The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-10-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of relative levels of productivity in community pharmacy and secondary care in each year since 2005.
David Mowat
We have made no assessment of productivity in community pharmacies.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2015-12-21.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the alternative processes for the NHS tariff price setting of dermatology specials, including the addition of NHS manufacturers’ costings in the tariff setting process.
Lord Prior of Brampton
The Drug Tariff sets out what National Health Service dispensing contractors will be paid for the products supplied as part of providing pharmaceutical services and the fees for providing those services in primary care.
The current arrangements in the Drug Tariff for paying for specials, including dermatological specials, were introduced in 2011. It is recognised that there can be variations in the price of some specials, which is why we are considering further possible improvements in the arrangements that govern the price the NHS pays. These include expanding the number of products covered by these arrangements and improving the data used to set the prices.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Scott of Needham Market on 2016-01-28.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much council tax support funding has been passed from billing authorities to parish and town councils in 2013–14, 2014–15, and 2015–16.
Baroness Williams of Trafford
The amount of Local Council Tax Support funding being passed on from billing authorities to parish and town council was £39,033,000 in 2013-14 and £31,108,000 in 2014-15. The Department does not hold figures for 2015-16.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Smith on 2016-02-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assistance her Department plans to provide to help tackle hunger in Malawi.
Mr Nick Hurd
DFID has a significant programme of ongoing support in health, education, agriculture, water and sanitation and economic development, particularly in rural areas and with the private sector, for growth, jobs, incomes and food insecurity in Malawi. We support increasing access to justice for women and vulnerable groups, accountability and governance reforms.
The UK was one of the first development partners to respond to Malawi’s international appeal for emergency aid in October 2015. The UK has now committed £14.5m through partners including the World Food Programme, UNICEF and an International Non-Governmental Organisation (INGO) consortium led by Save the Children. This support includes:
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-03-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) effect on cost and (b) security implications for (i) court staff and (ii) witnesses of using alternative civic buildings for video links or court hearings.
Mr Shailesh Vara
All proposals to use alternative venues for video links or courts hearings will be assessed to make sure they are cost effective and secure for court staff, users and the judiciary. Security risk assessments will be carried out at all venues and appropriate measures will be put in place, including the deployment of designated Court Security Officers at the venue where appropriate.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Norman Lamb on 2016-04-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of prescription charges on people with multiple sclerosis; and if he will make a statement.
Alistair Burt
We have not made an assessment of the effect of prescription charges on those with multiple sclerosis. However, there are a number of prescription charge exemptions in place, in England, for which someone with multiple sclerosis may qualify. These include exemptions based on age and low income, such as certain out of work benefits and the NHS Low Income Scheme, which support those who cannot afford to pay for their prescriptions. Where someone does not qualify for exemption, Prescription Prepayment Certificates can be purchased. The 3-month and 12-month certificates allow someone to claim as many prescriptions as they need for £29.10 and £104, respectively.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2016-05-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have been treated with adult stem cells in the UK in each of the last 10 years.
George Freeman
The Department does not hold data on the number of patients receiving stem cell treatments.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-07-18.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have held with the Secretary General of the Commonwealth about recent visits to Rwanda and Uganda by Omar al Bashir, President of Sudan, who has been indicted by the International Criminal Court for genocide and crimes against humanity.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We have not held any discussions with the Secretary General of the Commonwealth on this matter. However we continue to believe that State cooperation, in particular with respect to enforcement of arrest warrants is vital for the International Criminal Court to be effective in fulfilling its mandate to achieve justice for the victims of atrocities. We look forward to future meetings and discussions with the Secretary General on shared priorities for the Commonwealth.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2016-10-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her has Department made of the number of UK nationals who have travelled overseas to engage in terrorist activity and have subsequently returned to this country.
Mr Ben Wallace
The Government takes the threat posed by UK nationals who travel overseas to engage in terrorist activity extremely seriously. We are particularly concerned about those who travel to Syria and Iraq to fight; around 850 linked individuals have travelled to engage in the conflict since it began, and just under half of those have returned.
People seeking to travel to engage in terrorist activity should be in no doubt we will take the strongest possible action to protect our national security.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patten on 2015-12-21.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the relationship between criminal offending and literacy levels.
Lord Bates
There is no single factor which explains crime. As the Home Secretary has said, the evidence suggests that there are six main drivers of crime: alcohol; drugs; the effectiveness of the Criminal Justice System; opportunity; profit; and character. Character, or an individual’s propensity to commit crime, appears to be influenced by a range of social and environmental influences as they grow up. However, the Home Office has made no specific assessment of the relationship between crime and literacy levels.
The most recent crime statistics published by the Office for National Statistics showed that overall crime fell by 8% in the year to June 2015, according to the Crime Survey for England and Wales. Crime has now fallen by more than a quarter since June 2010, with just over 2.9 million fewer crimes a year.