The roll-out of the covid-19 vaccine is continuing at pace with tens of thousands receiving their jab. General practitioners and teams are getting vaccination programmes up and running in GP-led sites. The Government has announced £600 million to upgrade and refurbish hospitals across 178 NHS trusts this winter, fixing roofs and providing new MRI machines.

Honoured Dame Barbara Windsor's legacy and highlighted the impact of the pandemic on mental health, economic stability, and social care workers. Criticised government procurement practices for PPE contracts, emphasising profiteering and lack of proper testing. Questioned the clarity and effectiveness of tier system communication to the public around Christmas. Stressed the importance of vaccine confidence and questioned Government's infrastructure readiness for mass vaccination.

Thanked care home and NHS staff, emphasised the importance of the hospitality industry. Called for evidence to support restrictions on pubs as they are not more risky than private homes or well-run establishments. Highlighted the risk of family mixing leading to virus transmission to grandparents during Christmas.

Asked Adam Holloway about concerns regarding wet pubs in Winchester, expressing their difficulty due to the current restrictions despite seeing high street businesses operating normally around them.

Supported Adam Holloway's concern over the risk assessment for hospitality based on south-east Asian work and noted that Public Health England had previously stated that only 5% of infections were caused in the hospitality sector.

Expressed gratitude towards NHS workers, care sector staff, and posties for their efforts during the pandemic. Highlighted the start of vaccination programmes in Scotland, particularly mentioning the first vaccinated individual, Annie Innes, a 90-year-old care home resident. Emphasised the importance of getting vaccinated to protect not just oneself but others as well. Noted the logistical challenges of distributing the Pfizer vaccine and the need for ongoing public health measures despite vaccination efforts. Cited Scotland's current R number estimate between 0.7 and 0.9, indicating the effectiveness of recent strict measures in reducing infection rates. Mentioned a £500 payment to those on low income who have to self-isolate as part of Scottish Government support measures. Discussed additional financial support announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance including health care funding, business support, and winter protection initiatives. Criticised UK Treasury's restriction on spending allocated funds up until March, suggesting this could hinder necessary support measures. Raised concerns about a no-deal Brexit posing risks to NHS drug supplies during the challenging winter period.

Expressed concerns over the effectiveness of tier system, lack of transparency in decision-making process. Highlighted disparities between regions regarding support grants for businesses and individuals. Criticised the government's response to the pandemic as not being fair or transparent enough. Emphasised the economic impact on Hull and its residents due to prolonged restrictions and insufficient financial support. Called for clearer criteria to exit tier 3, adequate compensation for affected businesses, and recognition of the pre-existing weaknesses in the local economy exacerbated by funding cuts under previous Conservative government.

Paid tribute to NHS workers, care home staff, community groups and volunteers for their efforts during the pandemic. Highlighted significant improvements in testing capacity and vaccine rollout. Acknowledged economic support provided by the government and emphasised the importance of community testing for eradicating the virus locally. Raised concerns about the events industry and pubs, stressing the need to consider additional support for these sectors. Emphasised the mental health impact of the pandemic on individuals.

Mary Foy discussed the disproportionate impact of coronavirus on the world’s poorest and highlighted how wealthier countries have secured more than enough doses while poorer nations struggle to vaccinate their healthcare workers and most vulnerable. She urged for an equal sharing of vaccine resources, stressing that ending the crisis requires a global solution rather than focusing solely on one's own borders.

Brereton addressed the local situation in Stoke-on-Trent under tier 3 restrictions, acknowledging progress made but stressing the need for continued vigilance. He emphasised the importance of community testing and tracing to control virus spread while awaiting wider vaccine roll-out. Brereton also highlighted the economic challenges faced by businesses and workers due to the restrictions, advocating for additional support measures.

Ms. Moran expressed concern over the government's relaxation of restrictions due to potential spikes in January, advocating for honesty about the likely outcomes and suggested reconsideration of Christmas relaxations. She proposed a three-step approach: control, suppress, and eliminate, emphasising the need for local test, trace and isolate programmes and beefed-up tiers.

Mr. Shannon agreed with Ms. Moran's view that people should follow rules strictly during Christmas to help control the virus spread in conjunction with vaccine efforts.

Mr. Young argued that relaxing restrictions provides a legal framework which guides people into proper household mixing, potentially reducing free-for-all mixing.

Mr. Loder pointed out from his constituency experience in West Dorset that rates are continuing to go down due to high levels of self-responsibility among constituents, suggesting some places may warrant tier reductions rather than maintenance or increase.

Mackinlay praised the Government's achievements in testing, financial support, and vaccine rollout. However, he expressed concerns about economic impacts, mental health effects, and the fairness of current restrictions. He highlighted the need for better data granularity, improved infection control measures in hospitals, and a balance between managing the virus and protecting livelihoods.

Ms Winterton expressed her concerns about the efficiency and effectiveness of current NHS spending, highlighting that more funds alone do not solve systemic issues. She suggested a need for better allocation of resources.

Mr. Farron highlighted the devastating impact of the pandemic on his community, emphasising the loss of life and the psychological burden it has placed on care home staff, jobcentre workers, outdoor education providers, and others. He called for continued government support to businesses in the hospitality and tourism sector, urging ministers to recognise the challenges faced by areas such as his that are adjacent to tier 3 regions. Mr. Farron also stressed the importance of saving outdoor education centres and their role in supporting mental health among young people. Additionally, he encouraged the Government to address the backlog in cancer treatment.

Mr. Young expressed condolences to those in Redcar and Cleveland who have lost loved ones to the disease, thanking local NHS staff for their tireless dedication during the pandemic. He urged the Department of Health and Social Care to review the tier system, highlighting that his constituency's case rate has dropped significantly from 394 per 100,000 to 131 per 100,000 in recent weeks, making it eligible for a lower tier. He also raised concerns about care agency staff not being included in weekly testing regimes and the exclusion of family visits during Christmas despite the Government's announcements on lateral flow testing. Mr. Young called for fair recognition of efforts to reduce case numbers.

Expressed condolences to those affected by the virus and thanked the Department for responsiveness. Highlighted the importance of family visits in care homes, mass testing, and vaccine distribution. Noted a significant drop in infection rates and urged Ministers to consider local data when making tier decisions. Condemned illegal gatherings but supported easing restrictions over Christmas with caution. Emphasised the need for PCR testing in tier 3 areas to provide peace of mind during the holidays. Raised concerns about pupils' self-isolation affecting their education. Praised community efforts, volunteers and NHS workers.

Welcomed the vaccine roll-out as a game changer and expressed gratitude towards scientists, researchers, staff and the Government for their work. Highlighted changes in focus from lockdown to tier system, focusing on NHS, education, and opening non-essential retail and businesses. Advocated for support for the hospitality sector, events industry, conferences, wedding industry and travel sector. Noted the return of life to normalcy but acknowledged difficulties faced by pub and restaurant owners. Emphasised the importance of caring for each other at Christmas and adhering to public health advice.

Called for a more local-tier approach, noting that West Dorset's cases have dropped to 43.1 per 100,000 compared to Cornwall and the Isle of Wight at higher rates when they were moved to tier 1. Urged the Government to review and possibly lower the tier level based on success in controlling the virus. Highlighted economic impact on small businesses.

Discussed the impact of restrictions on various sectors, including hospitality, and urged for a more localised approach based on falling case rates. Highlighted scientific breakthroughs in vaccine development and rapid testing as crucial tools to combat the virus. Emphasised the importance of reopening parts of society under safe conditions.

Saxby thanked her constituents for their efforts during the pandemic, highlighting North Devon's lower infection rate. She expressed gratitude towards community groups, social care workers, and NHS staff involved in vaccine roll-out. Emphasising the importance of timely information regarding the vaccine schedule, Saxby called for a tier 1a or tier 2-minus designation to support local hospitality businesses during reduced restrictions. She noted that her constituency's tourism sector was down by 56% compared to last year and up to 70% of hospitality businesses were unsure about survival past Easter.

Sunderland commended the Government for balancing public health safety with economic support, acknowledging the challenges faced. He highlighted successful local initiatives like Bracknell’s Lexicon shopping centre and the opening of a new covid-19 Lighthouse laboratory at Brants Bridge which would process up to 40,000 tests daily by February. Sunderland also praised the vaccine roll-out in his constituency starting from tomorrow. He thanked constituents for their pragmatism, social responsibility, patience, and community spirit.

Labour pays tribute to the work carried out by doctors and scientists across the world to develop vaccines against covid-19. The Government failed to use the window provided by the second national lockdown to fix the Serco test and trace system, which remains an area where they are failing. Labour calls for local mayors and council leaders to be in the driving seat for delivering an effective localised test, track and trace system. Multimillion-pound contracts have been handed to a small number of large firms without competition, leading to cronyism and undermining the trust in the Government’s response. Schools must be properly supported with mass testing measures, and children need basic equipment to continue their education remotely when needed. Local leaders should take charge over test, track and trace once and for all.

Reminded the House of the difficult times we are facing due to the pandemic, emphasised the need for continued public health measures such as social distancing, mask-wearing, and regular testing. Highlighted the importance of the vaccine rollout, especially in care homes, and thanked NHS workers and care home staff for their efforts during this challenging time.

Brought up the issue regarding care agency staff not receiving regular tests despite being distributed to care homes, specifically mentioning a case where 20 out of 80 regular workers were excluded from testing.

Asked the Minister about additional personnel resources for areas entering tier 3, particularly concerning the administration of vaccines given a diminished workforce due to self-isolation and illness.