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Tag: 2015

  • Geoffrey Clifton-Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Geoffrey Clifton-Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Geoffrey Clifton-Brown on 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans next to publish a report on international comparisons of medicines usage; at what frequency he will publish such reports; what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the most recently published report; and if he will make a statement.

    George Freeman

    International comparisons of medicines usage are included in the annual publication of the life science competitiveness indicators. This report is published annually, it was last published in March 2015, and the next publication will be inMarch 2016. This provides comparisons of the usage of innovative National Institute for Health and Care Excellence approved medicines per head of the population, over time. It does not make adjustments for the prices of medicines and the level of expenditure on medicines in different countries or the financial sustainability of different levels of uptake.

    The Accelerated Access Review (AAR) is looking at ways to revolutionise the speed at which 21st century innovations in medicines, medical technologies and digital products get to National Health Service patients and their families. As part of the AAR, RAND Europe completed a piece of work to explore learning from international comparators on how to accelerate access to innovative drugs and medical technologies. This informed much of our early stakeholder engagement and scoping work. The AAR has commissioned a further piece of research to look at best practice international funding and reimbursement models, including testing how these could be applicable to this country’s health and care system.

    Link to competitiveness indicators March 2015 publication:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/life-science-sector-data

    RAND Europe – Improving Access to Medical Technologies – An International Review:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/improving-access-to-medical-technologies-an-international-review

    “

  • Barbara Keeley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Barbara Keeley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barbara Keeley on 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent estimate he has made of the number of people working in social care (a) on zero-hours contracts and (b) paid less than the living wage.

    Alistair Burt

    The information requested is not collected centrally.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will merge the Hampshire, Surrey and Sussex police forces.

    Mike Penning

    Any request from police forces to merge would be considered where it is supported by a robust business case and has local consent. It is the role of directly elected local Police and Crime Commissioners to propose changes to local policing, not central government. It is not necessary for police forces to merge in order to become more efficient. Existing legislation places a strong duty on Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners to collaborate in the interests of efficiency and effectiveness. Many are demonstrating that they can collaborate without sacrificing local accountability and identity. For example, Sussex and Surrey are already working together on collaborations that include a joint IT solution, procurement, major crime, forensics, firearms and fleet.

  • Clive Lewis – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Clive Lewis – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Lewis on 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how the Health System Strengthening Framework will address the links between different health issues.

    Grant Shapps

    DFID’s health systems strengthening framework will set out how the UK should support countries to build strong, resilient health systems in future, both through its own resources and through its partner organisations. This will help countries to make sustainable progress towards the global goal of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages. A strong health system recognises the links between different health issues and provides integrated services to address them. Sustained financing is essential to good quality service provision and the framework will include support for greater domestic resource mobilisation and better public financial management. It will prioritise those who would otherwise be left behind, including the poorest, the most marginalised and those who are hardest to reach.

  • Richard Burden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Richard Burden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support her Department has given to recycling initiatives of spoil wastes from harbour dredging.

    George Eustice

    There are a number of good examples where support has been provided to the successful, beneficial re-use and recycling of dredged materials, including land formation at Allfleet’s Marsh on Wallasea Island, beach replenishment in Poole Bay and land claim undertaken to construct the London Gateway Port in the Thames Estuary. In addition, in 2014 the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) published research on the potential to improve the co-ordination of such projects in the future.

    The UK Marine Policy Statement (2011) states that applications to dispose of wastes must demonstrate that appropriate consideration has been given to the internationally agreed hierarchy of waste management options for sea disposal, which includes recycling.

  • Kirsten Oswald – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kirsten Oswald – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what financial support is available to people earning at least £111 per week net who are the principal carers for elderly relatives with a disability.

    Justin Tomlinson

    This Government recognises and appreciates the vital contribution made by carers.

    A variety of support is available to both carers and the severely disabled people that they care for. Support is both financial, including through the benefit and Tax Credit systems and the Universal Credit service, and in other ways through local councils and health services.

    Carer’s Allowance is designed to provide a measure of financial support and recognition for people who give up the opportunity of full-time employment in order to provide regular and substantial care for a severely disabled person. For this reason it is not available to people earning more than £110 a week net of allowable deductions and expenses.

    Carers earning more than £110 a week may be entitled to other financial support, such as Universal Credit or Tax Credits if they satisfy the qualifying conditions.

    People with a disability can claim benefits in their own right in order to meet their needs. Depending on individual circumstances, such financial support can be through universal, extra costs benefits and/or means-tested benefits. Means-tested benefits, such as Pension Credit, include an additional amount for people with a severe disability (currently £61.85 a week for a single person) which can be paid to a disabled person to help meet the costs of caring if their carer is not receiving Carer’s Allowance.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to publish statistics on the number of sanctions made in relation to jobseekers claiming universal credit.

    Priti Patel

    The information you have requested is not currently available. The Department published its strategy for releasing official statistics on Universal Credit (UC) in September 2013. As outlined in the strategy, officials are currently quality assuring data for UC. All statistics will be published in accordance with the relevant protocols in the Code of Practice for official statistics.

    The latest official experimental statistics on UC and the Departments release strategy can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/universal-credit-statistics

    “

  • Lord Harrison – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Harrison – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Harrison on 2015-10-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of how the requirement for public-interest enterprises to disclose non-financial interests and diversity measures under European Union Directive 2014/95 affects United Kingdom small and medium-sized enterprises wishing to be listed on stock exchanges across the European Union.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The Government expects to publish a consultation document shortly on plans for transposition of this Directive, most of whose provisions are already reflected in UK reporting requirements. A full impact assessment, including an assessment of the impact on SMEs, will be made available alongside the consultation document.

  • Lord Smith of Leigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Smith of Leigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Smith of Leigh on 2015-10-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to support the greater provision of respite places and care homes in order to reduce problems of bed-blocking.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Local authorities are responsible for commissioning care and respite placements and for ensuring that the provision of care and support meets the needs of local people. The Department is supporting local authorities to improve commissioning and ensure that their local markets are effective.

  • Baroness Young of Old Scone – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Baroness Young of Old Scone – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Young of Old Scone on 2015-10-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to encourage universities to provide courses that will meet the future needs of the rural economy.

    Baroness Evans of Bowes Park

    The Government requires the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) to consider the changing patterns of demand and supply in relation to all subjects. Through the Strategically Important and Vulnerable Subjects advisory group, HEFCE seeks to identify where action might be necessary to ensure that the supply of graduates meets the needs of the economy and society. The advisory group includes representatives of agriculture, tourism and other related subjects that affect the rural economy.

    The Government supports Universities offering subjects that benefit the rural economy. Subjects such as agriculture and forestry attract high cost ‘band B’ funding. The Government has also provided funding to projects that enhance the impact of higher education in agriculture and related industries including the ‘National Centre for Precision Farming’ at Harper Adams University, the ‘Biovale’ programme at the University of York and the ‘Agri-Food Resilience Programme’ led by the N8 Research Partnership.