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 ensure that (a) care home staff and (b) funeral directors are able to access personal protective equipment to reduce the risk of covid-19 transmission; and if he will make a statement.

The Department has published a personal protective equipment (PPE) plan which sets out steps taken towards three strands of work: guidance, delivery and future supply. The plan can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-personal-protective-equipment-ppe-plan

We have also published the Adult Social Care Action Plan, which details new ways for care homes to order PPE, including through direct dispatches via Royal Mail, a 24 hours a day, seven days a week hotline and a new pilot website. The Action Plan can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-adult-social-care-action-plan