the health minister, edward argar. you're watching tuesday in parliament with me, david cornock.e lords now, where another health minister has insisted that nurses are well paid for the job they do and many people look at nhs jobs with envy. lord bethell was responding to fury from opposition peers over the 1% pay rise for most health service workers in england. a labour peer called it a kick in the teeth. nurses and other health care professionals have had to work in some of the most difficult, demanding and dangerous circumstances and they have done so with astonishing care, compassion and commitment. the government has got this wrong. badly wrong. and i urge them to reconsider their meagre, miserly, measly 1%. a good employer first of all, would offer a substantial bonus to a staff before taking time to negotiate a fair and sensible pay award. if we can pay a bonus to local publicans for sourcing obtainable files, surely a bonus to those who have saved our lives should be a no—brainer for this government. i would gently remind him that there are millions - of people out of wor

responding to an urgent question in the commons, edward argar acknowledged there had been "local shortages trusts". asking an urgent question relating to the awarding of covid—19 contracts during the pandemic, labour accused ministers of thinking they are "above the law". a stain has emerged with this government's response to the crisis. there's been an unedifying gold rush of chums and of chancellors. £2 billion worth of contracts handed to those with close links to the conservative party. she alleges inappropriate behaviour, but the report was clear that there was no evidence of inappropriate behaviour and indeed no court has found this. will he apologise to numerous nhs and care staff who were l deeply upset by comments made by the health secretary - yesterday, echoed in fact i by himself today, that there wasn't a shortage of ppe, does he understand why. that is so insulting _ to the doctors who were forced to wear beanbags in the absence of gowns and the nurses wearing goggles? it did not run out nationally, but that's not as i've clarified to say that there were not local shortages a