Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Government grants statistics 2020 to 2021, published on 31 March 2022, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Disabled Facilities Grants.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) supports around 50,000 older and disabled people in England each year to adapt their homes to make them safe and suitable for their needs. Adaptations funded through the DFG can reduce emergency admissions to hospital, speed up a return home following a hospital stay and delay, or even prevent, the need for costly residential care in future.
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) collects voluntary local authority-level data returns, including information on local DFG delivery, via its DELTA system. Raw data from local authorities is analysed by Foundations, the DLUHC funded national body for DFGs and home improvement agencies. The 2021-22 report on local DFG delivery is available online at the following link:
www.foundations.uk.com/library/dfg-performance/
There is good evidence of the impact and effectiveness of housing adaptations generically, and the DFG specifically. For example, Public Health England’s falls prevention toolkit (2018) compared the impact of different interventions on preventing falls, including exercise classes and home adaptations. It found that adaptations produce significantly higher returns on investment with £1 of investment in home assessment and modification saving £3.17 on health and care costs. If quality of life gains for the individual are considered, savings rise to £7.34 per £1 spent.
Asked by: Liz Kendall (Labour - Leicester West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the remit will be of the Older People’s Taskforce.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The inaugural meeting of the Older People’s Housing Taskforce took place on Tuesday 16t May 2023 at Grace House in St. John’s Wood in London. The press release is available at the following link:
www.gov.uk/government/news/taskforce-to-transform-older-peoples-housing-underway
The taskforce is bringing together experts from across the sector and people with lived experience to make recommendations on how we can provide greater choice, quality, and security of housing for older people.
The panel will meet regularly and focus on overarching themes, including, the needs, preferences and concerns of older people, their families, and their carers, maximising the potential of technology, building design, and regulation to ensure homes are suitable for the future and understanding what needs to happen at the local level to enable progress in increasing the volume and diversity of housing options for older people. The taskforce will run for up to 12 months, producing an independent report to Government when it concludes.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the penultimate bullet point on page 7 of People at the Heart of Care: Adult Social Care Reform White Paper published December 2021 setting out the policy to be implemented within three years of at least £300 million to integrate housing into local health and care strategies, for what reasons this policy was not included in the document Next steps to put People at the Heart of Care A plan for adult social care system reform 2023 to 2024 and 2024 to 2025 Published 4 April 2023; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The health and social care system is facing an acute set of challenges, such as inflation and recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Government has rightly considered how best to target resources where they are most needed to ensure value for money for taxpayers, and has therefore decided not to proceed with some white paper proposals at this time.
Ensuring people have the high quality, safe and suitable homes that can help them stay independent and healthy for longer remains key to our vision for Adult Social Care Reform. This is why ‘Next steps to put People at the Heart of Care’ launched the Older People’s Housing Taskforce. The Taskforce will bring together experts from across the sector to make recommendations on how we make sure that older people have a better choice of accommodation to suit their needs and preferences.
In addition to the £573 million for the Disabled Facilities Grant, which is already available in 2023/24 and 2024/25, the ‘Next steps’ publication also announced a further £102 million, with £50 million in 2023/24 and £52 million in 2024/25. Increasing the level of housing adaptation support available in local areas will enable them to fund supplementary services that are agile and help people stay independent, support hospital discharge, and make minor adaptations.
Asked by: Lord Mendelsohn (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government why they have withdrawn the opportunity for COVID-19 vaccine boosters to people living with the immunocompromised people at risk of severe infection or death from COVID-19.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Following advice from the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), in autumn 2022 an extra booster dose was offered to individuals aged 50 years old and over, residents in care homes for older people, frontline health and social care workers, those aged five to 49 years old in a clinical risk group and individuals aged five to 49 years old who were household contacts of people with immunosuppression or carers, as defined in the UK Health Security Agency green book. The autumn programme closed on 12 February 2023 in England.
On 7 March 2023, the Government accepted the advice of the JCVI to offer an additional booster vaccine dose in spring 2023. The primary aim of the COVID-19 vaccination programme continues to be the prevention of severe disease, hospitalisation and mortality, arising from COVID-19. Therefore, the spring booster has been offered to those at highest risk of severe COVID-19, adults aged 75 years old and over, residents in a care home for older adults and individuals aged five years old and over who are immunosuppressed.
The spring booster programme in 2022 also focused on those at highest risk of severe COVID-19 and offered an additional dose to these same targeted groups from 12 years old and up.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps the Government have taken to (a) reduce the number of people with learning disabilities or autism in psychiatric hospitals, (b) improve the supported housing services available to people with learning disabilities or autism and (c) improve the community mental health services available to people with learning disabilities or autism.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
In 2023/24, we are investing an additional £121 million to improve community support for people with a learning disability and autistic people as part of the NHS Long Term Plan, including funding for Children and Young People’s keyworkers.
The Ministerially-chaired Building the Right Support (BtRS) Delivery Board is overseeing implementation of the BtRS Action Plan (2022) which brings together actions across Government and public services to strengthen community support and reduce overall reliance on mental health inpatient care for people with a learning disability and autistic people.
From 2022/23 to 2024/25, we will continue to provide funding to build specialised housing, through the CASSH Fund, for older people and adults with learning disabilities or autism, physical disabilities and mental ill-health. Alongside this, the £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme (2021-2026) includes delivery within the programme for new supported housing.
In addition, the Government is supporting the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Bill, which includes a range of measures intended to improve quality of supported housing. We are investing at least £2.3 billion of extra funding a year in expanding and transforming mental health services in England, including those based in the community, by March 2024. This will allow an additional 2 million people, including people with learning disabilities and autism, to get the mental health support they need.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether people suffering from Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) are eligible for the spring covid-19 booster.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Government continues to be guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) on who should be offered COVID-19 vaccinations. The primary aim of the COVID-19 vaccination programme continues to be the prevention of severe disease, hospitalisation and mortality. Older persons, residents in care homes for older adults, and those who are immunosuppressed continue to be at highest risk of severe COVID-19.
As a precautionary measure, the JCVI has recommended that an extra booster vaccine dose should be offered in spring 2023 to adults 75 years old and over, residents in a care home for older adults and individuals five years old and over who are immunosuppressed, as defined in the COVID-19 chapter of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) green book.
Individuals with ME/CFS are not eligible for the COVID-19 spring 2023 booster vaccination unless they meet the criteria for one or more of the groups listed in addition to having ME/CFS.
The JCVI regularly reviews its advice in relation to the COVID-19 vaccination programme, considering new data, evidence on the effectiveness of the programme and the epidemiological situation.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what criteria are used to determine a child’s eligibility for semi-independent living through the social care system.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
It is a priority for the government that all looked after children and care leavers live in homes that meet their needs and keep them safe. Local authorities are responsible for ensuring that there is sufficient provision to meet the need of children they look after, and for determining which type of setting children are placed, to meet their needs and keep them safe.
The vast majority of looked after children live in foster care or in children’s homes. This must be the case for any child under the age of 16. From September 2021, the government banned the practice of placing children of this age in independent and semi-independent living arrangements that are not currently registered and inspected by Ofsted.
The use of semi-independent homes has continued to grow as more older children enter the care system. These types of settings can be the right choice for some 16 and 17-year-olds. They can offer a place to live with more independence and when combined with the right level of high-quality support, they enable the young people placed there to develop the skills they need to prepare for adulthood and leaving care. Where local authorities place children in this type of setting, they must ensure that the accommodation and support is high-quality and can meet the individual needs of the child.
To make sure that accommodation and support is high-quality and action can be taken where it is not, the department is investing over £142 million up to 2025 to introduce national standards and Ofsted registration and inspection requirements for providers who accommodate 16 and 17-year-old looked after children and care leavers.
Asked by: Maggie Throup (Conservative - Erewash)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the number and proportion of (a) children aged two and three years on 31 August 2022, (b) primary school-aged children and eligible secondary school-aged children, (c) people aged six months to 50 years in clinical risk groups, (d) pregnant women, (e) people aged 50 to 64, (f) people aged 65 to 74, (g) people aged 75 and over, (h) people staying in long-stay residential care homes, (i) people who are carers, (j) people in receipt of carer’s allowance, (k) the main carer of an older or disabled person, (m) people who are in close contact with immunocompromised individuals and (n) frontline health and social care workers who had taken up a free seasonal flu vaccination by (i) 30 November 2021 and (ii) 31 December 2021.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
We do not have all the information in the format requested.
Please see the attachment for the information provided.
Flu vaccine uptake is published at the following links:
Asked by: Maggie Throup (Conservative - Erewash)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what percentage by cohort of (a) children aged 2 and 3 years on 31 August 2022, (b) school-aged children including all primary school aged children and eligible secondary school aged children, (c) people aged 6 months to under 50 years in clinical risk groups, (d) pregnant women, (e) people aged 50 to 64, (f) people aged 65 to 74, (g) people aged 75 and over, (h) people staying in long-stay residential care homes, (i) people who are carers, (j) people in receipt of carer’s allowance, (k) the main carer of an older or disabled person, (m) people who are in close contact with immunocompromised individuals and (n) frontline health and social care workers who had taken up the offer of a free seasonal flu vaccination by (A) 30 November 2022 and (B) 31 December 2022.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The information requested is not held centrally. However, the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) publish seasonal influenza vaccine uptake in general practitioner patients. The following table shows the provisional monthly data for 1 September 2022 to 30 November 2022 for various cohorts and seasonal influenza vaccine uptake provisional data for all school aged primary school children in England given from the 1 September 2022 to the 30 November 2022.
Cohort | Uptake 30 November 2022 (%) |
65 years old and over | 76.2 |
6 months old to under 65 years old at-risk | 42.7 |
Pregnant women | 30.0 |
50 years old to under 65 years old and not in a clinical risk group | 35.6 |
50 years old to 65 years old and in a clinical risk group | 56.7 |
All 2 year olds (combined) | 34.5 |
All 3 year olds (combined) | 36.7 |
Reception (age 4 years old to 5 years old) | 47.8 |
Year 1 (age 5 years old to 6 years old) | 48.3 |
Year 2 (age 6 years old to 7 years old) | 49.3 |
Year 3 (age 7 years old to 8 years old) | 48.9 |
Year 4 (age 8-9 years old) | 48.2 |
Year 5 (age 9-10 years old) | 47.5 |
Year 6 (age 10-11 years old) | 46.0 |
All primary school age (age 4 years old to 11 years old) | 48.0 |
Source: Seasonal influenza vaccine uptake in GP patients: monthly data, 2022 to 2023 and Seasonal influenza vaccine uptake in children of school age: monthly data, 2022 to 2023, UKHSA
Data for December 2022 will be published at the end of January 2023 and data for secondary school aged children will be published on 26 January 2023.
UKHSA has published provisional data for Seasonal influenza uptake amongst frontline healthcare workers (HCWs) in England 2022 to 2023 for the period 1 September 2022 to 30 November 2022, it is 41.8%. The data for December 2022 will be published at the end of January 2023.
As of the week, ending 18 December 2022, the proportions who had received their flu vaccination for the 2022 to 2023 season were, 70.1% of total residents and 13.8% of total staff of older adult care homes:
Vaccine uptake for carers will be published in the 2022 to 2023 annual report
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what additional support the Government is providing to (a) vulnerable and (b) immunosuppressed people to protect themselves from covid-19 in winter 2022-23.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The autumn COVID-19 booster vaccination campaign aims to increase immunity in those at higher risk of severe infection during winter 2022/23. The booster dose is being offered to individuals aged 50 years old and over, residents and staff in care homes for older adults, frontline health and social care workers, unpaid carers, individuals aged five to 49 years old in clinical risk groups and household contacts of those who are immunosuppressed. Those who are at higher risk from COVID-19 due to their immune system continue to have priority access to therapeutic and antiviral treatments.