Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Topical Questions

Tuesday 23 February 2021 · 13 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 8 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Liz Twist (Blaydon and Consett) raised concerns about the prolonged wait times for treatments like Kuvan for patients with PKU, urging the government to address the issue.
  • Jeremy Hunt (Godalming and Ash) supported the previous question on the urgent need for Kuvan and asked about the publication of a workforce plan for doctors and nurses.
  • Jon Ashworth inquired about the NHS paying for inadequate PPE during the pandemic and requested an apology and commitment to recover taxpayers' money.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Liz Twist Lab Blaydon and Consett
NHS
Context

The government published a roadmap outlining steps towards reclaiming freedoms but did not specify how it would address concerns about the impact on local organisations.

Question

If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities. The government's programme has failed to recognise the impact on organisations in Blaydon and Consett, including those affected by prolonged wait times for treatments like Kuvan, a drug needed by patients with phenylketonuria (PKU).

Answer from Matthew Hancock

The hon. Lady is a long-standing and passionate campaigner for Kuvan. The NICE methods review looks at the question she raises. It is important that we have a clinically-led process for approval of medicines, and I know she agrees with that. The methods review will make sure that we take advantage of advances in medical technology which will allow us to bring drugs and treatments to patients more quickly than in the past.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specifics on Kuvan approval timeline, funding for treatment access were not provided

How: Nice Methods Review Is Ongoing

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Q2 Liz Twist Lab Blaydon and Consett
NHS
Context

1 in 17 people in the UK are affected by rare diseases, with PKU patients awaiting NICE appraisal of Kuvan. The current wait time for approval is 12 years which is deemed too long.

Question

This coming Sunday is Rare Disease Day 2021. One in 17 people in the UK will be affected by a rare disease, and today people with PKU—phenylketonuria—are awaiting the outcome of a NICE appraisal of Kuvan, but 12 years waiting for Kuvan or other treatments is too long. Does the Secretary of State agree that our rare disease community deserves access to early diagnosis and treatment?

Answer from Matthew Hancock

The hon. Lady is a long-standing and passionate campaigner for Kuvan. The NICE methods review looks at the question she raises. It is important that we have a clinically-led process for approval of medicines, and I know she agrees with that. The methods review will make sure that we take advantage of advances in medical technology which will allow us to bring drugs and treatments to patients more quickly than in the past.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specifics on Kuvan approval timeline, funding for treatment access were not provided

How: Nice Methods Review Is Ongoing

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Q3 Jeremy Hunt Con Godalming and Ash
NHS
Context

Frontline NHS staff have done a magnificent job this year but are worried about the long-term training of doctors and nurses. The questioner wants to know if there will be a workforce plan published.

Question

Can I add my support to the previous question about the urgent need to sort out the issue of Kuvan, because I too have constituents suffering very badly from the long wait that they have had? Will he publish a workforce plan this year with independent projections for doctors and nurses over the next couple of decades?

Answer from Matthew Hancock

We now have a record number of doctors in the NHS. We are on track to meet our manifesto commitment to 50,000 more nurses and have seen an increase in the number of doctors too. Of course there is more to be done but this is undoubtedly a question that we will return to.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No specific workforce plan announcement or commitment was made

How: More Needs To Be Done, Will Revisit

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Q4 Jon Ashworth Lab
NHS
Context

The National Audit Office reported on PPE shortages. NHS staff resorted to makeshift PPE solutions due to shortages, leading to deaths.

Question

There were PPE shortages that led to nurses resorting to makeshift PPE like bin bags and curtains. Hundreds of NHS staff died. The response was to pay pest control firms, hedge funds, and a jeweller for inadequate masks and gowns. Will he apologise and commit to recovering taxpayers' money?

Answer from Matthew Hancock

Where contracts are not delivered against we do not intend to pay taxpayers' money but also wanted to make sure as much PPE was secured into the country. There were individual instances but no national level shortage, confirmed by the National Audit Office.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No apology or commitment to recover money for non-delivered contracts

How: No National Level Shortage, Confirmed By Nao

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Q5 Jon Ashworth Lab
NHS
Context

A week ago, GP services with 375,000 patients were taken over by Centene without patient consultation or public scrutiny. This is seen as a stealth privatisation that could have huge implications for patient care.

Question

Will he step in to halt the transfer of GP services to the US health insurance corporation Centene and ensure it is fully scrutinised?

Answer from Matthew Hancock

What matters for patients is the quality of patient care. Throughout the pandemic, we have seen that what matters most are quality issues. We should look out for that and support staff working hard to deliver on it.

Not addressed: Did not address halting transfer or scrutiny commitment

How: Focuses On Patient Care Quality Instead Of Procedural Steps

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Q6 Robbie Moore Con Keighley and Ilkley
NHS
Context

The Airedale hospital in Keighley and Ilkley is over 50 years old with significant structural issues. The Conservative Government has committed to funding eight new hospitals.

Question

My right hon. Friend will be aware that the Airedale hospital in my constituency is now over 50 years old and 83% of the building is constructed from aerated concrete, which is known for its structural deficiencies. It is great news that this Conservative Government will commit to funding eight new hospitals in addition to the 40, but may I make an urgent plea to my right hon. Friend that the Airedale hospital, given its high-risk profile, is considered as one of the final eight?

Answer from Matthew Hancock

I think my hon. Friend has just made his heartfelt plea and it has certainly landed with me, but I am not surprised because he has made this case to me on behalf of his constituents over and over again and he is quite right to. We are in the process of considering which hospitals will be in the eight additional, on top of the 40 that we committed to in our manifesto. I am grateful for his representations and we will certainly consider Airedale and its full needs for the local community.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The government has not committed to funding Airedale Hospital specifically, only considering it as part of a wider process.

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Q7 Chris Bryant Lab Rhondda and Ogmore
NHS
Context

The NHS has to adapt following the coronavirus pandemic, including increasing ICU capacity, manufacturing vaccines locally, improving long-term rehabilitation for brain injuries patients, and reviewing care homes.

Question

I wonder whether the Health Secretary would agree with me that coronavirus has not only changed many of the ways that we have to do our lives, but it is fundamentally going to have to change the whole structure of the NHS re. That means we are going to have to recruit more pathologists in this country for ourselves; we are going to have to have far more intensive care unit capacity; we are going to have to have UK manufacture not only of PPE but of vaccines if we are to be able to be self-reliant; we are going to have much better long-term rehabilitation for people with brain injuries; and we are going to have a complete review of our care homes, aren't we?

Answer from Matthew Hancock

We will need to draw many lessons from the pandemic. For instance, my brilliant team who have done all this procurement of PPE have also built an onshore PPE manufacturing capability. With regard to almost all items of PPE, 70% of it is now made onshore in the UK, up from about 2% before the pandemic—likewise for vaccines, where we did not have large-scale vaccine manufacture and we now do, and for a host of other areas, including some of those that the hon. Gentleman mentioned.

Answered
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Q8 Joy Morrissey Con Beaconsfield
NHS
Context

A recent court ruling on PPE contracts caused concern that NHS trusts might not receive the necessary equipment despite a global shortage.

Question

With regard to the recent court ruling on the issuing of PPE contracts, will my right hon. Friend confirm that, as a result of the action taken by Health Department officials, NHS trusts did receive vital PPE, despite there being a global shortage?

Answer from Matthew Hancock

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The court ruling in question found that we were on average 17 days late with the paperwork, but it did not find against any of the individual contracts. My team worked so hard to deliver the PPE that was needed and so, as the National Audit Office has confirmed and as my hon. Friend set out, there was never a point at which there was a national shortage. There were, of course, localised challenges and we were in the situation of a huge increase in global demand, but I think that we should all thank the civil servants who did such a good job.

Answered
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Q9 Daisy Cooper Lib Dem St Albans
NHS
Context

GPs and pharmacists in St Albans reported a severe shortage of vaccine supplies, limiting their ability to vaccinate the population.

Question

The Prime Minister's first test for easing restrictions is that the vaccine deployment continues successfully, yet GPs and pharmacists have been telling me for weeks and weeks and weeks in St Albans that they cannot get the vaccine supply that they desperately need. They could be vaccinating 14,000 people a week, but they are only getting the supplies for 1,000. Why is that and when will it be fixed?

Answer from Matthew Hancock

As we have repeatedly explained, supply is the rate-limiting factor. The hon. Member will no doubt have seen that there have been international discussions on the rate of supply, and countries around the world are finding supply the rate-limiting factor. Thankfully, thanks to the decisions that this Government took early, we have some of the best access to the supply of vaccine in the world. That is why we have one of the best vaccine delivery programmes in the world.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The government did not provide a timeline for when supplies would be adequate or address the discrepancy between capacity and actual vaccinations delivered.

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Q10 Chris Grayling Con
NHS
Context

The government published a road map outlining steps to ease lockdown measures, but the MP questioned whether there had been an assessment of infection risks in individual settings.

Question

I congratulate my right hon. Friend again on the progress of the vaccination process. He should be proud of what he has achieved. The documents published yesterday about the road map did not appear to contain any assessment of the infection risk in individual settings, which could have demonstrated that there had been carefully informed decisions about the reasons for each individual restriction. Has that work been carried out? If so, will my right hon. Friend commit to publishing those assessments immediately?

Answer from Matthew Hancock

Of course we assess this, but it is challenging to get to a statistical answer to the question that my right hon. Friend raises. When we have taken action to restrict access to areas where there is evidence of significant transmission, such as the hospitality industry, that confounds the statistical analysis because people cannot go into that environment and therefore the passing on of infection there reduces. This is a matter of evidence and judgment. It is a significant challenge, but the road map is based on our best assessment of the situation, which is based on clinical advice, including the focus on the fact that we know that outdoors is safer than indoors. Hence the early steps, after schools, are focused on opening things up outdoors.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The government did not commit to publishing the assessments or provide clear evidence of the infection risk in individual settings.

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Q11 Carol Monaghan SNP
NHS Benefits & Welfare
Context

Opening up restrictions by date rather than data may lead to an increase in long-term conditions such as long covid, for which proper financial support is needed.

Question

Opening up by date and not data, as described by the Prime Minister yesterday, will allow prevalence in the general population to continue, unfortunately increasing the number of people affected by long covid. What discussions has the Secretary of State had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to ensure that proper financial support is available for those afflicted by long covid, including a continued £20 a week uplift of universal credit?

Answer from Matthew Hancock

Of course long covid is an incredibly serious condition for some and is part of our considerations and deliberations, but I want to correct something the hon. Member said. The road map sets out indicative dates before which we will not move, but we will be guided by the data, hence the five-week gaps between each step to make sure we have four weeks to see the impact of the step and one week of advance notice for the go/no-go decision. That is based on clinical advice, which I know is shared across the UK.

Not addressed: The government did not address discussions or support for long covid patients specifically.

How: Redirecting To The Road Map'S Data-Driven Approach

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Q12 Duncan Baker
Care & Healthcare Workers
Context

The MP led an initiative in Norfolk County Council to identify unpaid carers who are not on official registers. The issue is about ensuring these difficult-to-find carers receive the vaccine.

Question

I am delighted that many carers are in priority group 6 given the enormous and vital role they are playing during the pandemic. Recently, I led an initiative to help my local county council identify carers—and unpaid carers—around Norfolk as many are not on official registers. Will my right hon. Friend tell me how he is working with Norfolk County Council and all local authorities to ensure that those difficult-to-find carers are not missed in the call to be vaccinated?

Answer from Matthew Hancock

I pay tribute to my hon. Friend's work in making sure that all carers, who are properly in priority group 6, get the opportunity to be vaccinated, including those who may be unregistered with the system, but nevertheless are carers. It is very important and I pay tribute to the work of Norfolk County Council. I know that my hon. Friend the Care Minister will be happy to meet my hon. Friend and the county council to discuss what further can be done.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask was not directly addressed with concrete details on how the government is working with local councils to ensure unregistered carers receive vaccines.

How: Will Be Happy To Meet

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Q13 Rupa Huq Lab Ealing Central and Acton
Women & Equalities
Context

Women seeking access to abortion clinics face harassment from anti-choicers on a daily basis. Currently, there is a 40-day running protest.

Question

It is pleasing that anti-vax propagandising has been clamped down on, but long predating covid, on a daily basis, women seeking to access abortion clinics have faced anti-choicers. At the moment they are on a 40-day running Lent protest. Will the Secretary of State work with Ministers across Government to ensure that no woman ever feels harassed or intimidated when obtaining medical care that she is legally entitled to?

Answer from Matthew Hancock

I am very happy to take up that proposal. Nobody should be harassed when accessing any medical treatment. There are agreed rules around abortion and people should be able to access abortion properly, according to those rules.

Not addressed: The specific ask was not addressed with concrete details on how the government will ensure women are not harassed while accessing legal abortion services.

How: Nobody Should Be Harassed, Agreed Rules

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