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  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what data his Department collects on premature mortality in people on the autism spectrum.

    Alistair Burt

    The National Health Service is taking action to increase the health checks and cancer screening programmes for people with learning disabilities, including those who also have autism. In 2015, NHS England commissioned the world’s first Learning Disability Mortality Review Programme to support local areas to review deaths of people with learning disabilities and to use the information to improve service provision so that physical and mental health problems can be identified and addressed. This programme is currently being piloted and will be rolled out more widely in due course.

    We would expect that the work of the mortality review as a whole is likely to generate new information on the causes of premature mortality in all people with learning disabilities including many who will also have had autism spectrum disorder.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department spent on research into brain tumours in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

    George Freeman

    The information requested is not available. Spend on research funded directly by the Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is categorised by Health Research Classification System (HRCS) health categories including ‘cancer’. There are no HRCS health sub-categories, such as for brain tumours or other cancer sites.

    Investment in cancer research by the NIHR has risen from £101 million in 2010/11 to £135 million in 2014/15. The NIHR works closely with patients, charities and our world-leading life sciences industry to support further research into brain tumours.

  • Will Quince – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Will Quince – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Will Quince on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to ensure that NHS maternity units improve their safety records.

    Ben Gummer

    In November 2015 the Government announced a national ambition to halve by 2030 the rates of stillbirths, neonatal and maternal deaths and brain injuries occurring during or soon after birth.

    To support the National Health Service in achieving this ambition more than 90 trusts have received additional funding as part of a £2.24 million fund to spend on equipment to improve safety, over £1 million to roll out training programmes to make sure staff have the skills and confidence they need to deliver world-leading safe care, and £500,000 to develop, a new online system that can be used consistently across the NHS to enable staff to review and learn from every stillbirth and neonatal death.

    The announcement also committed to publishing an annual report to update the public, health professionals, providers and commissioners on the progress we are making towards achieving the ambition. We also welcome the publication of the NHS England Independent Review of Maternity Services. The recommendations will have an important role in shaping the system to drive ambitious improvements in quality and safety.

    On 7 March we launched Sign up to Safety – ‘Spotlight on Maternity,’ a guidance document that asks all trusts with maternity services to commit publically to placing a spotlight on maternity and to contributing towards achieving the Government’s national ambition.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of representations that NHS England should conduct a national autism mortality review.

    Alistair Burt

    The National Health Service is taking action to increase the health checks and cancer screening programmes for people with learning disabilities, including those who also have autism. In 2015, NHS England commissioned the world’s first Learning Disability Mortality Review Programme to support local areas to review deaths of people with learning disabilities and to use the information to improve service provision so that physical and mental health problems can be identified and addressed. This programme is currently being piloted and will be rolled out more widely in due course.

    We would expect that the work of the mortality review as a whole is likely to generate new information on the causes of premature mortality in all people with learning disabilities including many who will also have had autism spectrum disorder.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress Public Health England is making on its development of a wellbeing and mental health leadership support programme.

    Jane Ellison

    Public Health England (PHE) has focused on building leadership for wellbeing and mental health via its Public Mental Health programme. This has ranged from delivering high profile presentations to key national stakeholders to facilitating local support networks for public health staff working in local authorities. PHE has also supported the development of local leadership via the Local Authority Member Champions support programme. Through its partnership with the What Works Centre for Wellbeing PHE is developing leadership for wellbeing through a series of webinars and development opportunities.

    Internally, the PHE wellbeing champions programme has developed staff leadership in workplace wellbeing. Wellbeing and mental health leadership has been incorporated into the forthcoming report on Fit for the Future: a review of public health workforce.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has for the successor body to Health Education England for the commissioning for non-medical education.

    Ben Gummer

    The Government, through Health Education England, will retain the responsibility for commissioning and funding the minimum numbers of clinical placements assessed as required to produce sufficient healthcare graduates for the National Health Service.

  • Susan Elan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Susan Elan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Susan Elan Jones on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations she has received from the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner on the removal of people convicted of child abuse and rape from the Sex Offenders Register.

    Karen Bradley

    The Home Office has not received any representations from the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner on the removal of people convicted of child abuse and rape from the sex offenders’ register.

    Offenders who are on the register indefinitely are only able to seek a police review after 15 years. In 2012, the Home Office issued detailed guidance to police forces on assessing applications for review. All decisions to release a sex offender from the notification requirements must be authorised by a senior police officer. Public safety is at the heart of all decisions taken by police, and those who continue to pose a risk will remain on the sex offenders’ register, if necessary for life.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what powers the EU has to freeze the assets of suspected terrorist groups or individuals suspected of involvement in terrorism; and what assessment he has made of the benefits to the UK of those powers.

    Mr David Lidington

    The EU has two mechanisms for freezing the assets of individuals and groups suspected of involvement in terrorism. The UN’s ISIL (Daesh) and Al-Qaida sanctions regime is implemented in the United Kingdom by way of EU Council Regulation (EC) No. 881/2002 and subsequent EU regulations adding new individuals and entities to the regime. The EU also has its own autonomous counter-terrorism regime under Common Position 931, for listing individuals and groups based on national competent authority decisions by a Member State or third country.

    HM Treasury reports quarterly to Parliament on the implementation of these measures. The Treasury’s latest report [http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2016-02-24/HCWS548/], published on 24 February 2016, sets out that in Q4 of 2015 a total of 43 UK accounts were frozen under either EU or UN counter-terrorism measures. A further 36 accounts were frozen under the UK’s domestic Terrorist Asset Freezing etc. Act 2010 regime.

    The EU’s autonomous regime lends a multiplying effect to the reach of a number of the UK’s domestic asset freezes and proscriptions of terrorist organisations, and facilitates the sharing of information on designated persons between Member States. The UK also benefits from the consistent application across EU territory of the UN’s ISIL (Daesh) and Al-Qaida asset freezes.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the level of vulnerability of people on the autism spectrum to various aspects of cybercrime.

    Mr John Hayes

    The National Crime Agency (NCA) is a non-ministerial government department, however it is accountable to Parliament via the Home Secretary. As such I have contacted the NCA to inform my answer to you.

    During the course of cyber-dependent crime operations over the last five years (including SOCA Cyber and Metropolitan Police Central e-Crime Unit led operations) and based on recorded data following a subject’s arrest we are unable to determine the level of involvement of autistic individuals in cybercrime offences, or the level of vulnerability of individuals on the autism spectrum to various other aspects of cyber crime.

    The NCA are now embarking on research in partnership with Academia, Private Industry and Special Interest groups to explore the possibility of links between Autism and cyber-dependent crime. Understanding gained from this research will inform the NCA on best practice for managing operations and educational Prevent activity.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the level of involvement of autistic people in cybercrime offences.

    Mr John Hayes

    The National Crime Agency (NCA) is a non-ministerial government department, however it is accountable to Parliament via the Home Secretary. As such I have contacted the NCA to inform my answer to you.

    During the course of cyber-dependent crime operations over the last five years (including SOCA Cyber and Metropolitan Police Central e-Crime Unit led operations) and based on recorded data following a subject’s arrest we are unable to determine the level of involvement of autistic individuals in cybercrime offences, or the level of vulnerability of individuals on the autism spectrum to various other aspects of cyber crime.

    The NCA are now embarking on research in partnership with Academia, Private Industry and Special Interest groups to explore the possibility of links between Autism and cyber-dependent crime. Understanding gained from this research will inform the NCA on best practice for managing operations and educational Prevent activity.