All 2 Debates between Helen Whately and Ellie Reeves

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Helen Whately and Ellie Reeves
Tuesday 17th November 2020

(3 years, 4 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Ellie Reeves Portrait Ellie Reeves (Lewisham West and Penge) (Lab)
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What steps his Department is taking to help ensure that family members can safely visit relatives in care homes during the covid-19 outbreak.

Helen Whately Portrait The Minister for Care (Helen Whately)
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Visits from loved ones are what makes life worth living for many care home residents, yet, sadly, these have been too few over the last few months. Unlike the first lockdown, during this period of national restrictions, we want visits to be able to continue. That is why we published new guidance on 5 November advising care homes of the steps that they can take to allow safe visiting while there are high rates of covid in the community. Yesterday, we launched our visitor testing trial and plan to offer visitor testing to care homes across the country by Christmas.

Ellie Reeves Portrait Ellie Reeves [V]
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There are almost 2,000 people living with dementia in Lewisham and for those in residential care, a lack of social interaction through visits can cause their condition to deteriorate. Testing for family and friends is the way forward, but the Government’s pilot for this was launched only this week and just 20 care homes are included. With the festive period rapidly approaching, why was this not done months ago, and is it not just another example of the Government delivering too little, too late?

Helen Whately Portrait Helen Whately
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We have been testing and have prioritised testing in care homes going back as far as May, and we have been carrying out whole care home testing. We are now testing over 500,000 staff and residents in care homes every week. Now, as testing capacity increases, we are launching the visitor testing trial with 20 care homes across Hampshire, Devon and Cornwall. We will use the lessons from that trial to roll out testing more widely across the country as fast as we possibly can.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Helen Whately and Ellie Reeves
Thursday 3rd October 2019

(4 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Thangam Debbonaire Portrait Thangam Debbonaire (Bristol West) (Lab)
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8. What assessment her Department has made of the effect of the UK leaving the EU on the UK’s creative, digital and media industries in the last three months. [R]

Ellie Reeves Portrait Ellie Reeves (Lewisham West and Penge) (Lab)
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14. What recent assessment she has made of the effect of the UK leaving the EU on the UK’s creative industries.

Helen Whately Portrait The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Helen Whately)
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The UK’s creative, digital and media industries are a global success story. Our creative industries continue to outperform the wider economy: their value went up from £95 billion in 2016 to £102 billion in 2017. As Europe’s leading tech hub, we generate more billion-dollar tech businesses than any other country in Europe. Over the past three years, we have maintained a dialogue with the creative industries on EU exit. I recognise that the movement of people and goods are among their concerns, but the UK is a global leader in these sectors, and our decision to leave the EU will not change that.

Helen Whately Portrait Helen Whately
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We are talking to the industry about exactly those concerns. I have already had some conversations along these lines, as has the Secretary of State, who met UK Music earlier this week. It is true that, when the UK leaves the EU on 31 October, free movement as it currently stands will end. In the event of a no-deal exit, creative professionals will need to check whether they need a visa or a work permit for the EU country that they are visiting. I am very optimistic that we will get a deal, and I would encourage the hon. Lady to vote for it when she has the opportunity to do so.

Ellie Reeves Portrait Ellie Reeves
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The Musicians Union states that most UK musicians rely on performing and touring in the EU to make a living, so a bad deal or a no-deal Brexit will jeopardise their careers. I have listened to what the Minister has had to say, but we are almost at Brexit date. What discussions has her Department had with the Home Office about creating a musician’s passport that is inexpensive, lasts for a minimum of two years, and would do away with the need otherwise for permits, permissions and so on, which are unsustainable for the music industry?

Helen Whately Portrait Helen Whately
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I very much appreciate the hon. Lady’s concerns and those of the industry, as I have already said. The Secretary of State, in fact, spoke to the Musicians Union earlier this week. We are acutely mindful of the concerns that exist, but I will say yet again that the best way through this is to have a deal and, when there is the opportunity to vote for one, I encourage her please to do so.