It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4798", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Gareth Bacon"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Orpington"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Gareth Bacon"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-05-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-05-24T12:03:50.453Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "54"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-05-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Coronavirus: Disease Control"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been convicted for breaching covid-19 restrictions since January 2022.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/350", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir John Hayes"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South Holland and The Deepings"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Sir John Hayes"} ], "uin" : "27266"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1719916", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1719916/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Excess deaths are the difference between the number of registered deaths and the number expected based on previous trends. Weekly estimates of excess deaths are published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Its latest data shows that for the years 2020 to 2022, there were an estimated 151,506 estimated excess deaths in England.<\/p>
It is likely that deaths from COVID-19 were a large driver of excess deaths in the peak pandemic periods. Deaths were above the expected level for most of the second half of 2021, and from March 2022 until the summer of 2023; however, deaths have been below the expected level for most weeks since then.<\/p>
The drivers of excess deaths are not fully understood, and the excess is likely to be the net effect of many complex and potentially related factors. The attribution of excess deaths to these factors is complex and beyond the scope of the ONS methodology. The UK Health Security Agency has estimated the excess deaths due to acute factors, such as heatwaves, cold snaps, COVID-19 and influenza.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4948", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Markham"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Markham"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-05-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "HL4839"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-05-24T13:41:50.01Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-05-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Coronavirus: Disease Control"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of excess deaths that have arisen as a consequence of restrictions and lockdowns arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4970", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Weir of Ballyholme"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Weir of Ballyholme"} ], "uin" : "HL4838"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1700278", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1700278/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
This year, the National Health Service will offer free COVID-19 lateral flow tests and treatments to an additional 1.4 million people at the highest risk of severe illness, on top of the 3.9 million people already eligible for free COVID-19 lateral flow tests and treatments.<\/p>
Those who are at highest risk of becoming seriously ill, who are eligible for COVID-19 treatments, can continue to access free COVID-19 lateral flow tests from their local pharmacy. This cohort of people are encouraged to test regularly, to gain timely access to treatments. A full list of those who are eligible, as well as information on how to access the tests, is available at the following link:<\/p>
<\/p>
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/covid-19/treatments-for-covid-19/<\/a><\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4492", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Maria Caulfield"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Lewes"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Maria Caulfield"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-04-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-04-18T12:22:16.257Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2024-04-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Coronavirus: Disease Control"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has taken recent steps to help increase the supply of free lateral flow tests to people who are at risk of becoming seriously ill if they contract covid-19.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4573", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dr Rosena Allin-Khan"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Tooting"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Dr Rosena Allin-Khan"}
], "uin" : "21187"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1678064", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1678064/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The COVID-19 shielding programme for people identified as clinically extremely vulnerable was formally ended by the government in September 2021. The decision to end the programme was based on there being more information available on the virus and what makes individuals more or less vulnerable, the success of the COVID-19 vaccination programme and the emergence of effective treatments for the disease<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4492", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Maria Caulfield"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Lewes"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Maria Caulfield"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-12-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "previousAnswerVersion" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1678064/answer/previousversion/8846", "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4492", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Maria Caulfield"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Lewes"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Maria Caulfield"}
}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-12-20T17:13:28.37Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2023-12-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Coronavirus: Disease Control"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to help ensure that people still required to shield can access (a) in person and (b) other essential health services.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4471", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Rachael Maskell"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "York Central"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Rachael Maskell"}
], "uin" : "7057"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1673477", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1673477/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Based on the latest scientific evidence, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has recommended a COVID-19 vaccination for those at higher risk of serious outcomes from COVID-19. This includes all adults aged 65 years old and over and those aged six months old and over with specified underlying health conditions.<\/p> The National Health Service COVID-19 vaccination programme provides vital protection to those eligible, keeping people from developing serious illness, and helping to minimise hospitalisations during busy winter months. This year\u2019s autumn COVID-19 vaccine programme started on 11 September 2023 in England as a precautionary measure following the identification a new COVID-19 variant called BA 2.86. As of 30 November 2023, over 11.2 million autumn vaccinations for COVID-19 have been administered since start of the autumn campaign. The programme has seen a fast rollout of COVID-19 vaccination to care home residents.<\/p> Additionally, on 1 November 2023, the Get Winter Strong campaign was launched urging those eligible who have not yet come forward for the flu and COVID-19 vaccines to \u2018get winter strong\u2019 and join the millions of others in taking up the offer ahead of the festive and new year season.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4492", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Maria Caulfield"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Lewes"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Maria Caulfield"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-12-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-12-04T17:02:30.657Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2023-11-28", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Coronavirus: Disease Control"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce the number of COVID-19 cases.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4131", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jim Shannon"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Strangford"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Jim Shannon"}
], "uin" : "4165"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1660175", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1660175/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is issuing proportionate reminders of its COVID-19 advice through media, social media and stakeholder channels. There is currently no change to the wider public health or sector specific guidance, including guidance for workplaces, prisons and adult social care settings, which is published on GOV.UK and is available at the following link:<\/p>
However, because a smaller number of immunosuppressed people may remain at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19, despite vaccination, the Government has put in place a range of enhanced protection measures including treatments, booster vaccines, free lateral flow tests and public health advice for these individuals on keeping themselves safe. More information can be found in COVID-19: guidance for people whose immune system means they are at higher risk,<\/em> updated on 13 November 2023, and is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk<\/a><\/p>