Asked by: Andrea Leadsom (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether supermarkets have put in place covid-19 related restrictions on the purchase of baby products by parents who have triplets.
Answered by Paul Scully
Supermarkets have been clear that supply chains remain robust and there is good availability of products in store. The Government encourages all consumers to shop considerately.
The Government is aware that certain supermarkets have previously restricted sales of core items such as: flour, pasta, toilet roll, antibacterial wipes and baby wipes. However, decisions on restricting the number of items consumers can purchase are commercial matters and are best made by individual businesses who understand their operations and customer base.
Asked by: Andrea Leadsom (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure that supermarket purchasing restrictions are (a) fair and (b) flexible during the covid-19 outbreak for parents with newborn babies.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government welcomes efforts by supermarkets to ensure vulnerable groups, including parents with newborn babies, can shop safely and access the goods they need. However, decisions on restricting the number of items consumers can purchase are best made by individual businesses, who understand their operations and customer base.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has created a COVID-19 taskforce to address excessive pricing practices and has set up this online form so that consumers and businesses can report any issues via: https://www.coronavirus-business-complaint.service.gov.uk/.
The CMA will consider any evidence that companies may have broken competition or consumer protection law and it will take direct enforcement action where appropriate.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason (a) supermarkets and (b) petrol stations are not required to use the NHS QR Code for track and trace.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There is a higher risk of transmitting COVID-19 in premises where customers and visitors spend a long time in one place and potentially come into sustained, close contact with other people outside of their household such as pubs, bars and restaurants and close contact services. There is a lower risk where services are taken off site immediately.
In supermarkets, customers generally move around the space rather than congregate, and are expected, by law, to wear face coverings. QR code posters for NHS Test and Trace are therefore not required for the entrance to a supermarket or other retail outlet. Venues that are not required by law to display a National Health Service QR code poster may still choose to do so as part of the effort to fight coronavirus.
Further guidance, including a full list of establishments that must request contact details from staff, customers and visitors, and display an official NHS QR code poster is published at the following link:
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with supermarkets on offering priority supermarket delivery slots to those with (a) cystic fibrosis and (b) other clinically extremely vulnerable people during the November 2020 covid-19 lockdown.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
New national restrictions came into force in England on 5 November. People with cystic fibrosis, and other clinically extremely vulnerable people, are advised not to go to shops, and to shop online if possible, or to ask others such as friends or family to collect and deliver shopping for them. If an individual already has a priority delivery slot with a supermarket, they will continue to hold it.
If a clinically extremely vulnerable person needs additional help, their local council can offer support. This may include helping them to request a priority supermarket delivery slot if they do not already have one.
Asked by: Fiona Bruce (Conservative - Congleton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential spread of covid-19 through bags for life and other reusable plastic bags in supermarkets during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No specific assessment has been undertaken.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many supermarket workers have been infected with covid-19.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Public Health England does not publish data of the occupation of those who test positive for COVID-19, meaning the number of supermarket workers who have been infected with COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic is not available.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to promote registration for supermarket priority slots for people who (a) are shielding and (b) have arthritis during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
In March, the Government took swift action to ensure continued access to food for the most vulnerable. Information on how to register for food support, including priority delivery slots has been available on GOV.UK since then.
Working with other Government departments we have attempted to call all those who registered for food support. During these calls we explained the priority delivery slot scheme and encouraged them to sign up for an account with a participating supermarket. We also included information in food boxes which were delivered to those with no other means of accessing food.
Our latest figures show that less than 26,000 of those 500,000 people registered for support were not able to access priority deliveries. We recently contacted these people by email and letter, encouraging them to sign up for an account with a participating supermarket. Supermarkets will continue to match individuals and supply the most vulnerable with priority delivery slots.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to support the most vulnerable as part of (a) Test and Trace, (b) Local Lockdowns and (c) the Government's programme of economic recovery after the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Simon Clarke
We are working with other government departments to support local authorities in responding to additional vulnerability created by the COVID-19 outbreak through financial support, as well as engaging civil society and supermarkets to provide further assistance, including access to food and essential supplies.
The Government has also confirmed an additional £63 million for local authorities to help people who are struggling financially due to the impact of COVID-19.
We are working with DHSC to support local authorities to respond to COVID-19 outbreaks by ensuring capacity and accessibility is available for testing vulnerable groups. The Test and Trace scheme ensures that anyone who develops symptoms of coronavirus can quickly be tested to find out if they have the virus, and also includes targeted asymptomatic testing of NHS and social care staff and care home residents.
The Government has always been clear that it will continually monitor the transmission of the virus in our communities and, if rates rise too much, our advice to those who are clinically extremely vulnerable may change. The Government is committed to supporting those shielding.
I have held 6 meetings of the Economic Recovery Working Group, which brings together local growth partners to discuss emerging themes and concerns across the country.
As a subset of the official-level Economic Recovery Working Group, which sits alongside the ministerial group and has met 11 times, officials are establishing 5 locally led task and finish groups to bring together local partners on specific recovery challenges, to foster strong collaboration between national and local partners and understand the levers we need to pull to support recovery.
We have written out to M9 mayors to ask them to coordinate economic recovery planning for their areas and encouraged them to focus initially on restarting the economy alongside Government social distancing guidelines.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure (a) local resilience forums and (b) local authorities can meet the needs of vulnerable individuals as part of (i) Test and Trace, (ii) local lockdowns and (iii) local recovery from the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Simon Clarke
MHCLG is in regular contact with local resilience forums (LRFs) across England, with MHCLG attending both tactical and strategic coordinating groups as necessary. Local authorities, as part of the LRF, will consider the needs of vulnerable individuals as they plan their response to, and recovery from the Covid-19 outbreak.
We are working with other Government departments to support local authorities to respond to additional vulnerability created by the Covid-19 outbreak through financial support, engaging civil society and supermarkets to provide further assistance, including access to food and essential supplies.
The Government has also confirmed an additional £63 million for local authorities to help those who are struggling financially due to the impact of Covid-19. This will allow authorities to step in and provide discretionary financial help to those facing severe hardship due to covid-19 and help them to pay for food and other necessities.
We are working with DHSC to support local authorities to respond to Covid-19 outbreaks by ensuring capacity and accessibility is available for testing vulnerable groups. The Test and Trace scheme ensures that anyone who develops symptoms of coronavirus (Covid-19) can quickly be tested to find out if they have the virus, and also includes targeted asymptomatic testing of NHS and social care staff and care home residents.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that (a) local resilience forums and (b) local authorities (i) engage and (ii) collaborate with the local voluntary and community sector to ensure coordinated and holistic support is provided to people affected by ?the covid-19? outbreak as part of (A) Test and Trace, (B) local lockdown policy and (C) as part of the Government's strategy for economic recovery.
Answered by Simon Clarke
MHCLG is in regular contact with local resilience forums (LRFs) across England, with MHCLG attending both tactical and strategic coordinating groups as necessary. Local authorities, as part of the LRF, will consider the needs of vulnerable individuals as they plan their response, and recovery, from the Covid-19 outbreak.
We are working with other Government departments to support local authorities to respond to additional vulnerability created by the Covid-19 outbreak through financial support, engaging civil society and supermarkets to provide further assistance, including access to food and essential supplies.
The Government has also confirmed an additional £63 million for local authorities to help those who are struggling financially due to the impact of Covid-19. This will allow authorities to step in and provide discretionary financial help to those facing severe hardship due to Covid-19 and help them to pay for food and other necessities.
We are working with DHSC to support local authorities to respond to Covid-19 outbreaks by ensuring capacity and accessibility is available for testing vulnerable groups. The Test and Trace scheme ensures that anyone who develops symptoms of coronavirus (Covid-19) can quickly be tested to find out if they have the virus, and also includes targeted asymptomatic testing of NHS and social care staff and care home residents
Meetings of the Economic Recovery Working Group, which brings together local growth partners to discuss emerging themes and concerns across the country, have been held at both official and ministerial level. Officials will also be establishing 5 locally led task and finish groups to bring together local partners on specific recovery challenges, to foster strong collaboration between national and local partners and understand how we can support recovery.