Labour seeks answers on facemasks stockpile to avoid mistakes of PPE
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Labour is calling for the Government to say how it plans to
stockpile facemasks in readiness for any change in scientific
advice, to avoid the mistakes made over personal protective
equipment for key workers. With an increasing number of countries
now advising some form of facemasks are worn in public, and the
Japanese government sending free masks to 50 million households,
Shadow Cabinet Office Minister Rachel Reeves says the Government
needs to demonstrate it is ahead of...Request free trial
Labour is calling for the Government to say how it plans to stockpile facemasks in readiness for any change in scientific advice, to avoid the mistakes made over personal protective equipment for key workers. With an increasing number of countries now advising some form of facemasks are worn in public, and the Japanese government sending free masks to 50 million households, Shadow Cabinet Office Minister Rachel Reeves says the Government needs to demonstrate it is ahead of the game after being too slow on the lockdown, too slow to get PPE to the frontline, and too slow on testing and tracing the coronavirus. She is asking Ministers to outline how they will work with British businesses, trade unions and international supply networks to ensure that the UK has sufficient quantities of masks and a way of distributing them to those who need them, and offering to work with the Government on such a strategy. Reeves is asking the Government to confirm how many facemasks it estimates would be required if they became mandatory in public, and what type they would be; whether it believes that the British textiles industry has the capacity to produce masks on a large scale; where its stockpile would be sourced from, and where additional masks would be produced; and what preparations have already been made to ensure an effective and fair distribution of them. Rachel Reeves said: “The Government was too slow to enter the lockdown, too slow to get vital protective equipment to NHS, social care and other key workers, and too slow on testing and tracing to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. “We need to know what the plans are to stockpile facemasks in readiness for any change in the scientific advice. This is an opportunity for Ministers to get ahead of the game and demonstrate they have learned from their mistakes, and we stand ready to help them to achieve that. “Labour is supporting the Government through this crisis when it is getting things right, and challenging it when things are going wrong. This is in all our interests to protect public health.” Ends Notes to editors Rachel Reeves has raised the issue of stockpiling facemasks in a letter to Michael Gove (full text below), which also raises the following points: Personal Protective Equipment
Clarify when the Government expects the so-called Clipper service
to be up and running for local councils to access PPE. Child abuse
Ask what progress has been made to address the spike in child
abuse and harmful online images since lockdown started. Local government
Ask if the Government will reimburse any increase in expenditure
or reduction in income experienced by local government - and if
further resources will be made available to public health
departments. Asylum seekers and refugees Provide further details about the Government’s assurance that it is looking into the problems suffered by those who have no recourse to public funds. Full text of Rachel Reeves’ letter to Michael Gove Dear Michael, It was good to see you at the despatch box this week. I hope that we can work constructively together in the national interest through this crisis. In the Chamber, I put a number of questions to you. Frontline workers in our public services are putting themselves at risk to serve our communities, and all of us rely on the work they do. Therefore there were a great number of important issues to discuss, and as always, little time to do it in. These questions covered the impact upon public services of the coronavirus and the government’s response to it. Following your Statement, I wanted to seek clarity on the answers to some of the questions that colleagues and I asked. Specifically: Facemasks An increasing number of countries are advising the mass wearing of facemasks. For instance, facemasks are now mandatory in shops or on public transport in many German states and the Japanese government has sent free face masks to 50 million households. Some countries advise the wearing of knitted masks; others are recommending widespread use of surgical masks. To prepare for the possibility that the UK government will in future issue the same advice, I would encourage the government to be open and transparent and work with British businesses, trade unions and international supply networks to ensure that we have sufficient quantities of masks and a way of distributing them to those who need them. We would be willing to work with government on such a strategy. In that spirit, I put the following questions: • What efforts has the government made towards the stockpiling of facemasks? • What type of facemasks or covering, made from what material, could be made available on the scale required? • How many face masks would need to be produced should they become mandatory for the public? • What capacity does government believe that British textiles manufacturers have to produce facemasks on a large scale for distribution to households? • Where has any stockpile been sourced from, and where would additional facemasks be produced? • What preparations have been made to ensure effective and fair distribution of facemasks? Personal Protective Equipment Members across the House are all still hearing of shortages of PPE in hospitals, care homes and for other frontline workers, including Nadia Whittome who asked about PPE for care workers. With that in mind, I ask: · With huge PPE shortages in care homes, can you clarify when you expect the so-called Clipper service to be up and running for local councils to access PPE, with reports that it won’t be available for a further three weeks? · The UK’s guidance for the quality of PPE required in social care settings falls below the World Health Organisation’s standards. Are you confident about the standards of PPE in our care homes today? · As Stephanie Peacock pointed out, in March the British Chambers of Commerce offered to help coordinate the procurement of spare PPE from businesses and get it to the frontline. Has the government responded to this offer, and has there been any material outcome? Child abuse There has been a spike in child abuse and online images since lockdown started. As Chris Elmore noted, there has been an 89% decrease in URLs taken down over the past few months. · What progress has been made in addressing this, and more widely in protecting the most vulnerable children? · What steps have been taken to ensure the police have the resources required? Local government: Barbara Keeley raised the funding gap that councils are having to struggle with, and the danger of further cuts to frontline services at a time when they are needed most. · Will the government ensure that any increase in expenditure or reduction in income experienced by local government will be reimbursed by the Treasury? · James Murray asked for the government’s plans for contact tracing to involve local authorities. If we are to use contact tracing to contain the spread of the virus, much of this will need to take place at a community level. Are they going to be involved, and if so in what role, and when? · And as Rosie Cooper asked, will the government provide further resource to our public health departments and give them access to the information they need to play a key part in responding to this crisis at a local level? Asylum seekers and refugees Stephen Timms raised the problems suffered by those who have no income whatsoever through this period thanks to no recourse to public funds. You stated in response that the government is looking at this issue. Can you offer any further detail on the government’s plans? Finally, I was relieved to hear it announced following the Statement that care home deaths will now be reported on a daily basis, as Kevin Brennan, Steve McCabe and I pressed you on during our exchanges. As we have said, Labour will throughout this crisis support the government where it is right to do so, and challenge where it is necessary. I hope you will carefully consider whether the government could be doing more to resolve the issues I have outlined. It is in all of our interests that the government gets its management of this crisis right. I will look forward to receiving your response. Best wishes, Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster |