Public Health England Review: Covid-19 Disparities

Debate between Kemi Badenoch and Liam Fox

Thursday 4th June 2020 Commons Chamber

[Kemi Badenoch]

Again—I will repeat this point—it is important that we understand the key drivers of the disparities. What we commissioned was a quantitative review.  We want to be evidence-led. Stakeholder engagement is important, but we do not want to conflate the two things, and that is something that we will be taking forward in the future.

[Dr Liam Fox (North Somerset) (Con)]

One of the biggest disparities in deaths from covid is the gender difference. The standardised mortality rate among men is 781 per 100,000; among women, it is 439 per 100,000. Across all communities, we are talking about fathers, brothers, sons, husbands, partners and friends. This affects the whole country. Will my hon. Friend ensure that resources are given to understanding why this gender difference is there and how we can tackle it in the future? I am sure that one thing the whole House can agree on is that all lives matter and they all matter equally.

[Kemi Badenoch]

That is absolutely correct; I agree with my right hon. Friend. At the risk of sounding clichéd, this is a Government that we want to work for everyone, but it is not yet fully clear what drives the differences in outcomes between males and females. Some could be driven by risks of acquiring infection due to behavioural and occupational factors—again, that is something that the PHE review was not able to look at—or by differences in how women and men develop symptoms and biological and immune differences. However, my right hon. Friend is absolutely right; this is something that does need to be looked into further, and we are actively working on that.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Kemi Badenoch and Liam Fox

Thursday 15th November 2018 Commons Chamber

[Dr Fox]

We have set out our export and investment strategy, and we are one of the few countries in the world that are seeing a rise in investment at a time when foreign direct investment is dropping by 41%. We currently have one of the biggest increases in exports, and our trade policy and new system of trade commissioners will ensure increased levels of contact with Governments in all countries, including the one that the right hon. Gentleman failed to tell us the name of.

[Mrs Kemi Badenoch (Saffron Walden) (Con)]

T5. Will the Minister update the House on what further steps are being taken to enable future trade deals?

United States Tariffs: Steel and Aluminium

Debate between Kemi Badenoch and Liam Fox

Report stage: House of Commons
Monday 12th March 2018 Commons Chamber

[Dr Fox]

As I have said, the whole aim of policy at present in the UK, the European Union and beyond is to try to temper these proposals and to get exemptions so that we do not feel any of the impetus that might lead to an escalation of the current position.

[Mrs Kemi Badenoch (Saffron Walden) (Con)]

As tariffs go, 25% is particularly high and could lead to all sorts of unforeseen consequences. Is there any evidence that there will be trade diversion to the UK as a result of the US imposition of 25% tariffs?

[Dr Fox]

It is quite difficult to know in advance where there might be diversion. Again I make the point that our aim is not to deal with the consequences but to prevent the imposition of the proposed tariffs in the first place.