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Tag: 2016

  • Martyn Day – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Martyn Day – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martyn Day on 2016-01-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential cost of including Dupuytren’s Contracture in the list of Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit diseases.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Work began in May 2014 following publication of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Committee’s report on Dupuytren’s Contracture. It is expected that a decision whether or not to add it to the list of prescribed diseases will be made early this year and will take account of the potential costs involved and other relevant factors.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the UN and the EU on helping the Haitian authorities conclude the second round of a presidential election.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    Our Ambassador to Haiti and her Embassy team regularly consult the UN, US, Canada and other EU member states with the aim of helping the Haitian authorities to conclude the Presidential election process. The issue is also being discussed by the UN Security Council.

  • Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department’s wellness strategy is.

    Mark Lancaster

    A new Health and Wellbeing Strategy for all Ministry of Defence (MOD) employees was published in mid-2015 and is designed to provide guidance to the Chain of Command and civilian line managers on how to manage the health needs of their people.

    The aim is to maximise the number of people fit to work, managing people back to work after a period of sickness, so that they are fit and able to meet the requirements of Defence outputs, including operational effectiveness.

    The strategy applies to all Defence People and not just Service personnel for whom maintaining health, wellbeing and fitness is a major contributor to the moral and physical components of fighting power. Although there are differences in the Terms and Conditions of Service and requirements placed on civilian and military workforces, all people working in Defence have a role to play in contributing to Defence outputs.

    The Health and Wellbeing Strategy has four pillars: Lifestyle, Injury prevention, Preventative health and, Mental health. It is a through-life process that sets the conditions to allow people to Join, Train, Work, Live and Leave well.

  • Baroness Lister of Burtersett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Lister of Burtersett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Lister of Burtersett on 2016-03-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government in what form they will report on the revenue collected from the immigration health surcharge for foreign nationals; and whether that information will be placed in the public domain.

    Lord Keen of Elie

    The Home Office committed to provide information about its administration of the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) within 12 months of the surcharge going live. The Immigration Minister wrote to the Chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee to provide an update on 23 March, including details of the number of migrants who have paid the Surcharge and the total amount of Surcharge funding directed to the National Health Service (NHS).

    A copy of the letter has been placed in the House library to ensure the commitment to Parliament is met. The Home Office will also report on total IHS income received in its Annual Report and Accounts.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether her Department has produced an implementation plan for the Sustainable Development Goals.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Government intends to produce a report in due course that will set out how the UK is contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals.

  • Colleen Fletcher – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Colleen Fletcher – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Colleen Fletcher on 2016-05-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the (a) efficiency of existing diagnostic tests and (b) effectiveness of current treatments for Lyme disease.

    Jane Ellison

    Lyme disease is a complex infection where challenges in understanding of disease progression, and consequently diagnosis and treatment, remain.

    The National Health Service and Public Health England (PHE) use well established validated diagnostic tests for Lyme disease that are highly reproducible between laboratories. International External Quality Assurance schemes are in place to ensure consistency between different test centres. Commercial manufacturers and international academic groups have research programmes into improved tests and PHE continuously reviews new Lyme serology tests and will validate and implement new tests if appropriate.

    All treatment for Lyme disease within the NHS should be evidence based, and targeted at the disease mechanisms underlying those symptoms. Most cases are diagnosed in primary care and PHE has published a referral pathway for general practitioners to follow to ensure problem cases are seen by an appropriate NHS specialist.

    To further strengthen the evidence base we have commissioned the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to develop a new clinical guideline on Lyme disease, for both primary and secondary care, for publication in 2018. The Department is also commissioning three Systematic Reviews by independent academic groups to cover

    ― diagnosis and diagnostic tests;

    ― treatment; and

    ― epidemiology/transmission routes.

  • Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-07-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what support his Department has allocated to support Sir John Parker in his report on diversity on corporate boards.

    Margot James

    The secretariat to Sir John’s review is provided by private sector sponsors and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy have been very supportive of the review and providing support at ministerial and official level.

  • Oliver Colvile – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Oliver Colvile – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Colvile on 2016-10-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for Zimbabwe’s political and economic future in the event of the death of President Mugabe.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    Zimbabwe faces enormous political and economic challenges. A peaceful transition to a leader willing to make reforms could move Zimbabwe towards a more democratic, prosperous future. The UK does not support parties or individuals, but rather the implementation of policies that could lead to eventual normalisation of Zimbabwe’s international relations.

  • Nigel Evans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Nigel Evans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Evans on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the number of businesses in England and Wales without insurance in 2015.

    Rory Stewart

    We have made no assessment on the number of business without insurance in 2015.

    A survey of small and medium business enterprises (SMEs) commissioned by Defra in 2014 found that 3% of SMEs reported that they did not have commercial insurance. The survey is available on Defra’s website at the below:

    http://goo.gl/SqW3iG

    “

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the criteria are for making a ministerial directive against the closure or downsizing of a hospital.

    Ben Gummer

    The Government is clear the reconfiguration of front line health services is a matter for the local National Health Service. Services should be tailored to meet the needs of the local population and proposals for substantial service change must meet the four tests of reconfiguration which are (i) support from general practitioner commissioners (ii) strengthened public and patient engagement (iii) clarity on the clinical evidence base and (iv) support for patient choice.

    A local authority has the power to refer NHS substantial reconfiguration proposals to the Secretary of State if they consider:

    ― the consultation has been inadequate in relation to the content or the amount of time allowed;

    ― the NHS body has given inadequate reasons where it has not consulted for reasons of urgency relating to the safety or welfare of patients or staff; or

    ― a proposal would not be in the interests of the health service in its area.

    Upon receipt of a local authority referral, the Secretary of State can refer the matter to the Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP) for its advice. The Panel will consider whether the proposals will provide safe, sustainable and accessible services for the local population, taking account of factors including: clinical and service quality, patient and public involvement, the surrounding local services and national policies.

    On receipt of IRP advice, the Secretary of State would then decide whether or not to accept it. Since its inception in 2003, all Secretaries of State have used the IRP advice to inform their decisions.