Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Northern Health Science Alliance Covid-19 and the Northern Powerhouse: tackling inequalities for UK health and productivity, published on 10 November; and what proposals they are putting forward to meet the recommendations of that report.

The NHS Long Term Plan commits all major national programmes and every local area across England to set out specific measurable goals and mechanisms by which they will contribute to narrowing health inequalities over the next five and ten years.

On economy and productivity, the Government is levelling up opportunity across the United Kingdom to ensure that everyone can benefit from economic growth. For example, HM Treasury has provided £1 billion for local projects to boost local economic growth. In the North of England this includes so far over half a million self-employed people have been supported through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, with claims worth over £1 billion. Furthermore, over 2 million jobs have been protected through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and business support loans worth over £10.5 billion have been provided.