Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Geraint Davies Excerpts
Thursday 13th January 2022

(2 years, 11 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Leo Docherty Portrait Leo Docherty
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I thank my hon. Friend and put on the record my gratitude for the fantastically energetic way in which he supports veterans in the community. He briefed me last year on the hamper project and I commend him for the tangible benefit that he provides and energy with which he supports veterans in Workington.

Geraint Davies Portrait Geraint Davies (Swansea West) (Lab/Co-op)
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2. What support he is providing to businesses and the voluntary sector to support key services affected by the omicron variant.

Liz Twist Portrait Liz Twist (Blaydon) (Lab)
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12. What support he is providing to businesses and the voluntary sector to support key services affected by the omicron variant.

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Steve Barclay Portrait The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office (Steve Barclay)
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The most important thing to support businesses in the voluntary sector is to come out of the covid restrictions and reopen our economy. Boosters remain the best way to save lives, reduce the pressure on our NHS and keep our country safe. It is a great tribute to those working in our NHS that almost eight out of 10 eligible adults in England are now boosted.

Geraint Davies Portrait Geraint Davies
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A year ago, Phil Grant of the DVLA tragically died of coronavirus. He was a man in his 60s with a heart condition who had previously been allowed to work from home during the first lockdown and was forced to go to work. A year on, just pre last Christmas, unions and management agreed that, after 700 cases of coronavirus at the DVLA, there should be new arrangements for people to work from home and a rota system to allow safety. The Government intervened and stopped that from being instated on the grounds that omicron was not as dangerous. Since then, we now have a cumulative figure of 1,700 coronavirus cases at the DVLA. Will the Minister intervene to enable the scheme agreed by both unions and management to be implemented for at least a couple of months and meet me urgently so that the safety of workers and their families can be protected?

Lindsay Hoyle Portrait Mr Speaker
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Can we try to make questions shorter?