Critics have warned the new ￡5.9bn NHS funding set to be confirmed in Wednesday's Budget won't be enough to tackle waiting lists as it will not resolve the staffing shortages.

       Sajid Javid, the Health Secretary, this morning side-stepped any guarantee that the new investment would clear waiting lists that have built up over the pandemic, only telling Sky News it was "a huge amount of money".

       Challenged over the impact it would have on the backlog, Mr Javid stressed it was capital investment rather than staff, which he said was already covered by the Health and Social Care Levy, adding: "We want to support them in bringing down the waiting list." He told Times Radio it would go towards tackling a "large part of that waiting list".

       But the chief executive of respected think tank The King's Fund said while the capital investment was "welcome", there were "very deep shortages across the NHS".

       Richard Murray told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme: "The real challenge is as we build these new facilities will we have any staff to put in them, to actually work them?"

       He added: "It's increasingly odd that as we look towards the future this one great big keystone- how we're going to handle NHS workforces and health and social care staffing - is still the missing piece."

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       Labour has called on the Government to introduce its Plan B for dealing with Covid immediately.

       Both Sir Keir Starmer, the party leader, and Jon Ashworth, the shadow health secretary, have called for restrictions to be imposed to tackle the rise in cases, which currently stand at around one in 55 people.

       But modelling seen by the Government suggests that Covid cases will plummet in November even without Plan B restrictions.

       One model, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, suggests that cases will soon peak before falling steeply in the winter months.

       Read more here.

       Jacinda Ardern has acknowledged that Covid policies will create a two-tier system in New Zealand where non-vaccinated citizens do not enjoy the same rights as those who have received the jab.

       During a video interview, the prime minister said the current rules had granted vaccinated citizens more freedoms.

       "You've basically said, and you probably don't see it like this, but two different classes of people if you're vaccinated or unvaccinated. If you're vaccinated you have all these rights," asked a journalist from the New Zealand Herald.

       "That is what it is," said Ardern, nodding. She said the new plans were designed to boost vaccination rates and public confidence.

       The drumbeat of doom, urging a “Plan B” of further restrictions on freedom to aid our war against Covid, grows louder each day, writes Patrick O'Flynn.

       Recent media reports suggest that something called the “UK Health Security Agency” has been contacting local authorities to canvass support for the “immediate rollout of the winter plan – plan B”.

       Pressed by Andrew Marr yesterday morning on whether Labour supported moving to Plan B, the shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves replied: “Yes, but let’s not let the Government off the hook with Plan A either.”

       All this follows a week in which a number of health sector lobby groups, such as the NHS Confederation and the British Medical Association have catapulted their demands for new restrictions to the top of the news agenda of every mainstream broadcaster with ease.

       Yet were we really living in an age of reason, Covid would no longer be dominating our public discourse at all.

       Read more from Patrick here.

       Sajid Javid was pretty vague about the prospects of a pay boost for NHS workers this morning (see 8:32am). But the threat of industrial action over the Government's three per cent increase is building.

       The GMB union is balloting tens of thousands of its NHS members in England about possible strikes in the new year. The ballot opens on November 10 and closes on December 15.

       More than nine out of 10 GMB members in the NHS have already rejected what it described as a "miserable pay cut".

       Rachel Harrison, GMB national officer, said: "The NHS is facing a staffing crisis and is creaking under the pressure of the pandemic.

       "A pay award like this is a slap in the face for all health workers and is not the way to fix things. NHS workers deserve a restorative 15 per cent pay increase, not this derisory offering."

       Everyone has "a role to play" in keeping Christmas "safe" from restrictions, Sajid Javid has said.

       The Health Secretary told LBC radio: "We all want a fantastic Christmas and we can ensure that by getting out there and getting our vaccines. There are still some five million people out there that haven't had a single dose of the vaccine and and we need to basically tell them they need to do that."

       Mr Javid also highlighted other "sensible behaviours" that people should adopt. saying: "It's getting darker, we can see it's getting colder, we will spend more time indoors, and so we should think about hand hygiene, about getting tested regularly, especially if you're going to meet your more vulnerable... perhaps an elderly relative or someone - so if we can do all that, I'm sure that we're going to have a great Christmas."

       But he rejected Labour's call to move to Plan B now, saying the data does not demand it "right here, right now".

       He added: "I couldn't appeal more strongly to people to play their part in Plan A, and top of the list, as I say, are the vaccines."

       Insulate Britain has targeted Canary Wharf and Liverpool Street as it renews its roadblock campaign after a pause.

       The group had put its campaign on ice for 10 days, but vowed to return in the run-up to the Budget. True to their word, dozens of activists are now sitting in the road carrying Insulate Britain banners. Police are in attendance.

       An offshoot of Extinction Rebellion, the group wants the Government to insulate all UK homes by 2030 to cut carbon emissions.

       It blocked roads on 14 days over the five weeks to October 14, with activists often gluing their hands to the carriageway to increase the length of time it takes for police to remove them.

       Hundreds of arrests were made, with some people detained several times.

       A Government scientist has urged ministers to reintroduce "sensible" measures such as mandatory face masks in indoor spaces and working from home to drive down "unacceptable" case rates.

       Professor Peter Openshaw, a member of the Nervtag, told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme: "I don't think it's a binary go for Plan B or nothing, it's very clear that the measures that are in included in Plan B are sensible and not very disruptive.

       "It's not problematic to give clear leadership about the use of face masks, and working at home if you can is also not particularly disruptive for many people," he added. "Those measures are likely to lead to a pretty good reduction in the really unacceptable number of cases that we've got at the moment.

       "To my mind, the introduction of vaccine passports is also fine - it's been accepted very easily in most other western European countries."

       Sajid Javid has said he will be wearing a face mask during this week's Budget - but defended his colleagues' rights not to do so.

       Asked if he would wear a mask on Wednesday, the Health Secretary told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "If I am in the Chamber on Budget day, given it will be packed, I will be yeah."

       Asked if he would urge Conservative MPs to do likewise, he said: "The guidelines are clear - people will make a personal decision on how they see the risk for them and those around them. This is obviously a workplace setting, so it's a decision for them. But I will be."

       Challenged over comments made by Jacob Rees-Mogg, Mr Javid said: "Our guidance is just that, it is not mandatory in any setting. It's important that guidance is there for everyone to look at and make their own decision."

       Sajid Javid has swerved questions about whether NHS workers will get a pay rise in this week's Budget - despite the Chancellor dropping some heavy hints over the weekend (see 7:50am).

       Asked if the sector was likely to see a pay rise, following a series of real-term cuts, the Health Secretary - and former resident of Number 11 - told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We have just announced a few weeks ago the pay settlement of three per cent increase across the board, based on independent advice we get.

       "It is based on independent advice, I do think that's important - to have people other than ministers go into the detail."

       He added: "If we look at the total investment in the NHS, especially during the pandemic.... it makes it clear this is our absolute total priority. We want to see more and more people getting the treatment they need."

       Sajid Javid has said people must follow official advice and get their booster jab to ensure "we'll have a normal Christmas" this year.

       The Health Secretary told BBC Breakfast it was not necessary to implement Plan B of the winter Covid-19 precautions "at this point", but admitted the virus was "unpredictable" and he could not "predict exactly where we're going to be in three months' time, or six months' time".

       He urged people to get vaccinated and take daily precautions.

       "For all those people like me that are hoping and planning for a normal Christmas - which I do by the way, I think that's where we'll be, we'll have a normal Christmas - if we want let's just keep playing our part," Mr Javid said.

       He said he "of course" agrees with Boris Johnson that it will be a better Christmas than last year.

       Sajid Javid has criticised "idiots" who campaign against vaccines and spread lies and falsehoods outside schools, and said action should be taken against those who injured children.

       At least one school in London was told to close early by the police and their local authority, due to risk posed to pupils and staff by a large-scale protest by anti-vaxxers, The Telegraph revealed this morning. Meanwhile, in more than a dozen first-hand accounts from heads across the country, it has emerged that anti-vaxxers have violently clashed with pupils.

       The Health Secretary told Sky News it was "heart-breaking" that children had been injured as they went to school because of "these idiots outside their school spreading vicious lies".

       He added: "It is becoming a growing problem as time goes by. There are options, in terms of whether it's an exclusion zone, or other potential action, I think it's got to be done at a local level.

       "If you've injured children, that is a criminal act and I hope in that case police are able to track those people down."

       Sajid Javid said a final decision on making vaccination mandatory for all NHS staff had not been taken yet "but it is something that I'm heading towards".

       The Health Secretary told Times Radio: "We've been very clear and open about this, working with our friends in the NHS, and the reason for this is if you're working in the NHS, that fantastic work you're doing every day, you yourself are more susceptible to this virus because you're just much more likely to come into contact with it.

       "But also the people that you're looking after are more vulnerable and that's why they're in hospital, they've got health needs, and this is about protecting them and protecting yourself."

       Sajid Javid has admitted he can't guarantee the new ￡6bn NHS funding will clear the Covid backlog after three years.

       He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I can't do that - I don't think anyone can do that... I've been very open about this [the number of people on the waiting list] is going to go up before it goes down."

       The Health Secretary said he estimated the current level of 5.9m would rise to around 7m, but stressed the capital investment, alongside the ￡12bn from the levy, would "drive down that waiting list and make sure more people get seen more quickly".

       But he would not be drawn on the overall impact on the backlog, saying only that modelling suggested "at least nine million more scans, tests and check-ups".

       Sajid Javid has given the clearest indication yet that he is looking to make jabs mandatory for NHS workers, telling Sky News he was "leaning towards doing it".

       However he said it would be "months and months" before being imposed, noting that the consultation has only just ended and it would have to pass through parliament, with a grace period to allow workers to get the jab.

       Challenged about the impact that would have on staff shortages - which are already around 100,000 - he added: "If you keep in mind more than one million people work in the NHS, and the figure so far is around 94-93 per cent of workers vaccinated...

       "In the care sector, when we announced this policy, we saw many more people come forward and do the right thing and get vaccinated. That is why I hope if we do the same thing with the NHS we will get the same result."

       Sajid Javid has rejected suggestions that the Government was delaying imposing new restrictions until after the climate summit due next week, saying the decision has "nothing to do with Cop26".

       The Health Secretary told Times Radio: "It has everything to do with having the best clinical advice from world leading scientists.

       "We don't think the data shows we need to move to Plan B, but that said it is really important we need to play our part and get vaccinated... It's also just about being cautious on a daily basis and following the advice."

       Rishi Sunak has suggested that public sector pay will rise in this week’s Budget.

       It would mean an end to last year’s public sector pay freeze, with wage increases for 2.6 million workers including teachers, police and civil servants.

       The Chancellor said he would set out a “new pay policy” on Wednesday, after imposing the freeze last November from which only NHS staff and public servants earning less than ￡24,000 were exempted.

       Asked if public sector workers could expect pay increases, Mr Sunak said: “That will be one of the things that we talk about in the spending review.

       “Obviously over the past year, we took a decision to have a more targeted approach to public sector pay, given that the year before there were large increases and obviously the private sector was seeing pay decreases last year, and people were on furlough.”

       It's Budget week, which means speculation about the Chancellor's spending (and taxing) plan is reaching fever pitch.

       Sajid Javid is on the broadcast round this morning, touting a new ￡6bn bung that will go towards capital investment. The Health Secretary has also been asked about waiting lists and whether Plan B needs to be brought in now.

       But The Telegraph has seen government modeling suggesting Covid cases will fall in November even without Plan B. Here's today's front page.

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