest of the UK. Surely we need to look again at the London-wide nature of this tier 2 position. Even regional areas could be taken out. There are big disparities. I ask that we please think again. Otherwise people will say, like one constituent who rang me today, “Is this in fact a London-wide tier 2 to stop the north-south divide argument running?”
Minister reply
On the last point, absolutely not. This decision has been taken on the basis of the data across London. We did consider the borough by borough approach that my right hon. Friend understandably advocates, but the decision that we came to was that because cases are rising throughout the capital, it was therefore right for the capital to move as a whole.
Rupa Huq
Lab
Ealing Central and Acton
Question
Cases in Ealing have doubled in the past week, making it now London's coronavirus hotspot. May I commend the Secretary of State’s approach to the London-wide situation? Will he resist Conservative voices saying otherwise? Will he look at additional funding for areas like mine and other interventions, including vitamin D?
Minister reply
I will listen to all voices, including those of my right hon. Friend Sir Iain Duncan Smith and my hon. Friend the Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Sir Robert Neill). On vitamin D, scientists are reviewing new evidence on its impact. Public messaging around vitamin D will be increased to encourage its use as it is beneficial without any downside.
Question
Thank you for squeezing me in, Mr Speaker. I thank my right hon. Friend for his statement and response earlier to my colleague. It is vital that we have a pathway and an exit plan to take London back to tier 1 as soon as possible. I am concerned about the mental health issues facing local people and businesses due to restrictions. Will funding for mental health services be available?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend raises important issues. Decisions to restrict social life have a significant impact, especially in her constituency. Getting the virus under control helps both economically and with mental health impacts. Services must be there to support people.
Southgate and Wood Green
Question
I wrote on 16 September about the inadequacies of track and trace. I acknowledge what he has said today, but need further reassurance that we will get track and trace right. London is in tier 2 and Manchester went from tier 2 to tier 3. We need a national circuit break for this to work.
Minister reply
We want to work more closely with Ealing and Enfield on the test and trace system. No decisions have yet been taken on Greater Manchester, but we will ensure clarity and easy understanding of levels.
Question
I bring news from Greater Manchester where all MPs, council leaders, and the Mayor are in agreement. The meeting was pointless as I might have talked to a wall instead. When will we be properly consulted through proper channels? Will they listen to common sense and think again?
Minister reply
While I understand my hon. Friend’s desire for consultation, we are working with local representatives to get a solution. We cannot see cases rising without consequence.
Mike Kane
Lab
Wythenshawe and Sale East
Question
I am confused as the Secretary of State confirmed tier 2 in Greater Manchester on Monday, with unanimous support. Today there were full leaks about potential tier 3 changes. I urge the Minister to confirm tier 2 to have our wholehearted support.
Minister reply
A leak inquiry has been started covering both national and local government. In Greater Manchester, cases continue to rise, necessitating action.
Shadow Comment
Jon Ashworth
Shadow Comment
The shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Jon Ashworth, acknowledged the necessity of tier 2 restrictions for London and other areas but criticised the lack of a robust financial support package to mitigate their impact on jobs and livelihoods. He questioned the effectiveness of the £12 billion test and trace system, highlighting record low contact tracing rates and excessive consultant fees. Ashworth urged for a short-term national circuit break, supported by SAGE recommendations, to control the virus, reboot test and trace services, protect the NHS, and save lives.
▸
Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy
About House of Commons Debates
House of Commons debates take place in the main chamber of the House of Commons. These debates cover a wide range of topics including government policy, legislation, and current affairs. MPs from all parties can participate, question ministers, and hold the government accountable for its decisions.