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  • Gareth Thomas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Gareth Thomas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2014-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much income health trusts in each region or nation of the UK received for the cost of treating European Economic Area nationals in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13 and (d) 2013-14; and if he will make a statement.

    Jane Ellison

    The following information is not held by the Department:

    – income health trusts in each region or nation of the United Kingdom received for the cost of treating European Economic Area (EEA) nationals;

    – income each NHS trust in each region of England claimed back for the cost of treating EEA nationals;

    – the number of EEA nationals who received NHS treatment;

    – the cost of treating EEA nationals who received NHS treatment in each region of the UK.

    Claims to and from EEA countries are managed centrally by the Department on behalf of the whole of the UK. Income claimed from EEA countries is based on both data collected from trusts and arrangements in place with other EEA countries under bilateral agreements.

    The Department does hold information on claims to the UK from other EEA countries for healthcare costs. However, claims to the UK from other EEA countries are not based on nationality – they are based on whether the UK is judged to be responsible for someone’s healthcare costs, for example due to residency in the UK or, for state pensioners, someone with a UK state pension who has retired to a different EEA country. It is therefore not possible to provide a breakdown of costs based on UK nationality.

  • Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ivan Lewis on 2014-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect on devolved NHS services of changes to the way temporary migrants and visitors access the NHS in England.

    Jane Ellison

    The intention of the relevant powers in the Immigration Act 2014 is to ensure that temporary migrants and visitors make a fair contribution towards the cost of any National Health Service healthcare they receive in the United Kingdom. Under the Act, temporary migrants will be required to pay a health surcharge when applying for a visa to reside in the UK for more than six months. The Devolved Administrations will receive a proportion of funds received from the surcharge. It will be for the Devolved Administrations to decide whether they spend this on health services and whether they amend their health service charging regulations for other visitors to the UK.

    If charges for some primary care services in England are introduced to visitors to the UK, those services will continue to be free of charge to people who are ordinarily resident in the UK. Therefore, residents of the Devolved Administrations will continue to be treated on the same basis as an English resident if they access primary care services in England.

    However, introducing charging for visitors may influence behaviour near the borders if visitors from overseas in England choose to travel to the other countries to access primary care services that they would have to pay for in England.

    The proposed new process for registering with the NHS in England is unlikely to affect the healthcare systems in the devolved administrations but it may mean that residents from the Devolved Administrations who access NHS care in England are asked more often to demonstrate that they are ordinarily resident in the UK, or otherwise entitled to free NHS care in England.

    We will continue our discussions with colleagues in the Devolved Administrations on all of these issues.

  • Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ivan Lewis on 2014-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether officials from his Department met their Northern Ireland counterparts in preparation for the EU Informal Health Council in Athens from 28 to 29 April 2014.

    Jane Ellison

    Regular meetings are arranged between officials from the Department and officials from the Devolved Administrations to discuss a range of European health matters. Departmental officials met virtually with their Northern Ireland counterparts in preparation for the Informal Health Council in Athens on 28-29 April 2014, and officials from Northern Ireland contributed to the briefing that was prepared for the Informal Health Council.

  • Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ivan Lewis on 2014-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which charitable projects based in Northern Ireland have benefited from the armed forces covenant (Libor) fund.

    Anna Soubry

    The importance of the covenant to the Government was highlighted by the decision of the Chancellor to transfer £35 million from fines levied on the banks for attempting to manipulate LIBOR to the Ministry of Defence for use in supporting the Armed Forces community. The fund has now closed and money has been allocated to some 97 projects.

    The Northern Irish Armed Forces community will benefit from a number of UK-wide projects which have been allocated over £16 million of LIBOR funding. In addition, we have provided £50,000 of funding to the UDR & Royal Irish Aftercare Service to set up a welfare support network and advisory service for veterans and their dependants in Northern Ireland.

  • Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ivan Lewis on 2014-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he consulted his Northern Ireland counterpart on his Department’s publication Guidance to the Civil Aviation Authority on Environmental Objectives Relating to the Exercise of its Air Navigation Functions.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    There was no specific consultation with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on this publication.

  • Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ivan Lewis on 2014-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether officials in his Department consulted their Northern Ireland counterparts before publishing the draft Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2015.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Department for Transport officials worked closely with Northern Ireland colleagues throughout the Traffic Signs Policy Review. A meeting was held with the Devolved Administrations in February 2014, at which the proposed changes to the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions were presented.

    The Northern Ireland Executive has also been invited to respond to the public consultation on the draft regulations.

  • Mark Pritchard – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Mark Pritchard – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Pritchard on 2014-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will hold discussions with Ministers in the Welsh Government on the possible implementation in Wales of a ban on the use of wild animals in circuses.

    George Eustice

    We remain committed to discussing with counterparts in all the Devolved Administrations whether a bill introducing a ban on the use of wild animals in circuses could be a Great Britain or even United Kingdom Bill.

  • Chris Heaton-Harris – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Chris Heaton-Harris – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Heaton-Harris on 2014-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what savings are planned for neonatal care under the Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention Initiative for 2014-15.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    NHS England, as part of its direct commissioning responsibilities for specialised services, has an ongoing programme in place to identify both local and national opportunities to identify potential efficiencies as part of its management and prioritisation of available resources.

    NHS England’s Clinical Reference Groups (CRGs), involving lead clinical, patient and professional representatives, are assisting NHS England in this work, particularly in respect of proposals that might be considered nationwide.

    Specialised neonatal care is one of NHS England’s most significant areas of expenditure and the Neonatal CRG has therefore been involved in identifying potential neonatal specific schemes, which may have the potential to deliver savings whilst maintaining safety and quality. The schemes will be subject to a confirm and challenge process to determine their deliverability, before being worked up into schemes which could be implemented on a national basis.

    It is therefore not possible, at this stage in the programme’s development, to quantify the level of savings that might be generated nationally or the specific savings approach that will be adopted.

    It is unlikely that the national schemes currently being considered will generate savings in 20140-15. The schemes are more likely to be transformational in design and therefore are more likely to deliver savings in the longer term.

  • Chris Heaton-Harris – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Chris Heaton-Harris – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Heaton-Harris on 2014-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how the Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention savings for neonatal care will be realised.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    NHS England, as part of its direct commissioning responsibilities for specialised services, has an ongoing programme in place to identify both local and national opportunities to identify potential efficiencies as part of its management and prioritisation of available resources.

    NHS England’s Clinical Reference Groups (CRGs), involving lead clinical, patient and professional representatives, are assisting NHS England in this work, particularly in respect of proposals that might be considered nationwide.

    Specialised neonatal care is one of NHS England’s most significant areas of expenditure and the Neonatal CRG has therefore been involved in identifying potential neonatal specific schemes, which may have the potential to deliver savings whilst maintaining safety and quality. The schemes will be subject to a confirm and challenge process to determine their deliverability, before being worked up into schemes which could be implemented on a national basis.

    It is therefore not possible, at this stage in the programme’s development, to quantify the level of savings that might be generated nationally or the specific savings approach that will be adopted.

    It is unlikely that the national schemes currently being considered will generate savings in 20140-15. The schemes are more likely to be transformational in design and therefore are more likely to deliver savings in the longer term.

  • Chris Heaton-Harris – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Chris Heaton-Harris – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Heaton-Harris on 2014-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how the money allocated by his Department to improve birthing environments was spent in (a) 2012-13 and (b) 2013-14.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    Information on the breakdown of the money allocated by the Department to improve birthing environments in 2012-13 and 2013-14 has been placed in the Library.