Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the review published by Public Health England on 2 June 2020 entitled Disparities in the risk and outcomes of covid-19, what steps he is taking to increase protections against covid-19 for BAME care home workers.

The Department is working with Skills for Care, and partners across the sector to understand the recent research findings, including that published by Public Health England, which have identified a range of characteristics, including ethnicity, which have been associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes due to COVID-19. We are working with partners to respond to these findings, considering the most helpful approach for the sector.