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Written Question
Coronavirus: Vaccination
Wednesday 7th April 2021

Asked by: Lord Myners (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish a daily report of the number of people who have received a COVID-19 vaccination in each 24 hour period.

Answered by Lord Bethell

The Government publishes daily data on the number of people who have received a vaccination, first and second dose, on the National Health Service online COVID-19 vaccinations dashboard.


Written Question
Coronavirus: Disease Control
Thursday 25th February 2021

Asked by: Lord Myners (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) what R rate for COVID-19 a Tier 3 area has to reach, and (2) for how long, before it is lowered to Tier 2.

Answered by Lord Bethell

Decisions on tier allocation did not focus specifically on the ‘R’ rate. These decisions are based on five key indicators; case detection rates in all age groups; case detection rates in the over 60 year olds; the rate at which cases are rising or falling; the positivity rate or the number of positive cases detected as a percentage of tests taken; and pressures on the National Health Service.


Written Question
Joint Biosecurity Centre
Monday 11th January 2021

Asked by: Lord Myners (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish (1) the terms of reference, (2) leadership and personnel, and (3) the outcome of deliberations, of the Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC); what assessment they have made of the impact on public trust in the decisions of the JBC of publishing such information; and who is responsible for appointing people to the JBC.

Answered by Lord Bethell

The Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC) is the analytical arm of National Health Service Test and Trace and is not dissimilar to the many analytical divisions and directorates across Government that provide insight to support policy making within Government departments. It is an organisation run and majority staffed by civil servants, with appointments made under standard civil service recruitment policy.

A description of its functions, leadership and governance is published online. The JBC is accountable to Parliament through the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. Its governance arrangements include a range of ministerial, technical and data boards.

The JBC takes transparency seriously and since July has issued a range of publications with partners such as Public Health England, including the weekly Contain Framework Local Authority Watchlist, associated epidemiology presented to the Local Action Committee and Action Cards. As an integral part of NHS Test and Trace, information and analysis published by the JBC is issued under the NHS Test and Trace brand.


Written Question
Coronavirus: Vaccination
Tuesday 1st December 2020

Asked by: Lord Myners (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have procured any refrigeration devices for GP surgeries to support the administration of the Pfizer and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for which they have placed purchase orders.

Answered by Lord Bethell

National preparations for storage of COVID-19 vaccines at the required temperatures continue to be made by Public Health England to support a national COVID-19 vaccination programme.

NHS England and NHS Improvement are working to ensure that appropriate freezer and refrigeration capacity is in place to maintain the required cold-chain for COVID-19 vaccination deployment across England. NHS England and NHS Improvement are using the latest available COVID-19 vaccination characteristic and supply information to model the required cold chain capacity and working with suppliers to secure additional freezers and fridges as needed. NHS England and NHS Improvement have taken early steps, and are continuing to work to secure these resources, recognising the likely global competing demand for items.


Written Question
Coronavirus: Universities
Monday 2nd November 2020

Asked by: Lord Myners (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the location of residential university students who test positive for COVID-19 is recorded in national statistics according to (1) their GP's address or (2) their university address.

Answered by Lord Bethell

All positive cases are reported according to the permanent address which they used to register with their general practitioner (GP). Universities encourage students to register with a local GP on arrival, so for many students any positive test will be assigned to their term-time location.


Written Question
Coronavirus: Children
Monday 29th June 2020

Asked by: Lord Myners (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of scientific evidence for allowing children living with a single parent to visit grandparents living together, but not children who live with both parents.

Answered by Lord Bethell

We understand that social distancing has been difficult for many, but especially those who currently live alone, or are the only adult in a household. We have amended COVID-19 social distancing regulations to allow a single adult household to form a support bubble with one other household. Groups of up to six people are still able to meet outdoors as long as they follow social distancing guidelines.

The Government made this change to support the loneliest and most isolated in society. It is a targeted intervention to provide extra support to some of those most impacted by the most difficult effects of the current social restrictions, while ensuring we continue to keep the rate of transmission low.


Written Question
Levonorgestrel: Prices
Thursday 18th January 2018

Asked by: Lord Myners (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to investigate the pricing of levonorgestrel by pharmacies.

Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy

The Department does not control prices of medicines sold at pharmacies without a prescription. Emergency hormonal contraception is however available free of charge on the National Health Service.


Written Question
Four Seasons Health Care
Thursday 21st December 2017

Asked by: Lord Myners (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the hedge fund the H2 is a fit and proper owner of the largest care home public group in the UK.

Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has advised the Department that the CQC does not assess whether owners of health and care providers are fit and proper and therefore they do not have a view on the appropriateness of H2. However, the CQC is making changes to their Registration function that in future should improve transparency of such ownership arrangements for the public.


Written Question
Four Seasons Health Care
Wednesday 20th December 2017

Asked by: Lord Myners (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are in discussions with Four Seasons care homes to ensure that residents of its homes are not jeopardised by a failure of the company; and who is responsible for contingency planning in such a scenario.

Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy

On 14 December Four Seasons and H/2 agreed a standstill agreement until 2 April 2018 to enable the restructuring negotiations to proceed.

The Department has received updates from the Four Seasons Healthcare Group on the commercial situation.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has been, and will continue to, monitor the situation with Four Seasons Healthcare Group through the Market Oversight scheme. Market Oversight is a statutory scheme, as set out in the Care Act 2014, through which the CQC assesses the financial sustainability of those care organisation that local authorities may find difficult to replace should they fail and become unable to carry on delivering services.

The Care Act 2014 places temporary duties on local authorities to intervene to protect individuals where a care provider is no longer able to carry on because of business failure and services cease.

In 2015, Local Government Implementation Unit, Local Government Association, Association Directors of Adult Social Services and the Department published guidance to local authorities on contingency planning for provider failure. The Government is continuing to work with local authorities to ensure they have effective and up-to-date contingency plans in place.


Written Question
Social Services: Finance
Wednesday 25th January 2017

Asked by: Lord Myners (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has taken any action to review whether the owners of any adult social care provider have intentionally weakened the ability of the care provider to fulfil its duties to patients and other stakeholders by not taking sufficient steps to ensure that the care provider is adequately capitalised; and whether the CQC has taken or prepared action to sanction or initiate legal action in connection with the same.

Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy

There are currently 49 providers in the Market Oversight scheme, of which 38 are care home providers.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) have no right of veto in ensuring that a care group is adequately capitalised as this falls outside of the CQC’s regulatory remit. However, financial viability is considered in relation to all providers when they apply for registration with the CQC. The CQC will refuse registration if providers cannot demonstrate that they have the financial resources needed to provide and continue to provide the services as described in their statement of purpose and to the required standards. This assessment is made in relation to the applicant who will be a Registered Provider, but will not necessarily be the owner, as set out in the question. The CQC’s powers of enforcement are limited to Registered Providers. In all circumstances where poor care is identified during an inspection, the CQC will act to protect service users, whatever the cause, and this could include financial stress.