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Tag: 2016

  • Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-07-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she plans to amend the definition of overseas development assistance used by her Department.

    Rory Stewart

    The Government adheres to the definition of Official Development Assistance (ODA) set by the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC). After several years of complex negotiations, the DAC updated the ODA rules in February 2016 so that they better recognise the challenges to development posed by conflict, insecurity and terrorism, as well as the growing importance of private sector investment. The Government’s priority is to ensure these reforms are implemented effectively.

    As a donor that pursues its national interests by contributing 0.7% of its Gross National Income to ODA, the UK welcomes the DAC’s commitment to keeping ODA relevant and credible.

  • George Howarth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    George Howarth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by George Howarth on 2016-10-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the number of cancelled elective operations in the (a) Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospital NHS Trust, (b) St Helens and Knowsley Hospital Services NHS Trust, (c) Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, (d) Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, (e) Southport and Ormskirk NHS Trust and (f) Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in the last six months.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    NHS England publishes information each quarter on the number of last minute elective operations cancelled for non-clinical reasons. The following table shows this information for the specified trusts in the two most recent quarters. A last minute cancellation is defined as when a patient’s operation is cancelled by the hospital on or after the day of admission, including the day of surgery, for non-clinical reasons.

    Number of last minute elective operations cancelled for non-clinical reasons for specified trusts, Quarter 4 2015/16 and Quarter 1 2016/17

    Quarter 4 2015/16

    Quarter 1 2016/17

    Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust

    113

    93

    St Helens and Knowsley Hospital Services NHS Trust

    161

    102

    Aintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

    67

    39

    Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

    55

    61

    Southport And Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust

    77

    27

    Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

    0

    31

    Source: Cancelled elective operations, NHS England

    Note:

    Quarter 2 data will be published on 11 November 2016.

  • 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 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that antibiotics are prescribed in proportion to the severity of the illness.

    Jane Ellison

    Public Health England is undertaking work to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing in general practice through low cost and scalable interventions designed by behavioural scientists. In addition, Public Health England has developed the Antibiotic Guardian campaign to improve behaviours around the use of antibiotics amongst both the public and healthcare professionals.

    Furthermore, in August 2015 the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published guidelines on the effective use of antimicrobials (including antibiotics) in children, young people and adults. It aims to change prescribing practice to help slow the emergence of antimicrobial resistance and ensure that antimicrobials remain an effective treatment for infection.

    https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng15.

    “

  • Ronnie Cowan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Ronnie Cowan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ronnie Cowan on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the administrative costs of delivering means-tested benefits were in each of the last three years.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The information is not available.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport of 10 December 2015, Official Report, column 1132, on smart ticketing, whether the £80 million funding referred to has been allocated to the South East Flexible Ticketing programme; and what proportion of that funding his Department has so far spent on which elements of that programme.

    Claire Perry

    Smart ticketing was taken forward by the Coalition Government after 2010. I can confirm that £80m was allocated to the South East Flexible Ticketing (SEFT) programme. So far, £39.11m has been spent on the SEFT programme to develop a central back office for the entire rail industry to use and towards the costs to train operators of new infrastructure and upgrades.

    We are working with the industry to find the best way to deliver smart ticket solutions that meet customers’ needs and take advantage of technological improvements, so ensuring that everyone is benefitting from 21st century ticketing.

  • Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-03-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance and training Ofsted inspectors receive on applying the criteria for a good Ofsted grading in settings involving children with special education needs and disability.

    Nick Gibb

    This is a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw. I have asked him to write to you and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.

  • Lord Bassam of Brighton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Bassam of Brighton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bassam of Brighton on 2016-04-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of Coperforma’s management of patient transport in Sussex.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    We are advised by NHS England that four organisations including Coperforma completed the Pre-Qualifying Questionnaire (PQQ) in order to submit their bid for the contract and of these the South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, Arriva Transport Solutions Ltd and Coperforma Ltd were assessed as passing the PQQ. An Invitation to Tender was issued to all three organisations on 3 August 2015.

    NHS England advises that Coperforma’s bid was evaluated in line with criteria published at the start of the process by a group of subject matter experts, clinicians and patient representatives and the bid was assessed as demonstrating a comprehensive response. The award of the contract to Coperforma was approved by all seven Sussex Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs).

    We understand that the lead commissioner, High Weald Lewes Havens CCG, awarded Coperforma the non-emergency Patient Transport Service (PTS) contract for Sussex, which commenced on 1 April 2016. The CCG acknowledges that early performance of the new non-emergency Sussex PTS has not been acceptable.

    For this reason High Weald Lewes Havens CCG, on behalf of all seven Sussex CCGs, has begun an inquiry with an aim for a report to be available for review by June 2016 with interim progress reports.

  • 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 2016-06-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the risk that changes to the cost effectiveness threshold for vaccines as proposed by the Cost Effectiveness Methodology for Immunisation Programmes and Procurements working group would lead to England being restricted from paying for some new vaccines when compared to other health economies in Europe, and people in the UK receiving fewer innovative vaccines.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Government expects to receive the Cost Effectiveness Methodology for Immunisation Programmes and Procurement report shortly and will consider its recommendations once received. Until then, it would not be appropriate to speculate on possible recommendations or the impact they might have. We are committed to publishing their report. We will decide when to publish, and whether to consult, once we have had time to consider the report.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-07-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 27 June 2016 to Question 40827, what his Department’s revenue expenditure other than Network Rail expenditure was on the level crossing reform programme in the last Parliament; and how much such expenditure is budgeted for during the current Parliament.

    Paul Maynard

    There is a dedicated, ring-fenced, fund for Network Rail’s work to improve and close level crossings. As is usual, the Department’s work on the policy underpinning the level crossing reform programme forms part of a larger budget for railway safety and wider issues and is not therefore separately identifiable.

  • Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-10-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 19 September 2016 to Question 46209, when NHS England plans to publish the service guidance documents produced by the clinical reference groups.

    David Mowat

    The service guidance documents will be disseminated through the newly formed Cancer Alliances.

    One of the key objectives of the Alliances for 2016/17 is to create and agree a delivery plan for the Cancer Strategy locally, based on outcomes and evidence based best practice care pathways.