Asked by: Lord Strasburger (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government to provide a list of the data collected for the NHS COVID-19 Data Store which is to measure compliance with social distancing, including the “intelligence” referred to by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in his evidence to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee on 29 April.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The COVID-19 Data Store Reference Library describes the datasets being used in the NHS COVID-19 Data Store, and the sources of those datasets.
As more data is added to support the COVID-19 response the list will be updated.
Asked by: Lord Strasburger (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government why Palantir’s contract with NHS England for the NHS COVID-19 Data Store allows that company to process sensitive personal data such as “political affiliations, religious or similar beliefs”.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Data in the NHS COVID-19 Data Store is de-identified by National Health Service staff before the data is analysed on Palantir's platform.
As such, no identifiable data is being accessed by anyone other than the NHS.
Data is only processed under instruction by NHS England and the companies involved cannot use the data for their own purposes.
Asked by: Lord Strasburger (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will list the contracts awarded in 2020 for the supply of (1) personal protective equipment, and (2) other COVID-19 related products or services, with companies that had no previous experience of supplying those products or services; and in each case identify (a) how the supplier was selected, (b) what due diligence was performed to determine the supplier’s ability to perform the contract, (c) who carried out that due diligence, (d) how value for money was assessed, and (e) who was the senior official or minister to authorise the order.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Online guidance on how contracting authorities should respond to coronavirus was published on March 18. Public authorities are allowed to procure goods, services and works with extreme urgency in exceptional circumstances using regulation 32(2)(c) under the Public Contract Regulations 2015. Available options include a direct award due to extreme urgency and direct award due to absence of competition or protection of exclusive rights.
Over 1,000 purchase orders have been awarded to suppliers for COVID-19 related work, the majority through a direct award. There is no single consideration such as previous experience as to whether a supplier is added to the supply chain. The supplier will be evaluated by Departmental officials on their financial standing, compliance with minimum product specifications and ability to perform the contract. To provide a validated assessment of solely the previous experience for each of the suppliers on each of these contracts would involve disproportionate cost. Contracts are awarded by the appropriate Departmental accounting officer, an official, in line with Department’s terms and conditions which include clauses for contract management to assess performance and value for money throughout the lifetime of the contract.
Asked by: Lord Strasburger (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether at any time in 2020 they had a preferred list of suppliers of COVID-19 related products and services; and, if so, what checks were carried out to ensure that no conflicts of interest existed between those companies and ministers or special advisers.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Online guidance on how contracting authorities should respond to coronavirus was published on March 18. Public authorities are allowed to procure goods, services and works with extreme urgency in exceptional circumstances using regulation 32(2)(c) under the Public Contract Regulations 2015. Available options include a direct award due to extreme urgency and direct award due to absence of competition or protection of exclusive rights.
Over 1,000 purchase orders have been awarded to suppliers for COVID-19 related work, the majority through a direct award. There is no single consideration such as previous experience as to whether a supplier is added to the supply chain. The supplier will be evaluated by Departmental officials on their financial standing, compliance with minimum product specifications and ability to perform the contract. To provide a validated assessment of solely the previous experience for each of the suppliers on each of these contracts would involve disproportionate cost. Contracts are awarded by the appropriate Departmental accounting officer, an official, in line with Department’s terms and conditions which include clauses for contract management to assess performance and value for money throughout the lifetime of the contract.
Asked by: Lord Strasburger (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the positive vetting procedures for ministers and special advisers; and whether any such plans will include a review of the impact of attending events abroad where foreign intelligence agents were also in attendance.
Answered by Lord True - Shadow Leader of the House of Lords
In line with long-standing practice, Her Majesty's ministers are not subject to security vetting. Advice and support is available to ministers on relevant security matters, including when attending events.
All civil servants, including special advisers, are subject to vetting as appropriate. The UK’s vetting regime is undergoing review by the Cabinet Office, which of course includes consideration of the threat posed by foreign intelligence activity.
Asked by: Lord Strasburger (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by Robert Mueller Report On The Investigation Into Russian Interference In The 2016 Presidential Election, published in March 2019, in particular the conclusions on Russian interference; whether they plan to conduct a similar inquiry in relation to the conduct of the EU referendum in 2016; if not, why not; and why they have not yet conducted such an inquiry.
Answered by Lord True - Shadow Leader of the House of Lords
I refer the noble Lord to the answer given to PQs HL7209 and HL7179 on 3 August 2020.
Asked by: Lord Strasburger (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of other states in national referendums in the UK in the last 10 years; if they have not made any such assessment, whether they plan to do so; if not, why not; whether they have (1) investigated, and (2) sought evidence on, the incidence of interference in the EU referendum by any hostile state; if not, why not; and what priority they give to any such investigations.
Answered by Lord True - Shadow Leader of the House of Lords
I refer the noble Lord to the answer given to PQs HL7209 and HL7179 on 3 August 2020.
Asked by: Lord Strasburger (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to Question for Written Answer HL5806, tabled on 16 June and due for answer on 30 June, how many contracts they have entered into with Pestfix Ltd; on what dates those contracts were entered into; and when they will publish the contract award notices.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Department has raised 11 purchase orders to PestFix Ltd which relate to seven contracts. One Contract Award Notice has been published which shows that the contract was awarded on 13 April 2020. The other Contract Award Notices will be published shortly. These will contain the dates of the contract award which, as with all the information to be published, is subject to a validation process.
Asked by: Lord Strasburger (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish the most recent contracts between NHS England and (1) Palantir, (2) Faculty, (3) Google, and (4) Amazon, which relate to the NHS COVID-19 Data Store.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The contract with Palantir will be published in the usual way in due course. The Faculty contract is being negotiated for extension and the contract will be published in the usual way in due course. NHS England does not own a contract with Google or Amazon regarding the NHS COVID-19 Data Store.
Asked by: Lord Strasburger (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to establish an ethics board to oversee the NHS COVID-19 Data Store.
Answered by Lord Bethell
NHS England is the sole controller of data held within the NHS COVID-19 Data Store and for any data legally shared with them under the notice issued by the Secretary of State under the NHS Control of Patient Information (COPI) Regulations 2002. The notices allow permitted organisations, under Regulation 3(3) of the COPI regulations, to process data only for COVID-19 related purposes. The Department has no plans to establish an ethics board for the NHS COVID-19 Data Store.