Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation on the prioritisation of the covid-19 vaccination for foster carers.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Foster carers who are eligible for a vaccine because of their age or other clinical factors such as underlying health conditions, will have access to a vaccine in the first phase.
Phase two of the COVID-19 vaccine programme will cover all adults under 50 year old not already included in phase one. Prioritisation for phase two has not yet been decided, but interim advice by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommends an age-based approach, which the Government has accepted in principle.
The JCVI has concluded that targeted vaccination to reduce transmission or give priority to occupational groups at higher risk of exposure would not be as effective or as fast in reducing mortality, morbidity and hospitalisation as direct protection of those at higher risk of serious disease.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the devolved Administrations on ensuring that asylum seekers are able to access the covid-19 vaccination programme.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care regularly meets with the devolved administrations to discuss a range of topics. The Government is working closely with the devolved administrations to ensure successful delivery of the vaccination programme across the whole of the United Kingdom.
Entitlement to free National Health Service treatment is generally based on ordinary residence in the UK based on clinical need. As there is no charge for the COVID-19 vaccine, the immigration status of a patient is not relevant and therefore no proof of residence is required and there is no requirement to report anyone to the Home Office.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish a response to Early Day Motion 1314 on Sage care workers and cleaners.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
All social care workers are entitled to be paid at least the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage. The National Living Wage is currently £8.72 an hour and applies to all workers aged 25 years old or over.
Our guidance has been clear that care workers should be paid their normal wages to self-isolate. The Infection Control Fund has given over £1.1 billion to support social care providers with the cost of infection control measures, including self-isolation pay. The Fund also supports providers with extra costs related to other infection prevention measures such as avoiding using public transport. In all other cases of illness other than COVID-19, eligible employees remain entitled to at least Statutory Sick Pay from the fourth qualifying day of sickness, paid by their employer.
Individual social care providers set the pay and terms and conditions for their staff. Since the introduction of the National Living Wage in 2016, care worker pay has increased at a faster rate than before.
Health and safety concerns in the care sector are a matter for the Health and Safety Executive or relevant local authority and should be reported as appropriate. Employees are able to seek independent advice on matters of concern relating to their employment.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish a response to Early Day Motion 1340 on Fetal Pain.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not set clinical practice. To support clinical practice, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has considered the issue of fetal pain and awareness in its guidelines on ‘The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion’ and ‘Fetal Awareness: Review of Research and Recommendations for Practice’, which are available at the following links:
https://www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/guidelines/abortion-guideline_web_1.pdf
https://www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/guidelines/rcogfetalawarenesswpr0610.pdf
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect on food business operators of the Food Standards Agency guidance on the co-location of food and pet food production, published on 21 December 2020; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Food Standards Agency has produced the guidance for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, to help Food Business Operators (FBOs) and enforcement agencies to better understand the controls and systems that must be put in place to manage the risks from the production of pet food in establishments that also produce food for human consumption. It was developed and published following a lengthy public consultation exercise and a high-level internal clearance process.
Food Standards Scotland has not been approached by FBOs in Scotland to approve co-located establishments and would consider any applications on a case-by-case basis.
This approach is only applicable to the manufacturing of pet food in approved/registered food establishments to the same high standards as for food for human consumption. This co-location of production is permitted in legislation and the guidance has been developed and published to assist food businesses and their enforcement agencies in improving their understanding of the controls and systems that must be in place.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
What recent discussions he has had with (a) the devolved Administrations and (b) Cabinet colleagues on the Barnett consequentials of allocations from the Stronger Towns Fund for health and social care.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
At the Spending Review last year, the Ministry for Housing,Communities and Local Government received funding for the Towns Fund, which includes the Stronger Towns Fund. Barnett consequentials do apply and are handled through the Ministry for Housing,Communities and Local Government and HM Treasury in this context.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to evaluate the effectiveness of the contracts awarded by the Government in response to the covid-19 outbreak before awarding further contracts.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Contracting authorities are allowed to procure goods, services and works with extreme urgency in exceptional circumstances under the Public Contract Regulations 2015 using a direct award of a contract without a competitive tender process. The great majority of personal protective equipment (PPE) contracts let by the Department – including that for Medpro Ltd - were direct awards.
Suppliers are evaluated by Departmental officials on their financial standing, compliance with minimum product specifications and ability to perform the contract. Contracts are awarded by the appropriate Departmental accounting officer in line with Departmental policy and procedures. All contracts have clauses in them that allow the Department to seek redress if the company supplies faulty products or misses delivery dates.
The Department assesses the market conditions for procuring supplies related to any procurement, including those relating to COVID-19, in accordance with procurement guidance and regulations. Where any procurement meets the tests for the use of a direct award then that approach will be used. Where it does not, other approaches will be considered.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to review the process for awarding Government contracts related to the covid-19 outbreak in response to the report of the National Audit Office, published on 18 November 2020.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Contracting authorities are allowed to procure goods, services and works with extreme urgency in exceptional circumstances under the Public Contract Regulations 2015 using a direct award of a contract without a competitive tender process. The great majority of personal protective equipment (PPE) contracts let by the Department – including that for Medpro Ltd - were direct awards.
Suppliers are evaluated by Departmental officials on their financial standing, compliance with minimum product specifications and ability to perform the contract. Contracts are awarded by the appropriate Departmental accounting officer in line with Departmental policy and procedures. All contracts have clauses in them that allow the Department to seek redress if the company supplies faulty products or misses delivery dates.
The Department assesses the market conditions for procuring supplies related to any procurement, including those relating to COVID-19, in accordance with procurement guidance and regulations. Where any procurement meets the tests for the use of a direct award then that approach will be used. Where it does not, other approaches will be considered.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to ensure the award of Government contracts to Medpro Ltd complied with procurement guidelines.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Contracting authorities are allowed to procure goods, services and works with extreme urgency in exceptional circumstances under the Public Contract Regulations 2015 using a direct award of a contract without a competitive tender process. The great majority of personal protective equipment (PPE) contracts let by the Department – including that for Medpro Ltd - were direct awards.
Suppliers are evaluated by Departmental officials on their financial standing, compliance with minimum product specifications and ability to perform the contract. Contracts are awarded by the appropriate Departmental accounting officer in line with Departmental policy and procedures. All contracts have clauses in them that allow the Department to seek redress if the company supplies faulty products or misses delivery dates.
The Department assesses the market conditions for procuring supplies related to any procurement, including those relating to COVID-19, in accordance with procurement guidance and regulations. Where any procurement meets the tests for the use of a direct award then that approach will be used. Where it does not, other approaches will be considered.