The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-10-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of full-time equivalent officials based in her Department who are working on selective education policies; and if she will make a statement.
Nick Gibb
There are a total of 16 full-time equivalent staff working on the Schools that work for everyone consultation, including policy proposals on selective education.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2015-11-19.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the potential savings to the budgets of Clinical Commissioning Groups from the use of the drug bevacizumab in the treatment of age-related macular degeneration instead of ranibizumab.
Lord Prior of Brampton
No assessment of the potential savings to clinical commissioning group budgets has been made as there are two other effective licensed treatments for wet age-related macular degeneration recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2015-12-21.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the level of mark-ups on dermatology specials, what consideration they have given to reforming the process by which English NHS tariff prices are set.
Lord Prior of Brampton
The Drug Tariff sets out what National Health Service dispensing contractors will be paid for the products supplied as part of providing pharmaceutical services and the fees for providing those services in primary care.
The current arrangements in the Drug Tariff for paying for specials, including dermatological specials, were introduced in 2011. It is recognised that there can be variations in the price of some specials, which is why we are considering further possible improvements in the arrangements that govern the price the NHS pays. These include expanding the number of products covered by these arrangements and improving the data used to set the prices.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2016-01-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress his Department has made on implementing plans for new Intercity Express Programme and Thameslink rolling stock.
Claire Perry
Both rolling stock programmes are on schedule with the first trains for each undergoing testing on the network as planned. Thameslink trains will enter passenger service this spring and IEP trains will enter service on the Great Western Main Line from 2017 and the East Coast Main Line from 2018. The investment in infrastructure together with these fleets of modern trains will deliver increased peak time capacity, reliability and improved connections that will transform journeys for passengers on routes in the South East, through London and out to Scotland and Wales.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-02-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many members of staff aged under 18 have been employed by NHS 111 in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available.
Jane Ellison
This information is not held centrally.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2016-03-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that people with neuromuscular conditions who require a cough assist machine have access to a machine commissioned by their clinical commissioning group.
Ben Gummer
NHS England has been working with Muscular Dystrophy UK through the Bridging the Gap project to address areas of concern raised by patients and their representatives, one of which is the provision of cough assist machines for people with neuromuscular conditions.
Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for commissioning and funding cough assist machines, where appropriate. A number of CGGs have now developed commissioning policies for these devices based on one developed by Walsall CCG, which has been shared nationally as an example of good practice by Muscular Dystrophy UK.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by MiDavies on 2016-04-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what measures his Department has in place for helping to ensure that areas without parish or town councils are (a) serving demand for allotments and (b) ensuring adequate protection for currently designated allotment land.
Brandon Lewis
Responsibility for the provision and management of allotments rests with local authorities. Section 23 of the Allotments and Smallholdings Act 1908 places a duty on councils (excluding London Boroughs) to provide allotments where they perceive there is a demand for them. This is a matter for each council bound by the duty to determine.
Local authorities are required under Section 8 of the Allotments Act 1925 to obtain consent from the Secretary of State to dispose of statutory allotments. Section 8 applications are considered against criteria set out by the Secretary of State. The department published guidance in January 2014 – Allotment Disposal Guidance: Safeguards and alternatives – which clarifies the legal and policy safeguards in place to ensure that disposal is properly and thoroughly handled. The guidance is available at www.gov.uk/government/publications/allotment-disposal-guidance-safeguards-and-alternatives.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anna Turley on 2016-05-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what support her Department is providing to recipients of Green Deal funding whose vouchers expired before their home improvements were completed.
Andrea Leadsom
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 26 May 2016, Question number 37787.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-07-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions he has had with Ministers from the devolved administrations since he took office.
Mr David Davis
The Government will fully involve the devolved administrations, including Scotland, as we prepare for negotiations on the UK’s exit from the EU. We are working towards securing the best possible deal for the whole UK, and we will work closely with colleagues in the devolved administrations. Details of Ministerial meetings will be published in the Department’s Quarterly Transparency Returns, which will be made publicly available on GOV.UK.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sammy Wilson on 2016-10-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the threat from the Asian hornet to the honeybee population in the UK.
Dr Thérèse Coffey
A contingency plan outlining the Government’s response against the Asian hornet is in place. The emergency measures it sets out are tested twice a year by the National Bee Unit ensuring that all field inspectors and support staff are trained in how to respond should an outbreak occur.
Following a confirmed sighting of the Asian hornet in Gloucestershire, the National Bee Unit (NBU) enacted our established biosecurity protocols to confirm the scale of the outbreak and eradicate the pest. A single nest was located and destroyed. To date, no more live hornets have been seen in this area.
The outbreak follows on from a policy review in 2013 whereby the National Bee Unit (NBU) increased the number of risk-based exotic pest inspections it carries out each year. These are targeted at early interception of non-native invasive species such as the Asian hornet. NBU Bee Inspectors also routinely provide advice and training to beekeepers to raise awareness of the threat and the need for vigilance.
The Non-Native Species Secretariat has carried out a risk assessment looking at the risks and impacts of an Asian hornet outbreak. The key threat is believed to be against honey bee species, rather than other bee species. Asian hornets will impact on native species through predation, competition and impact on natural pollination.