Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
These initiatives were driven by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
A Bill to make amendments to the Human Tissue Act 2004 concerning consent to activities for the purposes of transplantation outside the United Kingdom and consent for imported cadavers to be on display
A Bill to require Her Majesty’s Government to introduce a Bill to regulate health and social care professions.
A Bill to make provision for the protection of care recipients and their carers; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to make provision for the protection of care recipients, their carers and for connected purposes.
A bill to amend the Human Tissue Act 2004 concerning consent to activities done for the purpose of transplantation outside the United Kingdom and consent for imported cadavers on display
A Bill to require Her Majesty's Government to introduce a Bill to regulate health and social care professions
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
As Leader of the House of Lords I have reiterated to all Front Bench Ministers the importance of adhering to the 10 day target for responses to questions for written answer. As stated in my response on 19 June (HL8246) the Department for Health and Social Care faced significant disruption to the delivery of parliamentary support due to the pressures they faced during the Covid-19 pandemic. They have since implemented a Written Parliamentary Question Recovery Plan to deal with the backlog of written questions. At the time of writing, DHSC’s PQ on-time rate for July is 89.6%, the highest percentage during a sitting month since early 2020.
The Permanent Secretary has further reassured me that they are committed to improving the process and have taken further steps to bring performance levels back to pre-pandemic levels including streamlining the drafting process. I will be looking for further improvements on their record as a result of the Department's Recovery plan. It is important that the highest standards are achieved by all Departments in replying to members of the House.
The Equality Act 2010 does not recognise any precedence of rights beyond the special circumstances of disability. However, in situations where there are multiple protected characteristics to be considered, Government Departments, like other employers or service providers, need to take decisions based on the facts.
Where the relevant conditions apply, Departments may also choose to take targeted action to advance the interests of and/or meet the specific needs of groups with a particular protected characteristic in accordance with the positive action provisions in the Act.
The work by the Government Equalities Office has been superceded by NHS England commissioning an independent review into adolescent transgender healthcare, led by Dr Hilary Cass. One of the issues it will consider is the increase in the number of adolescents seeking the use of gender identity services.
We will publish the annual assessment for 2023 following its presentation to the Public Service Delivery (PSD) Review Board and subsequent Ministerial approval.
The current public service delivery powers of the Digital Economy Act have been operational since 2018. The powers enable public authorities to respond quickly and effectively to complex problems, improve citizens' well-being and improve access to public services.
It has previously not been the practice for assessments to be presented in the form of a written report. Instead, the relevant Minister has received oral briefings in relation to the activities of the PSD Review Board, including relevant information on the use of the public service delivery data sharing powers. The PSD Review Board monitors the efficacy of the Digital Economy Act 2017 as a whole, including the effectiveness of the Chapter 1, Part 5 data sharing powers. The terms of reference and quarterly minutes are published on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/digital-economy-act-public-service-delivery-review-board
Ministers were also informed of the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) review of the data sharing powers under Part 5 of the DEA (March 2023 - https://ico.org.uk/media/about-the-ico/documents/4024606/ico-review-dea-20230314.pdf). This review addresses the commitment made during the passage of the legislation that the ICO would look at the powers around 3 years after they became operational.
I refer the Noble Lord to the previous answer (HL1897) on 27 July 2021. To reiterate, official papers relating to these allegations are retained by the Cabinet Office. Retained papers are reviewed regularly to decide whether they can be released.
The National Science and Technology Council was established as a Cabinet committee in October 2021 to consider matters relating to strategic advantage through science and technology. The Cabinet committee list was updated in September 2022. In October 2022, the National Science and Technology Council was established as an inter-ministerial group responsible for delivering an ambitious UK science and technology strategy and to consider key science and technology issues. Where collective agreement is necessary for issues covered by an inter-ministerial group, it is sought in the usual way through a committee or ministerial correspondence.
Cabinet committees support the principle of collective responsibility, ensuring that policy proposals receive thorough consideration and collective agreement. Cabinet committee decisions have the same authority as Cabinet decisions.
This a:gender ‘inclusion workshop’ is not recognised as civil service training. The Government Skills and Curriculum Unit (GSCU) manages the design and quality assurance process for all government training, provided within the new Campus for skills, and defined by the new curriculum.
The five strands of the curriculum outline the knowledge and skills required to be effective in any role in the Civil Service, and as such the training and development provided in the Campus. This sets the standards for training provided centrally for all Civil Servants, alongside the responsibilities of Government Professions to determine the qualifications and capabilities for specialist and technical skills.
The a:gender workshop is not advertised as training, attendance at the workshops was voluntary.
This a:gender ‘inclusion workshop’ is not recognised as civil service training. The Government Skills and Curriculum Unit (GSCU) manages the design and quality assurance process for all government training, provided within the new Campus for skills, and defined by the new curriculum.
The five strands of the curriculum outline the knowledge and skills required to be effective in any role in the Civil Service, and as such the training and development provided in the Campus. This sets the standards for training provided centrally for all Civil Servants, alongside the responsibilities of Government Professions to determine the qualifications and capabilities for specialist and technical skills.
The a:gender workshop is not advertised as training, attendance at the workshops was voluntary.
This a:gender ‘inclusion workshop’ is not recognised as civil service training. The Government Skills and Curriculum Unit (GSCU) manages the design and quality assurance process for all government training, provided within the new Campus for skills, and defined by the new curriculum.
The five strands of the curriculum outline the knowledge and skills required to be effective in any role in the Civil Service, and as such the training and development provided in the Campus. This sets the standards for training provided centrally for all Civil Servants, alongside the responsibilities of Government Professions to determine the qualifications and capabilities for specialist and technical skills.
The a:gender workshop is not advertised as training, attendance at the workshops was voluntary.
This a:gender ‘inclusion workshop’ is not recognised as civil service training. The Government Skills and Curriculum Unit (GSCU) manages the design and quality assurance process for all government training, provided within the new Campus for skills, and defined by the new curriculum.
The five strands of the curriculum outline the knowledge and skills required to be effective in any role in the Civil Service, and as such the training and development provided in the Campus. This sets the standards for training provided centrally for all Civil Servants, alongside the responsibilities of Government Professions to determine the qualifications and capabilities for specialist and technical skills.
The a:gender workshop is not advertised as training, attendance at the workshops was voluntary.
This a:gender ‘inclusion workshop’ is not recognised as civil service training. The Government Skills and Curriculum Unit (GSCU) manages the design and quality assurance process for all government training, provided within the new Campus for skills, and defined by the new curriculum.
The five strands of the curriculum outline the knowledge and skills required to be effective in any role in the Civil Service, and as such the training and development provided in the Campus. This sets the standards for training provided centrally for all Civil Servants, alongside the responsibilities of Government Professions to determine the qualifications and capabilities for specialist and technical skills.
The a:gender workshop is not advertised as training, attendance at the workshops was voluntary.
Following consideration by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel, the Government has today issued a written ministerial statement setting out its approach to the use of gendered language in legislative drafting.
Following consideration by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel, the Government has today issued a written ministerial statement setting out its approach to the use of gendered language in legislative drafting.
A response on this issue is in the process of being finalised. I hope to respond to Noble Lords before the House rises for the Christmas recess.
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman is a crown servant that reports directly to Parliament. The Ombudsman is not responsible to the Government for its performance and sets its own standards for practice in how it handles complaints. I understand the Noble Lord is in contact with the Ombudsman who can explain in further detail the organisation's current practice in this area. Further to this the Noble Lord may wish to write to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee that acts as the primary accountability body for the Ombudsman.
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman is a crown servant that reports directly to Parliament. The Ombudsman is not responsible to the Government for its performance and sets its own standards for practice in how it handles complaints. I understand the Noble Lord is in contact with the Ombudsman who can explain in further detail the organisation's current practice in this area. Further to this the Noble Lord may wish to write to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee that acts as the primary accountability body for the Ombudsman.
Under the Public Records Act these papers were originally recommended for closure for at least 100 years. However, in line with current best practice, these papers will be reviewed in 2026 and every ten years thereafter.
Official papers relating to allegations of a security service plot against Harold Wilson are retained by the Cabinet Office. Retained papers are reviewed regularly to decide whether they can be released.
A list of which Government departments take part in Stonewall’s Diversity Champion or Workplace Index scheme is not held centrally.
We are looking into the matter and I will write to the Noble Lord with further information in due course.
The Government has committed to a new standard for diversity and inclusion in the Civil Service which will promote a diversity of backgrounds and opinions. We are committed to fair, inclusive workplaces which draw on the talents of the widest possible range of backgrounds, especially people from non-traditional educational routes and from outside London and the South East.
It is fundamental that everyone is able to seize opportunities in the workplace without fear of discrimination or harassment.
Memberships of external schemes are kept under review, to ensure value for taxpayers’ money. A number of public bodies have resolved to best champion inclusion through internal programmes.
The Government has committed to a new standard for diversity and inclusion in the Civil Service which will promote a diversity of backgrounds and opinions. We are committed to fair, inclusive workplaces which draw on the talents of the widest possible range of backgrounds, especially people from non-traditional educational routes and from outside London and the South East.
It is fundamental that everyone is able to seize opportunities in the workplace without fear of discrimination or harassment.
Memberships of external schemes are kept under review, to ensure value for taxpayers’ money. A number of public bodies have resolved to best champion inclusion through internal programmes.
When formulating and reviewing workplace policies and procedures, government departments have due regard for all legal requirements, including the rights and freedoms in Schedule 1 of the Human Rights Act 1998.
The Government acts in accordance with the Code of Practice on the management of records issued under section 46 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
This includes advice on the disposal of ephemeral information and how to keep records needed for business, regulatory, legal and accountability purposes.
The Government is reviewing how guidance can be updated to reflect contemporary information management practice in the modern digital working environment.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond.
Professor Sir Ian Diamond | National Statistician
The Rt Hon. the Lord Hunt of Kings Heath OBE
House of Lords
London
SW1A 0PW
15 March 2021
Dear Lord Hunt,
As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking how many care home residents and staff (1) tested positive for, and (2) died as a result of, COVID-19 in (a) England, (b) Northern Ireland, (c) Scotland, and (d) Wales, in (i) November 2020, (ii) December 2020, (iii) January, and (iv) February (HL14039).
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes statistics on deaths registered in England and Wales. Mortality statistics are compiled from information supplied when deaths are certified and registered as part of civil registration. National Records for Scotland[1] and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency[2] are responsible for publishing statistics on deaths registered in Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively.
Table 1 below shows the number of deaths involving COVID-19 among care home residents registered for the months November 2020 to February 2021 in England and Wales. The term "care home residents" refers to all deaths where either (a) the death occurred in a care home or (b) the death occurred elsewhere but the place of residence of the deceased was recorded as a care home.
We do not hold any information on the number of care home staff who have died as a result of COVID-19 therefore we are not able to provide this information. The Department of Health and Social Care are responsible for data on care home infections.[3]
Yours sincerely,
Professor Sir Ian Diamond
Table 1: Number of deaths involving COVID-19 among care home residents registered from November 2020 to February 2021 in England and Wales[4],[5],[6],[7],[8],[9],[10]
Month | England | Wales |
Nov-20 | 2,321 | 239 |
Dec-20 | 3,393 | 284 |
Jan-21 | 7,587 | 482 |
Feb-21 | 5,067 | 191 |
Source: Office for National Statistics
[1]https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/
[2]https://www.nisra.gov.uk/
[3]https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-health-and-social-care
[4] Deaths for England and Wales exclude non-residents.
[5] Figures are provisional for 2020 and 2021.
[6] The International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Edition (ICD-10) definitions are as follows: coronavirus (COVID-19) (U.071, U.072, U.099, U.109).
[7] Deaths "involving COVID-19" includes deaths that have COVID-19 mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, whether as underlying cause or not.
[8] These figures are calculated using the most up-to-date data we have available to get the most accurate estimates.
[9] Based on boundaries as of November 2020.
[10] Based on deaths registered in each calendar month.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.
The Rt Hon. the Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
House of Lords
London
SW1A 0PW
04 February 2021
Dear Lord Hunt,
As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking how many care home residents in England have died from COVID-19 (1) in hospital, (2) in hospices, and (3) in residential care and nursing homes, in total to date (HL12649).
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes mortality data that are compiled from information supplied when deaths are certified and registered as part of civil registration. The term ‘care home residents’ refers to all deaths where either (a) the death occurred in a care home or (b) the death occurred elsewhere but the place of residence of the deceased was recorded as a care home.
Table 1 below shows the number of deaths involving COVID-19 among care home residents by place of death, registered up to the 22nd January 2021 in England. We do not hold any information on the breakdown of residential or nursing homes therefore we have provided the number of care home residents who have died in a care home, which could be either residential or nursing care homes.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Sir Ian Diamond
Table 1: Number of deaths involving COVID-19 among care home residents by place of death registered up to 22nd January 2021, England[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Place of death | Number of deaths |
Care home | 23,324 |
Hospital | 8,012 |
Hospice | 70 |
Source: ONS
[1] All figures for 2020 and 2021 are provisional.
[2] Deaths for England exclude non-residents.
[3] The International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Edition (ICD-10) definitions are as follows: coronavirus (COVID-19) (U07.1 and U07.2).
[4] Deaths "involving COVID-19" includes deaths that had COVID-19 mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, whether as underlying cause or not.
[5] These figures are calculated using the most up-to-date data we have available to get the most accurate estimates.
[6] Based on boundaries as of November 2020.
The review was commissioned and overseen by the Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service and Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary, Alex Chisholm. Announcements will be made in the usual way.
The review was commissioned and overseen by the Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service and Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary, Alex Chisholm. Announcements will be made in the usual way.
The review was commissioned and overseen by the Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service and Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary, Alex Chisholm. Announcements will be made in the usual way.
The Small Business Advisory Panel provides feedback and challenge on increasing government spend with small and medium-sized enterprises. Information about the work of the panel is published at gov.uk/government/publications/sme-panel.
Martin Traynor OBE serves as the Small Business Crown Representative, making sure that small businesses have improved access to government contracts.
As part of the wider Civil Service Modernisation and Reform programme, several members of the Digital Economy Council were invited to contribute to a review of HMG's Digital Data and Technology (DDaT) Function over the summer. The review was limited to the processes, structures and operations of the DDaT function, and did not consider particular strategies for government. The Cabinet Office will continue to consult members of the Digital Economy Council as it considers how to implement the recommendations. As always, robust measures are in place to manage possible conflicts and the perception of conflicts.
As part of the wider Civil Service Modernisation and Reform programme, several members of the Digital Economy Council were invited to contribute to a review of HMG's Digital Data and Technology (DDaT) Function over the summer. The review was limited to the processes, structures and operations of the DDaT function, and did not consider particular strategies for government. The Cabinet Office will continue to consult members of the Digital Economy Council as it considers how to implement the recommendations. As always, robust measures are in place to manage possible conflicts and the perception of conflicts.
As part of the wider Civil Service Modernisation and Reform programme, several members of the Digital Economy Council were invited to contribute to a review of HMG's Digital Data and Technology (DDaT) Function over the summer. The review was limited to the processes, structures and operations of the DDaT function, and did not consider particular strategies for government. The Cabinet Office will continue to consult members of the Digital Economy Council as it considers how to implement the recommendations. As always, robust measures are in place to manage possible conflicts and the perception of conflicts.
I refer the noble Lord to published documents, including for example the modelling of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling from November 2018, which detailed a reasonable worst case scenario that up to 50% of the population could be ill - not that staff absences could reach 50%.
It is the responsibility of individual buying authorities to agree terms and conditions with their chosen supplier when calling off from a framework agreement.
Specific terms and conditions agreed between parties when calling off from framework agreements are not reported back centrally to the Cabinet Office or the Crown Commercial Service.
It is the responsibility of individual buying authorities to agree terms and conditions with their chosen supplier when calling off from a framework agreement.
Specific terms and conditions agreed between parties when calling off from framework agreements are not reported back centrally to the Cabinet Office or the Crown Commercial Service.
The Government has a coordinated structure in place working with relevant organisations to identify and respond to emerging issues, and protect the safety and security of democratic processes. We have worked with a large number of organisations to do this, including social media companies and civil society organisations.
One way to combat the spread of misinformation or disinformation online and limit its potential impact on democratic debate is to ensure that people have the critical literacy skills and digital skills to enable them to assess and analyse the information they read online. In the Online Harms White Paper the Government committed to developing a new online media literacy strategy. This strategy will ensure a coordinated and strategic approach to online media literacy education and awareness for children, young people and adults. The Government is also taking action to increase public awareness with our Don’t Feed The Beast campaign. This aims to educate and empower those who see, inadvertently share and are affected by false and misleading information.
The Government remains committed to the integrity of UK elections and ensuring they are secure and fit for the modern age. We have announced that it will implement an imprints regime for digital election material. This will ensure greater transparency and make it clearer to the electorate who has produced and promoted online political materials.
In 2021 the Government implemented temporary tariff suspensions on a set of goods, including urine drainage bags, to support the healthcare response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Government has extended the majority of these suspensions until 31 December 2023.
HM Revenue and Customs has reviewed the classification of urine drainage bags and although these are used in conjunction with medical products (e.g. catheters), they are not considered to be medical devices. As such they are classified as articles of plastic (tariff heading 3926). This is in line with classification decisions previously issued by the World Custom Organization, which member countries are expected to follow. Businesses can direct queries on classification to classification.enquiries@hmrc.gov.uk or through this link https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-revenue-customs/contact/customs-international-trade-and-excise-enquiries.
The Government have recently received stakeholder feedback on tariffs on urine drainage bags. We are considering the evidence provided alongside wider UK Government analysis.
The Government funds research to provide evidence to support the development of energy, climate change, and green growth policies. This research is competitively tendered and is delivered typically by academic institutions, consultancies, SMEs, or a combination.
The Government has engaged with stakeholders to define and develop the scope of work to be undertaken under the Respiratory Mission.
Meanwhile, the Government has committed funding to support respiratory research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research and the Medical Research Council. This investment is aligned to the aims and ambitions of the proposed Respiratory Mission, outlined in the Life Science Vision, to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with respiratory disease.
The Government has engaged with stakeholders to define and develop the scope of work to be undertaken under the Respiratory Mission, which aims to reduce the mortality and morbidity from respiratory disease in the UK and globally. At this point a chair of the Respiratory Mission has not been appointed.
Four of the healthcare Missions published in the 2021 Life Sciences Vision: Dementia, Cancer, Obesity and Mental Health, as well as the Addiction Mission (announced as part of the 2021 Drugs Plan, ‘From harm to hope’) have recruited Chairs, have comprehensive delivery plans and objectives, and are beginning to make substantial investments to operationalise these. Progress on the delivery of the Missions, and the related investments, have and will continue to be made available online at a regular cadence.
Government understands that academic expertise is critical for developing strong public policy on AI and emerging technologies. It is commonplace for teams working on AI and technology policy to consult with academic experts. The AI policy team has engaged with academic experts in many aspects of policy development. This includes, but is not limited to:
The assurance that identifiable data will not be shared with any organisation, including insurance companies, was provided to participants at the time of recruitment, and still applies. Members of the public invited to join UK Biobank were given information leaflets and a consent form that stated that de-identified data would be made available to researchers from across industry, academia, charitable and government sectors if the applications met the required thresholds of including a bona fide researcher and doing health-related research in the public good.
The assurance that identifiable data will not be shared with any organisation, including insurance companies, was provided to participants at the time of recruitment, and still applies. Members of the public invited to join UK Biobank were given information leaflets and a consent form that stated that de-identified data would be made available to researchers from across industry, academia, charitable and government sectors if the applications met the required thresholds of including a bona fide researcher and doing health-related research in the public good.
The assurance that identifiable data will not be shared with any organisation, including insurance companies, was provided to participants at the time of recruitment, and still applies. Members of the public invited to join UK Biobank were given information leaflets and a consent form that stated that de-identified data would be made available to researchers from across industry, academia, charitable and government sectors if the applications met the required thresholds of including a bona fide researcher and doing health-related research in the public good.
The assurance that identifiable data will not be shared with any organisation, including insurance companies, was provided to participants at the time of recruitment, and still applies. Members of the public invited to join UK Biobank were given information leaflets and a consent form that stated that de-identified data would be made available to researchers from across industry, academia, charitable and government sectors if the applications met the required thresholds of including a bona fide researcher and doing health-related research in the public good.
The assurance that identifiable data will not be shared with any organisation, including insurance companies, was provided to participants at the time of recruitment, and still applies. Members of the public invited to join UK Biobank were given information leaflets and a consent form that stated that de-identified data would be made available to researchers from across industry, academia, charitable and government sectors if the applications met the required thresholds of including a bona fide researcher and doing health-related research in the public good.
Life Sciences pharmaceutical manufacturing was responsible for $27.7bn exports in 2021. Official statistics from the Office for Life Sciences show that employment in core biopharmaceutical manufacturing employment declined between 2009 and 2019, but increased by 5% between 2019 and 2021. The Life Sciences Vision sets out an ambition to create a globally competitive environment for Life Science manufacturing investments. To help meet these ambitions, the Government launched the £60m Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund in March 2022 to incentivise globally mobile manufacturing investments in the UK.