To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


View sample alert

Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
Fishing Catches: Cetaceans
Wednesday 29th November 2023

Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many cetaceans were caught in UK waters in 2022; and how that number compares to estimates of cetacean bycatch.

Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

All cetaceans are fully protected in UK waters under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations. In the UK, it is an offence to deliberately disturb, harm, capture or kill wild cetaceans. We are not aware of any cetaceans being caught illegally in UK waters in 2022.

The UK introduced new rules in 2021 making it mandatory under fishing vessel licence conditions for fishers to report any marine mammal bycatch to the Marine Management Organisation (MMO). On the introduction of this requirement, communications were sent out by Defra, the Devolved Administrations and the MMO to ensure that industry understood the new obligations.

This reporting is complemented by a range of other monitoring programmes.

The Government funds the UK Bycatch Monitoring Programme which uses onboard observers to estimate bycatch rates and high-risk gear types. The 2022 annual programme report will be completed and published, once fishing effort figures for 2022 are finalised and can be integrated into bycatch estimates.

In addition, both the UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP) and the Scottish Marine Animal Strandings Scheme investigate the causes of death of stranded cetaceans around the UK coast to improve our understanding of, and ability to tackle, key threats like bycatch. CSIP strandings data are published in annual reports. Due to unprecedented events, including the coronavirus pandemic and the UK’s largest ever outbreak of avian influenza, the delivery of project reports has been delayed. The 2022 annual report will be finalised shortly and released in due course, following publication assurance processes.

Since 2020, Defra has also funded Clean Catch UK, a research programme which is developing and trialling a range of bycatch monitoring and mitigation measures. This programme has developed a bycatch self-reporting mobile application and an online ‘Bycatch Mitigation Hub’ with information on different approaches to reduce bycatch.

We recognise that accidental bycatch in fisheries is one of the greatest threats faced by cetaceans, and we remain fully committed to tackling this and addressing monitoring gaps. In 2022, the UK Government and Devolved Administrations published the UK Bycatch Mitigation Initiative (BMI). This outlines how the UK will achieve its ambitions to minimise and, where possible, eliminate the bycatch of sensitive marine species. As a core objective of the BMI, the Government will continue to build on existing monitoring work to improve our understanding of bycatch and entanglement of sensitive marine species.


Written Question
Coronavirus: Schools
Monday 23rd October 2023

Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2022 to Question 22411 on Coronavirus: Schools, whether she has provided guidance to schools on the findings of the Rapid Covid-19 Air Disinfection Study; if she will place a copy of the findings of that study in the Library; and if she will make a statement.

Answered by Nick Gibb

The Rapid Covid-19 Air Disinfection Study, which has been renamed the Bradford classroom air cleaning technology (class-ACT) trial, is a project looking at the implications and potential benefits of fitting schools with air cleaning technology.

This trial was funded by the Department of Health and Social Care and managed through the UK Health Security Agency. The study is run from the Centre for Applied Education Research which is based at the Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in the UK. Officials from the Department for Education sat on the working group of the trial. The trial has concluded and the academic leads intend to make the results available by publishing in a peer reviewed journal in due course. As the results have not yet been published, no guidance has been provided.

The Department recognises that good ventilation can reduce the spread of respiratory infections and has provided CO2 monitors to all eligible state funded settings in England. These monitors enable staff to identify areas where ventilation needs to be improved and provide reassurance that existing ventilation measures are working. This helps balance the need for good ventilation and keeping classrooms warm. The Department has also provided over 9,000 air cleaning units (ACUs) to over 1,300 settings that had sustained high CO2 readings of above 1500ppm. These ACUs work through high efficiency particulate air filter technology.


Written Question
Coronavirus: Research
Monday 6th March 2023

Asked by: Lord Mendelsohn (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made on starting an antibody testing pilot study for those who remain vulnerable to poor outcomes from COVID-19 despite vaccination; and when the funding will be confirmed.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has funded a new study to establish whether antibody testing can identify which patient groups remain at greatest risk of severe COVID-19 infection after vaccinations. The Stratification of Clinically Vulnerable People for COVID-19 Risk Using Antibody Testing (STRAVINSKY) study will involve testing 3,000 immune vulnerable participants and will also pool data from previous studies in vulnerable patients, to give a deeper understanding of antibody testing for vaccine responsiveness and protection, and if possible, define antibody testing thresholds for COVID-19 risk. This will aim to improve the understanding of COVID-19 risk in immunosuppressed individuals to inform future advice. This was announced on 2 March and the study has been funded for 24 months.

The Department discussed a research application for antibody testing from the trial leads of successful COVID immunology trials including OCTAVE, MELODY, PROSECO, and other studies. Due to the urgent need for the research NIHR agreed that the application could be submitted to the fast-track scheme. The full proposal was reviewed by a specialised independent funding committee, who recommended funding and approval was provided by the Department in January 2023.


Written Question
Coronavirus: Research
Monday 6th March 2023

Asked by: Lord Mendelsohn (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 6 February (HL5220), what are the processes at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NICE) to assess the study proposal for COVID-19 antibody testing, including its (1) funding, and (2) timetable.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has funded a new study to establish whether antibody testing can identify which patient groups remain at greatest risk of severe COVID-19 infection after vaccinations. The Stratification of Clinically Vulnerable People for COVID-19 Risk Using Antibody Testing (STRAVINSKY) study will involve testing 3,000 immune vulnerable participants and will also pool data from previous studies in vulnerable patients, to give a deeper understanding of antibody testing for vaccine responsiveness and protection, and if possible, define antibody testing thresholds for COVID-19 risk. This will aim to improve the understanding of COVID-19 risk in immunosuppressed individuals to inform future advice. This was announced on 2 March and the study has been funded for 24 months.

The Department discussed a research application for antibody testing from the trial leads of successful COVID immunology trials including OCTAVE, MELODY, PROSECO, and other studies. Due to the urgent need for the research NIHR agreed that the application could be submitted to the fast-track scheme. The full proposal was reviewed by a specialised independent funding committee, who recommended funding and approval was provided by the Department in January 2023.


Written Question
Coronavirus: Vaccination
Tuesday 20th December 2022

Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on 13 December 2022, Official Report column 1092, what steps he is taking to monitor possible side effects from Covid-19 vaccines; whether he has commissioned further research to facilitate better understanding of how to diagnose and treat those who have suffered ill-effects from a Covid-19 vaccine; and when he plans the outcome of that research will be published.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) continually monitors safety during the widespread use of a vaccine. For the COVID-19 vaccines, MHRA shares information with other medicines regulators and works with public health partners in reviewing the effectiveness and impact to ensure the benefits continue to outweigh any possible side effects. The results of this monitoring are published monthly and the latest report is available at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1121345/vaccine-surveillance-report-week-48-2022.pdf

The MHRA also publishes a monthly summary of adverse reactions following COVID-19 vaccination, which is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-vaccine-adverse-reactions/coronavirus-vaccine-summary-of-yellow-card-reporting#update-on-publication-frequency

The National Institute for Health and Care Research has allocated more than £110 million for research on COVID-19 vaccines, including a £1.6 million programme to understand the rare condition of blood clotting with low platelets following vaccination for COVID-19. The study is due to complete in February 2023 and results will be published in due course following peer review.


Written Question
Coronavirus: Immunosuppression
Tuesday 20th December 2022

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, pursuant to the Answer of 8 December 2022 to Question 97699 on Coronavirus: Immunosuppression, what parameters his Department is considering for the antibody testing study; what assessments he has made of the consequences for his policies of the need for immunosuppressed patients to be offered antibody testing; and how his Department plans to communicate the results and conclusions of the study.

Answered by Will Quince

The Department is seeking advice from independent clinical experts, who will design the COVID-19 antibody testing study for vulnerable immunosuppressed groups. The results from previous studies will inform the Principle Investigators’ trial design and selection of participants. The proposal will be reviewed by an independent expert committee as part of the National Institute for Health and Care Research funding decision process. The Department will engage with patient groups through regular stakeholder communications, which initially would focus on the outcome of a trial funding decision. The development of future guidance on antibody testing for vulnerable groups would be dependent on trial results.


Written Question
Coronavirus: Vaccination
Friday 18th November 2022

Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 8 November 2022 to Question 77275 on Coronavirus: Vaccination, what (a) criteria and (b) guidance is used by medical assessors to ensure the consistency of assessment across cases of (i) multi-system inflammatory syndrome and (ii) other auto-immune responses as a result of a covid-19 vaccine when interpreting the criteria of the (A) Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme, (B) schedule 2 of the Social Security (General Benefit) Regulations 1982 and (C) section 103 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

All claims are assessed using a consistent approach, regardless of the type of case. To ensure consistency, the NHS Business Services Authority has recently introduced sampling to quality assure medical assessments. This allows claims to be progressed more rapidly while ensuring the high standards required, in line with Schedule 2 of the Social Security (General Benefit) Regulations 1982 and Section 103 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992.

Guidance and resources to support medical assessments include but are not limited to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s data such as Yellow Card reports; vaccine product information updates; the Green Book; other research; and systematic reviews such the Cochrane library.


Written Question
Long Covid: Research
Tuesday 18th October 2022

Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the research by the Office for National Statistics entitled Prevalence of ongoing symptoms following coronavirus (COVID-19) infection in the UK, published on 1 September 2022, whether her Department has had discussions with the Office for National Statistics on the reasons for which myalgic encephalomyelitis was not included as a potential long-term complication of Covid-19.

Answered by Will Quince

There have been no specific discussions and we have no plans to make such an assessment. The long term effects of COVID-19 and myalgic encephalomyelitis re separate conditions as defined by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.


Written Question
Business: York
Friday 23rd September 2022

Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the findings of a recent study conducted by York High Street Forum Research on an anticipated reduction of footfall on high streets in York, if he will provide financial support in the way of (a) grants or loans and (b) an extension of the payback of covid-19 loans to high street businesses.

Answered by Jackie Doyle-Price

We will continue to support high street businesses as they recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Eligible retail, hospitality and leisure businesses can benefit from 50% businesses rates relief worth almost £1.7 billion in 2022-23.
  • “Pay as You Grow” options allow Bounce Back Loan borrowers to tailor their repayments to individual circumstances. Businesses have the option to repay their loan over a period of up to ten years, as well as the option to move temporarily to interest-only payments for periods of up to six months or pause their repayments entirely for up to six months.
  • Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme lenders can extend the repayment period for CBILS facilities where this is needed, to a maximum of 10 years.

Last week the Government announced a new six-month scheme – the Energy Price Guarantee for Businesses – to protect all businesses and other non-domestic energy users from soaring energy costs.


Written Question
Airlines: Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
Monday 1st August 2022

Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they made an assessment in 2020 of whether limiting their support of UK airlines through access to furlough funding would have an impact on the airlines’ staff numbers and post-pandemic capacity.

Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)

The economic impact of the pandemic was widespread across large parts of the economy. It was right that the Government made support available for all businesses that needed it for the whole of the UK. To clarify, any entity with a UK payroll, including airlines, was able to apply for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS).

When designing and implementing the scheme, the Government carefully considered its impacts on individual sectors and on the economy as a whole, and adapted its approach in response to the changing health and economic context.

In addition to CJRS, the Government provided unprecedented support to the aviation and aerospace sectors throughout Covid-19, with over £12 billion made available through loan guarantees, support for exporters, the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility, and grants for research and development.