4. Question No. 4—HealthBROOKE VAN VELDEN (Deputy Leader—ACT) to the Minister of HealthQuestion No. 4—Health4. BROOKE VAN VELDEN (Deputy Leader—ACT) to the Minister of Health: What were the grounds for Google billionaire Larry Page being allowed entry to New Zealand while the borders were closed?Hon ANDREW LITTLE (Minister of Health): I'm advised a number of things. On 11 January 2021 the Ministry of Health received a request from a DHB to medevac a child from Fiji. The application included an adult family member as is usual in cases involving children. I would note that January is well prior to the current significant COVID-19 outbreak in Fiji. Secondly before an application for medevac is approved a clinical assessment is carried out in New Zealand and this includes a check to see whether the required treatment is available locally. Ultimately approval must be obtained from a medical officer of health with regards to precautions to protect the community against COVID-19. I'm advised that all of the normal steps occurred in this case. Next anyone accepted for treatment from a medevac flight is considered to require immediate treatment. The day after the application was received a New Zealand air ambulance staffed by a New Zealand ICU nurse escort medevaced the child and the adult family member from Fiji to New Zealand. On arrival the child and adult were taken immediately to an isolation environment in the hospital. In the event of discharge within 14 days the child and the adult would have been required to be transferred to managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) and I am advised that all COVID-19 orders in this respect were complied with.Just to put some context around this in the financial year ending 30 June 2021 only 99 patients have been accepted under the medevac scheme for treatment. The majority of medevac patients that come to New Zealand come from Pacific Islands. Costs of the medevac must be covered by either a Government to Government agreement or private insurance or by direct payment. Costs of any medical treatment in New Zealand must also be covered for individuals not eligible for publicly funded services. Everyone has the right to health privacy under the Health Information Privacy Code issued by the Privacy Commissioner and I hope that we can respect those rights in this particular case especially if as is reported in the news media it is an unwell child that is at the centre of this matter.Brooke van Velden: What does he say to the New Zealanders who are still facing uncertainty in how they can get home who will see a billionaire allowed access ahead of them as unfair?Hon Chris Hipkins: Point of order Mr Speaker. The Minister of Health is not responsible for the answer to that question.SPEAKER: Can the member ask the question again so I can hear it.Brooke van Velden: What does he say to New Zealanders who are still facing uncertainty in how they can get home who will see billionaires allowed access ahead of them as unfair?SPEAKER: Yeah no I rule in favour of the Leader of the House. That question is ruled out.Brooke van Velden: What does he say to New Zealanders who are still facing uncertainty in how they can get home including the 190 people who have applied for emergency MIQ spots who have had them declined despite having no option but to return to New Zealand who consider them humanitarian who see a billionaire being allowed access as unfair?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: As I said in the answer to the primary question this was a medical emergency. It met all the standard conditions of a medical emergency requiring a medical evacuation from the Islands and every requirement and regulation that was in place in relation to medevacs and in relation to COVID-19 was complied with.Brooke van Velden: Can he confirm that Larry Page needed to meet the exact same criteria that a New Zealander would need to meet to come through the border for the same humanitarian grounds?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: As I said in my primary answer in this particular case all the requirements for a medevaced patient coming to New Zealand from the Islands were satisfied.Brooke van Velden: Can he confirm that Larry Page paid for the medevac?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: As I said in my primary answer people who come here for medical reasons and have the benefit of our medical services are entitled to medical privacy and I intend to observe that.