That this House congratulates New Lanark Trust on their award of £2.3 million funding to ensure the future of the New Lanark UNESCO World Heritage site; understands that the funding from the National Heritage Memorial Fund’s Covid-19 Response Fund will allow New Lanark Trust to undertake maintenance on a number of the Category A listed buildings on the site, which have been delayed because of the pandemic; acknowledges that New Lanark was founded as a cotton-spinning village in 1785 by David ...
To ask His Majesty's Government how the needs of the Clinically Extremely Vulnerable, as distinct from the disabled, will be addressed in the UK COVID-19 Inquiry.
Government answer
Answering body: Cabinet Office
The UK COVID-19 Inquiry is independent of the Government. The process, procedure and timing of the Inquiry are matters for the Chair, Baroness Hallett.
On 16th January 2023 the Chair designated the group Clinically Vulnerable Families as a Core Participant for Module 3 of the Inquiry which covers healthcare systems in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It is for the Inquiry itself to provide any further detail on the important issue of how the needs of the Clinically Extremely Vulnerable will be addressed.
The Government is committed to learning from the Covid-19 Inquiry’s findings which will play a key role in informing planning and preparations for the future; it continues to work closely with the Inquiry.
That this House expresses deep concern over the inclusion of London Assembly Member Shaun Bailey on the list of proposed peerages by the former Prime Minister Boris Johnson; notes that a party organised by Assembly Member Bailey’s mayoral campaign team is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police once again for allegedly breaching covid-19 regulations in December 2020; further regrets that an individual currently under police investigation is being given a seat in the nation’s legislatur...
To ask His Majesty's Government what legal costs they have incurred to date as a result of their decision to seek a judicial review on the application of the Inquiries Act 2005 to the Covid-19 Inquiry.
Government answer
Answering body: Cabinet Office
We do not yet have a figure for the costs incurred. We brought this judicial review to seek clarification on a point of law and we are pleased that the Court agreed that there was an important legal question to consider.
It acknowledged our concerns over respecting the privacy of individuals and ensuring that completely irrelevant information is returned and not retained.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the cost of the application for judicial review of the UK covid-19 inquiry.
Government answer
Answering body: Cabinet Office
We do not yet have a figure for the costs incurred. We brought this judicial review to seek clarification on a point of law and we are pleased that the Court agreed that there was an important legal question to consider.
It acknowledged our concerns over respecting the privacy of individuals and ensuring that completely irrelevant information is returned and not retained.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent steps the Government has taken to engage with the UK Covid-19 Inquiry.
Government answer
Answering body: Cabinet Office
The Government is fully committed to constructive engagement with the Covid-19 Inquiry and has been since its establishment.
Government officials and lawyers meet with the Inquiry on a regular basis, both as part of a regular series of meetings and on an ad hoc basis to discuss specific issues. We have disclosed over 55,000 documents to the Inquiry to date.
Lord Mendelsohn · LabourAnswering body: Department of Health and Social Care
Parliamentary excerpt
To ask His Majesty's Government what practical steps they are taking to embed lessons from the pandemic response to ensure future pandemic preparedness.
Government answer
Answering body: Department of Health and Social Care
The United Kingdom has flexible and well-tested pandemic response capabilities. Learning the lessons from COVID-19, we are working with the Centre for Pandemic Preparedness in the UK Health Security Agency to ensure a flexible and capabilities-based approach to pandemic preparedness which will see emergency planners develop and maintain a generic suite of response capabilities across Government. This will enable an approach that can be flexibly deployed to meet the demands of any future pandemic and provide a whole-system response.
We cannot perfectly predict the characteristics of a new pandemic pathogen and therefore our strategic approach to pandemic preparedness constantly evolves in response to new scientific information, lessons learned from prior pandemics, responses to other infectious disease outbreaks and rigorous exercises to test our response mechanisms.
Public hearings for Module 1 of the UK COVID-19 Inquiry commenced on 13 June 2023 and will run for six weeks. The Department acknowledges there are valuable lessons to be learnt from COVID-19 to inform our preparedness for future pandemics.
Lord Cruddas · ConservativeAnswering body: Cabinet Office
Parliamentary excerpt
To ask His Majesty's Government when the UK COVID-19 inquiry will complete; and whether they will put a cap on the (1) time frame, and (2) cost, permitted.
Government answer
Answering body: Cabinet Office
Under the Inquiries Act 2005, the process, timing and procedure of the Inquiry are decisions for the Inquiry’s independent Chair, Baroness Hallett. The Chair is under a statutory obligation to avoid unnecessary costs in the Inquiry’s work and she has been clear that she intends to complete her work as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Rachael Maskell · LabourAnswering body: Department of Health and Social Care
Parliamentary excerpt
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the (a) outcomes and (b) lessons learned from the covid-19 inquiries in other countries.
Government answer
Answering body: Department of Health and Social Care
The Department is building on the valuable lessons to be learnt from COVID-19 to inform our preparedness for future pandemics and will review the lessons learnt reports from other countries with interest and ensure any relevant lessons are factored into o...
Lord Rogan · Ulster Unionist PartyAnswering body: Cabinet Office
Parliamentary excerpt
To ask His Majesty's Government what support they are providing to the government departments in Northern Ireland to ensure that all required information is provided to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry in the absence of a functioning Northern Ireland Executive.
Government answer
Answering body: Cabinet Office
Government departments and the devolved administrations, including Northern Ireland, are individual core participants to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry, so departments are not able to provide support to them in responding to the Inquiry.
Government departments and devolved administrations make their own decision on whether to apply for core participant status.
A core participant is an individual or organisation that has a specific interest in the work of the Inquiry with a formal role as defined by the Inquiry Rules 2006. Core participants have special benefits in the Inquiry process, including early sight of evidence and the ability to make opening and closing statements and present their position to the Inquiry.
That this House expresses support and solidarity to members of the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union taking industrial action over pay at Allied Bakeries' Liverpool site; applauds the contribution made by these key workers throughout the period of the covid-19 pandemic; regrets that these workers have experienced a continued real-terms cut in their levels of pay with wages failing to meet the costs resulting from soaring inflation; draws attention to the findings of a recent Bakers, Food ...
That this House regrets the continued failure of Government to protect people who have moderate to severe immune compromise from covid-19 infection, by failing to make Evusheld available on the NHS when it was at its most effective against covid strains; notes with alarm the disbandment of the Enhanced Protection Programme, Covid-19 Antivirals and Therapeutics Taskforce, ONS Covid-19 Infection Survey and the closure of Covid Medicine Delivery Units since 31 March 2023; deeply regrets that pat...
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will place in the Library of the House copies of all correspondence between his Department and the Right Honourable Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip on funding for his legal representation for the off
Government answer
Answering body: Cabinet Office
The Cabinet Office does not ordinarily publish correspondence for ongoing legal matters.
That this House commends and congratulates Simon Dugmore and Mike Lowe, who are retiring after eight years as owner-operators of Cupcake Coffee Box and applauds the couple's commitment to foster caring for 50 children over a 12-year period; recognises their business as a welcoming community hub in the heart of Kirkcaldy that offers sessions from fostering to book clubs, and Christmas Day opening, which provides a safe and festive space for socially-isolated people; further recognises their ef...
That this House considers that a motion for an humble address should be debated that gives directions that there will be laid before this House all papers requested of His Majesty’s Government by the UK Covid-19 Inquiry for the the sole purpose of the Inquiry’s use and including any unredacted WhatsApp messages, diaries and notebooks as requested.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of legal fees for judicial review of the notice from the UK Covid-19 Inquiry to his Department under section 21 of the Inquiries Act 2005.
Government answer
Answering body: Cabinet Office
The government’s work on the Inquiry requires legal support which departments will procure at their own discretion from approved internal and external sources. The Judicial Review is ongoing, and as such the Cabinet Office does not yet have an estimate of the cost of the judicial review in this case.
That this House supports Carers Week 2023, taking place from 5 to 11 June; notes this year’s theme of recognising and supporting carers in the community; emphasises that millions of unpaid carers provide care worth £445 million each day to their family, friends and neighbours who are disabled, ill or older and need support; highlights that unpaid carers have been under immense pressure over the past few years with the covid-19 pandemic and the cost of living crisis; and calls on the Governmen...
That this House commends the hard work and dedication shown by volunteers across the country; recognises Volunteers' Week, which runs from 1 to 7 June, as an opportunity to celebrate the contribution of volunteers and inspire more people to try volunteering; notes that the personal benefits of volunteering for individuals and communities are wide ranging; further notes that 27 per cent of Scotland's adult population volunteered for a group or organisation in 2021, equating to over 1.2 million...
That this House congratulates Williamwood High School on achieving an Eco Green Flag award for their intensive efforts to improve the school’s local environment; notes that over 40 projects were carried out by students and staff over a difficult two-year period which coincided with the covid-19 pandemic; further notes that the school’s Eco Committee played an important role in the drive to achieve the Eco Green Flag award; understands that the Eco Committee produced an environmental pledge wh...
That this House expresses deep concern over the decision to make taxpayers fund the legal bill of the Rt hon. Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip for advice and assistance on the inquiry by the Committee on Privileges into the allegations that the Rt hon. Member misled the House in relation to social gatherings held in Downing Street during the covid-19 national lockdown; notes that the Treasury did not sign off this funding; considers that it is unacceptable that taxpayers are being forced...
That this House is deeply concerned by the warnings of the Child of the North APPG report on Child Poverty and the Cost of Living Crisis that the aftermath of covid-19, increasing child poverty and cost of living pressures has pushed vulnerable families in the north of England to the edge and created a situation which could see disastrous effects for generations; notes that children in the north have a nearly 34 per cent chance of living in poverty, with some areas tackling levels above 40 pe...