Category: Speeches

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the implications for (a) seafarer welfare and (b) compliance with the Maritime Labour Convention Regulation 4.1 on medical care onboard ship and ashore of the proposal in Question 35 of the Department of Health consultation on the extension of charging overseas visitors and migrants using the NHS in England.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    UK regulations implementing Regulation 4.1. of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC) make the shipowner responsible for meeting the cost of medical care for seafarers working on their ships, in order to ensure that such care is provided at no cost to the seafarer. Since the Department of Health’s proposal does not affect seafarers’ access to medical care at the point of need, no seafarers should be affected by the proposal, and there should be no impact on the welfare of seafarers. I am satisfied that the proposal in Question 35 of the Department of Health consultation is not contrary to the requirements of the Convention.

  • Oliver Heald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Oliver Heald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Heald on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many people were homeless but did not qualify for priority access to social housing in each of the last three years.

    Brandon Lewis

    The information requested is not held centrally.

  • Nicholas Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Nicholas Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2016-06-10.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the remit of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to cover Ombudsman Services provided by the Ombudsman Services Company.

    Matthew Hancock

    I refer the hon Member to my Written Ministerial Statement of 1 March 2016 [Hansard reference HCWS566]. There are no current plans to extend the scope of the FOI Act.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 28 June 2016 to Question 40553, whether (a) local Health and Wellbeing Boards, (b) Clinical Commissioning Groups, (c) NHS Trusts, (d) hon. Members and (e) members of the public will be consulted ahead of the implementation of Sustainability and Transformation Plans.

    David Mowat

    Clinical commissioning groups and National Health Service trusts have come together with local authorities to decide how to improve health and care services in their local area. This is a unique exercise in collaboration, with local doctors, hospitals and councils working together to decide the way forward in consultation with local communities.

    We expect all local leaders to be regularly talking to members of the public and stakeholders, including hon. Members. It is vital that people are able to shape the future of their local services. No changes to the services people currently receive will be made without local engagement and, where required, consultation. There are longstanding assurance processes in place to make sure this happens. The national health and care bodies are about to publish engagement guidance for local areas developing Sustainability and Transformation Plans.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many staff in his Department are working on the Great Repeal Bill; and how many staff in his Department he expects to be working on that Bill by the time of its Second Reading.

    Mr David Jones

    The Department for Exiting the European Union now has over 250 staff plus the expertise of over 120 officials in Brussels. This includes teams working on the Great Repeal Bill, and the Department is growing rapidly.

  • 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 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether NHS charges claim forms include a box for universal credit.

    Alistair Burt

    Some NHS Help with Health Costs claim forms, for example HC5 refund claim forms, have been amended to include a specific tick box to enable Universal Credit recipients to claim entitlement.

    Form HC1 (NHS Low Income Scheme application form) has been amended to include a sentence about Universal Credit, to advise those applying that until 31 October 2015, anyone in receipt of Universal Credit does not need to complete the form, as they will already be entitled to Help with Health Costs.

    Other forms, including: NHS prescription forms (FP10); dental treatment claim forms (FP17) and claims for NHS funded sight tests (GOS 1) and for vouchers for glasses or contact lenses (GOS 3) will be amended to include a Universal Credit box in due course.

    A patient can make a claim for entitlement by ticking the “gets income based Jobseekers Allowance” on relevant forms. Guidance for both the public and healthcare practitioners (such as pharmacists, dentist and opticians) has been included on NHS Choices with links from the Universal Credit webpages on Gov.uk.

  • Henry Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Henry Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Henry Smith on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure the outcome of the consultation on the future of the Cancer Drugs Fund is co-ordinated with and complements the recommendations of the Accelerated Access Review to ensure improved patient access to innovative treatments.

    George Freeman

    NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence are currently consulting on draft proposals on the future direction of the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF). The consultation is open until 11 February 2016 and further information is available at:

    www.engage.england.nhs.uk/consultation/cdf-consultation

    The Accelerated Access Review independently chaired by Sir Hugh Taylor, is working with key stakeholders on a range of options for accelerating patient access to innovative products, as set out in the interim report. This includes consideration of the impact of managed access schemes such as proposed in the CDF consultation.

  • Shabana Mahmood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Shabana Mahmood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Shabana Mahmood on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to Israel of the implications of its obligations under the Geneva Convention for the practice of forcible transportation of child prisoners from Palestine to Israeli jails.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    As I made clear on 6 January during a Westminster Hall debate, the UK remains concerned about the detention of Palestinian children in Israeli prisons.

    On 23 November 2015, officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv raised our concerns about the treatment of Palestinian minors in Israeli military detention with the Israeli Chief Military Prosecutor. We welcome recent improvements made by the Israeli authorities, including increasing the age of majority from 16 to 18 years old. However, we remain concerned at the number of Palestinian minors held in Israeli detention. We will also fund another visit of the delegation who authored the independent report on Children in Military Custody in February to report on further progress.

    We continue to push for further measures to ensure that international standards are upheld in regards to the treatment of Palestinian children detained.

  • 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 2016-02-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the costs to the NHS of providing treatment to students who cannot afford to pay for prescriptions and subsequently experience a deterioration in their health.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    We have not made such an assessment.

    Where a student has difficulty in paying for their prescriptions, they may be able to get help through the National Health Service low income scheme, which may provide exemption from the prescription charge, and help with other health costs, on the basis of a means-tested assessment. They may also be entitled through other exemptions (for example based on medical condition, maternity or though receipt of a qualifying benefit, for example, child tax credit), or, if they have to pay and need many prescription items, can purchase a Prescription Prepayment Certificate to minimise the cost.

  • Sue Hayman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Sue Hayman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sue Hayman on 2016-02-29.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether death duties apply to mineral estates; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Gauke

    Mineral rights (or ‘mineral estates’) will generally be owned by the person who owns the surface land, but they can be held separately. Rights in respect of some minerals, such as mineral oil and gas, are held by the Crown, or the Coal Authority in the case of coal deposits.

    Where an individual owns mineral rights, the value of them forms part of their estate for inheritance tax purposes.