Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Merron on 16 December (HL Deb Col 661), (1) how many, and (2) what proportion of, NHS staff have taken up the offer of a flu vaccination this year; and how does that compare to each of the previous five years for (a) total NHS staff and (b) NHS staff by job category.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

For England, the UK Health Security Agency publishes monthly provisional vaccine uptake data for frontline healthcare workers (HCWs) from November to March. The most recent monthly data was published on 18 December 2025 and includes all vaccinations given between 1 September to 30 November 2025. For the 2025 to 2026, and 2024 to 2025 seasons HCWs have been eligible from 1 and 3 October respectively, rather than 1 September as in previous seasons. Data is therefore not comparable with seasons prior to 2024 to 2025.

Vaccine uptake data, both percentages and numbers vaccinated, is given at a national, regional, and trust level, with data by staff groups, as percentages, also given. For previous seasons the available data by staff group varies and some previous seasons have numbers vaccinated available. The table attached shows the seasonal influenza vaccine uptake amongst frontline HCWs in National Health Service trusts in England, at a national and staff group level, for vaccinations given between 1 September, where applicable, and 30 November, for the 2020 to 2026 seasons. The numbers vaccinated are based on response rates from NHS trusts and are not extrapolated to represent 100% of the data.

Final end of season vaccine uptake data is published in the annual reports in late spring and include data on staff groups. Annual reports include national level comparative data from 19 previous seasons.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government to what extent Exercise Pegasus 2025 included members of both Houses of Parliament for oversight and scrutiny.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Exercise PEGASUS, the largest simulation of a pandemic in United Kingdom history, aimed to test our ability to respond to a pandemic, involving all regions and nations of the UK and thousands of participants, including Government ministers.

The live-simulation elements of the exercise took place on three non-sequential days with the exercise testing actions and decision making at specific points in time during a pandemic.

We have continued to engage both Houses of Parliament on the progress of the exercise, including by two Written Ministerial Statements. This engagement will continue as we progress phase four of the exercise, and the final post-exercise report and findings.

Question

To ask The Senior Deputy Speaker for what reason access by Parliamentary pass holders to College Green was restricted for a period between 1100-1200 on Monday 19 January, and which Parliamentary official or office holder authorised this restriction.

Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble

The safety and security of all those who work on and visit the Parliamentary Estate is a top priority, with access controls in place to maintain this safety. Black Rod’s Office in the House of Lords work with The Serjeant at Arms’ Office and the Parliamentary Security Department to ensure that access, including the passage at College Green, is maintained wherever possible to allow for Parliamentary pass holders to have the access they need within the Estate and between parts of the Estate so that they can carry out their duties.

Access to College Green is managed by the House of Commons through the office of the Serjeant at Arms, in consultation with the Parliamentary Security Department. On the date in question, access was briefly impeded by a personal security operative working for an MP. The Office of the Serjeant at Arms has since reminded the MP of the established protocols to ensure that access is not impeded, restricted, or interrupted by security operatives or broadcast teams.

Found: Baroness Merron to Lord Kamall, Lord Wolfson of Tredegar, Baroness Finlay of Llandaff, Lord Gove and Lord Harper