Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of clinically extremely vulnerable individuals who have accessed the four-month free supply of vitamin D supplements.

From January 2021, the Government is providing a free four-month supply of daily vitamin D supplements to adults on the clinically extremely vulnerable list that have opted in to receive the supplements and residents in residential and nursing care homes in England. The registration period for this scheme has been extended to 21 February. For those who have opted into the scheme and are eligible, supplements will be sent directly to their homes.

The Government has prioritised groups that were asked to stay indoors more than usual over the spring and summer due to national restrictions. Through this commitment, 2.7 million vulnerable people in England will be offered free vitamin D supplements for the winter by the Government. As of 1 January, 320,000 applications had been received and approved for free vitamin D supplements for individuals on the clinically extremely vulnerable list.