Public Health

Maria Miller Excerpts

Tuesday 14th December 2021 Commons Chamber

[Mrs Maria Miller (Basingstoke) (Con)]

The health of the nation has united this House over the past 22 months, but what we know about the impact of covid on the health of the nation has now changed, which has led to this debate. We know that the physical impact of covid is only part of the story, that mental health is a significant consideration and that the impact of covid on our hospitals has to be considered alongside the impact of cancelling non-covid treatments, too. Many hon. Members have referred to the impact on children of being schooled at home, and there is the impact on many people of working at home, which is not without its risks.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care set out very clearly his case for the measures before the House. The new omicron variant is more transmissible than the delta variant and, even if it has the same impact on our health as the delta variant, its high transmissibility means this new variant could have a more significant impact on the number of people who need urgent hospital treatment. Stopping the NHS being overwhelmed has been our objective from the start.

I commend the Government’s focus on ramping up the booster roll-out, which is a vital part of solving the problems we face, but these regulations are designed to take those actions a step further to help keep down transmission levels, which is why I support them. The nature of human activity means we will not have a perfect set of neat decisions. These regulations do what is possible, not what is perfect.

I have a couple of questions for the Minister, particularly on the importance of making sure we protect the education of our children. Will he provide an update to hon. Members next week on the number of hospitalisations, even if the House is not sitting? We cannot eliminate the risk of covid-19, but these time-limited measures will help to reduce the risks faced by our communities. If our NHS is overwhelmed, it will put at risk not only covid patients but anyone who needs emergency care through the winter months. We have to act with caution, which is why I will support these measures in totality. I commend the Government for putting the safety of the people we represent first, and I commend them for taking this approach.