The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (): With permission, I would
like to make a statement on coronavirus.
Thanks to the collective determination and resolve of the nation,
we are winning this battle. We have flattened the curve, we have
protected the NHS, and together we have come through the peak.
Yesterday, I was able to announce that the level of daily deaths
is lower than at any time since lockdown began on 23 March.
Today’s Office for National Statistics data show that the level
of excess mortality is also lower than at any time since the
start of lockdown, falling on a downward trend. The ONS reports
12,288 all-cause deaths in England and Wales in the week ending
22 May. That is down from 14,573 in the previous week. That
latest figure is still above the average for this time of year
and we must not relent in our work to drive it down, but it is
now broadly in line with what we might typically see during the
winter. We never forget that each of those deaths represents a
family that will never be the same again. This House mourns each
one.
We are moving in the right direction, but this crisis is very far
from being over and we are now at a particularly sensitive moment
in the course of the pandemic. We must proceed carefully and
cautiously as we work to restore freedom in this country, taking
small steps forward and monitoring the result, being prepared to
pause in our progress if that is what public safety requires. So
today I would like to update the House on two important aspects
of the action we are taking.
First, NHS Test and Trace is now operational. That means we have
updated our public health advice. Since the start of the crisis,
we have said to people that you must wash your hands,
self-isolate if you have symptoms, and follow the social
distancing rules. All those remain incredibly important, but
there is a new duty—and it is a duty—that we now ask and expect
of people. If you have one of these symptoms—that is: a fever; a
new, continuous cough; a change in your sense of taste or
smell—you must get a test. We have more than enough capacity to
provide a test for anyone who needs one and we have more than
enough capacity to trace all your contacts. So, to repeat: if you
have symptoms get a test. That is how we locate, isolate and
control the virus. By the way, I make no apology for this
overcapacity. The fact that we have thousands of NHS contact
tracers on standby reflects the fact that transmission of the
virus is currently low. If we were in a position where we needed
to use all that capacity, it would mean that the virus was
running at a higher rate—something that no one wants to see.
Secondly, I want to update the House on the work we are doing to
understand the unequal and disproportionate way that this disease
targets people, including those who are from black or minority
ethnic backgrounds. This is very timely work. People are
understandably angry about injustices, and as Health Secretary, I
feel a deep responsibility, because this pandemic has exposed
huge disparities in the health of our nation. It is very clear
that some people are significantly more vulnerable to covid-19,
and that is something I am determined to understand in full and
take action to address.
Today, I can announce that Public Health England has completed
work into disparities in the risks and outcomes of covid-19, and
we have published its findings. PHE has found the following.
First, as we are all aware, age is the biggest risk factor. Among
those diagnosed with covid-19, people who are 80 or older are 70
times more likely to die than those under 40. Being male is also
a significant risk factor. Working-age men are twice as likely to
die as working-age women. Occupation is a risk factor, with
professions that involve dealing with the public in an enclosed
space, such as taxi driving, at higher risk. Importantly, the
data show that people working in hospitals are not more likely to
catch or die from covid-19.
Diagnosis rates are higher in deprived or densely populated urban
areas, and we know that our great cities have been hardest hit by
this virus. This work underlines that being black or from a
minority ethnic background is a major risk factor. That racial
disparity holds even after accounting for the effects of age,
deprivation, region and sex. The PHE ethnicity analysis did not
adjust for factors such as comorbidities and obesity, so there is
much more work to do to understand the key drivers of these
disparities, the relationships between the different risk factors
and what we can do to close the gap.
I want to thank Public Health England for this work. I am
determined that we continue to develop our understanding and
shape our response. I am pleased to announce that my right hon.
Friend the Equalities Minister will be leading on this work and
taking it forward, working with PHE and others to further
understand the impacts. We need everyone to play their part by
staying alert, following the social distancing rules, isolating
and getting a test if you have symptoms. We must not relax our
guard but continue to fight this virus together. That is how we
will get through this and keep driving the infection down. I
commend this statement to the House
12.57 pm
(Leicester South)
(Lab/Co-op)
There have now been 56,308 excess deaths since the beginning of
March, 12,500 of which are not related to covid, but we do have
one of the worst excess death rates in the world—why does the
Secretary of State think that is? What does he believe is the
cause of the non-covid excess death rate?
With respect to the PHE’s findings, which I am pleased to see
published today, we have always known that there is a social
gradient in health. The poorest and most deprived have inequality
in access to healthcare and inequality in health outcomes. What
the Secretary of State has confirmed today is that covid thrives
on inequalities. Yes, indeed, black lives matter, but it is
surely a call to action that black, Asian and minority ethnic
people are more likely to die from covid and more likely to be
admitted to intensive care with covid. He has seen the findings.
I note that the Equalities Minister is taking work forward, but
what action will be taken to minimise risk for black, Asian and
minority ethnic people?
There are other vulnerable groups who are highly at risk. I am
sure the Secretary of State will have seen today the Care Quality
Commission report which shows a 134% increase in deaths of people
with learning disabilities. Surely it is now time to expand
testing to those under 65 in receipt of adult social care.
On the easing of restrictions, the Secretary of State said that
this was a sensitive moment—well, quite, Mr Speaker. Our
constituents have concerns and are looking for reassurance,
particularly those in the shielding group. They really should not
have had to wake up on Sunday morning to find out that they could
now leave the house once a day. They need clarity and details.
And why were GPs not informed in advance?
We are still at around 50,000 infections a week, so may I press
the Secretary of State a bit further on the easing of
restrictions? The biosecurity level remains at 4, but his own
Command Paper from 11 May said that changes to lockdown
“must be warranted by the current alert level”.
At the Sunday news conference, the Secretary of State for
Housing, Communities and Local Government said that all the
proposed easing of restrictions had been modelled and showed that
the R value remained below 1. That is, of course, reassuring, but
will he now publish that modelling so that it can be
peer-reviewed?
The easing of restrictions was based on tests, so may I ask the
Secretary of State a couple of questions? First, on NHS capacity,
we know that the NHS has not been overwhelmed, but that has been
on the back of cancelled planned surgery, delays to vital
treatment, and the postponing of cancer screening. Arguably, it
has been the biggest rationing exercise in the history of the
NHS. Will he now publish the total number of planned operations
that have been cancelled and detail them by procedure? As the
lockdown is eased, is it his intention to step down some of that
surge capacity so that this backlog of clinical need can start to
be tackled?
On managing the virus, one of the tests is on whether we can
manage the virus, but, as the Secretary of State has said, that
depends on testing and tracing. There is now capacity for more
than 200,000 tests, but there is still a lack of clarity about
how that figure is arrived at. The UK Statistics Authority has
written to him today, saying that his figures are still
“far from complete and comprehensible”,
that the testing statistics still fall well short of standards in
the code, and that it is not surprising that testing data is
mistrusted. That is quite damning, I have to say to him. Will he
start publishing again the actual numbers of people tested? Will
he stop counting tests mailed to homes as completed? Will he
detail what proportion of the 200,000 tests are diagnostic PCR,
what proportion are antibody, and what proportion are
surveillance? Can he tell us how many care home staff and
residents have been tested? When will he start weekly testing of
all NHS staff, as that is crucial for getting on top of
infections in hospitals? Will he tell us what percentage of the
Deloitte-run testing facilities have been sent to GPs?
On test and trace, which is absolutely vital to safe easing out
of the lockdown, the Prime Minister told the House before the
recess that it would be “world-beating” and operational by
yesterday, but it is not actually fully operational at a local
level, is it? Can the Secretary of State confirm that local
directors of public health have been told to prepare strategies
for tracing with a deadline of the end of June, that they will
not actually start receiving local individual data until next
week, and that many have still not been told their allocations of
the extra £300 million nor what they can spend it on? When will
they get those allocations? Despite this, he said yesterday that
test and trace is up and running. I am not sure how he can say
that it is up and running when local directors of public health
are still asking for that information. Will he publish the data
and what percentage of infections have been contacted and how
many contacts have been followed up? Will that data be published
on a daily basis?
This is a crucial week, given the easing of restrictions, and our
constituents want reassurance and clarity, but I am afraid that
trust has been undermined by the scandal. Our constituents
want to do the right thing for their loved ones and their
neighbours. Can he give them those reassurances today?
I entirely agree that it is critical that people play their part
in making sure that we continue the work of controlling this
virus and driving down the number of new transmissions. I am glad
that he recognises the work that has been done, not just by
Government, but by all of us, to get this virus under control.
Let me answer the hon. Gentleman’s questions specifically. He
asks about the inequalities in health outcomes. He is quite right
to address that subject. It was important before we went into the
coronavirus crisis, and it is even more important now. Black
lives matter, as do those of the poorest areas of our country,
which have the worst health outcomes. We need to ensure that all
these considerations are taken into account and that action is
taken to level up the health outcomes of people across this
country, because there is no more important levelling up than the
levelling up of a person’s life expectancy and the quality of
health with which they live that life.
The hon. Gentleman asked specifically about those with learning
disabilities and autism. That testing in care homes for those of
working age has continued all the way through this crisis, and we
are rolling it out further. He mentions the changes to those who
are in the shielding category. I was very pleased that we were
able to make these changes. We announced them at the weekend and
they have been very well received, especially by those who are
shielding, because they are now able, safely, to go outside. It
is hard to overstate the impact of saying to people that the
recommended medical advice was that they should not go outside
for 10 weeks. I am glad we have been able to lift, just slightly,
the restrictions on those in the shielding category.
The hon. Gentleman also asked about the restart of the NHS. It is
vital that we get the rest of the NHS going again, and that work
is under way. The expansion of cancer facilities is under way.
The demand for accident and emergency and urgent care is not as
high as it was, but I look forward to the full restoration of our
A&E facilities across the country, including in central
Lancashire.
The hon. Gentleman asks, rightly, about the NHS test and trace
capability. That is up and running, and working well. He asks how
I can say it is working well. It is working well because
thousands of people have been contacted and their contacts are
being traced. So the system is working. We absolutely will
publish data on that, but, as the letter from the UK Statistics
Authority this morning shows, it is very important that we get
that data publication right. We will work with the UKSA to make
sure it is happy with how we are publishing that data, to make
sure we get the data published in a reasonable and sensible way,
one that also supports the operation of NHS test and trace, which
we agree is a critical part of the next stage. I commit to
publishing that data and to working with the UKSA on how it is
put together.
The final point to make in response is that the goal here is to
have a more targeted approach to the lockdown, so that we can
carefully and cautiously lift the broader lockdown. That is what
we are working to achieve, and I am very grateful for the support
from right across the House for our efforts to accomplish that.
(Berwickshire, Roxburgh and
Selkirk) (Con)
Let me start by thanking the NHS and care workers in my
constituency in the Scottish borders, who are working so hard to
keep us healthy. The Health Secretary will be aware of the very
low levels of testing taking place in Scotland, which is clearly
a concern as we move into the test and isolate phase. Given the
UK Government’s role in providing test facilities in Scotland,
what further assistance can they provide to the Scottish
Government to help push up the testing numbers?
We have supported and helped the Scottish Government throughout
this, because although they have missed their targets in the
roll-out on tests delivered in Scotland, the UK programme of the
drive-through centres and the home-test kits has also been
operational in Scotland. I work closely with my Scottish
counterparts to try to make sure that testing is as available in
Scotland as it is in England, and that work is ongoing.
Mr Speaker
I call to speak on behalf of the
Scottish National party—you have four minutes.
(Ross, Skye and Lochaber)
(SNP)
I am standing in today for my hon. Friend the Member for Central
Ayrshire (Dr Whitford), who is excluded from taking part, given
the removal of the hybrid Parliament—for now. There are growing
concerns that this Tory Government is taking a cavalier approach
on coronavirus, by rushing to ease lockdown measures despite
warnings from public health experts. There are serious questions
to answer on the political decisions the Prime Minister and the
Health Secretary have taken, which could increase the rate of
infection and put lives at risk—or even cause a second wave of
covid-19. The Government claim to follow the science, so why have
they ignored the experts who have advised against opening schools
or easing lockdown further, without pausing to evaluate each
step? On what basis were the decisions made to allow groups of
people from six different houses to meet in England, to tell 2.2
million people in the shielded group that they can go outside and
to send people back to work in England on 11 May without a
functioning test, trace and isolate system in place? The results
from the Deloitte regional test centres are still not being
reported to local public health teams. How does the Secretary of
State plan to fix this, and by when? What financial support will
be put in place for those called on to isolate as asymptomatic
contacts, especially as this could happen more than once?
With test and trace depending on people being willing to isolate
if told to do so by a contact tracer, does the Secretary of State
not regret that he and his Cabinet colleagues have completely
shredded their own lockdown rules to protect a man who thought he
was above the rules? In refusing to sack for travelling 260 miles
with his wife, who was symptomatic, the Prime Minister has
destroyed his own “Stay home and save lives” message. We know
that the scandal has undermined
efforts to tackle the virus by eroding trust in the UK Government
and its public health guidelines, and we have seen that people
are breaking the rules as a result. Does the Secretary of State
not recognise that the scandal has already undermined lockdown
and could lead to more infections and even more deaths in the
future? This is about leadership and responsibility. should go, and he should
go now.
I look forward to my SNP opposite number returning and to being
able to have a constructive discussion about how we might
together tackle the virus; how we might together protect those
who are shielding and for whom, thankfully, it is safe to go
outside, based on the clinical advice; how we can ensure that the
test and trace system is rolled out across the whole of the UK;
how the systems can interact and work together to protect people,
especially in border areas, where people may need to make
cross-border journeys; how we can work together, as a whole
country, to keep the number of new infections going down; and how
we can work together to protect people and protect our NHS. Those
are the conversations that I have with the Scottish Government
and with my SNP opposite number here in Westminster, and those
are the things that really matter.
Several hon. Members rose—
Mr Speaker
I am expecting to run this session until 2 o’clock. I call
.
(West Worcestershire) (Con)
Will the Secretary of State join me in thanking the teachers in
Worcestershire, who managed to get 77% of reception classes open
yesterday? I am told by these teachers that their schools are not
large enough for them to welcome all pupils back and observe the
2 metre rule, so could he update the House on why the UK is
continuing to maintain a distance that is double that recommended
by the World Health Organisation?
We have reviewed the science on the 2 metre rule. The challenge
is that the further apart people are, the less likely is
transmission of the virus, so the rules we have in place are to
slow the transmission of this virus. It is not really the rule
that presents the challenge in schools; it is about trying to
make sure that all places are as safe as possible. We keep this
under review, as the Prime Minister has said. I congratulate
schools across Worcestershire on reopening 77% of reception
classes. It is a very important step forward. Making sure that we
have the guidelines in place so that we can live with the virus
while bringing the rate of transmission right down is very
important.
(Twickenham) (LD)
In view of the Secretary of State’s statement confirming PHE’s
findings that being black or minority ethnic is a high-risk
factor, what guidance is he providing to the NHS and social care
sectors on the rostering of BAME staff in high-risk covid areas?
Will his Department be investigating whistleblower claims that
BAME locums were disproportionately placed on the rota at Weston
General Hospital, which has recently experienced a major
outbreak?
The hon. Lady is right to raise the case of Weston hospital. We
have been working hard to ensure that the local outbreak is
brought under control, and we are making progress. She is also
right, of course, to raise the PHE report that we published
today.
The critical next step is to ensure that we understand the
drivers of the disparities that are seen in the data and, in
particular, that we address the question of the impact, taking
into account co-morbidities has such as obesity and the impact of
occupation, which are not taken into account in the PHE work thus
far. That is the work that the Minister for Women and Equalities,
my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Norfolk (), will be taking forward.
(East Surrey) (Con)
I know the worry that has been felt by the BME community during
this period. I have personally felt it, as have many of my family
members working on the frontline in the NHS, so I sincerely thank
the Secretary of State for commissioning the review and
continuing its work. Can he confirm that its publication was not
delayed due to the sensitivity of its findings?
I can absolutely confirm that. I know my hon. Friend understands
this, not least because I think that both her parents are doctors
who are absolutely in the heat of this. In terms of the data
publication, when I asked PHE to undertake this piece of work, I
asked it to produce it by the end of May, which it did. It
delivered it to me on Sunday, and we have published it and
brought it to the House at the earliest opportunity.
(Leyton and Wanstead) (Lab)
Further to the previous question, is the Secretary of State
saying that the publication of the report by Public Health
England into the wildly disproportionate level of deaths among
ethnic minority communities was delayed purely because further
work was needed on elements of it? In that case, at what point
will it be published?
No, I am not saying that. I asked Public Health England to
produce this work because I was very worried by the evidence of
the increased morbidity and mortality among black and minority
ethnic communities. I gave a deadline of the end of May. The work
was delivered to me on Sunday, at the end of May. I considered it
yesterday and brought it to the House at the first chance.
(Stoke-on-Trent Central)
(Con)
Will my right hon. Friend join me in thanking the British Ceramic
Confederation for its work advising the Government on safety in
the hospitality industry? A chipped plate is not covid-safe, so
will he encourage the hospitality industry to buy high-quality
chip-resistant tableware from our world-class manufacturers in
Stoke-on-Trent?
Yes, I will. The manufacturing of pottery and chinaware in
Stoke-on-Trent has long been one of the finest things in this
country. My hon. Friend is an inesteemable representative, along
with her two colleagues, for Stoke-on-Trent—[Interruption.]
Inestimable. Exactly. I think that is what I said. She rightly
makes that case, but there is a broader point, which is that
coming out of this, we are going to need many industries that
work differently. The economy will not be the same on the way out
as it was on the way in, and in many cases we can make changes
for the better. She is absolutely sticking up for the pottery
industry.
(Bristol East) (Lab)
I very much welcome what the Secretary of State has said about
the PHE report and the need to get to the bottom of why these
racial disparities seem to be a thing, but it is not enough to
work out after the event why there have been so many more deaths
among the BAME community. What is he doing to support the public
health function in local authorities so that they can work with
local community groups to try to identify people who are more
likely to be at risk, to prevent the illnesses and deaths from
occurring in the first place?
We have put extra funding into those functions, obviously,
because this is a significant crisis that demands massively more
of our local public health capabilities in councils and in the
devolved Administrations as they deliver local public health
services on the ground. It is absolutely critical to look at
these risks, but we have to look at them in the round. We have to
look at all the different risks. For instance, there is growing
evidence of the impact of obesity on the morbidity—that is, the
impact of covid—and on people’s chances of dying, and that has to
be taken into account as well.
(Dudley North) (Con)
I know my right hon. Friend feels a deep sense of responsibility
for health outcomes across the United Kingdom, and not just
health outcomes but how healthcare services are delivered. Will
he provide an update on what the Government are doing to support
social care in Dudley, the Black Country and the rest of the
country?
I am delighted to say that the statistics published by the Office
for National Statistics this morning show that the proportion of
covid deaths in social care is falling, and that is very good
news. I am very grateful to all those working in social care, and
those working in local authorities to support those in social
care, in Dudley and throughout the country. We have put in
billions of pounds of extra funding, including £600 million just
10 days ago. We have to make sure that we support those working
in social care, who look after some of the most vulnerable.
(Glasgow Central)
(SNP)
A growing number of constituents are getting in touch with me to
express their concerns about the Public Health England report and
the impact of coronavirus on ethnic minorities. The death rates
of black and minority ethnic people are in many ways connected to
people who have no recourse to public funds; people who are
forced out to work when it is less safe for them to do so,
because they are not entitled to statutory sick pay; and people
who are in lower-paid jobs and, as in the case of Belly Mujinga,
are less able to complain to their employers about their
circumstances. Does the Secretary of State agree that it is one
thing to say that black lives matter but quite another when he
forces them out to work with no alternative?
It is very important that we look all the risk factors, including
ethnicity, that have an impact. Indeed, that is what our broad
approach has been, led by our shielding programme, whereby we
have said that those who are most vulnerable should not leave the
house at all until we were able to say this weekend—I am pleased
to say—that it is safe for them to go, as long as they stay two
metres apart from others.
(Stourbridge) (Con)
Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley serves my constituency of
Stourbridge well but, as we start to admit and treat those who
require surgery and cancer therapy, the hospital urgently
requires capital investment to create additional wards in a
free-standing facility to maintain social distancing. Will my
right hon. Friend join me in visiting Russells Hall Hospital to
discuss this much-needed investment and, of course, to thank the
staff there personally for their continued, compassionate and
heroic efforts to protect patients and staff from covid-19?
The Dudley-Stourbridge massive are out in force today. I am
delighted to thank everybody at Russells Hall for the work that
they are doing. I am pleased to be able to confirm to my hon.
Friend that we are working hard to restore cancer services. Many
cancer treatment services have continued, but many were not able
to continue because taking somebody’s defences down to close to
zero, which is needed in much modern cancer therapy, is not the
right thing to do when a killer virus is about. We are able to
restore those services and I would love to visit my hon. Friend’s
local hospital, whether virtually or physically.
(Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
(PC)
Wales has 130,000 people who are considered most at risk from
covid-19, and they deserve to be treated better than being caught
up in a game of cross-border political brinkmanship. The
Secretary of State’s Government’s changes to the status of
shielded people in England were announced in the English media on
Sunday. What procedure is in place to co-agree such announcements
in good time with the Government responsible for health in Wales?
I work with my Welsh opposite number, , very closely. He and I
have worked very closely indeed and the approach that the Welsh
Government have taken has been to work through the four chief
medical officers to try to do this in the best possible way.
(Moray) (Con)
Scotland has a daily testing capacity of 15,500 tests, but the
Scottish Government’s own figures suggest that the most recent
daily testing total was just 2,729. Does the Secretary of State
agree that that is a woeful and alarming figure for many people
in Scotland? What further support can the UK Government give to
the SNP Administration at Holyrood to ensure that we are not left
behind as the rest of the country moves to the recovery phase?
My hon. Friend is right to raise that issue. All I can say is
that we give all the support that we possibly can to the Scottish
Government to help them to get their testing numbers up.
(Hampstead and Kilburn)
(Lab)
In the London Borough of Brent, which covers part of my
constituency, two thirds of communities are from a BAME
background, so it comes as no surprise that some areas in Brent
have the third highest rate of covid-related deaths in the whole
of London. The Secretary of State has said that he recognises the
disproportionate impact that covid-19 has on BAME communities,
and he has said that black lives matter, but BAME communities are
not interested in slogans or empty rhetoric from us politicians;
BAME communities want to know what concrete and practical steps
the Secretary of State is taking right now to ensure that BAME
communities are protected when the lockdown is eased, so that the
lives of no more people from my communities are lost.
The hon. Lady is quite right to raise this issue and to discuss
it in the way she does. Working with the council in Brent, where
this disease had one of the highest impacts at the start, we have
managed to bring the incidence of disease right down. For
instance, ensuring the protection of those living in care homes
in Brent has led to the outbreak there coming right under
control. Brent is a very good example of where, when we saw a
focused outbreak at the start, we put extra resources in; we have
put support into Brent Council, and together we have managed to
get this disease under control.
(Ashford) (Con)
Along with many of my constituents, I am very concerned that the
number of covid cases identified in Ashford has been one of the
highest in the country. I recognise that there are complex
reasons for this, but in these circumstances may I ask my right
hon. Friend to fill the gap that exists in the regional testing
centre network—in east Kent—by placing one in Ashford?
I’m on it.
(Newport West) (Lab)
I am glad that the Secretary of State has announced the
publication today of the report into how covid-19 has
disproportionately affected black and minority ethnic
communities, but it has taken far too long. It is because black
lives matter that the Government must do all they can to address
this disproportionality right across the UK, so will the
Secretary of State update the House on what specific discussions
he has had with the devolved Administrations about the impact on
those from black and minority ethnic backgrounds across the UK?
The report was delivered to me on Sunday—on deadline—and I have
published it two days later, so we have been moving at pace in
this space. It is a Public Health England report and therefore
focuses on public health in England. I am sure that Public Health
Wales will want to look at the same questions.
(North West Durham)
(Con)
I congratulate the Secretary of State on hitting both the 100,000
and the 200,000 target for testing. It is indeed correct that the
capacity needs to be there; we do not use the Army every day but
it is important that we have it there as a resource. We have had
some issues in County Durham regarding some of the drive-through
testing sites. Will the Secretary of State look at that to ensure
that we do not have those problems in the future?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right to raise the importance of
having the testing capacity, but I would tell all his
constituents in Durham and people right across the country to get
a test if they have symptoms. The tests are available, and it is
so important for tracing the disease.
(Dover) (Con)
Does my right hon. Friend agree that as the virus increasingly
comes under control, it is vital that we begin to plan for the
swift resumption in full of local and urgent healthcare such as
the minor injuries unit at Deal’s Victoria Hospital, and other
important services provided there and at Dover’s Buckland
Hospital?
Yes. The restoration of services across the NHS is critical, and
it is important that it is done in a covid-secure way. It is
critical that people know that the NHS is there for them; if they
need the NHS or if they are told by a clinician to go to
hospital, I ask them please to go.
(Glasgow East) (SNP)
Since being caught double counting tests for 11 days straight
now, the British Government have refused to disclose how many
people have been tested for coronavirus. Can the Secretary of
State therefore explain how his test, trace and isolate system is
world beating if he does not know how many people are being
tested?
Ensuring that we get these statistics accurate is incredibly
important. We are working on that with the UK Statistics
Authority. It is a big piece of the work to ensure that we get
the publications right.
(Runnymede and Weybridge)
(Con)
I welcome my right hon. Friend’s announcement about his focus on
the vital research into the risk factors of serious illness from
covid, especially the impacts of age, sex and ethnicity. I look
forward to future research that takes into account comorbidities,
which are a crucial part of the puzzle. Does my right hon. Friend
agree that we are now reaping the benefits of long-term
investment in research in the NHS so that we can do these
studies, but in going forward and understanding better the impact
of comorbidities, can he give me an idea of when that may report
back so that we can make policy decisions based on it?
This is clearly urgent work to disentangle the different factors
that cause the disparities evident in the data in the report
published today. The Equalities Minister will be leading that
work, working with Public Health England and others, to get to
the bottom of that as quickly as possible.
(Luton South) (Lab)
My constituency of Luton South is super-diverse, with a large
BAME population, and it has significant pockets of deprivation.
Given those risks, what do I say to my constituents who tell me
they simply do not believe that it is safe to relax shielding,
given the Government’s confused messages and apparent endorsement
of breaches of public health guidance, with the lack of action
taken over ?
That is not an appropriate way to characterise the approach we
are taking, because when it comes to people who are shielding, we
have recommended that people shield for their own protection, but
the clinical advice says that it is safe for people to go
outside, because the incidence of disease is now lower than when
we brought in the shielding policy, and I think—well, I know—that
many of the shielded are so pleased to be able just to go
outside. It has had a huge impact on them, when they have given
up a great sacrifice.
(Redcar) (Con)
I thank my right hon. Friend for ensuring that Redcar and
Cleveland is at the forefront of the Government’s new test, track
and trace programme. What assessment has he made of how test,
track and trace will allow us to reduce social distancing in the
weeks ahead from 2 metres to 1 metre, as per the guidance.
The success of test, track and trace is a critical part of making
sure that we have a more targeted approach to lockdown, so that
we can reduce the broader lockdown safely. That is what building
the system is about—having more targeted interventions so we can
reduce, when it is safe to do so, the broader interventions that
everybody has been having to live under.
(Rhondda) (Lab)
I have been sitting here desperately trying to give the benefit
of the doubt to the Government, because we are in a national
crisis, but I have to reflect the fury that my constituents have
reflected to me on Facebook and in emails about the situation. I know the
Secretary of State will want to shrug it off and will want to
move on, but I have to say to him that it has been absolute fury.
People think that there is one rule for the Government and their
friends and another rule for everybody else. They have made
massive sacrifices, and they feel that the Government are not
standing by them. Please, please will he reflect that back to the
Government?
I think the most important thing as we go forward in trying to
tackle this together is that the social distancing guidelines we
have set out are critical for the safety of the nation. We are
able, safely, to make small changes, which will improve health
because of the negative impact on people’s physical and mental
health of being solely shut indoors. Therefore, it is crucial
that people follow the social distancing guidelines, and that
will in turn help us to lift these measures more broadly.
(Kensington) (Con)
As my right hon. Friend is aware, my constituency of Kensington
has some of the most extreme health inequalities in the country.
The difference in average life expectancy for men is more than 16
years between the richest ward and the poorest ward. Will my
right hon. Friend assure me that practical, concrete steps will
be taken to alleviate these inequalities?
Yes, absolutely. As my hon. Friend eloquently puts it, there is
levelling up to do not just between different parts of the
country and different regions of the country, but even within
individual constituencies. Hers is of course one of the greatest
examples of this, as are some of the other inner-city
constituencies in boroughs. I think the levelling up of health
inequalities across the country is going to be an even more
important part of the agenda after coronavirus than it was
before.
(Edinburgh West) (LD)
The number of cases and deaths is falling, but several health
officials, including the Association of Directors of Public
Health, say they are not convinced that all five of the
Government’s tests have been met sufficiently to ease lockdown
restrictions. As of this morning, we hear that test and trace is
up and running, but no figures are available. Given that easing
the restrictions is risky—one could argue that having us all here
discussing it is risky—and there has been, according to my
mailbox, an undermining of public confidence in the Government’s
approach by the scandal, what additional
metrics will the Government use to monitor and contain
transmission, and how do they suggest we reassure the public that
they are effective and being followed by everyone?
The hon. Lady is quite right about the devices that we need for
monitoring. Through the public health authorities, extensive
operations are already in place to monitor outbreaks, and we have
spotted some outbreaks, as per the hon. Member for Twickenham
(), who discussed the outbreak
in Weston-super-Mare. She is also right to say that more is
needed. The new joint biosecurity centre will be an important
part of that operation.
(Chipping
Barnet) (Con)
It is deeply distressing to see the toll that the disease has
taken on people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds. It is
also worrying that so many transport workers have fallen foul of
the disease. In London, many of them come from black and minority
ethnic backgrounds. Will my right hon. Friend urgently engage
with transport companies and authorities across the country to
keep our transport workers safe, especially those from BAME
communities?
That is an incredibly important point, because there has been a
disproportionate impact on transport workers, particularly those
who, by the nature of their work, have to be in close contact
with others, for example taxi drivers. That factor was not taken
into account in the Public Health England analysis. It is exactly
what we mean when we say that we must understand the different
causes of the disparities in the data on the impacts according to
people’s ethnic background. Disentangling how much is due to
occupation and how much is due to other factors is an important
part of the analysis that we need to undertake to be able to take
action such as protecting those who work in the transport sector.
(City of Durham) (Lab)
Public health professionals I have spoken to tell me that the
success of the Government’s track and trace system is limited by
the turnaround of up to five days for coronavirus test results.
That delay severely impacts the ability of public health teams to
prevent onward transmission and protect the population from the
virus. Does the Secretary of State recognise that problem? If so,
how does he plan to achieve a 24-hour turnaround for every test?
When will that be achieved?
The hon. Lady is quite right to report the views of local public
health staff, who are right to raise the question. I am pleased
to say that the turnaround speed has significantly improved in
the past couple of weeks, and now 83% of tests are returned from
the drive-through centres within 24 hours. There is continued
work to speed that up and get the proportion even higher, and the
Prime Minister has very kindly set me a goal of ensuring that all
tests from the drive-through centres are returned within 24
hours.
(South Suffolk) (Con)
My right hon. Friend will be aware of the excellent work taking
place at Colchester and Ipswich hospitals in partnership with
local independent providers to increase capacity for dealing with
non-covid cases such as cancer. What more can we do to increase
capacity in the independent sector so that we bear down on the
backlog in elective surgery?
That is an incredibly important point, because the backlog has of
course built up as we had to protect the NHS in the heat of the
crisis. The independent sector has played a critical role in
helping us get through the crisis and will play a critical role
in future. That has put to bed any lingering, outdated arguments
about a split between public and private in healthcare. What
matters is the healthcare that people get. We could not have got
through the crisis without the combined teamwork of the public
and private sectors.
(Brent North) (Lab)
Professor Newton spoke today of the vital importance of
increasing serology to tackle the virus. Capillary blood from
fingerprick tests has long been used to test and control viruses,
from measles to dengue fever. Will the Secretary of State
therefore explain why the Medicines and Healthcare Products
Regulatory Agency guidance asks providers of fingerprick tests to
stop offering the service? Can he point to any published
scientific data that suggests a clinical difference between
capillary and venous blood? If not, why is he blocking the
serology roll-out that Professor Newton considers so important?
First, serology tests are very important, and I am glad we are
now doing over 40,000 a day. Given that they first got approval
only two weeks ago, that has been a fantastic effort by the NHS
and social care to get the roll-out going out so quickly.
Secondly, fingerprick tests would be a big step forward. We are
currently assessing the clinical validity of a number of
fingerprick tests, because a bad test is worse than no test at
all. I am sure the hon. Gentleman will agree with that.
(Rother Valley)
(Con)
Does the Secretary of State agree that the outbreak has taught us
the importance of investing in domestic PPE manufacturing to
increase our supply chain, and that south Yorkshire towns and
villages with a textile heritage, such as Thurcroft in Rother
Valley, are prime locations for new PPE facilities?
Yes, absolutely. I congratulate my hon. Friend not only on his
new beard but on his support for Rother Valley. He is absolutely
right that the domestic manufacture of PPE is one of the most
important things we could be doing right now. We are pushing that
incredibly hard, with the support of Lord .
(Newcastle upon Tyne
North) (Lab)
I agree with the Secretary of State that retaining the public’s
trust is absolutely crucial if we are to tackle the virus, but
that trust needs to be earned and honoured. I want to put on
record my constituents’ deep frustration at the Government’s
response to breaking the rules. There
are deeply felt fears among doctors, nurses and other frontline
health professionals about coming out of lockdown too quickly and
all the sacrifice that so many people have made going to waste.
We know that some people are asymptomatic and could be spreading
the virus unchecked, so how will test, track and trace work for
those people if they are not being tested?
The hon. Lady is absolutely right to say that we must move
cautiously and carefully. Those were not her exact words—I am
putting them in her mouth—but she is nodding in agreement. We
must not lose all the advantages and progress we have made. The
number of people sadly dying from the disease is down to almost a
tenth of what it was at the peak, but that is still far too high.
Test and trace will be critical. The precise answer to the
question she asks about testing is that if you are contacted by
an NHS contact tracer and asked to self-isolate, you should do
so. That period of two weeks of self-isolation is the time in
which if you were going to get symptoms and pass on the disease,
you would. Therefore, that is what breaks the chain. It is the
isolation on instruction from the NHS that breaks the chain. That
is the power of the NHS test and trace programme.
(Stoke-on-Trent North)
(Con)
I start by thanking my right hon. Friend for moving so swiftly to
make the bet365 stadium in Stoke-on-Trent a regional testing
centre, after hearing the case for it from Councillor Abi Brown,
the leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, and myself. It will
allow many of my constituents in Stoke-on-Trent North, Kidsgrove
and Talke rapid and easy access to vital tests to help to drive
down R further still. Will he confirm to the House that regional
test sites will remain in place for as long as they are needed to
ensure we remain able to continue an effective test and trace
strategy?
Yes, I can. The voice of Stoke-on-Trent is strong today.
(Glasgow North) (SNP)
I join all the tributes to the public health workers in my
constituency who are helping to fight the virus. We hear the
Secretary of State sing the praises of public and private
partnership. I hope he will not be using the crisis as an
opportunity to increase privatisation and profiteering in the NHS
through the back door. If it is proving such a success, will he
explain why the Deloitte regional test centre results are still
not being provided to the local public health authorities?
The drive-through centres are a classic example of the public and
private sectors working in a team spirit. I just wish that people
would not try to drive teams apart, because this is a combination
of the private diagnostics companies that provide the tests;
Boots and Deloitte, which have provided the logistics; the armed
forces, without whom we could not have made this happen right
across Great Britain; and, of course, the NHS, Public Health
England and the relevant Scottish authorities—they have made it
happen. I will look into the specific data point that the hon.
Gentleman raises, but I want to congratulate all those involved,
no matter their employment status, and I urge him and others to
back the team.
(Calder Valley) (Con)
With couples sat together one minute and one of them taken away
in an ambulance the next, with people not being able to see their
partner in hospital or in the chapel of rest—those living in
Calderdale could not even pay their last respects at the
crematorium either—and with grandparents not seeing new-borns or
their grandchildren for 10 weeks, on the whole, people have made
huge sacrifices to maintain the lockdown and the Government’s
public health message. Can my right hon. Friend advise whether an
assessment has been made of what, if any, damage has been done to
the Government’s public health message by the actions of the
Prime Minister’s special adviser?
The critical thing is that, given the sacrifices that my hon.
Friend lists and that are heartfelt, as a nation, we have the
resolve to see this through. We can see that the number of cases
is coming right down and the number of people dying is coming
right down, and we have got to see the back of this disease. We
are not there yet.
(Manchester, Gorton) (Lab)
Given the disproportionately negative impact that covid-19 is
having on BME men and women, has the Secretary of State given any
consideration to the additional risk that the reopening of
schools will have on this community? What discussions has he had
with the Department for Education about the concerns around BME
children returning to school, particularly among parents, and
what steps are being taken to mitigate those concerns directly?
The hon. Gentleman is right to ask that question in the sensitive
manner in which he does. Of course, I have had discussions with
my colleague the Secretary of State for Education, and both of us
have taken clinical advice on the decisions around schools. I
would not support the changes and the reopening of schools if I
did not think they were safe. One of the reasons to bring in
three years in the first instance in primary school is to ensure
that there is the physical space that my hon. Friend the Member
for West Worcestershire ()
spoke about earlier. We have got to be careful, cautious and
sensitive, especially to the needs of those who might be
disproportionately affected, and we have got to do the research
to get to the bottom of why.
(Richmond Park) (LD)
A great deal of work has been done by local policing teams in
Richmond and Kingston to inform my elderly constituents about the
risk of scams both online and over the telephone. What shall I
tell my constituents to look for, if they are contacted by a
contact tracer, before disclosing personal data?
The hon. Lady is absolutely right to raise that. It appals me
that people would try to raise a scam in response to this
mission-critical national project of NHS Test and Trace. NHS
contact tracers will never ask for your personal financial
information. They will never ask you to pay for anything, and
they will never disclose your personal medical information. If
any of those things start to happen on a call, it is not a call
from NHS Test and Trace. We have worked closely with the National
Cyber Security Centre to ensure that we get the scripts right and
that we protect against these risks, and she is right to raise
it.
(Romsey and Southampton
North) (Con)
My constituent Dr David Flavell, the scientific director of
Leukaemia Busters, has sent a face mask to every Cabinet member,
every shadow Cabinet member and, indeed, the entire Health and
Social Care Committee. I hope my right hon. Friend has received
his. Will the Government consider upgrading their advice on the
use of face masks from recommended to mandatory?
I have not received mine, but I would like to. Let us try to find
it, wherever it has got to in the system—it might be in the
bowels of the Department of Health and Social Care somewhere. I
will go and dig it out; that is an unfortunate image. The serious
point is that face coverings are important, especially in areas
where you might come into contact with people you would not
otherwise frequently see, such as on public transport or in some
shops. I will look into the issue that she raises.
(Manchester Central)
(Lab/Co-op)
No disrespect, Mr Speaker, but I would rather be in sunny
Manchester today, being cautious and careful, than here. None the
less, does the Secretary of State agree that public confidence is
critical in this next phase of dealing with the virus? There is
no doubt that confidence has plummeted over the last few weeks.
Does he agree that to restore that confidence we need a great
deal more transparency about the test, track and trace
system—numbers, who has been contacted, and so on—so people feel
that if they are contacted action will follow?
If it’s sunny in Manchester, it really must be hot.
[Interruption.] Coming from the north-west myself, I know how
much it rains in that part of the world. The, the—I have
completely lost my train of thought. The hon. Lady raises a very
important point about test and trace. Subject to patient
confidentiality, which I take very seriously, of course we will
publish data on the test and trace system and will work with the
UK Statistics Authority on the best way to do that. I spoke to
David Norgrove earlier today about that and how our teams should
work together to make sure we can publish it in the right and
appropriate way.
(Sevenoaks)
(Con)
I welcome the progress that has been made on testing, but I have
a specific case of a care home in my constituency that caters for
people with disabilities. Because the residents are typically
under 65 and do not have dementia, they do not have access to
testing in the same way those in other care homes do. Could the
Secretary of State look into this case?
Yes, of course, and I will get back to my hon. Friend.
(Stretford and Urmston)
(Lab)
The Secretary of State will know of the exceptionally high rate
of infection in the north-west and he will also be aware that
local authorities such as mine say that the peak of demand for
social care has not yet been reached and will actually hit later
in the summer. In order to facilitate transparent information to
the public and good capacity for local planning, will he commit
to regular publication of the R value on a regional basis?
We regularly publish the R value on a national basis and are
increasing the scope of our surveillance testing regime to be
able to increase the detail around that—that is one of the key
tasks for the weeks ahead.
(Colne Valley) (Con)
With track and tracing now being rolled out, if there happens to
be localised increases again in the rates of infection—localised
second waves—at what level would the Secretary of State recommend
bringing back localised restrictions? Would it be at a county
level, a town level, a council level, a village level, or even a
street level?
The answer is “needs must”: whatever is necessary to bring any
local outbreak under control. We will take local action with
local directors of public health using all the information we
have, whether at a highly localised level, more broadly or on an
institution basis—for instance, around a school, care home or
hospital—if that is what it takes.
(Westminster North) (Lab)
The pandemic has exacerbated mental health conditions and made it
harder for people to access appropriate mental health services in
many cases. This morning, I received an email from a constituent
whose child has a severe psychiatric condition exacerbated by
covid. The child has been in our local hospital for six weeks
waiting for a specialist bed and is now hoping that there might
be a bed in Birmingham—they are in north Paddington. What can the
Secretary of State do to make sure that such urgent mental health
conditions are responded to?
The hon. Lady is right to raise this issue. Mental health
services, especially for less severe mental ill health, have in
some ways been strengthened by the crisis, because of the extent
of psychiatric support online, which in some cases, we have
discovered, has been more effective than face-to-face support,
especially in paediatrics. That said, of course that is not the
case in all areas, especially with some of the more severe
conditions, such as the one she outlines, and I am happy to look
into that individual case. We are doing everything we can to
restore services, in a way that is safe and covid secure, so that
people can get access to the services they need.
(North Devon) (Con)
I thank my right hon. Friend for the guidance as we move through
the phases of lockdown, but can he reassure my constituents in
North Devon that it is not too soon for our beaches to be used
safely, provided that people are maintaining social distancing?
We have learned a lot about this virus over the past three or
four months. We have learnt, for instance, that asymptomatic
transmission is a very significant problem and a challenge, but
one of the things that we have learned on the other side of the
ledger is that transmission outside is much lower than indoors.
It is not risk free, but it is much lower, and that means that we
are able to do things like recommend that being on the beach is
one of the lower-risk activities—but that people should still
keep 2 metres apart, because that is what the guidelines say is
safe.
I am delighted that the beautiful beaches of North Devon are once
again providing pleasure to local families so that they can
really enjoy the weather.
(Gower) (Lab)
Secretary of State, Teagan Appleby has been in intensive care
twice in the past 10 weeks because her family were unable to pay
for the medical cannabis that they need to keep her alive.
The families of these epileptic children have been put on the
back burner by Brexit, a general election and now covid. The sums
of money we are talking about are tantamount to what the right
hon. Gentleman’s Department spends on paper clips. Will the
Secretary of State make a call to NHS England immediately and
right this wrong?
As the hon. Lady knows, I have put significant effort into trying
to resolve this matter. We have made some progress. I am sorry to
hear about the conditions that she describes, and I will ask my
hon. Friend the Minister for Health to take this forward
immediately after this statement.
(Barrow and Furness) (Con)
I congratulate my right hon. Friend on getting the track and
trace system up and running. In Barrow and Furness our shipyard
employs about 10,000 people, but we will struggle to gain the
confidence of the community and the workers as they begin to
bring their workforce back unless we can demonstrate that we are
tracking and isolating infections. Can my right hon. Friend
confirm that his Department will be working with large employers
such as mine to ensure that confidence can be built back in the
community and the workforce?
Absolutely. The work in Barrow and Furness is incredibly
important, not least because at an earlier stage in the crisis a
higher number of people tested positive. That is partly because
there were so many tests in Barrow and Furness, and that itself
is testament to the local health authorities that worked hard to
make that happen. My hon. Friend has been an assiduous
representative throughout this crisis, making sure that I am kept
constantly informed of developments and the needs of Barrow and
Furness.
