Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will review their pension "abatement" rules for (1) nurses, (2) midwives, (3) physiotherapists, and (4) mental health officers, who wish to keep working due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Lord Kamall
The pension measures in Section 45 of the Coronavirus Act 2020 allow retired and partially retired staff to return to work or increase their working commitments without the risk of having their pension benefits suspended.
Since March 2020, abatement of ‘Special Class’ members of the 1995 Section, including nurses, midwives and physiotherapists and mental health officers with the reserved right to retire at 55 years old with pension enhancements, has been suspended. Abatement recognises that ‘Special Class’ members have a significant benefit not available to other staff in the National Health Service. Once abatement is resumed, these staff can continue working for the NHS, typically at least half time. Other staff are not subject to abatement after taking their pension.
These measures are set to expire on 24 March 2022, with the NHS Pension Scheme rules returning to business as usual arrangements. The Department is reviewing this position.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent representations he has received from the Welsh Government on extending the temporary suspension under the Coronavirus Act 2020 of the regulations governing the administration of NHS pensions, including the 16 hour rule.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
While we have not received any formal representations from the Welsh Government we continue to have a regular discussions on a range of matters relating to the NHS Pension Scheme.
The measures were designed to support the National Health Service in responding to the pandemic. Pension abatement in the NHS applies to nurses, midwives, physiotherapists and mental health officers with a retained legacy right to retire at 55 years old without a reduction in their pension. Between the ages of 55 and 60 years old, their pension plus earnings in NHS employment cannot exceed their NHS earnings before retirement. The abatement recognises that they have a significant benefit not available to other staff in the NHS including many nurses. Other staff are not subject to abatement after taking their pension.
This rule was suspended as part of the Coronavirus Act 2020 to enable this group of staff to increase their work for the NHS should they wish. It is due to expire on 25 March 2022 with the other provisions of the Act, including the 16 hour rule. These staff will still be able to continue working for the NHS, typically at least half time. The 16 hour rule limits the amount of NHS work that can be done in the first month after returning from retirement, with no restriction thereafter. However, the Department will keep this under review.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the temporary suspension of the NHS abatement rules past March 2022.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Pension abatement in the National Health Service applies to nurses, midwives, physiotherapists and mental health officers with a retained legacy right to retire at 55 years old without a reduction in their pension. Between the ages of 55 years old and 60 years old, these pensions plus earnings in NHS employment cannot exceed NHS earnings before retirement. The abatement recognises that this a significant benefit not available to other staff in the NHS, including many nurses. Other staff are not subject to abatement after taking their pension.
The Coronavirus Act 2020 suspended the rule to enable this group of staff to increase their work for the NHS should they wish. It is due to expire on 25 March with other provisions. The NHS Business Services Authority are writing to all pensioners under 60 years old in this group who may be affected, to advise how much they can earn before their pension is abated. These nurses and any who subsequently retire should continue to be able to work for the NHS. However, the Department will keep this under review.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending the temporary suspension under the Coronavirus Act 2020 of the regulations governing the administration of NHS pensions, including the 16 hour rule.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Pension abatement in the National Health Service applies to nurses, midwives, physiotherapists and mental health officers with a retained legacy right to retire at 55 years old without a reduction in their pension. Between the ages of 55 years old and 60 years old, these pensions plus earnings in NHS employment cannot exceed NHS earnings before retirement. The abatement recognises that this a significant benefit not available to other staff in the NHS, including many nurses. Other staff are not subject to abatement after taking their pension.
The Coronavirus Act 2020 suspended the rule to enable this group of staff to increase their work for the NHS should they wish. It is due to expire on 25 March with other provisions, including the 16 hour rule. These staff can continue working for the NHS, typically at least half time. The 16 hour rule limits the amount of NHS work that can be done in the first month after returning from retirement, with no restriction thereafter. However, the Department will keep this under review.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the process is for ensuring health professionals (a) are discussing with pregnant women the risks and benefits of the covid-19 vaccine and (b) have up to date information on the risks and benefits of the vaccine.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
NHS England and NHS Improvement are working with regional teams and providers to ensure that advice on vaccination in pregnancy, including the risks and benefits of vaccination to pregnant women, is being offered antenatally and that information materials are available across antenatal and primary care settings. To ensure that healthcare professionals are having these discussions, NHS England and NHS Improvement have asked maternity and primary care services to support all general practitioners, practice nurses, midwives and obstetricians to give objective, evidence-based advice to women on vaccination in pregnancy at every antenatal contact. For healthcare professionals, there is also a checklist to aid discussions on the potential benefits and risks of COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy, and to gain informed consent. This is available at the following link:
As part of their professional development, healthcare professionals and medical staff are expected to familiarise themselves with the latest guidance on matters of clinical importance. This could be through a range of mediums including clinical guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, journal reviews, circulars, bulletins, Royal Colleges guidance, information from the General Medical Council and guidance from Public Health England.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of a pay freeze on the (a) retention and (b) recruitment of public sector workers.
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Covid-19 has had an unprecedented impact on the private sector labour market, with unemployment and redundancies rising, and those on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme seeing a significant fall in earnings. The public sector has been shielded from these effects.
Later this year, the independent Pay Review Bodies (PRB’s) will publish evidence and commentary on recruitment and retention for ten of the largest public sector workforces including: armed forces, teachers, police officers, the National Crime Agency, prison officers, doctors and dentists, Agenda for Change NHS non-medical staff, the Judiciary, senior civil servants and senior military personnel.
The Government will reassess public sector pay policy ahead of the 2022/23 Annual Pay Round when the impact of Covid-19 on the wider labour market will be clearer.
Latest data shows that recruitment and retention in some of our largest workforces remains strong. We have recruited over 41,000 new trainee teachers this year – 23% more than last year – and postgraduate recruitment is at its highest level since 2010/11.
In the NHS joiner rates are higher than last year at 13.8%, and leaver rates have fallen since 2017/18. UCAS end of cycle data shows 25,100 student nurses enrolled on courses in 2020/2, a 27% increase at English providers compared to the previous year.
Asked by: Alyn Smith (Scottish National Party - Stirling)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the capacity of the Palestinian Ministry of Health to sustain a response to the covid-19 pandemic in the long term.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We remain in regular, close contact with the Palestinian Authority (PA) to discuss their ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We will work closely with key partners, including the PA to support a coherent strategy to support recovery. The UK has provided £20 million in funding for this financial year to support the salaries of teachers, nurses and doctors. This will help the PA support its health workers who have been on the frontline battling coronavirus and who deliver life-saving medical services.
We are pleased that the OPTs will be among the first to benefit from the COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC) - the international initiative to support global equitable access to vaccines, with delivery of a first batch of 37,000 doses of the of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine anticipated in mid-February. This is a positive step towards tackling COVID-19 in the OPTs.
Asked by: Joy Morrissey (Conservative - Beaconsfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to recognise the work of nursing apprentices in tackling the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Health Service workforce deserves our recognition and support. We are proud of all staff, including nursing apprentices, who have provided world-class care throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Trainee nursing staff have adapted and developed new skills and practices at pace.
Over 320 health and social care workers were recently recognised in the Birthday Honours and New Year’s honour’s list. We also want to make the NHS the best place to work. The NHS People Plan, published last July, puts the health and wellbeing at its core with a new support package for NHS staff.
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 2 October 2020 to Question 93608 on Asylum: Housing, which (a) disused military barracks, (b) former young offender institutes and (c) other sites are (i) in use and (b) under consideration for being used as temporary alternative accommodation for asylum seekers.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Two former Ministry of Defence sites, Napier Barracks and Penally Training Camp are currently in use. We continue to explore further options to ensure that we continue meet our statutory obligations to support and accommodate destitute asylum seekers at all times.
Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, we have taken decisive action to ensure that those seeking asylum in the United Kingdom have the support they need.
We have provided accommodation and support for everyone in the asylum system, including those whose applications have been rejected and new applicants who have claimed.
Given the unique challenges over recent months, it has been necessary to use additional hotel accommodation and two former Ministry of Defence sites in Napier and Penally, on a temporary, contingency basis to ensure there is always sufficient capacity to deliver our statutory obligations to destitute asylum seekers. We continue to examine further options to ensure we maintain the robustness of our contingency planning and take full account of all relevant factors in doing so, engaging with partner organisations as necessary.
Multi-agency forums including public health partners and emergency services were established when the Minister of Defence sites were stood up and these continue to meet regularly.
The safety and health of people in the detention estate is of the utmost importance. The Home Office has robust contingency plans in place and continues to follow national guidance issued by Public Health England (PHE), Health Protection Scotland and the National Health Service (NHS).
All immigration removal centres (IRCs) have communicable disease contingency plans, based on PHE advice, and dedicated health facilities run by doctors and nurses which are managed by the NHS or appropriate providers. Detained individuals arriving at IRCs are medically assessed by a nurse within two hours of their arrival, are offered an appointment with a doctor within 24 hours and have access to medical assistance throughout their detention. In addition, we are in the process of rolling out COVID 19 testing on reception in all IRCs.
Increased asylum intake, alongside measures taken to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, has meant that the Home Office has had to deal with growing demand for asylum support and accommodation services.
In recent months we have faced additional challenges which have required us in some instances to use contingency accommodation, including hotels, to fulfil or statutory obligations to house destitute asylum seekers whilst their claims are examined.
Even with the use of hotels, there has remained the need to increase capacity further to ensure statutory obligations are met at all times. Following a review of available government property, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) agreed to temporarily hand over two of their sites: the Penally Training Camp in Pembrokeshire and the Napier Barracks in Kent.
These sites were immediately available to be used to house asylum seekers and are safe, secure, habitable, fit for purpose and correctly equipped in line with existing contractual requirements for asylum accommodation.
In order to reduce the use of such contingency accommodation we have been working closely with local authorities and devolved administrations to identify opportunities to increase the amount of dispersal accommodation available and to assist those that are no longer eligible for asylum support to ‘move-on’ from asylum accommodation.
It remains our intention to move all individuals in contingency accommodation into suitable dispersed accommodation as soon as reasonably practical; however, our immediate priority is to ensure that we continue to meet our legal duty to house destitute asylum seekers and ensure their safety and well-being.
The Home Office does not detain anyone in temporary asylum accommodation. Our accommodation providers do not have enforcement powers and those we are accommodating are free to come and go as they please.
We do not publish the information requested, although the number of asylum seekers accommodated in each local authority can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/asylum-and-resettlement-datasets#asylum-support
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what comparative assessment she has made of the safety of (a) military barracks and other such temporary alternative asylum accommodation sites, (b) existing immigration detention centres and (c) hotels and other such asylum accommodation under section 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Two former Ministry of Defence sites, Napier Barracks and Penally Training Camp are currently in use. We continue to explore further options to ensure that we continue meet our statutory obligations to support and accommodate destitute asylum seekers at all times.
Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, we have taken decisive action to ensure that those seeking asylum in the United Kingdom have the support they need.
We have provided accommodation and support for everyone in the asylum system, including those whose applications have been rejected and new applicants who have claimed.
Given the unique challenges over recent months, it has been necessary to use additional hotel accommodation and two former Ministry of Defence sites in Napier and Penally, on a temporary, contingency basis to ensure there is always sufficient capacity to deliver our statutory obligations to destitute asylum seekers. We continue to examine further options to ensure we maintain the robustness of our contingency planning and take full account of all relevant factors in doing so, engaging with partner organisations as necessary.
Multi-agency forums including public health partners and emergency services were established when the Minister of Defence sites were stood up and these continue to meet regularly.
The safety and health of people in the detention estate is of the utmost importance. The Home Office has robust contingency plans in place and continues to follow national guidance issued by Public Health England (PHE), Health Protection Scotland and the National Health Service (NHS).
All immigration removal centres (IRCs) have communicable disease contingency plans, based on PHE advice, and dedicated health facilities run by doctors and nurses which are managed by the NHS or appropriate providers. Detained individuals arriving at IRCs are medically assessed by a nurse within two hours of their arrival, are offered an appointment with a doctor within 24 hours and have access to medical assistance throughout their detention. In addition, we are in the process of rolling out COVID 19 testing on reception in all IRCs.
Increased asylum intake, alongside measures taken to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, has meant that the Home Office has had to deal with growing demand for asylum support and accommodation services.
In recent months we have faced additional challenges which have required us in some instances to use contingency accommodation, including hotels, to fulfil or statutory obligations to house destitute asylum seekers whilst their claims are examined.
Even with the use of hotels, there has remained the need to increase capacity further to ensure statutory obligations are met at all times. Following a review of available government property, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) agreed to temporarily hand over two of their sites: the Penally Training Camp in Pembrokeshire and the Napier Barracks in Kent.
These sites were immediately available to be used to house asylum seekers and are safe, secure, habitable, fit for purpose and correctly equipped in line with existing contractual requirements for asylum accommodation.
In order to reduce the use of such contingency accommodation we have been working closely with local authorities and devolved administrations to identify opportunities to increase the amount of dispersal accommodation available and to assist those that are no longer eligible for asylum support to ‘move-on’ from asylum accommodation.
It remains our intention to move all individuals in contingency accommodation into suitable dispersed accommodation as soon as reasonably practical; however, our immediate priority is to ensure that we continue to meet our legal duty to house destitute asylum seekers and ensure their safety and well-being.
The Home Office does not detain anyone in temporary asylum accommodation. Our accommodation providers do not have enforcement powers and those we are accommodating are free to come and go as they please.
We do not publish the information requested, although the number of asylum seekers accommodated in each local authority can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/asylum-and-resettlement-datasets#asylum-support