Tag: 2016

  • Sarah Wollaston – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Sarah Wollaston – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Wollaston on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he has received requests to expedite the timetable of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation for a decision on HPV vaccination for boys; and whether he plans to review that timetable.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department and Public Health England (PHE) have received correspondence from hon. members, organisations and members of the public asking for the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s (JCVI’s) advice to be expedited.

    The JCVI has requested modelling work to help inform whether a human papillomavirus vaccination programme for boys would be cost-effective. It is anticipated that PHE will submit this to JCVI by early 2017. This is not an issue of resources, as the process of model development and checking the validity of the results is complex and requires close working between the modelling team and the scientific and clinical experts. We need to follow due process and ensure that decisions are based upon robust and rigorous cost-effectiveness analysis.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many and what proportion of Personal Medical Services contracts by general practices in (a) Hampstead and Kilburn, (b) London and (c) England have been reviewed by NHS England; and in how many such cases have the surgeries been advised of the future funding arrangements to financial year 2021-22.

    Alistair Burt

    NHS England carried out a stocktake of progress in completing Personal Medical Services (PMS) reviews in December 2015. This found:

    a) There are 10 PMS practices in Hampstead and Kilburn; none of these have had a PMS contract review as yet;

    b) 620 (100%) PMS contract reviews are still to be completed in London; and

    c) 1,847 (61%) PMS contract reviews have been completed in England.

    The proposed London-wide contract and funding has been communicated to practices. Camden Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Brent CCG commissioning intentions are currently being agreed and will be communicated to practices in line with the timetable.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-03-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will conduct a new review of the case for recommending a pardon for Dic Penderyn.

    Dominic Raab

    By convention, the Secretary of State for Justice only recommends the exercise of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy to grant a free pardon where evidence has come to light which demonstrates conclusively that the convicted individual was innocent and where all of the relevant appeal mechanisms have been exhausted.

    As far as I am aware, no approach has been made either to the Court of Appeal or to the Criminal Cases Review Commission to appeal or review the conviction of Dic Penderyn. In light of that, it would not be appropriate for the Secretary of State for Justice to consider whether to recommend to Her Majesty The Queen that she exercise the Royal Prerogative of Mercy.

  • Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to reduce HGV testing waiting lists at Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency testing centres.

    Andrew Jones

    The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency is reducing vocational waiting times by recruiting more examiners, improving its forecasting model to better match resource with demand and redeploying examiners from lower wait centres to those with higher waiting times.

  • David Simpson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    David Simpson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2016-06-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that increases in the number of foreign, high-fee-paying students does not jeopardise access by UK students to places at their local university.

    Joseph Johnson

    International students are not in competition for places with British students. The UK is the second most popular destination for international students, and those coming here to study count towards our education exports. International students pay fees to fund their places, and also bring other benefits including providing diversity on our campuses.

  • Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much his Department provided to each London borough in Homeless Prevention Grant for 2016-17.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    One person without a home is one too many. That is why we have maintained and protected homelessness prevention funding for local authorities through the local government finance settlement totalling £315 million by 2019/20. We have also increased central government funding to tackle homelessness to £139 million over the next four years.

    The spreadsheet showing individual authority allocations was published on 8 February and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/core-spending-power-final-local-government-finance-settlement-2016-to-2017.

  • 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 2016-10-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government is taking to reduce the time taken for people with (a) rare and ultra-rare conditions, (b) Morquio A Syndrome and (c) Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy to access treatment.

    Nicola Blackwood

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has advised that, with NHS England, it is currently running a consultation which sets out proposals to enable faster access to therapies for patients with ultra-rare conditions. The proposals outline what conditions need to be met in order to receive a positive recommendation through the NICE highly specialised technologies programme and what mechanisms should be in place to introduce new technologies and manage the affordability challenge for NHS England.

    NICE has also advised that a proportion of patients with Morqiuo syndrome who have met the criteria under the managed access agreement are already receiving elosulfase alfa (Vimizim) and are being monitored by their specialist centre. The remainder are being assessed to ensure that they fulfil the eligibility criteria and patients who do will start treatment within the first year of the managed access agreement coming into force. A very small proportion of the population has decided for personal reasons not to participate.

    NHS England and PTC Therapeutics, with the brokering of NICE, agreed a managed access agreement that will enable access to translarna (Ataluren) for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Specialist centres are in the process of reviewing potentially eligible patients to assess their suitability to receive the drug under the terms agreed in the managed access agreement.

  • Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cheryl Gillan on 2016-01-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many members of staff have left HS2 Ltd or his Department and been re-engaged on a self-employed or consultancy basis by either organisation in each year since the formation of HS2 Ltd.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Part A

    HS2 Ltd do not have any staff who have been re-engaged on a self-employed or consultancy basis.

    Part B

    The Department for Transport (excluding its Agencies) has 3 staff that have been re engaged on a self-employed or consultancy basis during this time period.

  • John Mc Nally – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    John Mc Nally – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mc Nally on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to improve access to specialist psychology support for people with muscle-wasting conditions.

    Jane Ellison

    With regards to the National Health Service in Scotland, as healthcare is a devolved issue, the Department cannot comment.

    NHS England commissions specialised neurological services at a national level, including those with muscle-wasting conditions. The neurosciences service specification sets out what designated specialised providers must have in place to offer evidence-based, safe and effective care. Patients should have access to a multidisciplinary team (MDT) to assess, diagnose and provide support. The MDT will include neuromuscular consultants, neuromuscular physiotherapists, psychologists, specialist nurses, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists and other health professionals.

    The specification further sets out that neuromuscular clinics need to identify those at risk of respiratory problems and refer for specialist respiratory assessment and monitoring.

    The specification can be found at the following link:

    www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/d04-neurosci-spec-neuro.pdf

    A separate specification covers services for children.

    www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/e09-paedi-neurology.pdf

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2016 to Questions 24490 and 24491, when her Department expects to have made a decision on whether to grant the right of abode to former British-Hong Kong servicemen.

    James Brokenshire

    The assessment of the request by former members of the Hong Kong Military Service Corps that they be granted right of abode in the UK is on-going, including discussions at official level with other government departments and a review of archived material on the schemes established between 1990 and 1997. A decision will be made as soon as practicable