Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Government's press release of 5 June 2020, on surgical masks worn in NHS hospitals, what provision his Department has made for NHS staff who are (a) deaf or (b) have hearing loss.

The Government recognise concerns about the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), particularly face masks when it comes to people who are deaf or have hearing loss. The United Kingdom’s Government’s national PPE procurement team has been working extremely hard to source clear facemasks which comply with UK safety standards and have procured stocks of clear masks into health and social care settings, to support those who need to lip read. Distribution solutions for these are currently being confirmed. Our priority remains saving lives, including those frontline staff who need to wear PPE as they go about their vital work.