Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will set out the criteria for determining an area's local covid-19 alert tier status.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
Decisions on tiers are made by ministers based on public health recommendations primarily informed by five key indicators - the case detection rate in all age groups, case detection rates among the over 60 year olds, the rate at which case rates are rising or falling, positivity rate and pressures on the NHS.
Final decisions on tiering are made by the COVID-19 Operations Committee.
As of 6 January, all areas have been moved into tier 4 and the Government will review the tiering allocations every 14 days.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Streatham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what criteria his Department is using to determine when a city is moved to a higher tier under the three-tiered system for local covid-19 lockdowns.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
Decisions on tiers are made by Ministers based on public health recommendations from senior clinical and scientific advisors, guided by five key indicators - the case detection rate in all age groups, case detection rates among the over 60 year olds, the rate at which case rates are rising or falling, positivity rate and pressures on the National Health Service. Final decisions on tiering are made by the COVID-19 Operations Committee.
As of 6 January, all areas have been moved into tier 4 and the Government will review the tiering allocations every 14 days.
Asked by: Lisa Nandy (Labour - Wigan)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Third Report of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Flying Home: The FCO’s consular response to the COVID-19 pandemic, HC 643, what steps he has taken to improve the (a) quantity and (b) quality of his Department's communications to UK citizens abroad during times of crisis.
Answered by Nigel Adams
We are committed to maintaining and improving the resilience and flexibility of our communications systems during times of crisis. We have increased the capacity and capability in our Consular Contact Centre to ensure greater resilience for surges in demand. We also have a new surge call handling capacity: a cadre drawn from across the FCDO in the UK and in our posts abroad which, in a crisis, will augment our Consular Contact Centre teams. We have also extended the channels by which British nationals can contact us at any time of day or night. For example, during the COVID-19 response, we started providing written answers 24/7 through a dedicated web form on GOV.UK and answering messages posted on the FCDO's Travel Advice social media channels.
We continue to review how we can reach British nationals and how they can reach us as easily as possible. This includes testing and piloting web chat and messaging services such as WhatsApp, as well as integrating our existing channels of phone and sending messages by web form and through social media. We are also exploring how a subscription service would be used, both in a crisis and otherwise, to send messages directly to British nationals who ask for information, using the channel and tool they prefer. We have also reviewed communications for future repatriations operations and developed clear plans to follow if required.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what assessment has been made of the continued application of the catering subsidy for food and drink purchased by members of the House of Lords; and what plans there are, if any, to discontinue the application of that subsidy for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Lord Laming
The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chair of the Services Committee, to respond on his behalf.
The net cost of catering has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic caused by a reduction in revenue because there have been limited catering outlets open (due to fewer Members and staff on site each day) and no banqueting events have taken place since March. The largest cost which impacts the subsidy is payroll and the Administration has continued to pay staff in full each month. Arrangements have been made for variable hours staff to receive pay averaging that which would have been expected prior to the pandemic. Catering management have reviewed the catering operations in view of the continuing effects of COVID-19 and have put mitigations in place, including:
The financial impact of the pandemic on catering services will remain under review.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to ensure there is a co-ordinated response to the covid-19 outbreak across the UK.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The Government is working closely with the devolved administrations.This includes their recent attendance at COBR to coordinate our response to Covid-19 across the UK.
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster holds regular calls with the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales and the First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, and ministers from the devolved administrations are invited to attend the Covid-Operations Committee on a weekly basis to consider those issues that require a coordinated response. This supplements wider joint working by ministers and officials. The purpose is to share best practice and data, coordinate action and work together as set out in the Joint Statement of 25 September, to achieve alignment in approach wherever it is appropriate and possible to do so.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with the Northern Ireland Executive about COVID-19.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and the Minister of State for Northern Ireland are in regular contact with the First and deputy First Minister for Northern Ireland, as well as the Health minister, with the most recent discussions focusing on the recent restrictions across the UK, the concerning rise in cases, and how the UK government can provide continued support.
The First and deputy First Minister, are invited to attend a weekly Covid-19 Operations Committee meeting, hosted by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. This forum supports collaboration and helps ensure decisions taken across the four nations are aligned as far as is possible and appropriate.
Since the start of this pandemic, the UK Government has worked closely with the First Minister and deputy First Minister and the rest of the Executive to coordinate our response to coronavirus. We have also remained in close contact with the Irish government.
The government and devolved administrations will continue to work closely together to ensure a coordinated approach across the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the mechanisms used to ensure that the First Ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are informed of actions being taken by the Government to address the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The Government is working closely with the devolved administrations.
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, holds regular calls with the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales and the First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, and ministers from the devolved administrations will be invited to attend the Covid-Operations Committee on a weekly basis. This supplements wider joint working by ministers and officials. The purpose is not simply to ‘ensure that the First Ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are informed of actions being taken by the Government’ but to share best practice and data, coordinate action and work together as set out in the Joint Statement of 25 September.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether a meeting of the covid-19 operations ministerial committee was scheduled for 12 September 2020.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to PQ66203 on 2 July 2020.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the minutes of the most recent meeting of the Covid-19 Operations Committee.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to PQ66203 on 2 July 2020.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether a meeting of the Covid-19 Operations Ministerial committee was scheduled for 12 September 2020.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to PQ66203 on 2 July 2020.