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  • Andrew Gwynne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Gwynne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the (a) reduction in cases of and deaths from human pappillomavirus (HPV) as a result of the introduction of the HPV vaccine to the UK schedule in 2008, (b) number of HPV vaccinations administered in each year since that programme began and (c) cost of delivering that programme in each year since 2008.

    Jane Ellison

    HPV vaccination will eventually prevent hundreds of deaths due to cervical cancer every year. Public Health England (PHE) expect the major benefit of the vaccination programme, i.e. a decrease in cervical cancer, which peaks in women between 25 and 50; will be seen in some years’ time.

    Table 1: Number of HPV vaccine doses given for the academic years 2008/09 to 2013/14.

    Academic Year

    Total doses given

    2008/09 -2010/111 (routine and catch-up cohorts*)

    5,319,058$

    2011/122 (routine only)

    784,831

    2012/133 (routine only)

    766,832

    2013/144 (routine only)

    762,038

    2014/15 (routine only)

    Not available

    *Routine cohort are school Yr8 females (aged 12-13 years) in academic years 2008/09, 2009/10, 2010/11) and catch-up cohorts are females born between 1/9/1990 and 31/8/1995. $ Data for 2008/09, 2009/10 and 2010/11 are combined as these years had both routine and catch-up cohorts targeted and include some ‘mop-up’ vaccinations for eligible females receiving vaccine(s) after the academic year they first became eligible for vaccination.

    Table 2. The cost of delivering the HPV programme since 2008.

    Financial year

    Estimated total programme costs

    2008/09

    £51 million

    2009/10

    £114 million (includes catch up campaign)

    2010/11

    £40 million

    2011/12

    £27 million (change in dosage schedule)

    2012/13

    £24 million

    2013/14

    £28.2 million

    2014/15

    £16.3 million (change from 3 to 2 doses)

    These are the estimated full programme costs (including the cost of the vaccine) for England, inclusive of VAT.


  • Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answers of 16 November 2015 to Questions 15277 and 15193, what the outputs are from the NHS England expert forum which were originally initiated in the Cardiovascular Disease Outcomes Strategy; and what plans the NHS England expert group has for future work on familial hypercholesterolemia.

    Jane Ellison

    The expert forum – the Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Collaborative Strategy Group – has representation from key CVD stakeholders including NHS England, Public Health England, Department of Health and third sector organisations such as the British Heart Foundation, Diabetes UK and the National Kidney Federation. It provides leadership to the National Health Service in developing approaches to improve the prevention, early diagnosis and management of CVD as highlighted in the CVD outcomes strategy.

    As part of its work, the group is exploring approaches to support the earlier diagnosis of atrial fibrillation, high blood pressure, heart failure and valve disease and to improve outcomes from out of hospital cardiac arrest. It is also considering how it can support wider strategic developments arising from the Five Year Forward View, such as the development of seven day services.

    In addition, NHS England’s National Clinical Director for Heart Disease continues towork with partners on familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). Working with Public Health England, they aim to identify more families with FH and address the importance of cholesterol on general as a risk factor for CVD. The National Clinical Director alsochairs an FH Steering Group, which brings together relevant stakeholders, and supportsStrategic Clinical Networks around the country so that good practice can be shared more widely.

  • Justin Madders – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Justin Madders – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his oral contribution of 21 October 2014, Official Report, column 754, whether he has received a copy of the OECD study of the four NHS systems in the UK.

    Ben Gummer

    The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has yet to publish its United Kingdom Health Care Quality Review. The four UK countries have had sight of a draft of the final report.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Gwynne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what forecast his Department has made of (a) the reduction in cases of and deaths from infection with meningococcal disease caused by groups A, C, W, and Y as a result of the introduction of the Men ACWY vaccine in 2015, (b) the number of Men ACWY vaccines which will be administered and (c) the cost of delivering that programme in each year of its operation.

    Jane Ellison

    The MenACWY programme was introduced in August 2015 as an emergency programme to control a national outbreak of meningococcal group W (MenW) disease.

    From August 2015 to the end of August 2017 the MenACWY programme will offer a single dose of vaccine to individuals born between 1 September 1996 and 31 August 2003 inclusive. In addition, vaccines will be offered to those entering university for the first time aged up to 25 years (excluding individuals in the previously mentioned birth cohort). The number of doses given will depend on uptake, i.e. the proportion of eligible individuals who receive the vaccine.

    Due to the emergency status and aims of this programme, a formal cost-effectiveness analysis was not performed, part of which would have been an estimation of the reduction in cases and deaths from invasive meningococcal disease (IMD). The MenACWY vaccine is currently replacing the MenC vaccine used in the existing adolescent and university freshers’ programmes.

    The forecast cost of delivering the MenACWY programme in each year.

    Year

    Estimated cost of delivering the MenACWY programme

    2015/16

    £35 million

    2016/17

    £30 million

    2017/18

    £20 million

    Note: These are the full programme costs (including cost of the vaccine) for England, inclusive of VAT.

  • Lucy Frazer – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lucy Frazer – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lucy Frazer on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential savings to the public purse offered by biosimilars.

    George Freeman

    A biosimilar sub group of the Pharmaceutical Market Support Group is working to help the National Health Service achieve benefits from the new biosimilar molecules and to encourage uptake. This work is supported by other activity including the Hospital Pharmacy and Medicines Optimisation Project work stream of the Lord Carter NHS Productivity & Efficiency Programme and initiatives from NHS England, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and manufacturers. Work has focused on identifying efficiency opportunities for specific molecules and as a result a collective assessment of potential savings to the public purse has not been compiled.

    In an era of significant economic, demographic and technological challenge it is crucial that patients get the best quality outcomes from medicines. Recent research has given clear evidence that competition between different biological medicines, including biosimilar medicines, creates increased choice for patients and clinicians, and enhanced value propositions for individual medicines. As the range of biosimilar medicines increases, it is important that the NHS plans for their timely, appropriate and cost effective introduction. NHS England in its role as system leader is undertaking a programme of work to support decision makers, such as commissioners, clinicians, pharmacists, patients and others in their consideration of the optimal use of biosimilar medicines.

  • Helen Goodman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Helen Goodman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will publish a response to the Human Rights Watch report, The Blood of People Who Don’t Cooperate: Continuing Torture and Mistreatment of Detainees in Bahrain, published on 22 November 2015.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We are considering the report carefully. The UK Government consistently and unreservedly condemns torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and it is a priority for us to combat it wherever and whenever it occurs. We are aware of ongoing allegations against Ministry of Interior personnel and we have expressed our concerns to the authorities. The Government of Bahrain has previously committed to consider ratifying the Optional Protocol of the Convention Against Torture. The UK strongly supports this and we have been working with the authorities to share best practice on torture prevention measures. We also continue to ask the Government of Bahrain to allow a visit of the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture.

  • Helen Goodman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Helen Goodman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what funding the Government has committed to provide to (a) projects and (b) the government in Bahrain in each financial year from 2015-16 to 2019-20.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We support Bahrain’s ambitious reform programmes and will provide in the region of £2.1 million of funding in support of projects aimed at strengthening human rights and the rule of law in 2015-16. The allocations for subsequent financial years to 2019/20 have not yet been agreed.

  • Tom Brake – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tom Brake – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, for what reasons the UK did not support a draft UN resolution calling for an international inquiry into human rights abuses by all parties in the Yemen conflict.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    A Resolution on the Human Rights situation in Yemen was agreed at the last session of the Human Rights Council on 2 October. The UK’s priority was to secure cross-regional agreement on a text that would strengthen human rights in Yemen as we urge all parties to find a solution to the crisis. The Human Rights Council does not have a mandate to call for investigations in to International Humanitarian Law. The consensual UN resolution agreed has tasked the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to help Yemen investigate human rights abuses and violations. The UK supports the UN resolution as it reflects the current human rights situation and makes constructive recommendations to strengthen human rights in Yemen.

  • Matthew Offord – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Matthew Offord – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the likelihood of a possible deal to unify Cyprus.

    Mr David Lidington

    The Government is a strong supporter of the UN-facilitated settlement process, and will do whatever we can to help. On 19 November the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge, visited Cyprus and met President Anastasiades and Mr Akinci, commending both for their courageous leadership and urging them to take the bold steps needed to secure a historic agreement. As the Secretary of State said last week, there now exists a ‘real opportunity’ to end four decades of division on the island.

  • Craig Whittaker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Craig Whittaker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2015 to Question 2798, what recent steps he has taken to support Christians who are being persecuted in Middle Eastern countries.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Government remains deeply concerned about the plight of Christians and other minorities across the Middle East and North Africa. We continue to urge all governments in the region to ensure the protection of all minorities and encourage them to develop inclusive political systems that represent all of their citizens. In Iraq, Syria and Lebanon we are working with religious leaders to support inter-communal cohesion and ensure vulnerable communities have a voice. We have recently launched a project promoting legal and social protection for Freedom of Religion or Belief in Iraq. On 19 November, The Minister of State, my noble Friend the right hon. Baroness Anelay of St Johns and I convened a workshop at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office with Non-Governmental Organisations and experts in the field to examine what more Her Majesty’s Government might do to practically support Christians and other minorities in the Middle East and protect Freedom of Religion or Belief. Officials are now examining how we might put emerging ideas into practice.