Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on what date the first forecasts of how much personal protective equipment would be needed to respond to the covid-19 outbreak were made in the (a) NHS and (b) social care sector.

On 10 April, the Government set out a plan for a national effort on personal protective equipment (PPE). This plan incorporates guidance on who needs PPE and when they need it, routes to ensure those who need it can get it at the right time and sets out actions on what the Government and its partners across health and social care are doing to secure enough PPE to last through the crisis.

We are working around the clock to give the National Health Service and social care sectors the PPE equipment and support they need to tackle this outbreak. We recognise that having the right PPE has been a huge concern for frontline health and care workers.