Oral Answers to Questions

Imran Hussain Excerpts

Tuesday 23rd February 2021 Commons Chamber

[Kim Johnson (Liverpool, Riverside) (Lab)]

What recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the adequacy of isolation support for people who have tested positive for covid-19.

[Imran Hussain (Bradford East) (Lab)]

What recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the adequacy of isolation support for people who have tested positive for covid-19.

[Yasmin Qureshi (Bolton South East) (Lab)]

What recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the adequacy of isolation support for people who have tested positive for covid-19.

--- Later in debate ---

[Jo Churchill]

I thank the hon. Lady for her question. We are continuing to work across Departments and with local authorities to monitor the effectiveness of the self-isolation support provided to people who have tested positive, their close contacts and their families. She is right that we continually look at this to ensure that we have the correct information. Currently, with NHS Test and Trace, we are carrying out surveys of reported compliance with self-isolation for people who have tested positive. The results are not published yet, but we have a clear set of parameters and the funding has been allocated to councils to assist with discretionary grants. Those are local decisions, and I have often heard it said that decisions should be local, but I ask her to wait until my right hon. Friend the Chancellor reports during the Budget next week on what additional support we will be giving.

[Imran Hussain [V]]

Last November, I wrote to the Health Secretary to raise a number of serious concerns that have been raised with me by many of my constituents who are unable to claim their self-isolation support payment because of failings with the privately run Test and Trace system. Three months later, I have still not had a response. We all know how keen the Health Secretary is to avoid scrutiny of the contracts that his Department have issued, but he cannot bury his head in the sand and pretend that these problems do not exist. Can I get an assurance from the Minister that I will get a response and that the problems that I have raised will be addressed?

[Jo Churchill]

The Health Secretary has assured me that he has seen the hon. Gentleman’s letter. It is important that people understand that they need to self-isolate and they are given the right assistance. This is why the discretionary payments have been made to councils, so that we can make those decisions locally to support people.