Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether statistics on testing for COVID-19 undertaken by private companies at the home of people being tested are entered into published statistics.
Answered by Lord Bethell
To provide a more comprehensive response to a number of outstanding Written Questions, this has been answered by an information factsheet Testing – note for House of Lords which is attached, due to the size of the data. A copy has also been placed in the Library
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the studies published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the University of Sydney and China Agricultural University on the G4 influenza virus.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The article Prevalent Eurasian avian-like H1N1 swine influenza virus with 2009 pandemic viral genes facilitating human infection published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on 29 June 2020 describes a surveillance study of pigs in slaughterhouses and a veterinary hospital in China carried out between 2011 and 2018.
Of the 30,934 samples from 10 different provinces, 165 tested positive for the Eurasian-avian (EA) like H1N1 swine influenza. Of those testing positive, 77 were selected for genetic sequencing, and 29 were identified as having the Genotype 4, described by the authors. The use of a ferret model indicated that the Genotype 4 virus can infect and transmit.
A serological study (analysis of antibodies in the blood) of farm workers on 15 farms over the period of the study, suggests that approximately 10-12% of farm workers had detectable, specific antibody to G4 H1N1 viruses, indicative of previous infection. The publication is not clear if these were farms that were directly related to the surveillance programme. It would also not be possible to determine when these infections occurred.
The New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group is reviewing the risk associated with the genotype 4 (G4) reassortant Eurasian avian-like (EA) H1N1 virus, described in this publication.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are monitoring (1) the prevalence, and (2) the pandemic potential, of the G4 influenza virus.
Answered by Lord Bethell
We continually assess the most significant threats that the United Kingdom and its citizens could face, including natural hazard risks such as a pandemic influenza.
The Government continues to review and improve surveillance for potentially zoonotic and new and emerging infections, with early detection through horizon scanning and epidemic intelligence activities, research, and continually improving diagnostic techniques for the identification of zoonotic pathogens.
In line with our standard practice, Public Health England is undertaking a risk assessment of the G4 influenza virus and we will take any appropriate action based on robust scientific and clinical advice.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government to what extent the 'R' rate for COVID-19 includes an assessment of the number of people who self-treat at home with no hospital or emergency services intervention.
Answered by Lord Bethell
R is estimated by a number of independent modelling groups based at universities and Public Health England. Evidence from the different models is considered, discussed, combined, and then a consensus estimate is presented to the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies as a range.
Individual modelling groups use a variety of different data sources to estimate R. This includes epidemiological data such as the number of hospital admissions and deaths, and surveys that gather information on the behaviour of individuals. The models include assumptions about numbers of individuals who require no health service intervention which are informed by a range of studies including household infection surveys.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to either local or national sponsored initiatives for the UK-manufacture of masks to protect against COVID-19.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Government is building up United Kingdom manufacturing with signed contracts to manufacture over two billion items of personal protective equipment (PPE) through UK-based manufacturers, including facemasks, visors, gowns and aprons.
Lord Deighton is leading the Government effort by British industry to manufacture PPE. The Government is currently in contact with over 350 potential UK manufacturers, and engineering efforts by small companies are being scaled up. We have already taken delivery of products from new, certified UK manufacturers. More new manufacturers of PPE are expected to commit to producing PPE in the coming weeks, with 25 opportunist companies in final commercial discussions.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what contractual arrangements, if any, exist between the House of Lords room booking service and Trimble Manhattan Space Scheduling.
Answered by Lord Laming
The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chair of the Services Committee, to respond on his behalf. Trimble Space Scheduling (TSS), formally Trimble Manhattan Space Scheduling, provide the room bookings software which is used by the House of Lords Attendants’ Office to co-ordinate the bookings of committee rooms and meeting rooms. The software is provided under a contract between the Corporate Officer of the House of Lords and the Corporate Officer of the House of Commons, and Trimble Space Scheduling. The Parliamentary Digital Service has day-to-day responsibility for oversight of arrangements under the contract.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the claims by Accelerated Evolution Biotechnologies of the potential for treating a wide range of cancers with a multi-target toxin treatment.
Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
On its website, Accelerated Evolution Biotechnologies Ltd presents a technology platform to identify promising peptides that can target cancer cells. All other information on multi-target toxin, (MuTaTo), which is a product combining several cancer-targeting peptides with a strong peptide toxin, which would be personalised to each patient and kill cancer cells specifically - is derived from interviews to newspapers. As no publication of the company’s preliminary works (in vitro and in animals) is available from scientific journals, neither scientific experts nor the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is able to make any assessment of this therapy. The company claims that it is about to start clinical trials, but currently, no clinical trial with such a compound is registered in the European Union public register. If, in the future, the company wishes to apply for a Marketing Authorisation when results in patients become available, the MHRA will be able to assess the quality, safety and efficacy of this therapy and its risk and benefit for its use.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the (1) costs or (2) savings to the NHS of restricting the availability of gluten-free foods on prescription.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The cost to the National Health Service of prescribing gluten-free foods in 2017 was £15.7 million. This was the net ingredient cost (NIC) of the products and did not include associated costs such as pharmacist dispensing fees and primary care consultation costs. Following a public consultation on the ‘Availability of Gluten Free Foods on NHS Prescription in Primary Care’ launched on 31 March 2017, the Government has decided to restrict the prescribing of gluten-free foods to bread and mixes only. This will save £2.6 million of the NIC plus associated savings.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of the reduction in the prescribing of gluten-free foods on low income families where a member of the family suffers from coeliac disease.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The Department carried out an analysis of this issue as part of its Equalities Impact Assessment which was published as part of the consultation on the ‘Availability of Gluten Free Foods on Prescription in Primary Care’ launched in March 2017. A copy of the Equality Impact Assessment: Following the consultation ‘Availability of Gluten Free Food on Prescription in Primary Care’ is attached. We looked at the equality impact assessment and the consultation responses and as a result made the decision to retain gluten free bread and mixes on National Health Service prescription. This will help mitigate the risk that those on lower incomes are not able to purchase their own gluten free foods from retail outlets where evidence shows price is often higher and availability more limited.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what advice they are giving to Clinical Commissioning Groups on the funding of gluten-free prescribing.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
It is not the role of the Department to advise National Health Service clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) on the funding of gluten-free prescribing. CCGs are expected to have regard to national guidance and to take into account the needs of their local population in developing their own, local approaches to implementation.