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  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-04-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many clinicians will serve on the proposed Clinical Reference Group (CRG) for Rehabilitation and Disability; and how that number compares with the current CRGs that cover the same areas.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    To ensure that Clinical Reference Group (CRG) work dovetails with the revised operating model for specialised commissioning, NHS England proposes to simplify the operation of CRGs. It is recommended that the new CRG for Rehabilitation and Disability replaces the existing Specialist rehabilitation for patients with highly complex needs (Complex Rehabilitation) and Complex Disability Equipment Clinical Commissioning Groups. It is proposed that the new CRG should have the following membership:

    – a minimum of one member with prosthetics expertise;

    – a minimum of one member with expertise in augmentative and alternative communication aids;

    – a minimum of one member with expertise in environmental controls; and

    – and four members with Complex Rehabilitation expertise (1 from each region).

    The new CRG has eight clinical members plus a chair. In the existing two CRG configuration, there are 12 clinical members plus two chairs (one for each CRG). In addition there are also four affiliated organisation members, who tend to be clinicians, in both the current CRGs and the new configuration.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-04-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to replace direct funding of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency by fees paid by industry.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) operates as a government trading fund and recovers 92% of its total regulatory costs from fees and charges. In addition it receives income from the Department in recognition for the Agency providing both a devices service and a biologicals service from the National Institute for Biological Standards Control.

    In 2016/17 the Department is purchasing a devices service of £8.1 million plus capital funding of £1 million which covers the remaining 8% of its regulatory costs.

    The MHRA and the Department are considering charging the devices service directly to industry by fees.

    The MHRA is also looking at the potential for increasing fees from international work over the coming years.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-04-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of (1) the outcome, and (2) the cost effectiveness, of the use of faecal microbiota transplants in the treatment of recurrent clostridium difficile.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has produced guidance on faecal microbiota transplant for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection. NICE has recommended that the procedure is safe and effective for use in the National Health Service, but no assessment of its cost effectiveness has been made by NICE.

    Data on the uptake of faecal microbiota transplants in the treatment of recurrent Clostridium difficile by the NHS is not collected centrally.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-04-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the rate of uptake by the NHS of faecal microbiota transplants in the treatment of recurrent clostridium difficile.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has produced guidance on faecal microbiota transplant for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection. NICE has recommended that the procedure is safe and effective for use in the National Health Service, but no assessment of its cost effectiveness has been made by NICE.

    Data on the uptake of faecal microbiota transplants in the treatment of recurrent Clostridium difficile by the NHS is not collected centrally.

  • Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-04-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will discuss with the government of Turkey the early release of Abdullah Öcalan, in the light of his long solitary imprisonment, so as to assist the resumption of peace negotiations.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We have no plans to discuss this particular case with the Government of Turkey. Abdullah Öcalan is the leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, a terrorist organisation proscribed in the UK that has killed over 350 people in violent attacks since July 2015. We have supported the peace process initiated by the Turkish government and hope the process can be restarted soon.

  • Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-04-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will seek to achieve a local ceasefire around the Yarmouk Camp in south Damascus so that UNWRA can deliver food to the population in the Camp.

    Baroness Verma

    The UK is extremely concerned about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Yarmouk camp in Syria, where intensified fighting between Daesh and Al- Nusra Front in recent weeks has exacerbated the suffering of approximately 6,000 civilians there, who are besieged by Syrian regime forces.

    The UK will consider any option compliant with international law that might save lives in Syria. We do not think it would be feasible to broker a local ceasefire in Yarmouk camp, given the parties involved in the fighting there. However, through the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) the UK will continue to support the resumption of a nationwide Cessation of Hostilities as a step towards an inclusive, Syrian-owned political transition.

    The UK is committed to supporting the most vulnerable people in need inside Syria wherever they are. As part of the ISSG we agreed with other members on 11 February that humanitarian access should be opened to a number of priority areas, including Yarmouk, as a first step to accelerating full and sustained access across Syria. Since then, UNRWA has delivered 21 convoys with multi-sectoral assistance to 19,000 people in Yalda, Babella, Beit-Sahm, including thousands of residents in and from Yarmouk. We welcome UNRWA’s efforts in protecting and assisting vulnerable Palestinian refugees. To date, the UK has allocated over £59 million to UNRWA to provide assistance for Palestinian refugees affected by the violence in Syria and the region.

  • Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-04-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are analysing the criticisms by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights and the European Christian Political Movement of the EU–Turkey agreement on refugees, in particular regarding the risks of asylum applicants being deported to Iran and Afghanistan, of illegal detention, and of sex trafficking; and whether they will publish their conclusions.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We are aware of these reports, but do not plan to publish any conclusions. We are closely monitoring the implementation of the EU-Turkey agreement on refugees, including its compliance with human rights standards.

  • Lord Moonie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Moonie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Moonie on 2016-04-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many court martials have taken place in the last year; and of those how many resulted in (1) convictions, and (2) acquittals.

    Earl Howe

    The Courts Martials tried a total of 477 individuals during 2015. Of these, 362 resulted in a conviction and 115 resulted in acquittal.

  • Baroness Smith of Basildon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Baroness Smith of Basildon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Smith of Basildon on 2016-04-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what meetings (1) the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, and (2) other ministers, have had with (a) the Civil Nuclear Police Authority, (b) the Chief Constable of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, and (c) the Civil Nuclear Police Federation, to discuss the occupational retirement age for Civil Nuclear Constabulary officers.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    My hon. Friend the Minister of State for Energy has met with the Chair of the Civil Nuclear Police Authority (CNPA) and the Chief Constable of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) on two occasions since taking office where the pension age of officers was discussed. In October 2015 and March 2016.

    The Minister of State has recently written to the Civil Nuclear Police Federation about meeting representatives of that organisation to discuss issues including the age at which CNC officers receive their pension.

    Officials at the Department of Energy and Climate Change have worked closely with officials at the CNPA and CNC at all levels, up to and including the Chief Constable, on the issue of the pension age of CNC officers since May 2014. The Department has received frequent and substantial advice on all aspects of this issue. This includes, but is not limited to, the impact of fitness standards on CNC officers and how those standards affect deployability of officers, and the costs of administering a pension scheme with a lower effective pension age.

    The Minister of State has received two letters from the Civil Nuclear Police Federation outlining their legal case for a lower pension age. Officials have met with the Civil Nuclear Police Federation to discuss the pension age of CNC officers on two occasions in 2015.

  • Baroness Smith of Basildon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Baroness Smith of Basildon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Smith of Basildon on 2016-04-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consultation has taken place between the Department of Energy and Climate Change and (1) the Civil Nuclear Police Authority, (2) the Chief Constable of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, and (3) the Civil Nuclear Police Federation, in relation to the occupational retirement age of Civil Nuclear Constabulary officers.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    My hon. Friend the Minister of State for Energy has met with the Chair of the Civil Nuclear Police Authority (CNPA) and the Chief Constable of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) on two occasions since taking office where the pension age of officers was discussed. In October 2015 and March 2016.

    The Minister of State has recently written to the Civil Nuclear Police Federation about meeting representatives of that organisation to discuss issues including the age at which CNC officers receive their pension.

    Officials at the Department of Energy and Climate Change have worked closely with officials at the CNPA and CNC at all levels, up to and including the Chief Constable, on the issue of the pension age of CNC officers since May 2014. The Department has received frequent and substantial advice on all aspects of this issue. This includes, but is not limited to, the impact of fitness standards on CNC officers and how those standards affect deployability of officers, and the costs of administering a pension scheme with a lower effective pension age.

    The Minister of State has received two letters from the Civil Nuclear Police Federation outlining their legal case for a lower pension age. Officials have met with the Civil Nuclear Police Federation to discuss the pension age of CNC officers on two occasions in 2015.