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  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-04-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the rate of uptake by the NHS of faecal microbiota transplants in the treatment of recurrent clostridium difficile.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has produced guidance on faecal microbiota transplant for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection. NICE has recommended that the procedure is safe and effective for use in the National Health Service, but no assessment of its cost effectiveness has been made by NICE.

    Data on the uptake of faecal microbiota transplants in the treatment of recurrent Clostridium difficile by the NHS is not collected centrally.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-04-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of (1) the outcome, and (2) the cost effectiveness, of the use of faecal microbiota transplants in the treatment of recurrent clostridium difficile.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has produced guidance on faecal microbiota transplant for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection. NICE has recommended that the procedure is safe and effective for use in the National Health Service, but no assessment of its cost effectiveness has been made by NICE.

    Data on the uptake of faecal microbiota transplants in the treatment of recurrent Clostridium difficile by the NHS is not collected centrally.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-04-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to replace direct funding of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency by fees paid by industry.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) operates as a government trading fund and recovers 92% of its total regulatory costs from fees and charges. In addition it receives income from the Department in recognition for the Agency providing both a devices service and a biologicals service from the National Institute for Biological Standards Control.

    In 2016/17 the Department is purchasing a devices service of £8.1 million plus capital funding of £1 million which covers the remaining 8% of its regulatory costs.

    The MHRA and the Department are considering charging the devices service directly to industry by fees.

    The MHRA is also looking at the potential for increasing fees from international work over the coming years.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-04-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many clinicians will serve on the proposed Clinical Reference Group (CRG) for Rehabilitation and Disability; and how that number compares with the current CRGs that cover the same areas.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    To ensure that Clinical Reference Group (CRG) work dovetails with the revised operating model for specialised commissioning, NHS England proposes to simplify the operation of CRGs. It is recommended that the new CRG for Rehabilitation and Disability replaces the existing Specialist rehabilitation for patients with highly complex needs (Complex Rehabilitation) and Complex Disability Equipment Clinical Commissioning Groups. It is proposed that the new CRG should have the following membership:

    – a minimum of one member with prosthetics expertise;

    – a minimum of one member with expertise in augmentative and alternative communication aids;

    – a minimum of one member with expertise in environmental controls; and

    – and four members with Complex Rehabilitation expertise (1 from each region).

    The new CRG has eight clinical members plus a chair. In the existing two CRG configuration, there are 12 clinical members plus two chairs (one for each CRG). In addition there are also four affiliated organisation members, who tend to be clinicians, in both the current CRGs and the new configuration.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-04-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government why NHS England has refused to pay the costs of making available pre-exposure prophylaxis in order to protect men from HIV.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a new use of HIV drugs which has shown clinical effectiveness in research trials at preventing HIV in people at high risk of getting HIV such as men who have sex with men (MSM) and people with HIV-positive partners. The drug used in the trials, Truvada, is not yet licenced for use as PrEP. Public Health England (PHE) has undertaken modelling work looking at cost-effectiveness of PrEP. Much depends on the price of the drugs and HIV prevalence in the target group. However, as with any new intervention, PrEP now needs to be properly assessed in relation to cost effectiveness to see how it could be commissioned in the most sustainable and integrated way and how it compares with other cost-effective approaches. The Department is considering this with PHE, NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

    NHS England has agreed to carefully consider their position on commissioning pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Planning continues on the early implementer tests sites in the meantime. Irrespective of the commissioning arrangements for PrEP, decisions to fund will depend on full assessment of clinical and cost effectiveness and how it can be integrated with other HIV prevention efforts.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-04-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of pre-exposure prophylaxis in the prevention of HIV.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a new use of HIV drugs which has shown clinical effectiveness in research trials at preventing HIV in people at high risk of getting HIV such as men who have sex with men (MSM) and people with HIV-positive partners. The drug used in the trials, Truvada, is not yet licenced for use as PrEP. Public Health England (PHE) has undertaken modelling work looking at cost-effectiveness of PrEP. Much depends on the price of the drugs and HIV prevalence in the target group. However, as with any new intervention, PrEP now needs to be properly assessed in relation to cost effectiveness to see how it could be commissioned in the most sustainable and integrated way and how it compares with other cost-effective approaches. The Department is considering this with PHE, NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

    NHS England has agreed to carefully consider their position on commissioning pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Planning continues on the early implementer tests sites in the meantime. Irrespective of the commissioning arrangements for PrEP, decisions to fund will depend on full assessment of clinical and cost effectiveness and how it can be integrated with other HIV prevention efforts.

  • Baroness Golding – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Baroness Golding – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Golding on 2016-04-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress is being made towards appointing the proposed Small Business Commissioner to help small businesses resolve payment disputes with large businesses.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    Government has taken powers to establish the Small Business Commissioner via the Enterprise Bill, which is currently waiting for Royal Assent. We have started the implementation process and will begin the recruitment of the Commissioner later this year with the expectation of appointing him or her in 2017. We are completing the rest of the implementation in parallel which includes: consulting on, preparing and laying secondary legislation; setting up the Commissioner’s office; and creating a web presence.

  • Lord Colwyn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Colwyn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Colwyn on 2016-04-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the reported rise in expenditure by NHS Ambulance Trusts, they intend to extend agency spending caps to private ambulance services.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Government has already taken decisive action to support the National Health Service to be the most efficient health system in the world. That is why a series of tough financial controls were introduced last year to help the NHS tackle some of the extortionate rates charged and overspending on agency staff.

    In November 2015, hourly price caps were introduced limiting the amount the NHS can pay to an agency for temporary staff. These were reduced gradually over a number of months and will apply to all ambulance trusts and ambulance foundation trusts from 1 July 2016.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-04-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the attacks on 26 April on the Christian neighbourhood of Sulaymaniyah in Aleppo, and of reports that at least eight children were among those killed.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We are aware of reports of attacks on the Sulaymaniyah neighbourhood in Aleppo, and of reports that at least eight children were among those killed. We are deeply concerned about the increasing numbers of violations of the Cessation of Hostilities, especially around Aleppo. In the overwhelming majority of cases, it is the Asad regime that is responsible for the breaches, including when it has bombed schools, marketplaces, hospitals and a search and rescue centre in the last week. As the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), said in a press statement on 28 April, we call on those with influence to apply real pressure to end this spiral of violence. The UK will continue to support the Syrian people to secure their future, free from Asad, and push for progress with our international partners.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-04-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they anticipate being in a position to reply to the representations made to Lord Bates and to Lord Keen of Elie about Syrian Christian families seeking asylum after the beheading of family members.

    Lord Keen of Elie

    I understand the Noble Lord is referring to correspondence dated 25 April from a member of the public on behalf of people they believe are at risk in Syria.

    I can confirm that a response was sent on 9 May.