Contributions
1,745 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Covid-19 UpdateThank you, Mr Speaker, and I am extremely grateful to you for accommodating the timing of this statement. I would like to update the House on the pandemic and our road map to…05 Jul 2021HANSARD Covid-19 UpdateThe hon. Lady started off well, but her contribution completely degenerated into political point-scoring. She should know much better than to engage in scaremongering among the…05 Jul 2021HANSARD Covid-19 UpdateI thank the right hon. Gentleman for his comments. First, I think he started by asking for reassurance on whether the final decision on go or no go for 19 July, which we will make…05 Jul 2021HANSARD Covid-19 UpdateFirst, may I thank my right hon. Friend for his support for the measures? He speaks with great experience and I want to thank him for that. Regarding test, trace and isolate, he…05 Jul 2021HANSARD Covid-19 UpdateI thank the Father of the House for his kind comments. He may have heard me say earlier that the Education Secretary will talk much more tomorrow about the action we will be…05 Jul 2021HANSARD Covid-19 UpdateThere will, of course, be people who are sadly more vulnerable to this virus who will be concerned about step 4. I entirely understand that caution and anxiety, and we will…05 Jul 2021HANSARD Covid-19 UpdateI do not agree with the hon. Gentleman.05 Jul 2021HANSARD Covid-19 UpdateI of course understand the importance of my hon. Friend’s question. As I said in my statement, I believe that the case rate nationally, including in his constituency, will worsen,…05 Jul 2021HANSARD Covid-19 UpdateI thank the hon. Gentleman for his remarks about the vaccine. As he says, it is a successful UK-wide programme, and the take up of vaccinations in Northern Ireland is just as high…05 Jul 2021HANSARD Covid-19 UpdateMy hon. Friend is right to raise that matter. He points out—certain Members of this House sometimes miss this—that the pandemic has caused many other non-covid health problems,…05 Jul 2021HANSARD Covid-19 UpdateIt is understandable that there has been a difference in approach between Wales and England, and clearly that will continue, but we will continue to co-ordinate. I know that my…05 Jul 2021HANSARD Covid-19 UpdateYes, I can give my hon. Friend that assurance. The backlog is already at 5 million, and as I have said today, it is unfortunately going to get a lot worse before it gets better. I…05 Jul 2021HANSARD Covid-19 UpdateI believe that my right hon. Friend is referring to our keeping in place contingency measures, particularly for local authorities—the so-called No. 3 regulations—at least until…05 Jul 2021HANSARD Covid-19 UpdateI understand where the hon. Lady is coming from, but the important thing is that we have to learn to live with covid, which means that we have at some point to confront and start…05 Jul 2021HANSARD Covid-19 UpdateI take it from that that my right hon. Friend is pleased with today’s announcements.05 Jul 2021HANSARDCovid-19: Booster VaccinesToday the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has published interim advice on options for a covid-19 booster vaccination programme for adults this Autumn. It…30 Jun 2021HANSARDCovid-19 UpdateI can tell my right hon. Friend that that is certainly what I would like to see and it is certainly my intention to allow that to happen as soon as possible. When it does, I hope…28 Jun 2021HANSARDCovid-19 UpdateI am honoured to have been asked to become Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. I understand the responsibility that comes with this job, especially at this critical…28 Jun 2021HANSARDCovid-19 UpdateI thank my right hon. Friend for his kind and warm remarks. I know that he has taken great interest throughout the pandemic in the restrictions in particular, and I absolutely…28 Jun 2021HANSARDCovid-19 UpdateFirst, my hon. Friend will know that, in terms of 19 July and the restrictions that will be removed, we are focusing on domestic restrictions. He knows that, separately, we also…28 Jun 2021