Asked by: Lord Mendelsohn (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to (1) communicate, and (2) consult, with (a) charities, and (b) patient organisations, as part of the COVID-19 enhanced protection programme (EPP); and what format this will take.
Answered by Lord Kamall
We regularly engage with charities and patient organisation representing and supporting immunocompromised and immunosuppressed people. Further to discussions with these groups, we are establishing an engagement forum for charities and patient organisations to discuss issues relating to the enhanced protection programme and to seek the views of these stakeholders in advance of any updates to guidance. We will continue to update these stakeholders on the enhanced protection programme through webinars, meetings and correspondence.
The enhanced protection programme is a tripartite scheme administered by the Department, NHS England and NHS Improvement and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Dame Jenny Harries, the Chief Executive of the UKHSA, is the senior responsible owner for the
programme. There is no formal process for designating patient organisations as stakeholders for the programme.
Asked by: Lord Mendelsohn (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Kamall on 27 April (HL7561), what conclusions they have reached following meetings with groups representing the immunocompromised community on how they can be involved in (1) creating, and (2) disseminating, (a) communication, and (b) guidance, to people about how to safely manage their ongoing risk.
Answered by Lord Kamall
We regularly engage with charities and patient organisation representing and supporting immunocompromised and immunosuppressed people. Further to discussions with these groups, we are establishing an engagement forum for charities and patient organisations to discuss issues relating to the enhanced protection programme and to seek the views of these stakeholders in advance of any updates to guidance. We will continue to update these stakeholders on the enhanced protection programme through webinars, meetings and correspondence.
The enhanced protection programme is a tripartite scheme administered by the Department, NHS England and NHS Improvement and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Dame Jenny Harries, the Chief Executive of the UKHSA, is the senior responsible owner for the
programme. There is no formal process for designating patient organisations as stakeholders for the programme.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the equality impact assessment relating to the guidance published on 21 February 2022, entitled COVID-19 Response: Living with COVID-19.
Answered by Maggie Throup
The Cabinet Office has advised that the Government is unable to provide the information requested as it relates to the formulation of Government policy. Release of this material would undermine the principle of collective agreement and the ability of Ministers to debate policy in a confidential manner.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answers of 10 May 2022 to Questions 94 and 98 on Coronavirus: Disease Control, for what reason the Government is unable to provide information relating to the formulation of Government policy.
Answered by Maggie Throup
Release of this material would undermine the principle of collective agreement and the ability of Ministers to debate policy in a confidential manner.
Asked by: Emma Lewell-Buck (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish all (a) documents, (b) evidence and (c) research his Department holds on the Government's decision to not allow bereavement support bubbles during the lockdowns in the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
The COVID-19 Taskforce has advised that the Government is unable to provide the information requested as it relates to the formulation of Government policy.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether it is his Department's policy that two per cent covid-19 prevalence in the population signifies covid-19 levels being under control.
Answered by Maggie Throup
There is no predetermined level of prevalence. A range of factors are reviewed, including preparedness and capacity of the National Health Service, to ensure that current measures are appropriate.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish risk assessments undertaken by SAGE and the UK Health Security Agency on the potential impact of the removal of covid-19 measures announced on 19 January 2022 on people who (a) are severely immunosuppressed and therefore less or not protected by vaccines and (b) were classed as clinically extremely vulnerable.
Answered by Maggie Throup
The COVID-19 Taskforce has advised that we are unable to provide further information requested as this relates to the formulation of Government policy.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the increase in rates of covid-19, what criteria he is using to assess whether stronger public health measures are required.
Answered by Maggie Throup
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the equality impact assessment in respect of the guidance published on 21 February 2022, entitled COVID-19 Response: Living with COVID-19.
Answered by Maggie Throup
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Florence Eshalomi (Labour (Co-op) - Vauxhall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to COVID-19 Response: Living with COVID-19, published February 2022, whether an equality impact assessment for that document.
Answered by Maggie Throup
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.