The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-06-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with clinical bodies on the potential merits of weight-loss surgery in preventing diabetes.
Jane Ellison
There have been no such discussions.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-06-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will bring forward regulations to prevent drug manufacturers excessively raising the cost of drugs to the NHS when they are the sole or dominant supplier.
George Freeman
The Department is already referring cases to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). To strengthen our work in this area we are considering putting measures in place to routinely and systematically monitor significant price increases of generic medicines and take action where appropriate, including the possible referral of suspected excessive pricing to the CMA, while taking into account the potential impact of any such action on the availability of medicines.
The CMA is currently conducting a number of investigations into anti-competitive practices in the pharmaceutical industry. It imposed fines totalling £45 million in one case (currently subject to appeal at the Competition Appeal Tribunal), and expects to reach a final decision by late summer in another. It opened two more cases in March and April 2016 in which it expects to decide in late summer whether there are grounds to take each investigation further.
The CMA is also considering evidence of other potential cases of anti-competitive practices in the sector, and may well open further investigations in the coming months.
The CMA is independent of Ministers and we cannot interfere in either the substance or the procedures of its decision-making.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-06-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects the Competition and Markets Authority to report on its investigation on suspected anti-competitive practices in the pharmaceutical sector.
George Freeman
The Department is already referring cases to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). To strengthen our work in this area we are considering putting measures in place to routinely and systematically monitor significant price increases of generic medicines and take action where appropriate, including the possible referral of suspected excessive pricing to the CMA, while taking into account the potential impact of any such action on the availability of medicines.
The CMA is currently conducting a number of investigations into anti-competitive practices in the pharmaceutical industry. It imposed fines totalling £45 million in one case (currently subject to appeal at the Competition Appeal Tribunal), and expects to reach a final decision by late summer in another. It opened two more cases in March and April 2016 in which it expects to decide in late summer whether there are grounds to take each investigation further.
The CMA is also considering evidence of other potential cases of anti-competitive practices in the sector, and may well open further investigations in the coming months.
The CMA is independent of Ministers and we cannot interfere in either the substance or the procedures of its decision-making.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philippa Whitford on 2016-06-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when his Department received the request from the Scottish Government to allow increased payments to Scottish people affected by contaminated blood through the current financial structures.
Jane Ellison
Since the Scottish Government announced its decision to accept the recommendations of its independent financial review in March 2016, officials in the Department and Scottish Government have been working together to facilitate the increased payments using the current payment scheme. There have, in addition, been recent conversations at Ministerial level.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-06-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many times he has visited Copeland constituency in an official capacity in each of the last four years.
Ben Gummer
The Secretary of State for Health and his Ministerial team have not undertaken any visits in an official capacity to the Copeland constituency in the last four years.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-06-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he next plans to visit West Cumberland Hospital in an official capacity.
Ben Gummer
I am currently planning to visit the West Cumberland Hospital in the coming months.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-06-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many times he has visited West Cumberland Hospital in an official capacity in each of the last four years.
Ben Gummer
The Secretary of State for Health and his Ministerial team have not undertaken any visits in an official capacity to the West Cumberland Hospital in the last four years.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Menzies on 2016-06-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect of the potential closure of the Lancashire Police helicopter base on the safety of the local Fylde community.
Mike Penning
Since October 2012, the provision of police air support has been the responsibility of the National Police Air Service (NPAS), a police-led operational initiative designed to deliver a cost effective and efficient service to forces in England and Wales. It is the responsibility of the NPAS Strategic Board, comprising police and crime commissioners and chief constables, to make decisions on the deployment of resources to meet local policing and crime priorities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-06-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to announce the budget for the new Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority; and whether that budget will be expanded in comparison to that of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority to reflect the wider remit and powers of the new body.
Karen Bradley
The 2016-17 budget for the Gangmasters Licensing Authority has been published on page 80 of the Main Supply Estimates 2016-17, which is available to the public. The GLA will receive increased funding to reflect its changing and broader functions and we remain committed to resourcing the GLA to ensure it can deliver on its purpose of protecting vulnerable and exploited workers.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-06-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases of slavery have been reported in each of the last five years.
James Brokenshire
The table below shows the number of potential victims of human trafficking or modern slavery who were referred to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) in the UK between 2011 and 2015.
The NRM is the UK’s identification and support mechanism for potential victims of modern slavery.
|
Year |
Number of potential victims |
|
2011 |
946 |
|
2012 |
1,186 |
|
2013 |
1,746 |
|
2014 |
2,340 |
|
2015 |
3,266 |
A breakdown of referrals is available from published NRM statistics on the National Crime Agency website and can be found here: www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/publications/national-referral-mechanism-statistics