Starmer begins PMQs by asking about new figures on deaths in hospitals and care homes. Total recorded deaths due to covid is 27,241.
PM said many were looking at our "apparent success" in UK. But in fact, Starmer says, "far from success, these latest figures are truly dreadful".
Useless reply from Raab. Suggests it's too early to make international comparisons and that they should be done on per capita basis. That's irrelevant. The difference is not due to population levels.
Starmer again asks for him to confirm numbers who have died in health care staff and social care workers. Raab, tetchy: "I have already given those figures".
Raab says there;s a "comprehensive plan" to ramp up testing in care homes. Says ebb and flow of people into them is the problem.
Starmer: On Marr on Sunday, the first sec said deaths in care homes were falling, that doesn't appear to be reflected in figures, unless it's in figures we haven't seen. Can Raab clarify?
Now on PPE. Royal Colleges of Physicians said 1 in 4 doctors still don;t have equipment they need. Situation seems to be getting worse, not better. So what's going on?
Raab on care home data: Says some positive signs but within margin of error. Insists equipment problem is not getting worse.
Again tetchy: "He must when he addresses this recognise that we face an international supply shortage."
Raab would be doing better here if he could stop himself becoming frustrated.
Starmer says he welcomes increase in testing over the last week. But "obviously still significant problems". Capacity to test Monday was 73,000. But only 43,000 tests actually carried out. And only 29,000 actually tested.
Last week Raab said problem wasn't capacity, but lack of demand. Now we know demand is through the roof. And yet on Monday 30,000 tests available weren't used.
Can Raab clarify that 250,000 tests a day is still a govt target and when they'll hit it?
Raab again taking the wrong approach here, going back to Starmer saying things were getting worse - when Lab leader was actually citing comments by RCP. Wants Starmer to "recognise our success".
Incredibly foolish.
Raab again focuses on capacity and tests carried out. Says demand is about tests carried out - people willing to come forward and able to come forward. Then cites governmnt plans for increase. But does not answer Starmer's question.
Starmer responds to Raab by going out of his way to recognise success on distancing and capacity. I think wrongly - giving way too much to him in attempt to seem reasonable.
It's true that distancing and capacity are much improved, but the first is more about public action than govt's, and he shouldn't allow Raab to evade questions set by bodies representing doctors with an appeal to support for govt.
Starmer on exit strategy: Says he doesn't want time frame. What he wants is transparency.
Raab still tetchy. "He's asked for time frame and a date, we can't give it until we have Sage advice."
Starmer: The problem with this is it risks the UK falling behind. Lists countries that have published exist plans. There are common issues like schools reopening, business centres reopening. "If he wants me to put those on the table, I will."
Raab: "If he thinks he knows better than Sage and the scientists he needs to explain it."
Raab really is quite unlikable and has no instinctive sense of when to be collegiate where the opportunity is open to him.
We didn't get far there. Starmer covered a lot of ground and didn't really extract anything new from Raab. Too generous to him too, I suspect as part of an agreed strategy to make sure opposition never seen as exploiting situation.
Raab hopeless and quite distinctly unpleasant. But no news there.
