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1249008

	registered interest
	date	04/11/2020
	answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
	answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
	hansard heading	Coronavirus: Screening
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce rapid COVID-19 testing for all workplaces.
	tabling member printed	Baroness McGregor-Smith
	uin	HL9999
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/12/2020 answer text <p>The Department is running a series of workplace testing pilots across the United Kingdom. Early detection of positive cases is the most effective way to prevent operational shutdown in key industries, performing vital public services. These pilots will enable information gathering which will help towards the objective of gradually increasing the number of sectors participating in routine workplace testing.</p> answering member printed Lord Bethell question first answered 03/12/2020 12:02:12 answering member 4708 label Biography information for Lord Bethell
	tabling member	4554 label Biography information for Baroness McGregor-Smith

1249007

	registered interest
	date	04/11/2020
	answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
	answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
	hansard heading	NHS Test and Trace
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that NHS Test and Trace functions successfully after the restrictions put in place by the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (No.4) Regulations 2020 are lifted.
	tabling member printed	Baroness McGregor-Smith
	uin	HL9998
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/03/2021 answer text <p>Since the most recent national restrictions in January, the Government has continued to to ensure that NHS Test and Trace functions successfully. NHS Test and Trace has the capacity to respond to increases in demand and is able to test over 750,000 people a day.</p><p>Contact tracing services have also increased. The number of cases being transferred to the contact tracing system in the week 4 February to 10 February 2021 was 105,764, compared to 3,571 in the week 2 July to 8 July 2020.</p> answering member printed Lord Bethell question first answered 01/03/2021 12:43:33 answering member 4708 label Biography information for Lord Bethell
	tabling member	4554 label Biography information for Baroness McGregor-Smith

1249006

	registered interest
	date	04/11/2020
	answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
	answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
	hansard heading	Coronavirus: Disease Control
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how they plan to lift the restrictions put in place by the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (No.4) Regulations 2020; and what restrictions they plan to put in place in England once those Regulations are no longer in force.
	tabling member printed	Baroness McGregor-Smith
	uin	HL9997
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/11/2020 answer text <p>We believe the new regulations strike the right balance to take urgent action to stem the spread of the virus while also allowing essential retail to stay open and allowing the hospitality sector to remain open for delivery and takeaway.</p><p>Throughout this crisis, the Government and the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, have provided robust scientific evidence and advice to guide decisions regarding the measures taken to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Indoor settings carry higher environmental risks, due to the close proximity of people and a longer duration of exposure. This evidence continues to be published online.</p><p>On 2 December, restrictions will expire, and we intend to return to a tiered system on a local and regional basis according to the latest data and trends.</p> answering member printed Lord Bethell grouped question UIN HL9995 question first answered 16/11/2020 13:15:17 answering member 4708 label Biography information for Lord Bethell
	tabling member	4554 label Biography information for Baroness McGregor-Smith

1249005

	registered interest
	date	04/11/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Coronavirus: Disease Control
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the economic impact of the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (No.4) Regulations 2020.
	tabling member printed	Baroness McGregor-Smith
	uin	HL9996
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/11/2020 answer text <p>As the Chancellor said in his letter to the TSC on 4 November, HM Treasury does not prepare formal forecasts for the UK economy, which are the responsibility of the independent OBR. They will publish their next forecast on 25 November.</p><p>In addition, within their statutory mandates, the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) produce analysis which reflect their independent judgements regarding the impact of Covid-19 on the likely path of the economy. They updated their projections in their Monetary Policy Report published on 5 November. This reflected UK restrictions announced up to 31 October, including “heightened England-wide measures for the period 5 November to 2 December”. In this scenario, GDP was revised downwards and is now expected to contract by 2% in Q4 reflecting the impact of stricter measures to control Covid-19.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton question first answered 18/11/2020 17:14:53 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
	tabling member	4554 label Biography information for Baroness McGregor-Smith

1249004

	registered interest
	date	04/11/2020
	answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
	answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
	hansard heading	Coronavirus: Disease Control
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (No.4) Regulations 2020, what evidence was used to inform the decision to close certain categories of businesses; and what plans they have to publish any such evidence.
	tabling member printed	Baroness McGregor-Smith
	uin	HL9995
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/11/2020 answer text <p>We believe the new regulations strike the right balance to take urgent action to stem the spread of the virus while also allowing essential retail to stay open and allowing the hospitality sector to remain open for delivery and takeaway.</p><p>Throughout this crisis, the Government and the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, have provided robust scientific evidence and advice to guide decisions regarding the measures taken to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Indoor settings carry higher environmental risks, due to the close proximity of people and a longer duration of exposure. This evidence continues to be published online.</p><p>On 2 December, restrictions will expire, and we intend to return to a tiered system on a local and regional basis according to the latest data and trends.</p> answering member printed Lord Bethell grouped question UIN HL9997 question first answered 16/11/2020 13:15:17 answering member 4708 label Biography information for Lord Bethell
	tabling member	4554 label Biography information for Baroness McGregor-Smith

1249003

	registered interest
	date	04/11/2020
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Modern Slavery Act 2015
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act.
	tabling member printed	Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
	uin	HL9994
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/11/2020 answer text <p>The landmark transparency provisions contained in section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 established the UK as the first country in the world to require businesses to report annually on their work to prevent and address modern slavery in their operations and supply chains.</p><p>Under the current provisions, if a commercial organisation does not comply with the duty to provide a modern slavery statement, the Home Secretary can apply for a court injunction which mandates compliance. The Government has also committed to considering enforcement options in line with the ongoing development of the Single Enforcement Body for employment rights, led by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.</p><p>However, if someone has concerns about an organisation’s modern slavery statement they could write to the Board of Directors (or equivalent) as the Act requires a modern slavery statement to be approved by the Board and signed by a Director (or equivalent) to ensure senior level accountability for modern slavery. The Government expects an organisation’s senior leadership to take responsibility for their company’s modern slavery statement to ensure they are a fair reflection of the circumstances and the action they are taking.</p><p>The Independent Review of the Modern Slavery Act, which was commissioned in 2018 and delivered its final report in 2019, credited section 54 with making modern slavery “a business-critical issue” and increasing “board-level scrutiny and engagement.”</p><p>The Independent Review also made recommendations designed to improve the effectiveness of the Act’s transparency provisions. The Government accepted the majority of the Review’s recommendations and on 9 July 2019 the Home Office launched a public consultation seeking views on proposals to strengthen the Act’s transparency legislation.</p><p>Following widespread support from a broad coalition of business, civil society and public sector respondents, the Government response, published on 22 September 2020, committed to taking forwards an ambitious package of changes to strengthen and future-proof transparency, including:</p><ul><li>Extending the reporting requirement to public bodies with a budget of £36 million or more;</li><li>Mandating the specific reporting topics statements must cover;</li><li>Requiring organisations to publish their statement on the new Government digital reporting service;</li><li>Setting a single reporting deadline by which all modern slavery statements must be published.</li></ul><p>Addressing modern slavery risks is a complex, long-term task, and the new measures are designed to incentivise organisations to demonstrate year-on-year progress in key areas and take targeted action based on where their risks are highest.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford grouped question UIN HL9993 question first answered 18/11/2020 17:46:30 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	1544 label Biography information for Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton

1249002

	registered interest
	date	04/11/2020
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Slavery: Companies
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the process for a complaint to be made against a company that has failed to make a disclosure under section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act.
	tabling member printed	Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
	uin	HL9993
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/11/2020 answer text <p>The landmark transparency provisions contained in section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 established the UK as the first country in the world to require businesses to report annually on their work to prevent and address modern slavery in their operations and supply chains.</p><p>Under the current provisions, if a commercial organisation does not comply with the duty to provide a modern slavery statement, the Home Secretary can apply for a court injunction which mandates compliance. The Government has also committed to considering enforcement options in line with the ongoing development of the Single Enforcement Body for employment rights, led by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.</p><p>However, if someone has concerns about an organisation’s modern slavery statement they could write to the Board of Directors (or equivalent) as the Act requires a modern slavery statement to be approved by the Board and signed by a Director (or equivalent) to ensure senior level accountability for modern slavery. The Government expects an organisation’s senior leadership to take responsibility for their company’s modern slavery statement to ensure they are a fair reflection of the circumstances and the action they are taking.</p><p>The Independent Review of the Modern Slavery Act, which was commissioned in 2018 and delivered its final report in 2019, credited section 54 with making modern slavery “a business-critical issue” and increasing “board-level scrutiny and engagement.”</p><p>The Independent Review also made recommendations designed to improve the effectiveness of the Act’s transparency provisions. The Government accepted the majority of the Review’s recommendations and on 9 July 2019 the Home Office launched a public consultation seeking views on proposals to strengthen the Act’s transparency legislation.</p><p>Following widespread support from a broad coalition of business, civil society and public sector respondents, the Government response, published on 22 September 2020, committed to taking forwards an ambitious package of changes to strengthen and future-proof transparency, including:</p><ul><li>Extending the reporting requirement to public bodies with a budget of £36 million or more;</li><li>Mandating the specific reporting topics statements must cover;</li><li>Requiring organisations to publish their statement on the new Government digital reporting service;</li><li>Setting a single reporting deadline by which all modern slavery statements must be published.</li></ul><p>Addressing modern slavery risks is a complex, long-term task, and the new measures are designed to incentivise organisations to demonstrate year-on-year progress in key areas and take targeted action based on where their risks are highest.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford grouped question UIN HL9994 question first answered 18/11/2020 17:46:30 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	1544 label Biography information for Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton

1249001

	registered interest
	date	04/11/2020
	answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
	answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
	hansard heading	Hospices: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of funding for hospices.
	tabling member printed	Lord Jones of Cheltenham
	uin	HL9992
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/01/2021 answer text <p>The Department recognises that the hospice sector has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and that subsequent social distancing measures have affected some aspects of community fundraising. We regularly assess the effect of the COVID-19 outbreak on the hospice sector and through NHS England and NHS Improvement are in regular discussions with stakeholders in the sector about the challenges they face. A range of steps have been taken to support hospices.</p><p>We have provided over £150 million in additional funding to the hospice sector to date during the pandemic. Alongside this, hospices have benefited from the financial support offered by Her Majesty’s Treasury to all charities, such as paying no business rates for their shops next year and applying for a Business Interruption Loan.</p><p>We continue to keep funding for hospices under review.</p> answering member printed Lord Bethell grouped question UIN HL9989 HL9991 question first answered 15/01/2021 13:15:46 answering member 4708 label Biography information for Lord Bethell
	tabling member	248 label Biography information for Lord Jones of Cheltenham

1249000

	registered interest
	date	04/11/2020
	answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
	answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
	hansard heading	Hospices
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the future sustainability of the hospice sector.
	tabling member printed	Lord Jones of Cheltenham
	uin	HL9991
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/01/2021 answer text <p>The Department recognises that the hospice sector has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and that subsequent social distancing measures have affected some aspects of community fundraising. We regularly assess the effect of the COVID-19 outbreak on the hospice sector and through NHS England and NHS Improvement are in regular discussions with stakeholders in the sector about the challenges they face. A range of steps have been taken to support hospices.</p><p>We have provided over £150 million in additional funding to the hospice sector to date during the pandemic. Alongside this, hospices have benefited from the financial support offered by Her Majesty’s Treasury to all charities, such as paying no business rates for their shops next year and applying for a Business Interruption Loan.</p><p>We continue to keep funding for hospices under review.</p> answering member printed Lord Bethell grouped question UIN HL9989 HL9992 question first answered 15/01/2021 13:15:46 answering member 4708 label Biography information for Lord Bethell
	tabling member	248 label Biography information for Lord Jones of Cheltenham

1248999

	registered interest
	date	04/11/2020
	answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
	answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
	hansard heading	Hospices: Coronavirus
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to increase the level of financial support available for hospices to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
	tabling member printed	Lord Jones of Cheltenham
	uin	HL9990
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/02/2021 answer text <p>We have provided over £150million in additional funding to the hospice sector to date during the pandemic and have made up to £200 million available to the sector for additional capacity between April and July, and we continue to work closely with hospices to support their essential work. alongside this, hospices have benefited from the financial support offered by HM Treasury to all charities, such as paying no business rates for their shops next year and applying for a Business Interruption Loan. Charities, alongside other sectors, can also access the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the replacement Job Support Scheme and charity shops, which are already eligible for 80% charitable rate relief, will benefit from the new enhanced retail rate relief at 100%. We continue to keep the financial impact of COVID-19 on hospices under review.</p> answering member printed Lord Bethell question first answered 09/02/2021 15:09:03 answering member 4708 label Biography information for Lord Bethell
	tabling member	248 label Biography information for Lord Jones of Cheltenham