The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-03-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the Government plans to ratify the 2004 Ballast Water Management Convention.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The UK has not ratified and will now, with the entry into force criteria so close to being met, accede to the Convention once it enters into force.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-03-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the economic, ecological and public health effects on the UK of aquatic invasive species introduced by shipping discharging ballast water.
George Eustice
Defra has commissioned or undertaken a number of assessments that inform our understanding of the impacts of aquatic invasive species. These include, but are not limited to:
Defra also supports a database, the Great Britain Non-native Species Information Portal. This provides information on more than 3,700 non-native species including where they are present and the likely means by which they have arrived in this country.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-03-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to reduce the risk to the UK (a) posed by ballast water and (b) that diseases such as cholera may be transferred around the world through ballast water given rises in sea water temperature.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The UK has developed a number of voluntary procedures adopted by the maritime community to tackle the issue of invasive species and pathogens. Vessels on deep sea, international voyages are encouraged to undertake mid-ocean ballast water exchange. Within the North Sea and English Channel, ballast water exchange areas have been identified and vessels visiting UK ports are encouraged to use those areas where it has been assessed safe to do so.
The Government continues to be a strong supporter of the Ballast Water Management Convention that aims to minimise the threat posed by harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2016-03-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her Department has made on developing a futures market for dairy in the UK; and when she expects to implement that futures market.
George Eustice
Last November we embarked on a detailed analysis of the scope for better dairy price risk management, including dairy futures, in order to support stability and resilience in the dairy sector.
The initial evidence base concluded that futures markets offered the best potential basis for progress and it was agreed to undertake further detailed work in this area. We are now exploring the level of appetite within the industry alongside some of the key barriers which have hampered the development of futures trading in the past.
We expect to complete our analysis by the end of April. If this work leads to a genuine and practical prospect for progress, we will then move on to work with financial market and industry partners to deliver the best option for the UK dairy market.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-03-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of the UN and African Union missions in South Sudan; and what discussions he has had with the UN since the publication of its report, Assessment Mission by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to improve human rights, accountability, reconciliation and capacity in South Sudan: detailed findings, published March 2016.
James Duddridge
The UK is deeply concerned by the findings of the African Union Commission of Inquiry (AU-COI) report and the recent UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) assessment. Both reports detail appalling levels of human rights violations and abuses, including widespread levels of sexual violence, and that these may constitute war crimes and/or crimes against humanity.
We are pressing for action on multiple levels. We are raising our serious concerns directly with the government in Juba, and when I visited South Sudan in January 2016 I pressed both the President and the Foreign Minister on human rights issues. At the same time, we are also encouraging the African Union to establish the Hybrid Court for South Sudan and pressing the UN Security Council to agree an arms embargo. At the UN Human Rights Council we are pressing for a UN Special Rapporteur to be agreed and the OHCHR report’s findings to be followed up on. We will continue to work to ensure those who are responsible for abuses are held to account.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Heidi Alexander on 2016-03-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if his Department will publish a patient-friendly guide to inform responses to the consultation on proposals for a new Cancer Drugs Fund.
George Freeman
NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) consultation on draft proposals on the future of the Cancer Drugs Fund closed on 11 February 2016. The NHS England Board agreed a way forward, on 25 February 2016, which will see the new arrangements for the Fund going live on 1 July 2016.
NHS England and NICE adopted a number of different approaches to engage with audiences. This included holding four webinars for stakeholders and two face-to-face events in London and Manchester alongside a number of individual meetings with key stakeholder groups including patient organisations and cancer charities.
NHS England has advised that it will publish a consultation report on its website in due course. Further information is available at:
www.engage.england.nhs.uk/consultation/cdf-consultation
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-03-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the average number of hours of weekly respite or support family carers are able to access; and what targets his Department has for such provision.
Alistair Burt
We do not hold information on the average number of hours of weekly respite for carers. We are working with councils to improve data in this area for future iterations of the Short and Long Term Care data collection, including on respite care (also known as replacement care).
The Government recognises the invaluable contribution made by unpaid carers and the importance of supporting them in their caring roles. That is why we continue to support implementation of the improved rights for carers enshrined in the Care Act 2014. This includes a right to an assessment on the appearance of needs for support that will look at a carer’s wellbeing and what support they may need in their caring role, including replacement care where appropriate. The Department has provided £104 million of funding to local authorities for these rights in 2015-16.
We have also made an additional £400 million available to the National Health Service between 2011 and 2015 to provide carers with breaks from their caring responsibilities to sustain them in their caring role. The equivalent annual allocation of £130 million for carers breaks is now included in the Better Care Fund.
The Department is also leading the development of a new cross-Government National Carers Strategy that will look at what more we can do to support existing carers and future carers.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Rayner on 2016-03-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking in response to the Oxleas Plus supplement option for pensions offered by Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust.
Alistair Burt
National Health Service organisations have the freedom to make changes to the reward offer they make to staff; having regard to the legal framework. The NHS Pension Board has referred Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust to the Pensions Regulator (TPR) even though TPR has already found the option for pensions offered by the Trust was not an inducement and therefore not a breach of law.
However, the NHS Pension Board concluded that there was additional information, which may not have been considered in relation to the earlier referral, and that given the potential wider implications of this issue, a further in-depth investigation by TPR was merited.
The NHS Pension Board is awaiting TPR’s decision. The Secretary of State for Health will consider any subsequent advice from the NHS Pension Board.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-03-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department has taken to signpost commissioners to other appropriate services since the decision was taken not to prescribe specialist psychological services for deaf people as a specialised service; and what (a) number and (b) proportion of clinical commissioning groups commission specialist psychological services for deaf people.
Alistair Burt
The 2015 Adult Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) Workforce Census report will be published by NHS England in early summer. Included within the report will be the number of services that currently provide therapy in British Sign Language (BSL) and how many therapists deliver these therapies nationally. People who wish to be referred to IAPT services that require BSL services may seek advice from their general practitioner. Information about local NHS services, including IAPT, is also available on the NHS Choices website.
Information is not collected centrally on the number or proportion of clinical commissioning groups which commission specialist psychological services for deaf people.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-03-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will estimate the proportion of people aged (a) under and (b) over 18 who have a diagnosable mental health condition who access medical support.
Alistair Burt
No estimate has been made of the proportion of people under and over 18 years of age with a diagnosable mental health condition who access medical support as information held centrally is not sufficient for such an estimate to be made.