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  • 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 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to implement the six priorities of the Roadmap for Mental Health Research in Europe.

    Ben Gummer

    In their report, published on 15 February, the Mental Health Taskforce recommended that the United Kingdom should aspire to be a world leader in the development and application of new mental health research. The Taskforce also recommended that mental health research should follow the Roadmap for Mental Health Research in Europe, published in September 2015.

    The Taskforce asked specifically that the Department, working with relevant partners, should publish a report by February 2017 setting out a 10 year strategy for mental health research. Departmental officials have already met with the Medical Research Council, the Wellcome Trust, the mental health research charity MQ, and other charities to re-establish arrangements for a more determined approach to co-ordination of mental health research. The next meeting is planned to take place in early April, and developing the 10-year strategy will be a key item on the agenda.

  • 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 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the foreword of the NHS Mental Health Taskforce report, The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health, published in February 2016, what steps he is taking to ensure that tackling poverty and inequalities are a core part of his Department’s mental health strategy.

    Alistair Burt

    We welcome the publication of the independent Mental Health Taskforce report and we will work with NHS England and other health bodies to embed the recommendations into our work programmes. We recognise the inequalities that may be experienced by people from lower socio-economic groups both in terms of exposure to risk factors for poor mental health and accessing mental health services and their experiences of mental health services when they do access care.

    We will be working with stakeholders to ensure we are addressing inequalities issues including those identified in the Mental Health Taskforce report.

  • 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 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the progress of the Children and Young People’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme’s service transformation programme.

    Alistair Burt

    The Government’s transformation programme for children and young people’s mental health is aimed at improving children and young people’s mental health and providing additional support for those who experience mental health problems. The Children and Young People’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (CYP IAPT) programme includes training for professionals working in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) partnerships to put the patient at the centre of their treatment: young people agree goals and milestones with the professional, and participate in their care through regular feedback and outcome monitoring. The benefits of this approach are well-evidenced.

    Unlike the adult programme, CYP IAPT does not create new services; it transforms CAMHS partnerships by training people to deliver evidence-based interventions so that those working in CAMHS do so in collaboration with children, young people and families, in every aspect of care and service design through better participation and regular feedback and outcome monitoring.

    At present, 78% of young people aged under 19 are covered by CAMHS partnerships which are working to transform services by embedding the CYP IAPT principles, and the programme is being rolled out to cover the whole of England by 2018. The programme is currently developing a number of new curricula to address training gaps that have been identified during its implementation. These include interventions for 0-5 year olds, evidence-based counselling, combination therapy (pharmacology and psychological interventions), Learning Disabilities and Autistic Spectrum disorder, and staff working in inpatient settings.

    A recent rapid deep dive audit of 12 partnerships within the programme showed:

    ― improved access through self-referral routes, single point of access, outreach services, evening and weekend appointments;

    ― compared to a national sample of mental health services in the United States, teams in services working with CYP IAPT had more proficient organisational cultures and more functional organisations;

    ― more efficient time between referral and assessment decreased by 73%;

    ― number of days between assessment and discharge decreased by 21%; and

    ― The percentage of closed cases by mutual agreement increased by 22%.

  • 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 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the mortality rate of people with mental health issues has been (a) nationally and (b) in each local authority in each year since 2010.

    Alistair Burt

    Information on the mortality rate of adults under 75 years old with serious mental illness in England and in each local authority in England between 2010/11 and 2013/14 is given in the attached table Mortality rate of people with mental health issues in (a) England and (b) in each local authority in England between 2010/11 and 2013/14.

  • Liz Saville Roberts – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Liz Saville Roberts – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz Saville Roberts on 2016-03-01.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to permit a future Welsh Government to apply directly to the EU Solidarity Fund using UK status as a member state.

    Mr David Gauke

    The current regulation states that an application for an EU Solidarity Fund grant must come from an EU member state government.

    The Treasury leads on negotiations relating to the EU’s seven-year budget, or ‘Multiannual Financial Framework’ (MFF). We can expect the rules governing the implementation of the Fund, including the application process, to be reviewed in the context of negotiations relating to the next MFF, which will take effect from 2021.

    The Devolved Administrations will be consulted in preparation for those negotiations.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with representatives from shooting and conservation groups on the simplification of firearms legislation.

    Mike Penning

    Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of international partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of these meetings are published on the Cabinet Office website on a quarterly basis at: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/cabinet-office.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government is taking to stop the black market economy in aid allocations.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    DFID’s work on the black market is primarily related to illicit markets and organised crime. We are building the evidence base on the linkages between organised crime, development and conflict, and exploring innovative integrated approaches to tackling organised crime in partnership with other government departments. Our work in this area is focused on building resilience and reducing vulnerabilities to organised crime, increasing transparency, and mitigating harm. Examples of our work related to organised crime include:

    • The Work in Freedom programme, which helps prevent 100,000 women and girls from India, Bangladesh and Nepal from being trafficked;
    • Tackling Corruption by Tackling Drug Trafficking in Ghana, which focuses on improving detection of drug smuggling by the Narcotic Control Board, and increasing criminal proceedings against those involved;
    • The Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund, managed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, supports projects that develop sustainable livelihoods for communities affected by illegal wildlife trade, strengthen law enforcement, and reduce demand for the products of the illegal wildlife trade;
    • Working to tackle illicit finance in partnership with the Metropolitan and City of London Police, the National Crime Agency and the Crown Prosecution Service.
  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he has had discussions with his EU counterparts on the containment of the Zika virus.

    Jane Ellison

    My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State regularly discusses matters across his portfolio with his European counterparts. He continues to monitor this outbreak of the Zika virus closely. In addition, Departmental officials continue to discuss the developing situation, including the measures that can be taken to contain the virus, with European colleagues through a number of channels, including at regular meetings of the European Health Security Committee.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of disabled people offered assistance by his Department for the installation of a chair lift in their home in each of the last five years.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Government is committed to helping disabled people live independently in their homes for as a long as possible. That is why, since 2010, we have invested over £1 billion into the disabled facilities grant, providing around 250,000 adaptations to disabled people’s homes. The Department for Communities and Local Government does not collect specific information on the number of disabled people offered assistance for the installation of a chair lift in their home. However, information on the overall number of grants completed for the years 2009-10 to 2014-15 is provided in the table below.

    2009-10

    2010-11

    2011-12

    2012-13

    2013-14

    2014-15

    No. of grants completed

    44,102

    45,383

    43,986

    36,874

    42,586

    33,922
  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to make the most up-to-date haemorrhoid treatment available on the NHS.

    Jane Ellison

    Treatments may be brought into routine use in the National Health Service after their efficacy, safety and cost-effectiveness have been appropriately demonstrated. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence also has an important role in assessing new technologies and interventional procedure providing, as well producing, best practice approaches to treatment and care for a wide range of diseases and conditions.