Tag: 2016

  • David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2016-07-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if Sport England will take steps to ensure that children’s fitness and activity levels do not decline from their term-time levels in the summer holidays.

    Tracey Crouch

    We want to ensure that all children, regardless of background, ability or where they live, are able to engage in sport and physical activity in a way that interests and benefits them. Through the Government’s sports strategy Sporting Future, published in December 2015, Sport England will now invest in sporting provision for children aged five and over – previously the starting age was 14 years old.

    In addition, Sport England’s new strategy, Towards an Active Nation, published in May 2016, sets out their plans to make a major new investment of £40 million into projects which offer new opportunities for families with children to get active and play sport together. Sport England will continue to work with organisations across the sport sector as it implements its strategy.

  • Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much heroin has been given to heroin addicts in line with his Department’s policy set out on page 31 of the Modern Crime Prevention Strategy, published by his predecessor in March 2016.

    Nicola Blackwood

    As outlined in the Government’s Modern Crime Prevention Strategy, the use of injectable diamorphine as part of treatment for a small cohort of entrenched, long-term opiate users can be effective.

    On behalf of the Department, Public Health England managed a pilot programme of supervised injectable diamorphine prescribing at a cost of £2 million per annum. The pilot ran from 2012 to 2015 at: South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust in Southwark, London; Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust in Brighton; and Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust in Easington, County Durham.

    Information about expenditure on diamorphine prescribing for the treatment of dependence, sites where it is available outside this pilot, and how much diamorphine has been prescribed to heroin addicts is not collected centrally. The decision to commission and fund the local provision of diamorphine prescribing is for local authorities.

  • Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2016-01-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the retention rate is of teachers recruited through the Troops to Teachers scheme.

    Nick Gibb

    There has only been one cohort to complete to date. The retention rate for this cohort was 76 per cent.

    The current retention rate for cohort 2 is 90 per cent, and for cohort 3 it is 96 per cent.

  • Lord Freyberg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Freyberg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Freyberg on 2016-02-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the first results from the prostate patient reported outcomes, and in particular for incontinence rates, will be available from the National Prostate Cancer Audit.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The proportion of men diagnosed with locally advanced prostate cancer between 2010 and 2013 (the Audit period) who had radical treatment, and the proportion who had a hospital length of stay over three days and who required an emergency readmission within 90 days following an operation, are presented by health region in the attached headed Table 1.

    It should be noted that the results presented are based on an analysis of data from the English Cancer Registry linked to the Hospital Episode Statistics. These data were collected before the start of the National Prostate Cancer Audit (NPCA) in April 2013.

    The number of radical prostatectomies undertaken in men diagnosed between 2010 and 2013, and the proportion of men who had a hospital length of stay over three days and who had an emergency readmission within 90 days following an operation, are presented in the attached headed Table 2. The results of 56 men included in the data set used to generate Figure 8 in the NPCA Annual Report 2015 could not be included in Table 2. Of these men, 37 were treated in National Health Service trusts that treated fewer than five patients during the Audit period; and for 19 patients it was not possible to identify the NHS trust where they had undergone treatment without incurring disproportionate cost.

    The first results for the patient-reported outcomes of men who were diagnosed with prostate cancer between 1 April 2014 and 30 September 2014, and who underwent radical treatment (prostatectomy, external beam radiation, brachytherapy, cryotherapy, and high-intensity focused ultrasound), will be included in the NPCA’s Annual Report 2016, which is due to be published in the last quarter of 2016. These results will include incontinence rates.

    Men who had radical prostate cancer treatment were invited to complete a questionnaire about their experiences of care as well as about treatment outcomes, 18 months after the date of diagnosis. It was decided that questionnaires should be sent out at this time after diagnosis because it can take more than one year for men who have radiotherapy, in combination with androgen deprivation therapy, to complete their treatment. Subsequently, it will take at least three months for men to fully recover from the transient side effects of the radiotherapy. In order to include all men and to measure the final treatment outcome – rather than outcomes still affected by the transient side effects – an 18-month period was chosen.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-03-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much security guards in his Department are paid.

    Justin Tomlinson

    DWP do not directly employ any security guards, they are supplied via our PFI contractor Telereal Trillium who subcontract the supply of all security to G4S.

    G4S pay rates (as of 1 January 2016) vary on geographical location and the average pay rate for each Government Office Region (GOR) is set out below:

    GOVERNMENT OFFICE REGION

    HOURLY PAY RATE (Average)

    GOR 1 Scotland

    £7.84

    GOR 2 North East

    £7.84

    GOR 3 North West

    £7.85

    GOR 4 Yorkshire & Humberside

    £7.86

    GOR 5 East Midlands

    £7.86

    GOR 6 West Midlands

    £7.83

    GOR 7 East of England

    £8.38

    GOR 8 Wales

    £7.87

    GOR 9 Southern

    £8.39

    GOR 10 London

    £9.26

    GOR 11 South West

    £7.88

    All G4S security guards/officers (irrespective of age) are already paid above the National Living Wage of £7.20/hour which will be introduced from 01-Apr-16.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-04-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what his policy is on whether the same data protection and privatisation obligations will apply for the company carrying out the functions of the Land Registry in the event that it is privatised under the (a) Government’s preferred model of privatisation with a contract between the Government and a private operator and (b) alternative model of privatisation with independent economic regulation.

    Anna Soubry

    Government recognises the importance of data protection and data security. Data protection maintains confidence in the integrity of the register and the services of Land Registry. Under all the proposals put forward in the consultation, statutory data collected through core statutory functions would continue to be owned by government.

    In addition, a private sector operator would be a data processor and would be required to comply with the Data Protection Act 1998. This controls how personal information is used by organisations, businesses or government.

    Everyone responsible for using data has to follow strict rules called ‘data protection principles’. They must make sure the information is:

    • used fairly and lawfully;
    • used for limited, specifically stated purposes;
    • used in a way that is adequate, relevant and not excessive;
    • accurate and kept up to date;
    • kept for no longer than is necessary;
    • handled according to people’s data protection rights;
    • kept safe and secure.

    All data controllers are accountable to the Information Commissioner who has powers to enforce data protection law and impose sanctions.

  • Ian Blackford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Ian Blackford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Blackford on 2016-05-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 24 May 2016 to Question 37321, on healthy life expectancy, what specific assessment he has made of what account is taken of healthy life expectancy distinct from life expectancy in making decisions on future levels of pension age.

    Justin Tomlinson

    In making decisions on future State Pension age arrangements the Secretary of State will be informed by the first review, established under the Pensions Act 2014, which is due to report by May 2017. This review will take into account up to date life expectancy data and the report from the independently led review.

    The purpose of the independent report is to recommend to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what to consider when making decisions on future State Pension age arrangements. In conducting its analysis and reaching recommendations the review will also to have regard to variations between different groups and the views of organisation and individuals on factors to be taken into account. It will consult widely to ensure that it has considered the appropriate evidence and the range of views of interested parties.

  • David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2016-07-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will develop and implement a national measure to (a) monitor whether patients with suspected giant cell arteritis (GCA) are being referred to a specialist within one working day and (b) ensure services are complying with the recommendation in National BSR and BHPR Guidelines for the management of GCA’s urgent referral to a specialist.

    David Mowat

    Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for the provision of services for people with giant cell arteritis (GCA). Whilst it would not be appropriate for NHS England to direct CCGs to adopt a particular clinical pathway, it continues to ensure that the innovative approach developed at Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (FT) is shared and made available to clinicians.

    There are a number of clinical guidelines that are available to support the prompt diagnosis and referral of patients with suspected GCA, including one produced by the Royal College of Physicians, which Professor Bhaskar Dasgupta, who developed the GCA pathway at Southend University Hospital NHS FT, helped to produce. This guidance provides a framework for disease assessment, immediate treatment and referral to specialist care. Furthermore, both the British Society for Rheumatology and the British Health Professionals in Rheumatology published guidelines on the management of polymyalgia rheumatica, a related condition, for general practitioners and rheumatologists. These encourage the prompt diagnosis and urgent management of GCA, helping to minimise GCA related vision loss.

    The Specialised Rheumatology Clinical Reference Group at NHS England has developed proposals to establish local rheumatology networks. These are being implemented over a three year period to support consistent access to clinically effective therapies and to share good and innovative practice across the country. In addition, NHS England’s innovation team has invited Professor Dasgupta to contribute to the NHS Innovation Exchange Portal to ensure that this knowledge is shared.

    On 24 June 2016, NHS England recently facilitated a webinar presented by Professor Dasgupta, which aimed to show how the fast-track pathway has significantly reduced the number of patients suffering sight-loss as an avoidable complication of GCA and, in addition, presents a case that this model is cost-saving, results in an increased patient quality of life, and successfully reduces the time to diagnosis in line with established clinical guidelines. NHS England promoted the webinar across the musculoskeletal community as well as to CCGs and patient groups through a wide range of communications channels.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what representations she has made to her counterparts in (a) Haiti, (b) Jamaica, (c) Cuba and (d) the Bahamas on humanitarian aid to address the damage caused by hurricane Matthew.

    Rory Stewart

    The Secretary of State has been monitoring the impact of Hurricane Matthew closely and has announced up to £5 million to support Haiti where many of those most affected live. The DFID team in Haiti and Foreign and Commonwealth Office embassies and High Commissions in the region are in close contact with relevant authorities in order to understand the impact and programme these funds effectively.

  • Ian C. Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Ian C. Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2016-01-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Bahraini government on Mr Hassan Mushaima receiving appropriate medical treatment while in custody.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We are aware of the case of Hassam Mushiema and we have raised it with the Government of Bahrain. We continue to encourage the Government of Bahrain to deliver on its international and domestic human rights commitments and to appropriately address all reports of ill-treatment of detainees. We also encourage all those with concerns about their treatment in detention to report these directly to the Ombudsman.