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  • Alan Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Alan Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2016-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State of 23 February 2016, Official Report, column 82WH, on the Motability car scheme, whether the ability to walk 20 metres is one of the assessment criteria for enhanced mobility.

    Justin Tomlinson

    As with all the activities, a claimant should be assessed as satisfying a descriptor only if the reliability criteria have been fully considered. The reliability criteria are a key protection for claimants being assessed for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and are a new introduction that did not apply under Disability Living Allowance (DLA). Claimants who cannot walk 20 metres reliably are guaranteed to receive the enhanced rate mobility component.

    PIP has also introduced a new criteria around the ability to plan and follow a journey, which is designed to recognise the mobility challenges of non-physical conditions and ensure these claimants also have access to the highest level of support where appropriate.

    Further information on how the reliability criteria should be applied can be found in the PIP Assessment Guide for Health Professionals carrying out assessments.

    This guidance can be accessed on the gov.uk website:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/449043/pip-assessment-guide.pdf

    “

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, at which stations Network Rail plans to defer Access to All works from Control Period 5 into Control Period 6.

    Claire Perry

    The Access for All programme was‎ reviewed as part of Sir Peter Hendy’s report into Network Rail’s investment programme for Control Period 5 (2014-2019).

    We are currently considering consultation responses to the report and working with Network Rail to decide which stations may be affected.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average annual spend on cycling per head is in each of the Cycle Ambition Cities on the most recent date for which figures are available.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Cycling Cities Ambition Grants

    2015/16 through to 2017/18

    Birmingham

    £10.00

    Bristol

    £11.78

    Cambridge

    £12.87

    Leeds

    £10.09

    Manchester

    £11.52

    Newcastle

    £10.43

    Norwich

    £13.46

    Oxford

    £10.66

    The above table reflects the Department’s Cycling Cities Ambition grants and local match funding.

    There may be other funding programmes which would increase the Cycling Ambition Cities figures provided in the table above, but we do not hold information on details such as spend per head for these programmes.

  • 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 2016-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people with severe and enduring mental health problems are (a) eligible for and (b) receiving social care.

    Alistair Burt

    Health and Social Care Information Centre’s Short and Long Term Support data shows that the number of people accessing long term adult social care support during the year to 31 March 2015 with the primary support reason of “Mental Health Support” was 110,000.

    A further 6,000 new clients with the primary support reason of “Mental Health Support” received short term adult social care support to maximise independence.

    The data shows the number of people local authorities have considered as eligible for social care support.

  • Norman Lamb – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Norman Lamb – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Norman Lamb on 2016-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will place in the Library copies of internal communications, meeting notes and memoranda relating to the resignations of the National Guardian and interim deputy National Guardian for whistleblowers.

    Ben Gummer

    To obtain and collate copies of internal communications, meeting notes and memoranda relating to the resignations of the National Guardian and the interim deputy National Guardian for whistleblowers would incur disproportionate cost.

    The National Guardian for whistleblowers, Dame Eileen Sills, left her post on 3 March 2016. She had concluded she did not have the capacity to undertake both the role of the National Guardian and that of Chief Nurse at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.

    The Interim Deputy National Guardian, David Bell, who was seconded to the role, has returned to his substantive post. This was thought to be advisable as until a new appointment to the position of National Guardian is made, it is not clear what level of support will be required from a deputy, or indeed if one is required.

  • Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2016-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will issue a response to Early Day Motion 1424, Autism awareness.

    Alistair Burt

    Since the Early Day Motion was tabled on 26 April, Autism Awareness has been the subject of a full debate on 28 April 2016, Official Report, columns 1574-1630 having been selected for this by the Backbench Business Committee.

    The Department has promoted the awareness work of the National Autistic Society since its launch during World Autism Awareness week, alongside that which the Department is funding through the Autism Alliance UK, a network of autism charities. This is encouraging local organisations to become Autism Champions by making public commitments to train their staff in autism awareness. A total of £325,000 has been invested in this work and the next step is to evaluate and take stock of the outcomes and achievements. In the meantime our approach is to focus on work with specific groups on awareness such as general practitioners through the Royal College of General Practitioner’s Autism Initiative.

  • 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 2016-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, in which 15 areas the joint training programme to support lead contacts in mental health services and schools has been tested.

    Alistair Burt

    The Mental Health Services and Schools Link Pilots is testing a named single point of contact in 255 schools across 22 pilot areas and in local child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), meaning more joined up working between schools and health services. There are more pilot sites than originally proposed as NHS England had more funding available than anticipated.

    This has been backed by £3 million of government funding. These areas are listed below with indications of those with more than one clinical commissioning group (CCG):

    – East Riding of Yorkshire

    – Bedfordshire

    – Camden

    – Brighton

    – Gloucester

    – Waltham Forest

    – Walsall

    – Birmingham (covering three CCGs)

    – Tower Hamlets

    – Chiltern (covering two CCGs)

    – Hammersmith & Fulham

    – Wigan

    – Somerset

    – Tameside and Glossop

    – Salford

    – Haringey

    – Sunderland

    – Chiltern 2 (Aylesbury Vale)

    – Hampshire

    – Halton

    – East and North Hertfordshire

    – Sheffield

    – South and East Cheshire (two CCGs)

  • 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 2016-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what consultations he plans to undertake on the levels of bursaries and salary support for trainee clinical psychologists in the 2017-18 cohort.

    Ben Gummer

    Health Education England (HEE) funding for trainees in clinical psychology is currently determined at a local level based on local need and is subject to annual workforce planning. For 2016-17, HEE will fund those commissions set out in the HEE Commissioning and Investment Plan for 2016-17. HEE’s plans for training clinical psychologists remain unchanged from 2015-16 with 526 commissions proposed for 2016-17. HEE will set out its plans for 2017-18 training commissions in its next annual Commissioning and Investment Plan or Workforce Plan for England which is expected to be published in December 2016 prior to the start of the financial year.

    The Government is currently consulting on how the education and funding reforms for pre-registration undergraduate and postgraduate non-medical courses (nursing, midwifery and allied health courses) which are currently funded through both HEE funded tuition and an NHS bursary/reduced rate loan for maintenance are most successfully implemented. Respondents to the consultation may wish to raise issues relating to the funding for courses operating outside of this model, such as clinical psychology training programmes. The Government will consider these in the context of its consultation response.

  • 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 2016-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he has taken to ensure adequate levels of bursaries and salary support for trainee clinical psychologists in the 2017-18 cohort.

    Ben Gummer

    Health Education England (HEE) funding for trainees in clinical psychology is currently determined at a local level based on local need and is subject to annual workforce planning. For 2016-17, HEE will fund those commissions set out in the HEE Commissioning and Investment Plan for 2016-17. HEE’s plans for training clinical psychologists remain unchanged from 2015-16 with 526 commissions proposed for 2016-17. HEE will set out its plans for 2017-18 training commissions in its next annual Commissioning and Investment Plan or Workforce Plan for England which is expected to be published in December 2016 prior to the start of the financial year.

    The Government is currently consulting on how the education and funding reforms for pre-registration undergraduate and postgraduate non-medical courses (nursing, midwifery and allied health courses) which are currently funded through both HEE funded tuition and an NHS bursary/reduced rate loan for maintenance are most successfully implemented. Respondents to the consultation may wish to raise issues relating to the funding for courses operating outside of this model, such as clinical psychology training programmes. The Government will consider these in the context of its consultation response.

  • 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 2016-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what evaluation his Department has undertaken of the adequacy of the (a) current and (b) future workforce requirements for clinical psychologists under the NHS England transformation plan for achieving the goals of the five-year forward view.

    Alistair Burt

    Health Education England (HEE) is working with NHS England, Public Health England, professional bodies, charities, experts-by-experience and others to develop and deliver a costed, multi-disciplinary workforce strategy for the future shape and skill mix of the workforce (including clinical psychologists) required to deliver the independent Mental Health Taskforce’s Five Year Forward View and the workforce recommendations set out in Future in Mind. This strategy will deliver the necessary workforce skill mix and capacity to support the core Mental Health Taskforce recommendations for improved access and quality of care. In 2015/16, HEE commissioned 526 training places for clinical psychologists, maintaining its previous level of investment in this staff group.