Coronavirus Vaccine

Margaret Greenwood Excerpts

Wednesday 2nd December 2020 Commons Chamber

[Matt Hancock]

As the Prime Minister said yesterday, we do look at the human geography and how the epidemiology shows the spread of the virus is occurring across the country, especially, but not limited to, the big rural counties. We have to be slightly careful in North Yorkshire. One of the challenged areas is Scarborough, where the case rates are elevated. I appreciate that that is a long way from my hon. Friend’s patch. We do look at it at that granular level and make decisions on that basis, but the decision to put the whole of North Yorkshire into tier 2 was taken looking at each part of North Yorkshire on its merits.

[Margaret Greenwood (Wirral West) (Lab) [V]]

Dr de Gruchy, the president of the Association of Directors of Public Health, has said:

“it is completely incomprehensible that the Government is not increasing the public health grant”

to local authorities next year. She spoke of the importance of

“learning the lessons of how existing health inequalities have driven and exacerbated the impact of COVID-19”,

as well as addressing

“the socio-economic determinants of health”

and giving public health teams the resources they need both to continue the fight against covid-19 and for the longer term. Will the Secretary of State pay heed to that message, and will he call on the Chancellor to give local public health teams the funding they need?

[Matt Hancock]

We are increasing the public health grant next year. Also, the public health grant is but one part of the massive overall investment in public health that we have made this year and will, of course, have to continue to make next year as we get the virus under control.