Question

To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many hon. Members have tested positive for covid-19 (a) in the week commencing 7 March 2022 and (b) since 5 January 2022.

Answered by Charles Walker

Following the change in Government guidance, individuals are no longer required to inform their workplace should they test positive. The figures below represent the number of positive cases where an individual has shared their result. The figures provided are for all positive cases, as we do not hold the data per pass category.

4 – 10 March: 47
25 February – 3 March: 11
18 – 24 February: 15
11 – 17 February: 18

The numbers below represent the number of validated case numbers, using data held by the UKHSA and the Parliamentary test and trace team.

4 – 10 February: 63
28 January – 3 February: 61
21 – 27 January: 89
14 – 20 January: 68
7 – 13 January: 69
31 December – 6 January: 110

Question

To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many hon. Members tested positive for covid-19 (a) in the week commencing 7 February 2022 and (b) since 5 January 2022.

Answered by Charles Walker

Data is held with respect to the number of positive cases with potential links to the Parliamentary estate but is not broken into passholder groups, such as MPs.

Cases are considered to have potential links to the estate where a person testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 (by PCR or LFT), has attended the parliamentary estate for work purposes within the week prior to onset of symptoms (or date of positive test), with onset of symptoms (or date of positive test). This does not mean the case is confirmed as definitely being linked to the estate.

• A total of 349 positive cases have been reported from 5 January to 11 February 2022.
• A total of 27 positive cases have been reported from 7–11 February 2022.

Question

To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, with reference to guidance issued to Members on covid-19 by the Commission on 2 November 2021, whether (a) all members of the House of Commons Commission were consulted on the measures that guidance contained and (b) all Members of the Commission were in agreement with the guidance's recommendations.

Answered by Charles Walker

The urgent request for approval for the revised guidance on covid-19 was sent to all members of the Commission on 1 November, following advice from the UK Health Security Agency earlier that day. The revised guidance was agreed by a majority of the parliamentarian members of the Commission before it was issued.