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  • Helen Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Helen Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the total amount spent from government sources on research into (a) stroke, (b) cancer and (c) coronary heart disease.

    George Freeman

    Spend on research funded directly by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is categorised by Health Research Classification System health categories. NIHR expenditure on research infrastructure and systems where spend cannot be attributed to health categories is excluded. In 2013/14, the NIHR spent £26.3 million in the category ‘stroke’, £129.9 million in the category ‘cancer’, and £46.3 million in the category ‘cardiovascular’ (including coronary heart disease – CHD).

    Research Councils UK has provided the following information on expenditure in 2013/14.

    £000s

    Stroke

    Cancer

    CHD

    Arts and Humanities Research Council

    –

    34

    –

    Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)

    323

    10,269

    1,829

    Economic and Social Research Council

    1,376

    2,177

    1,205

    Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)

    –

    –

    –

    Medical Research Council (MRC)

    4,140

    79,900

    26,300

    Natural Environment Research Council

    –

    –

    –

    Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)

    –

    395

    –

    The BBSRC does not fund research directly relating to understanding/treating specific human diseases. The underpinning health research that the BBSRC supports seeks to provide a better understanding of what makes a healthy biological system – and the key moderators of this health (both positive and negative) – and also informs strategies to help maintain resilient health across the life-course and reduce the risk of emergence of diseases typically associated with age-related health decline. In the context of stroke/cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer this may include basic bioscience of angiogenesis/tissue repair, inflammation, cell cycle/signalling/molecular transport, and immune system functioning, and how these processes operate and are influenced (e.g. by genetics and environmental factors such as diet and exercise) across the lifecourse. The BBSRC figures provided are based on examples where specific linkages can be made from the basic bioscience to potential applicability to stroke/CVD and cancer research, but there will be a wider body of more indirectly linked bioscience that may also contribute to developing important baseline understanding.

    The EPSRC invested £59 million in 2013/14 in research to develop new technologies that have applications across healthcare from diagnosis and treatment to rehabilitation, and also supports a much wider portfolio of research that underpins advances in medical science. The EPSRC supports basic research which delivers new techniques and technologies, ultimately delivering solutions that underpin the healthcare and life sciences sector, including the pharmaceutical and medical technology industries and the National Health Service. Around 25% of the £4 billion EPSRC portfolio is of relevance to healthcare and the life sciences.

    MRC cancer research expenditure shown in the table is taken from National Cancer Research Institute data for 2013.

    In addition to the expenditure shown in the table, the STFC also makes support available through its large facilities. For instance, cancer-related research is carried out using ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment) in support of the University of Liverpool, who have an EPSRC grant. The grant pays the marginal staff cost and the running cost of the ALICE facility.

    In 2013/14 Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency has invested in research concerning stroke, cancer and CHD. The following table details spend for each condition. Figures include research into detection technologies and post-surgery therapies.

    £000s

    Stroke

    Cancer

    CHD

    Innovate UK

    972

    18,728

    345

  • Robert Flello – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Robert Flello – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what analysis and research her Department has undertaken into the potential risk to human health of the transportation of animal carcasses and animal products in unsealed and unrefrigerated vehicles to rendering facilities.

    George Eustice

    Defra has not undertaken research into the potential risk to human health of the transportation of animal carcasses and animal products in unsealed and unrefrigerated vehicles to rendering facilities.

    EU animal by-products (ABP) legislation, which is in force to protect public and animal health, requires animal carcasses and other ABP material to be collected and transported in sealed new packaging or covered leak-proof containers or vehicles at an appropriate temperature. Non-compliance with this requirement is a criminal offence under the Animal By-Products (Enforcement) (England) Regulations 2013. In addition, the Government has been urging the rendering industry to consider what improvements can be made to current practice when transporting ABPs and on the issue of cooling carcasse material.

    The Department understands that the rendering industry is currently undertaking and funding its own research into the costs and benefits of chilling ABPs during storage and transport.

  • Miss Anne McIntosh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Miss Anne McIntosh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Miss Anne McIntosh on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent representations he has received on the proportion of Government funding which is allocated to health and social care.

    Norman Lamb

    My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health has frequent discussions about the proportion of Government funding allocated to health and social care, both internal and external, and receives a large amount of correspondence on the issue.

  • George Hollingbery – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    George Hollingbery – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by George Hollingbery on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of trends in levels of eligibility for social care set by councils between 2005 and 2010.

    Norman Lamb

    During 2005/06 to 2009/10, the number of councils which set their local eligibility at the “substantial” banding within the existing guidance increased by nearly a third, and the number of councils setting their eligibility at “moderate” decreased by a similar proportion. This indicates councils making restrictions in access and eligibility over this period.

    The following table sets out the percentage of councils in each of the bandings between 2005/06 and 2009/10. The bandings were set out in 2003 guidance and updated in 2010 by Prioritising Need in the Context of Putting People First: A whole system approach to eligibility for social care, which retained the same eligibility framework based on four bandings.

    Percentage of LAs at Critical

    Percentage of LAs at Substantial

    Percentage of LAs at Moderate

    Percentage of LAs at Low

    2005/06

    2.2%

    55.0%

    36.7%

    6.1%

    2006/07

    1.4%

    62.2%

    33.2%

    3.2%

    2007/08

    2.1%

    69.7%

    26.5%

    1.7%

    2008/09

    2.1%

    70.5%

    25.7%

    1.7%

    2009/10

    2.0%

    71.1%

    25.0%

    2.0%

    Source: The Care Quality Commission. This is provided as % as the total number of local authorities (LAs) providing social care changed over this period.

    To resolve substantial and longstanding concerns from people with care needs that the existing framework is opaque and not applied consistently across England, the Government is introducing a national minimum eligibility threshold for adult care and support from 1 April 2015. This will provide more clarity on what level of needs are eligible for care and support. LAs will no longer be able to tighten the criteria beyond this threshold, but they will have the flexibility to meet other needs that are not eligible, if they chose to do so.

  • Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will delay the commencement of regulations on the standardised packaging of tobacco products for 12 months or until any legal challenges have been concluded.

    Jane Ellison

    Certain parts of the Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products Regulations implement the European Tobacco Products Directive are required to be brought into force in May 2016. For those regulations that introduce further requirements, it is clear that there are benefits for business if the requirements of the Directive and the further standardised packaging requirements are implemented at the same time.

    The Government will keep under close review all legal challenges that are relevant to standardised packaging of tobacco products. If legal challenges are made to the regulations, then it will promote certainty, and be better for all affected parties, that such challenges are determined in courts or tribunals as soon as possible.

  • Ian Austin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ian Austin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress NICE has made on establishing Quality Standards on adult hearing loss.

    George Freeman

    I refer the hon. Member to the Answer I gave to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Hall Green (Mr Roger Godsiff) on 4 February to Question 222487.

    “

  • Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department provides to its managers on how many days training should be made available to staff.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    The Department is committed to developing its staff and encourages staff to take five days learning a year. It does this in a variety of ways including staff communications; learning at work weeks and through line-managers.

  • Oliver Colvile – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Oliver Colvile – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Colvile on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2014, Official Report, column 710W, on pharmacy, what progress his Department has made on the introduction of data-sharing between GPs and pharmacists.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    The Proof of Concept (POC) project is making good progress. The project has completed the implementation stage of providing Summary Care Record (SCR) access for community pharmacies.

    By the end of 2014, 135 pharmacies across all five areas (West Yorkshire, Sheffield, Northamptonshire, Derbyshire and Somerset), have been enabled to have access to the SCR. The pharmacies involved include independent pharmacies, national multiple providers, and representatives from the major supermarkets. Over 1,300 patient SCRs have been accessed to date to support direct patient care.

    The POC project team are now working on the findings and associated recommendations. Initial analysis is promising and the final report is due in the coming months.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department provides to its managers on how many days training should be made available to staff.

    Karen Bradley

    Managers in the Home Department have received the following guidance on the number of days learning and development, including formal training, that should be provided to staff :"Every civil servant should be spending at least 5 days a year on their own learning and development targeting those skills they most need for their current and future roles."

    We do not collect data centrally on all aspects of learning and development that are used to develop staff skills nor on training budgets so this could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

    Expenditure in the Home Department on training for the past 3 financial years was:

    2011/12: £14,860,807
    2012/13: £16,986,868
    2013/14: £24,715,417

    The increase in training expenditure figures in the last two years was a result of developing skills across the Home Office and in particular training new officers recruited in UK Visas and Immigration, Immigration Enforcement, Her Majesty’sPassport Office and Border Force.

  • Nigel Dodds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Nigel Dodds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what rules apply to the entry into the UK of diplomatic personnel from countries identified by the Government on countries of concern in relation to human rights violations and corruption.

    James Brokenshire

    Diplomats posted to an Embassy or High Commission in the UK or who are in transit through the UK to their diplomatic posting are exempt from immigration control. This means that any checks are limited to verifying the person’s nationality and identity, that they are exempt from immigration control and they are the rightful holder of the document presented.

    People holding diplomatic passports coming to the UK for any other reason are assessed against the Immigration Rules. In certain cases individuals are subject to international travel bans, imposed by the EU or UN. These are imposed for a number of factors and human rights violations and corruption could be a factor in this decision.