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Tag: 2015

  • Cat Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Cat Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cat Smith on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 24 March 2015 to Question 227804, if his Department plans to commission further research on (a) patterns of long-term prescription of dependency-forming medicines and (b) the scale of addiction to benzodiazepines, z drugs and other such medicines.

    George Freeman

    The Department has commissioned the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine’s Public Health Research Consortium to conduct a study to explore patterns of prescribing for specific medicines that have a risk of dependence, using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink. These include: benzodiazepines; z-drugs; opioid-containing prescription drugs for pain; and the GABA-ergic drugs, pregabalin and gabapentin.

    This study will not assess dependence on such medicines, because being in receipt of a prescription is not indicative of dependence. However, it will seek to explore the circumstances in which prescriptions of medicines with a risk of dependence are issued. A better understanding of prescribing patterns is an important step in helping clinicians identify patients at risk of dependence on the medicines they prescribe.

  • Baroness Redfern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Redfern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Redfern on 2015-12-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they intend to encourage local authorities to include personal assessments as part of a broader care programme alongside other measures to help individuals to achieve greater control over the support they receive.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    One of the overarching aims of the Care Act 2014 is to give people more choice and control over their care and support. Local authorities must assess any person who appears to have care and support needs. The aim of the needs assessment is to identify what needs individuals may have, what impact these needs have on their wellbeing, and what outcomes they are looking to achieve. The Act also requires that the person, their carer and anyone else they request must be involved in the assessment.

    The Act clarifies that one method of carrying out an assessment is through a supported self-assessment, where the person and local authority carry out the assessment jointly. This gives the person more control over their own assessment and supports their involvement in the development of their care and support plan.

    The Department published statutory guidance which provides more detail on the assessment provisions for local authorities. The Department also commissioned Skills for Care and the Social Care Institute for Care Excellence to develop materials to support local authorities with the implementation of the assessment requirements, including supported self-assessment.

  • Kate Osamor – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Kate Osamor – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his Department’s policy is on testing detainees for infectious diseases such as TB.

    Jane Ellison

    In April 2015, Public Health England, NHS England, and Home Office Immigration Enforcement jointly published a National Partnership Agreement which outlines shared commitments and priorities across the three organisations relating to the health and wellbeing of people in detention in the immigration removal estate. This includes a joint priority to improve the pro-active detection, surveillance and management of infectious diseases in Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs), particularly in respect of blood-borne viruses (BBVs) and tuberculosis (TB), and to improve capability to detect and respond to outbreaks and incidents.

    A programme of work to implement the provisions of the National Partnership Agreement is being taken forward by the three organisations. Use of new technology is being explored in some IRCs including using digital x-ray technology to detect active TB disease in the lungs as well as blood tests to detect both latent TB and BBV infection.

  • Lord Condon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Lord Condon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Condon on 2015-12-15.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to encourage the full-time employment of adults with special learning needs, and what assessment they have made of how successful those measures have been in 2015.

    Baroness Altmann

    Increasing disability employment is a key part of the government’s aim to achieve full employment. That is why this Government has an ambition to halve the disability employment gap by creating the opportunity for a million more disabled people to work.

    The Government has a variety of initiatives and programmes in place to support and encourage people with special learning needs to find and retain work. Performance statistics are published for a number of these.

    For example:

    • Access to Work provides on-going personalised in-work support for disabled people who are in work or about to start work on a full or part-time basis. Access to Work has had a Hidden Impairments Specialist Advisory team since September. We are also considering whether the Mental Health Support Service model of support could benefit those with hidden impairments other than mental health conditions. Last year Access to Work supported record numbers of people with a Learning Disability or Dyslexia recorded as their Primary Health Condition (6,580 people supported – 520 more people than in 2013/14).

    • The most recent Access to Work statistics are attached at Annex A.

    • Work Choice is a specialist disability employment programme which provides tailored support for disabled people who face the most complex employment barriers to find and stay in work. DWP has improved the referral process for Work Choice to ensure that information about candidates’ hidden impairments is shared with Work Choice providers. In 2014/15, 5,670 people with a Mild or Moderate to Severe Learning Disability recorded as their Primary Disability were referred to Work Choice. Since 2010, 19,410 people with a Mild or Moderate to Severe Learning Disability recorded as their Primary Disability have started Work Choice, of whom 8,600 have started work – giving a job outcome rate of around 44% for this group.

    • The most recent Work Choice statistics are attached at Annex B.

    • The Government’s Disability Confident campaign works with employers at a national and local level to help them to understand the benefits of employing disabled people, and promote good practice in recruitment and employment of disabled people, including people with special learning needs.

    • DWP also works in close partnership with the Hidden Impairment National Group (HING), a national network of disabled people, medical professionals/ academics and disability specific organisations. This collaboration has produced an ‘Uncovering Hidden Impairments’ toolkit, which supports organisations in both the private and public sectors to confidently recruit and retain talented individuals with hidden impairment conditions, such as special learning needs.

    • Jobcentre Plus continues to offer a range of support, including a free helpline for claimants who have difficulty making claims for benefit online because of dyslexia or similar conditions. DWP is working in partnership with Autism Alliance UK to build an autism network across Jobcentre Plus by training nominated autism leads, including Work Coaches and DEAs.

    • We have worked with Community Service Volunteers to introduce the Job-Shadowing Work Placement Initiative for young disabled people, including those with special learning needs. The first tranche had a 65% participation rate for young people having autistic spectrum conditions
  • Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations his Department received from the Mayor of London on the Transport for London Bill.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Mayor has raised the Transport for London Bill with the Secretary of State in writing, and at several of their regular meetings.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2015-12-15.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the training scheme to create a career ladder for care workers by developing the role of care practitioners has been cancelled.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The Government is spending significant sums this year (circa £130 million) to train and develop the adult social care workforce; this includes £12m for the Workforce Development Fund for training to develop the workforce.

    Whilst pre-contract discussions had taken place, no formal financial commitment was made to this specific project by UK Commission for Employment and Skills and the project has been informed that funding is not available.

    In order to prioritise funding on the adult skills participation budgets, savings are being made from supporting budgets such as the UKCES.

    The Government is working closely with its delivery partners, Skills for Care and National Skills Academy Social Care to improve the level of skills of the adult social care workforce.

    The adult social care workforce has a key role to play as service users experience of care depends heavily on the sensitivity and compassion of care workers. Better skills and training are an important part of raising standards overall.

  • Frank Field – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Frank Field – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2015-11-17.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he expects to sign off in full the business case for universal credit.

    Greg Hands

    The 2nd Permanent Secretary to the Treasury explained to the PAC on the 10 December 2014 (see link below) the process for Business Case approvals within Government. The first stage of this process, the Strategic Outline Business Case, was agreed for Universal Credit in September 2014. The next step, the Outline Business Case, is now with Treasury Ministers for approval. The Full Business Case will follow for Ministerial approval by the end of 2017. This is in line with the process within Government and a Programme of the scale and complexity of Universal Credit.

    http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/public-accounts-committee/universal-credit-progress-update/oral/16340.html

    “

  • Jo Stevens – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jo Stevens – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Stevens on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate his Department has made of the value of the contract of tender for the employers’ digital apprenticeship account; and when he plans to put that contract out to tender.

    Nick Boles

    The Department has completed an assessment of the cost to implement the Digital Apprenticeship Service. In line with Cabinet Office best practice, we do not intend to procure the full scope of the Digital Apprenticeship Service. We supplement in-house expertise with services from a range of suppliers and will procure any further services through government frameworks in phases over the next 12 months.

  • Owen Thompson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Owen Thompson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Thompson on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many community projects have benefited from monies allocated by Scotland’s Big Lottery Fund in the last five years.

    Tracey Crouch

    From 1 November 2010 to 31 October 2015, the Big Lottery Fund in Scotland has allocated monies to over 11,500 projects.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Daniel Zeichner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-12-15.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2015 to Question 15349, if HM Revenue and Customs will expand the tax exemption associated with the Cycle to Work scheme to provide employees with access to tax-free physical activity accessories and personalised activity plans for themselves and their families.

    Mr David Gauke

    The tax exemption associated with the Cycle to Work scheme is for the loan or hire by an employer to an employee of a cycle or cyclist’s safety equipment. It was established to promote healthier journeys to work and to reduce environmental pollution. This and all other tax exemptions are kept under review.