Asked by: Lord Dobbs (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
The Senior Deputy Speaker what has been the cost to date of setting up a virtual House of Lords; and what are the ongoing monthly costs of the hybrid House.
Answered by Lord McFall of Alcluith
The cost to date of setting up a virtual House of Lords and the ongoing monthly costs of the hybrid House are as follows;
Capital set up costs | £20,400 |
Other project set up and running costs to 31st May 2020 | £436,550 |
Total | £456,950 |
Regular monthly running costs (based on known commitments at 18th June 2020) | £300,900 |
The figures show the combined implementation/other one-off costs and running costs as at 31 May 2020, and cover committed spend up to that date, as well as the monthly running costs based on known commitments as at 18th June 2020. All figures include VAT where appropriate.
Asked by: Lord Dobbs (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the response by Lord Bethell on 22 April (HL Deb, col 56), when they will publish their analysis of the increase in non-COVID-19 deaths that has taken place as a result of the restrictions in place to address the pandemic; and when they expect to publish an analysis of (1) the predicted trends, and (2) the estimated totals, for future non-COVID-19 deaths as a result of such restrictions. [T]
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is publishing a report on the increase in non-COVID-19 deaths observed in weekly deaths statistics, in coming weeks. This is mentioned in ONS’s statement of upcoming analysis on deaths and COVID-19. The report will analyse how the number of non-COVID-19 deaths occurring in different places of death, for different age groups and for different causes of death differ from previous years’ data and will suggest how these findings correspond with possible reasons for the increase.
Asked by: Lord Dobbs (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to involve prisoners in the production of personal protection equipment.
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie
We have been working with Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and the Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust to explore what items of equipment or support materials could be manufactured in prison workshops to help support front line medical staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.
HMP High Down has already successfully assembled 3,500 face visors and 2,000 pairs of goggles for the Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
We are also mobilising HMPs: High Down, Swansea, Channings Wood, Wakefield, Risley, Highpoint, Whatton and New Hall for the manufacturing of “Scrubs” (garments worn underneath medical coveralls) and “Scrub Bags” (used to launder other garments) for NHS staff.
Asked by: Lord Dobbs (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish a breakdown of the number of people in the UK who have died of COVID-19 (1) as a contributory, and (2) as the main, cause of death since 23 March.
Answered by Lord True - Shadow Leader of the House of Lords
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.
Dear Lord Dobbs,
As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking what plans there are to publish a breakdown of the number of people in the UK who have died of COVID-19 (1) as a contributory, and (2) as the main, cause of death since 23 March (HL3769).
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is responsible for publishing mortality statistics for deaths registered in England and Wales. The most recent year for which mortality statistics are available is 2018[1], however we do publish provisional statistics for weekly deaths registrations, which are currently published for deaths registered up to 24 April 2020[2]. National Records Scotland (NRS) and Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) are responsible for publishing the number of deaths registered in Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively.
The most up-to-date figures on the number of deaths registered in England and Wales involving COVID-19 as a contributory cause of death are available in the weekly deaths bulletin[3] and accompanying dataset[4]. These data provide provisional numbers for deaths where COVID-19 or suspected COVID-19 was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate. These data are released every Tuesday.
A breakdown of the number of deaths in England and Wales where COVID-19 was the underlying cause of death was published in a separate article[5] and accompanying dataset[6] on deaths involving COVID-19 that occurred in March 2020.These data include the number of deaths where the underlying cause of death was COVID-19, that occurred between 1 March and 31 March, registered up to 6 April 2020 in England and Wales. Figures for April will be published in mid-May.
NRS publish weekly statistics[7] on the number of deaths in Scotland where COVID-19 was the underlying cause of death, or where COVID-19 was mentioned on the death certificate. The latest data available are for deaths registered up to the week ending 26 April 2020. NRS are also planning to release a detailed monthly report on COVID-19 deaths in the upcoming weeks.
NISRA publish provisional weekly deaths statistics[8] for Northern Ireland which have now been extended to include data on deaths where COVID-19 was mentioned on the death certificate. The latest data available are for deaths registered up to the week ending 24 April 2020.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Sir Ian Diamond
[7]https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/covid19stats
[8]https://www.nisra.gov.uk/publications/weekly-deaths
Asked by: Lord Dobbs (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what analysis they have undertaken into the estimated number of non-COVID-19 related deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic; whether any such analysis shows an increase in that number; what assessment they have made of the causes for any such increase; and what plans they have to publish any such analysis.
Answered by Lord True - Shadow Leader of the House of Lords
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.
Dear Lord Dobbs,
As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking what analysis has been undertaken into the estimated number of non-COVID-19 related deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic; whether any such analysis shows an increase in that number; what assessment they have made of the causes for any such increase; and what plans they have to publish any such analysis (HL3372).
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is responsible for publishing weekly numbers of deaths registered in England and Wales. The most recent annual figures published are for deaths registered in 2018[1], however we do publish provisional weekly death registrations which are currently published for deaths registered up to 24 April 2020[2]. National Records Scotland (NRS) and Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) are responsible for publishing the number of deaths registered in Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively.
Cause of death is defined using the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th edition (ICD-10). Deaths involving COVID-19, which refers to deaths where COVID-19 is mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, are identified by the ICD-10 codes U07.1 and U07.2.
Table 1 shows the provisional number of deaths registered each week in England and Wales up to 24 April 2020, broken down by deaths involving COVID-19 and deaths not involving COVID-19. This table also includes the 5-year average for number of deaths. The data shows that the overall increase in deaths compared to the 5-year average is not solely due to deaths involving COVID-19.
The ONS is publishing a report on the increase in non-COVID-19 deaths observed in weekly deaths statistics, in coming weeks. This is mentioned in the ONS’s statement of upcoming analysis on deaths and coronavirus (COVID-19)[3]. The report will analyse how the number of non-COVID-19 deaths occurring in different places of death, for different age groups and for different causes of death differ from previous years’ data, and will suggest how these findings correspond with possible reasons for the increase.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Sir Ian Diamond
Table 1: Number of deaths registered by week, England and Wales, 28 December 2019 to 24 April 2020[4][5][6]
Week | All deaths - 2020 | COVID-19 | Non-COVID-19 | All deaths - 5-year average |
1 | 12,254 | 0 | 12,254 | 12,175 |
2 | 14,058 | 0 | 14,058 | 13,822 |
3 | 12,990 | 0 | 12,990 | 13,216 |
4 | 11,856 | 0 | 11,856 | 12,760 |
5 | 11,612 | 0 | 11,612 | 12,206 |
6 | 10,986 | 0 | 10,986 | 11,925 |
7 | 10,944 | 0 | 10,944 | 11,627 |
8 | 10,841 | 0 | 10,841 | 11,548 |
9 | 10,816 | 0 | 10,816 | 11,183 |
10 | 10,895 | 0 | 10,895 | 11,498 |
11 | 11,019 | 5 | 11,014 | 11,205 |
12 | 10,645 | 103 | 10,542 | 10,573 |
13 | 11,141 | 539 | 10,602 | 10,130 |
14 | 16,387 | 3,475 | 12,912 | 10,305 |
15 | 18,516 | 6,213 | 12,303 | 10,520 |
16 | 22,351 | 8,758 | 13,593 | 10,497 |
17 | 21,997 | 8,237 | 13,760 | 10,458 |
Source: Office for National Statistics
[4]Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes U07.1, U07.2
[5]Figures are based on deaths registered up to 24 April 2020
[6]All figures for 2020 are provisional
Asked by: Lord Dobbs (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the sources of funding for the anti-Brexit demonstrations outside Parliament; and whether any such sources are not based in the UK.
Answered by Lord Callanan
It is not the Department’s role to assess the sources of funding for those who choose to hold demonstrations, whether or not that funding originates in the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Lord Dobbs (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Metropolitan Police Service about (1) the cost of policing, and (2) the number of Metropolitan police officers deployed at, the Brexit demonstrations outside Parliament.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
Home Office Ministers regularly meet with the Metropolitan Police to discuss a range of issues, including policing costs and pressures facing the force.
The number of officers deployed at demonstrations outside Parliament is an operational matter for the Metropolitan Police.
Asked by: Lord Dobbs (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Callanan on 13 February (HL13385), which characteristics beyond infrastructure in their view constitute a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Answered by Lord Callanan
From the outset of the negotiations the Prime Minister has been clear that there should be no return to the borders of the past, and that maintaining an open, seamless border has been the cornerstone for the success of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement. That is why the December Joint Report made clear that the UK would avoid a hard border, including any physical infrastructure or related checks and controls.
Last week, the Government published a Written Ministerial Statement noting that joint UK-EU work on alternative arrangements will be an important strand of the next phase of negotiations. In anticipation of this, and to ensure that the UK is ready to move at pace in the next phase, the Government is putting in place the UK’s arrangements to support this work, with a team drawing in all the relevant departments including DExEU, HMT, HMRC, BEIS, DEFRA, Home Office, and the NIO. This will report directly to the UK’s negotiating team.
Asked by: Lord Dobbs (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of UK students who have become NHS (1) doctors, (2) GPs and (3) nurses in England in each year between 2008 and 2018.
Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
The information is not collected in the format requested.
Asked by: Lord Dobbs (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are conducting research into the (1) causes, and (2) costs of missed appointments in the NHS; and if so, when they expect to publish the results of that research.
Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
The Department is not currently conducting research into causes, and costs of missed appointments in the National Health Service.
We know, however, that patients may miss appointments for a number of reasons, including mental health and social circumstances. Patients are encouraged to cancel appointments, so they can be used by someone else. New technologies support providers in reminding patients of their forthcoming appointments to reduce missed appointments, for example, the use of text message reminder systems.
NHS Digital publishes did not attend (DNAs) for outpatient appointments annually. Data is available from 2006-07 to 2017-18. Data shows a year on year decrease in the percentage of DNAs. The equivalent data for the number of missed appointments in general practice is not available.
Information surrounding the cost of missed appointments is not collected centrally.