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  • Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing a minimum unit price for alcohol.

    Karen Bradley

    An impact assessment of a minimum unit price for alcohol was published before a consultation on the Government’s Alcohol Strategy proposals in 2012.

    The consultation raised questions concerning possible unintended consequences of minimum unit pricing, such as the impact on responsible drinkers on low incomes. The Government continues to monitor the research being carried out by the University of Sheffield and others on the potential effects.

    The Government has also noted the ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union on the proposed introduction of minimum unit pricing in Scotland and will continue to monitor the legal proceedings.

  • Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions officials of his Department have had with external bodies on reintroducing a national clinical director for liver disease.

    Jane Ellison

    The appointment of national clinical directors (NCDs) is a matter for NHS England. It has recently reviewed these roles and is now supported by 18 NCDs, although there is no specific NCD for liver disease. However, NHS England advises that clinical advice relating to gastrointestinal and liver disease will be sought from a variety of sources, including: experts at Public Health England for alcohol related issues; the NCD for obesity and diabetes for issues relating to obesity induced fatty liver disease; and through the Clinical Reference Group for Hepatitis C and the Medical Royal Colleges.

    The full list of NCDs can be found at:

    https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/whos-who/ncd/

    “

  • Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions officials of his Department have had with external bodies on the development of a national liver strategy or liver framework; and if he will make a statement.

    Jane Ellison

    Public Health England (PHE) is producing a liver disease framework which will outline PHE’s wide range of work contributing to the prevention of liver disease and improved wellbeing for patients with liver disease. PHE is working closely with NHS England, The Lancet Commission and liver disease charities to support improvements in the quality of care for liver disease patients through the provision of information to support decision making.

  • Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average rota gap is for junior doctors in NHS foundation trusts in the most recent period for which figures are available; and what assessment he has made of the effect on services of the size of that gap.

    Ben Gummer

    The Department does not collect this information. Rota arrangements for junior doctors are a matter for individual National Health Service foundation trusts.

    Contact details for NHS foundation trusts and all other NHS authorities can be found on the NHS Choices website:

    http://www.nhs.uk/nhsengland/thenhs/about/pages/authoritiesandtrusts.aspx

    “

  • Hannah Bardell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Hannah Bardell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hannah Bardell on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government is taking to raise awareness of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.

    George Freeman

    The Department has taken steps to increase public awareness of all rare diseases including conditions such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, through the implementation of the UK Strategy for Rare Diseases. The Strategy includes specific commitments to raise awareness of rare diseases.

    The Strategy is currently being implemented across all four countries of the United Kingdom with progress monitored by the UK Rare Disease Forum. The first progress report by the Forum was published in February 2016.

  • Will Quince – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Will Quince – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Will Quince on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost to the public purse is of provision of the National Diet and Nutrition Survey; and for what reasons an updated survey has not been published since 2012.

    Jane Ellison

    The total cost of the current contract for the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS), covering four years of fieldwork from 2013/14 to 2016/17 and including analysis and reporting, is £15.4 million.

    The most recent NDNS report, covering diet, nutrient intake and nutritional status in United Kingdom adults and children, was published in May 2014. This report was based on data collected under the previous contract for NDNS covering fieldwork from 2008/09 to 2011/12.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps with the Department of Education to introduce a counselling strategy for schools.

    Alistair Burt

    This is a matter for the Department for Education (DfE).

    Schools can play an important role in supporting pupils with mental health issues. We want them to decide how best to meet the needs of their pupils. DfE has taken a range of actions to help them build a whole-school approach to good mental wellbeing, including the recently revised and updated blueprint for effective school-based counselling. This provides practical, evidence-based advice, informed by experts on how to ensure school based counselling services achieve the best outcomes for all students, including vulnerable children and young people. The weblink to the guidance, Counselling in schools: a blueprint for the future – Departmental advice for school leaders and counsellors is:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/counselling-in-schools

    “

  • Douglas Carswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Douglas Carswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department had with (a) Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust, (b) NHS Improvement and (c) the Care Quality Commission, prior to the announced merger of Colchester General Hospital and Ipswich Hospital.

    Ben Gummer

    The Care Quality Commission’s Chief Inspector of Hospitals, Professor Sir Mike Richards, and the Chief Executive of NHS Improvement, Jim Mackey, decided jointly upon the recommendation for a long-term partnership between Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust and The Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust. A merger has not been announced.

    The Department has regular conversations with NHS Improvement and the Care Quality Commission about trusts in special measures such as Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust. I also spoke with the Chair and Chief Executive of Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust, scheduled at their request, on 15 March 2016.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 15 March 2016 to Question 29900, on tuberous sclerosis, for what reasons the policy statement for the commissioning of Everolimus for treating angiomyolipomas has not yet been published; and when he plans to publish that statement.

    George Freeman

    The policy statement for the commissioning of Everolimus for treating angiomyolipomas has not yet been published owing to delays experienced when incorporating the needs of children into the policy.

    Those issues have now been resolved and the policy is due to be published imminently on NHS England’s website.

  • Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2016 to Question 35252, what the total amount paid to off-payroll staff was by (a) NHS trusts in 2014-15 and (b) NHS foundation trusts in 2013-14.

    Alistair Burt

    This information is not held centrally. Amounts paid to Board members engaged off-payroll are disclosed in individual annual reports of National Health Service trusts and NHS foundation trusts but amounts paid to other off-payroll workers within the scope of the HM Treasury guidance cannot be separately identified.