Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the forecast cost pressures on the NHS due to COVID-19 (1) in July, and (2) for the rest of the 2022–23 financial year.
Answered by Lord Kamall - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
No assessment has been made in the format requested. However, the Spending Review 2021 provided £6.096 billion for the National Health Service to fund the recovery from COVID-19 in 2022/23. The funding was provided to address the impact of the pandemic on NHS services, funding for costs directly incurred by COVID-19 costs and new pressures relating to anticipated service demand.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, of the (1) WhatsApp, and (2) text, messages that Lord Bethell (a) received, and (b) sent, in relation to Abingdon Health from any individual, from his private mobile telephone while a Minister, how many did officials from the Department of Health and Social Care (i) see, and (ii) record.
Answered by Lord Kamall - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, of the (1) WhatsApp, and (2) text, messages that Lord Bethell (a) received, and (b) sent, in relation to Abingdon Health from his private mobile telephone while a Minister, how many did officials from the Department of Health and Social Care (i) see, and (ii) record.
Answered by Lord Kamall - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
The Department has conducted a search of communication records and found no record of WhatsApp or text messages between the former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Lord Bethell) and any employee of Abingdon Health. Nor has the Department found any record of officials having sight of any such messages. The Department’s engagement with Abingdon Health was led by officials and these communications have been retained.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Department of Health and Social Care maintains records of any Government business conducted from Ministers' personal phones; whether any such records were kept of communications between Lord Bethell and Abingdon Health during his term as a Government Minister; and what were the dates of any such messages registered.
Answered by Lord Kamall - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
The Department has conducted a search of communication records and found no record of WhatsApp or text messages between the former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Lord Bethell) and any employee of Abingdon Health. Nor has the Department found any record of officials having sight of any such messages. The Department’s engagement with Abingdon Health was led by officials and these communications have been retained.