Tag: Alison McGovern

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison McGovern on 2015-11-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on ensuring that mental health is removed as an obstacle to entering the workplace.

Alistair Burt

Ministers at the Department of Health and Department for Work and Pensions met on 3 June and agreed to greater cross government working between our respective Departments. Following that meeting, the Department of Health and Department for Work and Pensions Work and Health Unit was created to improve the health and employment outcomes of benefit claimants. Next year, the unit will launch a range of voluntary mental health and employment pilots to support working age individuals with or at risk of developing a mental health condition retain and return to employment.

We know that people come into contact with the welfare system at a time when they may be vulnerable because of unemployment and its associated consequences. The Department for Work and Pensions provides guidance and training for staff to help them identify and support people who may be vulnerable.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison McGovern on 2016-01-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the target of 20,000 resettled Syrian refugees is met by the end of this Parliament.

Richard Harrington

On 16 December 2015, the Prime Minister informed the House we had met our commitment of resettling 1,000 Syrians before Christmas. By hitting this target we have shown that we are on track to resettle 20,000 during the life of this parliament. The Government is working closely with local authorities, international delivery partners and the voluntary sector, putting in place the plans and structures to deliver this and ensuring the system is scaled up in a way that protects the interests of all concerned.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison McGovern on 2015-11-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on support for people with mental health conditions who claim jobseeker’s allowance.

Alistair Burt

Ministers at the Department of Health and Department for Work and Pensions met on 3 June and agreed to greater cross government working between our respective Departments. Following that meeting, the Department of Health and Department for Work and Pensions Work and Health Unit was created to improve the health and employment outcomes of benefit claimants. Next year, the unit will launch a range of voluntary mental health and employment pilots to support working age individuals with or at risk of developing a mental health condition retain and return to employment.

We know that people come into contact with the welfare system at a time when they may be vulnerable because of unemployment and its associated consequences. The Department for Work and Pensions provides guidance and training for staff to help them identify and support people who may be vulnerable.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison McGovern on 2016-01-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps are being taken to implement the recommendation of Professor Steve Field in his report on how the NHS treats transgender people.

Jane Ellison

Specialised gender identity services are directly commissioned by NHS England.

NHS England has considered the outcomes of the listening exercise conducted by Professor Field and has put in place a significant programme of work to improve healthcare services for transgender and non-binary people. A dedicated task group has been established to provide leadership and coordination of NHS England’s work to improve transgender and non-binary people’s experience of the National Health Service, and NHS England holds a Transgender Network event twice a year. Regular updates on NHS England’s work to improve gender identity services are given on NHS England’s website by the Regional Director of Specialised Commissioning (London) who chairs the task group.

A Clinical Reference Group for Gender Identity Services has been established, comprising professional and lay experts. This group makes recommendations to NHS England on clinical matters. Issues around the standardisation of pathways across gender identity services and clinical protocols are being considered as part of the current work to develop a service specification that, it is proposed, will describe how NHS England will commission these services in the future. The process for developing a proposed service specification has included a period of public consultation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison McGovern on 2015-11-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of claimants on jobseeker’s allowance have registered as having a mental health condition.

Priti Patel

JSA claimants do not have to declare a mental health condition, therefore the information requested is not available.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison McGovern on 2016-01-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to provide a standardised pathway service across gender reassignment services.

Jane Ellison

Specialised gender identity services are directly commissioned by NHS England.

NHS England has considered the outcomes of the listening exercise conducted by Professor Field and has put in place a significant programme of work to improve healthcare services for transgender and non-binary people. A dedicated task group has been established to provide leadership and coordination of NHS England’s work to improve transgender and non-binary people’s experience of the National Health Service, and NHS England holds a Transgender Network event twice a year. Regular updates on NHS England’s work to improve gender identity services are given on NHS England’s website by the Regional Director of Specialised Commissioning (London) who chairs the task group.

A Clinical Reference Group for Gender Identity Services has been established, comprising professional and lay experts. This group makes recommendations to NHS England on clinical matters. Issues around the standardisation of pathways across gender identity services and clinical protocols are being considered as part of the current work to develop a service specification that, it is proposed, will describe how NHS England will commission these services in the future. The process for developing a proposed service specification has included a period of public consultation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison McGovern on 2015-11-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what monitoring his Department carries out on changes in the number of people on jobseeker’s allowance registered as having a mental health condition; and what change there has been in such numbers since 2010.

Priti Patel

JSA claimants do not have to declare a mental health condition, therefore the information requested is not available.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison McGovern on 2016-01-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to develop polices on confirming the date a transgender person has begun living in role.

Jane Ellison

Specialised gender identity services are directly commissioned by NHS England.

NHS England has considered the outcomes of the listening exercise conducted by Professor Field and has put in place a significant programme of work to improve healthcare services for transgender and non-binary people. A dedicated task group has been established to provide leadership and coordination of NHS England’s work to improve transgender and non-binary people’s experience of the National Health Service, and NHS England holds a Transgender Network event twice a year. Regular updates on NHS England’s work to improve gender identity services are given on NHS England’s website by the Regional Director of Specialised Commissioning (London) who chairs the task group.

A Clinical Reference Group for Gender Identity Services has been established, comprising professional and lay experts. This group makes recommendations to NHS England on clinical matters. Issues around the standardisation of pathways across gender identity services and clinical protocols are being considered as part of the current work to develop a service specification that, it is proposed, will describe how NHS England will commission these services in the future. The process for developing a proposed service specification has included a period of public consultation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison McGovern on 2015-11-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support his Department makes available for people with mental health conditions who claim jobseeker’s allowance in getting them back into the workplace.

Priti Patel

Jobcentre Plus delivers a flexible support model for claimants: a core regime of regular face-to-face meetings, flexible work coach support and a menu of support options. This includes a personalised service tailored to the individual needs of the claimant, such as Mental Health conditions, and the local labour market. Additionally, the Access to Work Mental Health Support Service offers support to individuals with a mental health condition who are absent from work or finding work difficult.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison McGovern on 2016-02-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what data his Department collects on sales of highly caffeinated drinks to children.

Jane Ellison

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has advised us that the safety of caffeine has been reviewed by the European Food Safety Authority, which specified a level of caffeine for children and adolescents which does not raise safety concerns. For a 10-year-old child this is equivalent to the amount of caffeine in one 250 ml can of high caffeine drink.

The FSA does not collect data on the sale of high caffeine drinks and has no plans to restrict the sale of these drinks to children. However, the FSA advises that children and other people who are sensitive to caffeine should consume caffeine only in moderation. High caffeine drinks must be labelled with an advisory statement that they are not recommended for children.