Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the deployment of live facial recognition by South Wales Police in Cardiff in February and March, how many police officers were involved; how many civilian staff were involved; how many police person hours were used in preparation and delivery of the project; what was the total cost of the project, including contractors; and how many arrests resulted from the project, and for what offences.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

Details of the pilot schemes carried out by South Wales Police will be set out in due course as part of a wider publication by the Home Office on its approach to the use of live facial recognition technology.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 10 March (HL5426), which of the research studies relating to long Covid are still running; and how much they are planning to spend in this financial year to treat or cure the symptoms of long Covid.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) have dedicated funding to research into treatment options, clinical trials, and to understanding the underlying mechanisms of long COVID. The overall Government investment in long COVID research is over £57 million. Government research funders welcome applications for funding for long COVID research.

Of the research studies identified in the answer for HL5426, four are ongoing and have expected spend in this financial year, namely: STIMULATE-ICP; PHOSP-COVID; Percutaneous Auricular Nerve Stimulation for Treating Post-COVID Fatigue; and Online cognitive training for people with cognitive impairment following SARS-CoV-2 infection. The total budget for these studies is over £15 million, but spend in this financial year is not yet confirmed, as it depends on the progress of the studies.

No specific assessment has been made of the progress of United Kingdom-based researchers on finding methods to treat the symptoms of long COVID. The UK has a strong track record of developing and evaluating new treatments for COVID-19 through randomised control trials. In November 2020, the NIHR and UKRI launched their first call for research proposals on long COVID and subsequently funded the treatments for long COVID. In 2021, the NIHR funded the STIMULATE-ICP study as the largest trial for long COVID treatments at the time. This study is still ongoing, and emerging findings will be shared with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. The NIHR Innovation Observatory has undertaken a rapid horizon scan to identify repurposed medicines in clinical development for the treatment of myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome, as well as related conditions such as long COVID and fibromyalgia. The horizon scan focused on medicines with a UK licence that are in phase two or three clinical trials, with trial registration dates from 2020 onwards.

Unfortunately, no study globally has identified a cure for long COVID. The REGAIN study became the first randomised trial to show a benefit from rehabilitation for people with long COVID, and the first high quality evidence confirming the sustained clinical benefit and lack of harm from rehabilitation programmes for long COVID. The NIHR provided £1.5 million towards this trial, which combined exercise with behavioural support, to measure their effects on symptoms, health, and other outcomes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of progress made by UK-based researchers on finding methods to treat the symptoms of long Covid and to cure patients suffering from long Covid.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) have dedicated funding to research into treatment options, clinical trials, and to understanding the underlying mechanisms of long COVID. The overall Government investment in long COVID research is over £57 million. Government research funders welcome applications for funding for long COVID research.

Of the research studies identified in the answer for HL5426, four are ongoing and have expected spend in this financial year, namely: STIMULATE-ICP; PHOSP-COVID; Percutaneous Auricular Nerve Stimulation for Treating Post-COVID Fatigue; and Online cognitive training for people with cognitive impairment following SARS-CoV-2 infection. The total budget for these studies is over £15 million, but spend in this financial year is not yet confirmed, as it depends on the progress of the studies.

No specific assessment has been made of the progress of United Kingdom-based researchers on finding methods to treat the symptoms of long COVID. The UK has a strong track record of developing and evaluating new treatments for COVID-19 through randomised control trials. In November 2020, the NIHR and UKRI launched their first call for research proposals on long COVID and subsequently funded the treatments for long COVID. In 2021, the NIHR funded the STIMULATE-ICP study as the largest trial for long COVID treatments at the time. This study is still ongoing, and emerging findings will be shared with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. The NIHR Innovation Observatory has undertaken a rapid horizon scan to identify repurposed medicines in clinical development for the treatment of myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome, as well as related conditions such as long COVID and fibromyalgia. The horizon scan focused on medicines with a UK licence that are in phase two or three clinical trials, with trial registration dates from 2020 onwards.

Unfortunately, no study globally has identified a cure for long COVID. The REGAIN study became the first randomised trial to show a benefit from rehabilitation for people with long COVID, and the first high quality evidence confirming the sustained clinical benefit and lack of harm from rehabilitation programmes for long COVID. The NIHR provided £1.5 million towards this trial, which combined exercise with behavioural support, to measure their effects on symptoms, health, and other outcomes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 17 March (HL5423), what plans they have to treat or cure the estimated 1.8 million people suffering from long Covid in the period to March 2024 and those additional people who have contracted the disease since that date.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England has invested £314 million since the start of the pandemic to provide care and support for people with long COVID. This includes establishing specialist clinics throughout England to assess adults, children, and young people who are experiencing long-term effects due to COVID-19 infection. A further £86.7 million of funding was included in integrated care board core allocations for 2024/25, and specific regional funding was also allocated for assurance and system support.

To support clinical leadership in this area, NHS England has worked in partnership with the British Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine to develop a new Clinical Post-COVID Society to facilitate the ongoing sharing of best practice and to support people affected by long COVID. Further information on the Clinical Post-COVID Society is available on their website, in an online only format.

Between 2019/20 and 2023/24, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research and the Medical Research Council, we have invested over £57 million on research into long COVID, with almost £40 million of this through two specific research calls on long COVID. The funded projects aim to improve our understanding of the diagnosis and underlying mechanisms of the disease and the effectiveness of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies and interventions, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of clinical care.

Found: LORD TRUSCOTT LORD CARRINGTON LORD DE CLIFFORD LORD STRASBURGER 111_ Clause 9, page 14, line 5, after

Found: LORD TRUSCOTT LORD CARRINGTON LORD DE CLIFFORD LORD STRASBURGER 111_ Clause 9, page 14, line 5, after

Found: secure, fairly priced and decent quality housing. 59/1 HL Bill 60—I Clause 1 LORD TRUSCOTT LORD STRASBURGER

Found: Clauses 75 to 101 [Amendments marked ★ are new or have been altered] Clause 1 LORD TRUSCOTT LORD STRASBURGER

Found: Clauses 75 to 101 [Amendments marked ★ are new or have been altered] Clause 1 LORD TRUSCOTT LORD STRASBURGER

Found: Clauses 75 to 101 [Amendments marked ★ are new or have been altered] Clause 1 LORD TRUSCOTT LORD STRASBURGER

Found: Clauses 75 to 101 [Amendments marked ★ are new or have been altered] Clause 1 LORD TRUSCOTT LORD STRASBURGER

Found: Clauses 75 to 101 [Amendments marked ★ are new or have been altered] Clause 1 LORD TRUSCOTT LORD STRASBURGER

Found: Clauses 75 to 101 [Amendments marked ★ are new or have been altered] Clause 1 LORD TRUSCOTT LORD STRASBURGER

Found: Clauses 75 to 101 [Amendments marked ★ are new or have been altered] Clause 1 LORD TRUSCOTT LORD STRASBURGER

Found: Clauses 75 to 101 [Amendments marked ★ are new or have been altered] Clause 1 LORD TRUSCOTT LORD STRASBURGER

Found: Clauses 75 to 101 [Amendments marked ★ are new or have been altered] Clause 1 LORD TRUSCOTT LORD STRASBURGER