Tag: 2016

  • Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to reduce the financial burden on people with cancer which arises from their condition and affects their ability to recover.

    Jane Ellison

    In its report Achieving World Class Cancer Outcomes: A Strategy for England 2015-2020 (July 2015), the independent Cancer Taskforce called for an acceleration of the commissioning and provision of services to support people affected by cancer to live as healthy and as happy lives as possible. Over the last few years, NHS England has been working with Macmillan Cancer Support to roll out the Recovery Package, which describes a set of actions that ensure that the individual needs of all people going through cancer treatment and beyond are met by tailored support and services. By working through a Recovery Package, patients and clinicians assess patients’ holistic needs and plan appropriately for their care and support. They ensure that a treatment summary is sent between a patient’s hospital and their general practitioner (GP), that they are appropriately followed up by their GP, and can attend health and wellbeing events for patients and carers.

    In September 2015, we announced that by 2020, the 280,000 people diagnosed with cancer every year will benefit from a tailored recovery package. In April 2016, NHS England published guidance on the commissioning of these services to support people living with and beyond cancer, and will continue to support both Sustainability and Transformation Plan footprints and clinical commissioning groups to put this guidance into action. Support for patients living with and beyond cancer should be tailored specifically to the needs of every patient, including to access the financial support they need.

  • Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2016-07-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the continuing impact of the alterations to the state pension age on women born in the 1950s, on or after 6 April 1951.

    Lord Freud

    The decision to equalise the State Pension age for men and women dates back to 1995 and addresses a longstanding inequality. Since April 2010, women’s State Pension age has been gradually increasing for those born after 6 April 1950. Following sharp increases in life expectancy projections, and therefore the increase in the number of people living longer in retirement, this timetable was accelerated by the Pensions Act 2011.

    The Government listened to concerns expressed by those affected by the Pension Act 2011 changes, and took action to limit the maximum change to State Pension age to 18 months, a concession worth over £1billion.

    All those affected by the faster equalisation timetable will reach State Pension age following the introduction of the new State Pension, which is more generous for many women who have historically done poorly under the current system.

    The average woman reaching State Pension age in the first forty years of the new State Pension is estimated to receive 10 per cent more State Pension over her lifetime than the average man.

    Women retiring today can still expect to receive the State Pension for 26 years on average – several years longer than men. And this generation of women will spend a higher proportion of their lives in retirement than any before.

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to reduce the autism employment gap.

    Penny Mordaunt

    We will shortly publish a Green Paper on work and health and conduct a consultation aimed at disabled people, their representative organisations and a wide range of other stakeholders.

    We have put in place the Autism Alliance UK contract to upskill autism leads across the JCP+/DWP Network – Delivering autism and associated hidden impairments training by specialists in this area. So far we have reached over 1,100 staff.

    It is hoped the training will help increase the proportion of autistic adults in full-time employment, which currently stands at 15%, according to the National Autistic Society.

    DWP has also developed an uncovering hidden impairments toolkit to help colleagues support those with hidden impairments, including autism.

  • Fiona Bruce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Fiona Bruce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2015-12-17.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 1.144 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, how women’s charities can apply for some of the £15 million annual fund.

    Greg Hands

    Bids and nominations for donations from the sanitary products VAT women’s charities fund can be submitted to HM Treasury by letter. The letter should set out the amount being sought and detail what it would fund. All representations will be given full consideration ahead of Budget 2016, and further rounds of donations will follow at future fiscal events. The fund will continue to run over the course of this Parliament or until the UK can apply a zero rate of VAT on sanitary products.

  • Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2016-01-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of recent reports by the OECD that the least developed countries received a smaller share of aid in 2014 than at any time in the last 10 years.

    Baroness Verma

    The least developed countries (LDCs) received a smaller share of total Official Development Assistance (ODA) in 2014 than in eight of the previous ten years. It is important to note that the overall ODA figure includes contributions that cannot be attributed to a specific benefitting country (e.g. core contributions to multilateral organisations) even though LDCs will have benefitted.

    The UK played a leading role in securing a Development Assistance Committee commitment to reverse the declining trend of ODA to the poorest countries and for this commitment to be referenced in the June 2015 G7 Leaders’ Summit communique.

    The UK’s ODA is focused on countries in most need. The Department for International Development uses a range of criteria to inform how aid is allocated across countries, including current and projected future poverty levels, the country’s ability to self-finance its own development needs and the likely effectiveness of UK aid.

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-02-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) junior doctors, (b) consultants, (c) nurses and (d) healthcare assistants have been employed to undertake work capability assessments in each year for which figures are available.

    Priti Patel

    Data on Healthcare Professionals’ backgrounds has been recorded for statistical purposes since March 2015. The background of Healthcare Professionals has been recorded as either: Nurse; Physiotherapist; Doctor, or; Occupational Therapist.

    From March 2015 to January 2016, CHDA employed 612 nurses; 66 physiotherapists and 147 doctors on average each month. Occupational therapists have been recruited from July 2015 and the average number employed each month to January 2016 was 10.

  • Lord Berkeley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Berkeley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2016-03-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their latest estimate of (1) the number of HS2 trains of each size required for HS2 Phase 1 and HS2 Phase 2, and (2) the total cost (a) of each type of train, and (b) for each phase.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The Functional Response annexed to the Development Agreement outlines what HS2 Ltd will deliver to satisfy the Sponsor’s Requirements, including capacity requirements for both phases of the new railway. HS2 Ltd are in the process of completing their Rolling Stock Strategy which will contain greater detail on the fleet sizes expected to be procured.

    As part of the Spending Round announced in November 2015, the rolling stock funding envelope has been integrated with the relevant Phase specific infrastructure funding envelope as shown below.

    Phase One

    27.2

    Phase Two

    28.5

    Programme Total

    55.7

    Note. The above table shows information in £Billion at 2015 prices.

  • Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2016-04-20.

    To ask the Prime Minister, when he plans to respond to the hon. Member for Ashfield’s correspondence of 8 March 2016 on voter registration.

    Mr David Cameron

    My Office did not receive the original letter but has now obtained a copy. A reply will be sent shortly.

  • Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the report of Surrogacy UK, Surrogacy in the UK: Myth busting and reform, published on 28 April 2016, if he will take steps to publish a legal pathway document for intended parents and surrogates.

    Jane Ellison

    Surrogacy is a complex issue, the legislation about which has not been significantly addressed by respective administrations since the Surrogacy Arrangements Act was introduced in 1985. The Government recognises the arguments for the need for a review, and we have therefore asked the Law Commission, as part of the consultation on its 13th work programme this summer, to consider including a project on surrogacy.

    The Department has not issued guidance about surrogacy to professional groups or the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS). The Government recognises surrogacy as an important option for some people wishing to start a family and is currently considering how best to clarify the current legal arrangements for intended parents, surrogates and their families. The CAFCASS campaign to increase awareness of Parental Orders is ongoing and targeted at health workers, local authority registration staff and surrogacy agencies. It will be evaluated in full upon completion in autumn 2016; in-campaign monitoring indicates its messaging is reaching the target audience.

  • Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much the Propriety and Ethics Unit spent on legal advice relating to Freedom of Information cases in the last 12 months.

    Ben Gummer

    The information requested is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.