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  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the implications for NHS diagnosis and treatment services of the findings of research indicating that women who have severe pre-menstrual tension are significantly more likely to develop high blood pressure.

    Jane Ellison

    This research was published on 25 November by the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Contributions to the evidence base are welcomed, but any recommendations for NHS clinical practice will be made on the basis of consideration of the research by clinical advisory bodies.

  • Dr Tania Mathias – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Dr Tania Mathias – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dr Tania Mathias on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential benefits of putting health warnings on cigarette packaging in different languages as well as English.

    Jane Ellison

    No assessment has been made of the putting health warnings on cigarette packaging in different languages as well as English. The labelling of tobacco products is harmonised at European Union level and mandates that the official language of the Member State is used on health warnings for tobacco. In the United Kingdom the official language is English.

    Local Stop Smoking Services may choose to publish smoking cessation materials in a range of languages if they consider it beneficial to the local population.

  • Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which years are included in his Department’s consultation on the annual registration fee that local health trusts pay to the Care Quality Commission.

    Ben Gummer

    The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is consulting on its fee levels from 2016-17 to move it to a full chargeable cost recovery position by either 2018 or 2020. The Department is consulting on a regulation that will bring the CQC’s new comprehensive inspections which look beyond compliance with registration and any associated rating within the scope of its fee raising power. Subject to Parliamentary approval, the regulation will come into force from 2016-17 onwards.

  • Margaret Ritchie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Margaret Ritchie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the consultation on payment of compensation out of the his Department’s contingency fund for those who have suffered from the contaminated bloods issue will report.

    Jane Ellison

    Liability has not been established in the majority of cases of individuals infected with hepatitis C and/or HIV through NHS-supplied blood or blood products, so it would not be appropriate to talk about support payments in terms of compensation.

    I announced in the House of Commons on 16 December 2015, in response to an Urgent Question, Official Report, columns 1555-1565, that the consultation on reforming the current payment schemes for those infected with hepatitis C and/or HIV through NHS-supplied blood or blood products will be announced later this month.

  • Ruth Cadbury – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ruth Cadbury – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will reopen his Department’s consultation on the proposed NHS mandate.

    George Freeman

    Each year the Government aims to publish the mandate to NHS England before Christmas, in order to allow the NHS sufficient time to plan before the new financial year. The mandate to NHS England 2016-17 was laid before Parliament and published on Thursday 17 December 2015. Alongside it, the Government published its response to the consultation, explaining what we heard and how the mandate has changed as a result.

    The Government is therefore unable to reopen the consultation on the mandate to NHS England.

  • Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to publish statistics on the number of (a) young carers accessing children and adolescence mental health services (CAMHS) and (b) children provided with young carers assessments following contact with CAMHS.

    Alistair Burt

    The number of young carers accessing Children and Adolescence Mental health Services (CAMHS) and the number of children provided with young carers assessments following contact with CAMHS will not be published as this data is not collected centrally.

    Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), working with local partners, have submitted Local Transformation Plans (LTPs) to transform their local offer for children and young people’s mental health. These plans must cover the whole spectrum of services from prevention to intervention for emerging or existing mental health problems and address the full spectrum of need, including the most vulnerable, such as young carers.

    NHS England have received and successfully assured LTPs that cover every clinical CCG in England. This assurance process requires local areas to evidence how they are meeting the needs of vulnerable groups which may include young carers. Young adult carers are unlikely to be covered by these LTPs as these are generally the responsibility of adult mental health services. All CCGs will have received the funding allocation agreed through the assurance process by the end of December (published in January).

  • Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Local Transformation Plan local areas’ plans in improving support for young carers and young adult carers.

    Alistair Burt

    The number of young carers accessing Children and Adolescence Mental health Services (CAMHS) and the number of children provided with young carers assessments following contact with CAMHS will not be published as this data is not collected centrally.

    Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), working with local partners, have submitted Local Transformation Plans (LTPs) to transform their local offer for children and young people’s mental health. These plans must cover the whole spectrum of services from prevention to intervention for emerging or existing mental health problems and address the full spectrum of need, including the most vulnerable, such as young carers.

    NHS England have received and successfully assured LTPs that cover every clinical CCG in England. This assurance process requires local areas to evidence how they are meeting the needs of vulnerable groups which may include young carers. Young adult carers are unlikely to be covered by these LTPs as these are generally the responsibility of adult mental health services. All CCGs will have received the funding allocation agreed through the assurance process by the end of December (published in January).

  • Richard Burden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Richard Burden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect on bilateral relations of recent decisions by China to construct new islands on coral reefs in disputed waters.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    Whilst the UK takes no position on the underlying sovereignty claims in the South China Sea, we are concerned about the impact of any unilateral actions, such as large scale land reclamation, and the risk these may pose to freedom of navigation and regional stability.

    We have raised these issues with China through our regular bilateral dialogue. We have also called on all parties to exercise restraint and pursue the settlement of disputes peacefully and in accordance with international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and to refrain from activity likely to raise tensions.

  • Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether any Special Intelligence Service officers have been posted at Bagram airbase in Afghanistan since October 2001.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    There is no Special Intelligence Service. Should the question be referring to the Secret Intelligence Service, which does exist, then it is a long-standing policy of successive British governments not to comment on intelligence matters.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if his Department will make representations to the Israeli government about the proposed demolition of the Israeli Arab village of Umm-al-hiran.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Embassy in Tel Aviv has raised the issue of demolition of the villages of Um-il-Hiran and Ateer with the Ministry of Justice and the Arab Affairs Officer at the Prime Minister’s office. The Embassy continues to monitor the situation closely and demonstrates concern by regularly visiting Bedouin communities in the Negev.