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Written Question
Refugees: Screening
Thursday 23rd March 2023

Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing routine screening for newly-arrived asylum seekers for antimicrobial resistant organisms.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

The Government is committed to tackling antimicrobial resistance and reducing the risk of drug-resistant infections for all people. In 2019, the Government published a 20-Year Vision to effectively contain, control and mitigate antimicrobial resistance by 2040, and the first in a series of five-year national action plans to support the Vision is available at the following link:

www.gov.uk/government/collections/antimicrobial-resistance-amr-information-and-resources

Information for healthcare professionals on meeting the health needs of migrants is available in the Migrant Health Guide, which is produced by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities is available at the following link:

www.gov.uk/government/collections/migrant-health-guide

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) provides guidance for healthcare professionals on managing infectious diseases in all migrants through the Migrant Health Guide. The guide provides detailed information on screening by infection type and is regularly reviewed. UKHSA also provides specific guidance on infectious diseases in the asylum seeker population, including information for testing for antimicrobial resistance in diphtheria cases is available at the following link:

www.gov.uk/guidance/infectious-diseases-in-asylum-seekers-actions-for-health-professionals


Written Question
Drug Resistance: Immigration Removal Centres
Wednesday 22nd March 2023

Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential risk of (a) antimicrobial resistance and (b) drug resistant infections in immigration detention centres.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

No assessment has been made.

The Government is committed to tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and reducing the risk of drug-resistant infections for all people. In 2019, the Government published a 20-Year Vision to effectively contain, control and mitigate AMR by 2040, and the first in a series of five-year national action plans to support the Vision.


Written Question
Drug Resistance: Immigration Removal Centres
Wednesday 22nd March 2023

Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the prevalence of antimicrobial resistant organisms in immigration detention centres.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

No specific assessment has been made.


Written Question
Travel: Coronavirus
Monday 20th December 2021

Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on what basis the Government makes the decision to add a country to the list of countries and territories with approved proof of covid-19 vaccination for travel to England; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Maggie Throup

Vaccine certification between countries and territories varies considerably, therefore we ensure that certificates or apps meet our published minimum requirements on content and that carriers are clear about the certification we can accept.

The vaccine certificate, either digital or paper, must be issued by a national or state-level public health authority and be in English, French or Spanish. As a minimum, it must include the holders’ forename and surname(s), date of birth, vaccine brand and manufacturer, date of vaccination for every dose and country or territory of vaccination and/or certificate issue.


Written Question
Travel: Quarantine
Thursday 29th April 2021

Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)

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 (a) monitor the quality of (i) accommodation and (ii) food provided to people and families and (b) promote the welfare of children required to quarantine in hotels during the covid-19 outbreak.

Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before prorogation.


Written Question
Blood: Contamination
Tuesday 2nd March 2021

Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his policy is on placing material related to the contaminated blood scandal at the National Archives; what plans are in place for ensuring appropriate access to the material for the public and for the Infected Blood Inquiry; and whether documents previously declared lost are included and identifiable.

Answered by Nadine Dorries

The Department is obliged by the Public Records Act 1967, as amended, to consider records for permanent preservation at the National Archives, including those related to blood policy. The schedule for transfer is set out in secondary legislation, the Freedom of Information (Definition of Historical Records) (Transitional and Saving Provisions) Order 2012.

The Infected Blood Inquiry has reviewed thousands of files from the Department and has always been free to request access to files they wish to review. We have been transparent in making available documents believed to have been lost but subsequently returned by third party solicitors, having already made these available on the Department’s website in 2006.


Written Question
Coronavirus: Vitamin D
Tuesday 26th January 2021

Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)

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 of a person's vitamin D levels on the severity of covid-19; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Public Health England (PHE) supported the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) to review emerging evidence on vitamin D and the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 in spring 2020. The review concluded that there was currently no robust evidence to support taking vitamin D supplements to reduce the risk or severity of COVID-19. The review is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sacn-rapid-review-vitamin-d-and-acute-respiratory-tract-infections

In autumn 2020, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and PHE were asked to re-consider the evidence on vitamin D and COVID-19. The resulting rapid guideline on vitamin D and COVID-19 reiterated existing advice for everyone to take a daily 10 microgram supplement of vitamin D during winter months and noted that there was not enough evidence on vitamin D and the prevention or treatment of COVID-19. However, NICE, PHE and the SACN will monitor emerging evidence on this issue. The guideline on vitamin D and COVID-19 is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng187


Written Question
Asylum: Coronavirus
Monday 11th January 2021

Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his policy is on clinically extremely vulnerable asylum seekers under his jurisdiction accessing covid-19 vaccines; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Nadhim Zahawi

The Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations (JCVI) has advised that for Phase 1 of the COVID-19 vaccine programme, the vaccine first be given to care home residents and staff and those over 80 years old, followed by health and social workers, then to the rest of the population in order of age and clinical risk factors.

Asylum seekers have the same access to the COVID-19 vaccine as the rest of the population. If they have not done so already, they should register with a general practice, and if they have health conditions that would make them clinically vulnerable or clinically extremely vulnerable then that should be recorded.


Written Question
Flour: Folic Acid
Friday 23rd October 2020

Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to introduce mandatory fortification of flour with folic acid.

Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Department published a United Kingdom-wide consultation on the proposed mandatory fortification of flour with folic acid which ran from 13 June to 9 September 2019. A post-consultation update was made available on the GOV.UK website. We received 1,442 responses from a wide range of stakeholders. Publication of the consultation response has been delayed due to COVID-19 related work taking priority. We will publish our response as soon as possible.


Written Question
Health Services: Social Services
Tuesday 6th October 2020

Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

What recent assessment he has made of the potential effect of negotiations on the future relationship with the EU on the health and social care sector.

Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The negotiations between the European Union and the United Kingdom are ongoing. The UK has been engaged continuously and constructively in those negotiations, and issues which affect the health and social care sector play an important part in them. We must not prejudge the outcome of those negotiations.