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 potential merits of a one-off bonus for NHS frontline staff who have worked during the covid-19 outbreak.

The Government has confirmed it will provide a pay increase to National Health Service staff, while uplifts in the wider public sector have been paused. In doing so, the Government is acknowledging the extraordinary work of NHS staff through the pandemic.

The Government has submitted its written evidence to the independent pay review bodies and has asked them to report in the late spring. We will carefully consider their recommendations.