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  • Lord Mawhinney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Mawhinney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mawhinney on 2016-10-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether it is their intention to amalgamate local primary care centres into larger units; and if so, when.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    As part of the New Care Models Programme, NHS England is supporting local health and care commissioners and providers to come together to improve the health and care they provide. This includes the development of population-based care models known as integrated Primary and Acute Care Systems and Multispecialty Community Providers (MCPs). Where and how to develop new care models are decisions taken by local partnerships, in response to local conditions. The Programme is not directing or requiring the amalgamation of primary care centres.

    There are 14 MCP vanguards, with a single organisation accountable for joined-up General Practitioner (GP) and community services and some specialist care, mental health services, and social care for a defined population. The building blocks of a MCP are the ‘care hubs’ of integrated teams. Each typically serves a community of around 30,000-50,000 people. These hubs are the practical, operational level of any model of accountable care provision. The wider the scope of services included in the MCP, the more hubs you may need to connect together to create sufficient scale. All 14 MCP vanguards now serve a minimum population of around 100,000.

    The majority of GP practices are already working in practice groups or federations. This provides opportunities to expand services, stabilise practice income and work at scale, which has benefits for patients, practices and the wider system. These include economies of scale, quality improvement, workforce development, enhanced care and new services, resilience and system partnerships.

    A new voluntary MCP contract will be introduced from April 2017, to integrate general practice services with community services and wider healthcare services. Measures from the GP Access Fund and vanguard sites that are currently piloting this approach, will be learned from to support mainstreaming of proven service improvements across all practices, and funding will be provided for local collaborations to support practices to implement new ways of working.

  • Lord Mawhinney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Mawhinney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mawhinney on 2016-10-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether it is (1) their policy, or (2) the policy of NHS England, that primary care centres should be amalgamated into larger units.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    As part of the New Care Models Programme, NHS England is supporting local health and care commissioners and providers to come together to improve the health and care they provide. This includes the development of population-based care models known as integrated Primary and Acute Care Systems and Multispecialty Community Providers (MCPs). Where and how to develop new care models are decisions taken by local partnerships, in response to local conditions. The Programme is not directing or requiring the amalgamation of primary care centres.

    There are 14 MCP vanguards, with a single organisation accountable for joined-up General Practitioner (GP) and community services and some specialist care, mental health services, and social care for a defined population. The building blocks of a MCP are the ‘care hubs’ of integrated teams. Each typically serves a community of around 30,000-50,000 people. These hubs are the practical, operational level of any model of accountable care provision. The wider the scope of services included in the MCP, the more hubs you may need to connect together to create sufficient scale. All 14 MCP vanguards now serve a minimum population of around 100,000.

    The majority of GP practices are already working in practice groups or federations. This provides opportunities to expand services, stabilise practice income and work at scale, which has benefits for patients, practices and the wider system. These include economies of scale, quality improvement, workforce development, enhanced care and new services, resilience and system partnerships.

    A new voluntary MCP contract will be introduced from April 2017, to integrate general practice services with community services and wider healthcare services. Measures from the GP Access Fund and vanguard sites that are currently piloting this approach, will be learned from to support mainstreaming of proven service improvements across all practices, and funding will be provided for local collaborations to support practices to implement new ways of working.

  • Lord Mawhinney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Mawhinney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mawhinney on 2016-10-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what financial resources they transferred to local authorities in 2015–16 which were designated to be spent on personal social services care; and what is their estimate of how much was spent on the provision of such services.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    Central government does not determine the level of resources spent by local authorities on adult social care. Each local authority will budget for what it expects to require in order to deliver the services required for their population, drawing on funding from local taxes, unhypothecated central government grant and income from fees and charges.

    However recognising the pressures on local authorities, the Spending Review 2015 announced that for the rest of the current Parliament, local authorities responsible for adult social care (“ASC authorities”) would be allowed an additional 2 percent on their current council tax referendum threshold to be used entirely for adult social care. 144 of 152 eligible authorities made use of this precept in 2015-16, raising £382 million for social care.

    My department publishes data (attached) from local authorities on their spending on all services. Provisional data for 2015-16 suggests that local authorities spent a net figure of £14.4 billion on adult social care in 2015-16.

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/548114/RO_Provisional_Outturn_2015-16_Statistical_Release.pdf

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  • Lord Mawhinney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Mawhinney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mawhinney on 2016-10-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what financial resources they transferred to local authorities in 2015–16 which were designated to be spent on the provision of public health services; and what is their estimate of how much was spent on the provision of such services.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    The public health grant is provided to give local authorities the funding needed to discharge their public heath responsibilities. The total allocation for 2015-16 was £2.80 billion. All details of this grant and the allocations which were made can be found at – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ring-fenced-public-health-grants-to-local-authorities-2013-14-and-2014-15.

    “

  • Lord Northbourne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Northbourne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Northbourne on 2016-10-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to encourage and support maintained secondary schools in England and Wales to do more to prepare their pupils for the responsibilities of parenthood.

    Lord Nash

    We are clear that as part of schools’ duty to teach a broad and balanced curriculum, all young people should be provided with a curriculum that prepares them for success in adult life.

    Schools are best placed to make decisions about the education of their pupils. Teachers are able to cover parenting skills in personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education lessons. The non-statutory programme of study for PSHE includes the roles and responsibilities of parents, parenting skills, the value of family relationships, and the impact of separation, divorce and bereavement on families.

    The Department does not hold information on secondary schools in Wales. This is the responsibility of the Welsh Government.

  • Lord Ouseley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Ouseley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Ouseley on 2016-10-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of continuing care home closures, what plans are in place to meet the care needs of the growing elderly population.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Department has not seen loss of capacity of social care provision. The Government recognises that the care sector is operating in a challenging financial environment and continues to engage with the care sector to understand their concerns about their financial viability and the sustainability of services.

    The Care Quality Commission monitors the finances of the largest care businesses to identify likely insolvencies that would stop services. The Department continues to monitor the whole of the market of care providers, engage with the sector to better understand the challenges they face and support local authorities who purchase services.

    The Department is working closely with the Local Government Association to consider targeted action to address the issues.

  • Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-10-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what were the salaries paid to chief executives of multi-academy trusts in the last academic year for which figures are available.

    Lord Nash

    Information about the salaries of chief executives is not held. However, academy trusts’ financial statements disclose the number of employees whose remuneration (including any termination payments) exceed £60,000, in £10,000 bandings. The financial statements also disclose trustees’ remuneration, which may include the chief executive. The financial statements are published online by the Department for Education (available by searching “Department for Education” AND “Compare school and college performance”) and at Companies House (available by searching “Companies House service”).

  • Baroness Thomas of Winchester – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Baroness Thomas of Winchester – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Thomas of Winchester on 2016-10-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the proposal to remove a panel member with direct experience of disability from appeals for Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment and Attendance Allowance.

    Lord Keen of Elie

    The Government is investing close to £1 billion to reform and digitise our courts and tribunals to deliver swifter and more certain justice.

    Technology will be at the forefront of our reforms but specific support will be provided to ensure tribunals remain accessible to all and physical hearings will continue to be used to resolve many cases.

    An impact assessment was published alongside the Transforming our Justice System consultation paper.

    The panel composition reforms will ensure that the most appropriate panel is always selected to hear a case. As now, relevant expertise will always be available where needed, regardless of how a case is resolved. The Senior President of Tribunals will continue to determine when panel members are used.

  • Baroness Thomas of Winchester – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Baroness Thomas of Winchester – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Thomas of Winchester on 2016-10-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of inflation on those who rely on benefits.

    Lord Freud

    Central to the Government’s long term economic plan is the creation of jobs and making work pay. We know that work is the best route out of poverty so our welfare reforms are focussed on supporting those people who can work to find and keep work rather than rely on benefits, ensuring fairness and affordability for the tax payer. We are committed to balancing incentivising work with protecting pensioners and those who cannot work, and help with the costs of additional needs. That is why benefits for the additional costs of disability, and for carers, are up-rated each year in line with prices, and the basic and new State Pensions are up-rated with our triple lock guarantee.

  • Baroness Warsi – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Warsi – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Warsi on 2016-10-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 29 September (HL1969), whether they will place in the Library of the House a list of civil society organisations funded by the Home Office under the Prevent strategy for the years 2011 to 2016.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The Home Office works with a broad range of community groups and civil society organisations who deliver community based projects and counter narrative campaigns to safeguard against radicalisation.

    Headline statistics are reported annually through the CONTEST Annual Report. In 2015, 130 community based projects were delivered reaching over 25,300 participants and counter narrative products developed in partnership with groups generated over 15 million online viewings.