Tag: Andrew Gwynne

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2015-11-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what forecast his Department has made of (a) the reduction in cases of and deaths from infection with meningococcal disease caused by groups A, C, W, and Y as a result of the introduction of the Men ACWY vaccine in 2015, (b) the number of Men ACWY vaccines which will be administered and (c) the cost of delivering that programme in each year of its operation.

Jane Ellison

The MenACWY programme was introduced in August 2015 as an emergency programme to control a national outbreak of meningococcal group W (MenW) disease.

From August 2015 to the end of August 2017 the MenACWY programme will offer a single dose of vaccine to individuals born between 1 September 1996 and 31 August 2003 inclusive. In addition, vaccines will be offered to those entering university for the first time aged up to 25 years (excluding individuals in the previously mentioned birth cohort). The number of doses given will depend on uptake, i.e. the proportion of eligible individuals who receive the vaccine.

Due to the emergency status and aims of this programme, a formal cost-effectiveness analysis was not performed, part of which would have been an estimation of the reduction in cases and deaths from invasive meningococcal disease (IMD). The MenACWY vaccine is currently replacing the MenC vaccine used in the existing adolescent and university freshers’ programmes.

The forecast cost of delivering the MenACWY programme in each year.

Year	Estimated cost of delivering the MenACWY programme
2015/16	£35 million
2016/17	£30 million
2017/18	£20 million

Note: These are the full programme costs (including cost of the vaccine) for England, inclusive of VAT.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-01-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that all lower limb amputees have access to the most appropriate prosthetics.

Alistair Burt

The commissioning of prosthetics is the responsibility of NHS England as a specialised service. The rehabilitation and re-ablement of patients is provided at a local level by specialised Multi-Disciplinary Teams which should be consultant led. The NHS Standard Contract for Complex Disability Equipment – Prosthetics, sets out how the specialist centres should operate and the required level of prosthetic services to be delivered.

A revised policy proposal for the routine commissioning of microprocessor controlled knees was considered by NHS England’s expert Clinical Priorities Advisory Group which recommended its adoption for routine commissioning. The proposal was then considered by NHS England’s Specialised Commissioning Oversight Group at its meeting on 9 December where it was agreed that NHS England would support this service development as a possible call on its resources. However given the potential scale of investment and the need to consider its priority relative to other treatments which would also have a possible call on the specialised commissioning resources, it was decided that the policy should go forward for consideration as part of NHS England’s next annual prioritisation round in June 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-01-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward legislative proposals on the introduction of (a) call-in and (b) scrutiny arrangements for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

Mr Marcus Jones

The Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill, when enacted, will require all combined authorities to establish at least one overview and scrutiny committee to scrutinise decisions and actions, and make recommendations to the authority. Such a committee will be able to call-in decisions of the combined authority and mayor and recommend that the decision be reconsidered.

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority has – ahead of the legislative requirement – established such an overview and scrutiny committee. The Bill also requires the Secretary of State to make secondary legislation about membership of overview and scrutiny committees, which the Secretary of State intends to do as Parliamentary time allows. We are confident that with these legislative provisions each combined authority will have robust scrutiny arrangements commensurate with the powers the authority will exercise.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-01-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will meet the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish to discuss the consultation process for the draft Greater Manchester Spatial Framework Development Plan.

James Wharton

The Association of Greater Manchester Authorities is currently involved in the preparation of a Greater Manchester Spatial Framework Development Plan working with the 10 metropolitan councils in the Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s area. We understand that this is intended to become a joint development plan document.

A local authority may arrange for the discharge of any of its functions by a committee, sub-committee, an officer or by any other local authority. The ten local authorities have delegated responsibility for the “coordination” of the Greater Manchester Strategic Framework to Association of Greater Manchester Authorities Executive Board, a committee of the Combined Authority. Under these current arrangements, it is for each individual authority to decide how to engage its members in the production of the document.

Each local planning authority must also comply with section 18 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, which requires them to prepare a Statement of Community Involvement which should explain how they will engage local communities and other interested parties in producing development plan documents and determining planning applications. This should be published on the local planning authority’s website and it is the authority’s responsibility to ensure that any Development Plan Document is prepared in accordance with it.

It would not be appropriate for me to meet to discuss the detail of a plan in preparation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-01-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what work her Department is doing to monitor air quality standards in (a) Greater Manchester and (b) England.

Rory Stewart

Defra has eight fixed air quality monitoring sites located in Greater Manchester – at Bury Whitefield Roadside, Glazebury, Manchester Law Courts, Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester South, Salford Eccles, Shaw Crompton Way, Wigan Centre – and one hundred and seventy eight fixed monitoring sites in total across England.

Many of these sites (seven in Manchester and 111 across England) provide near real-time data on one or more of the following pollutants: nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter (PM₁₀ and PM_2.5), ozone, and sulphur dioxide. Data is made available on our website.

Full details of the sites, including locations, pollutants measured and concentrations observed at each, are available on Defra’s UK Air Website: http://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/.

Data from these sites is reported alongside modelling data as part of the UK’s annual national compliance reporting.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which National Clinical Director will be responsible for overseeing the neurology intelligence network from March 2016; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison

Sir Bruce Keogh, NHS England’s Medical Director, has undertaken a review of the National Clinical Director (NCD) resource designed to focus clinical advisory resources on areas where major programmes of work are currently being taking forward, or areas identified as priorities for improvement. As a result of the review, NHS England has proposed to change the way in which clinical advice is received in speciality areas in the future.

Where there will no longer be a specific NCD role, NHS England will secure expert clinical advice from its Clinical Networks and through its relationships with professional bodies and by appointing clinical advisors. For neurology it is planned that access to advice will be through clinical leads and members of the NHS England-funded neurology clinical networks, the Neurology Clinical Reference Group and Royal Colleges. It is expected that these new arrangements will be in place from 1 April 2016.

The Neurology Intelligence Network (NIN) is a joint partnership programme between Public Health England (PHE) and NHS England to support the generation and dissemination of neurology related health intelligence. PHE currently funds the on-going design, development and management of the NIN.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-02-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2016 to Question 24211, which school sites have been approved or are being considered for disposal in the (a) Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council, (b) Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council and (c) Greater Manchester Combined Authority areas.

Edward Timpson

The Secretary of State is currently considering two applications to dispose of school land in the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

Since February 2013, the Secretary of State has approved the following applications to dispose of school land from:

Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council:

• Mossley Hollins High School
• New Charter Academy, Silver Springs Campus
• Thomas Ashton Special School (Primary (Hyde) and Secondary Centre Sites)

Greater Manchester Combined Authority:

• Oldhams County Primary School
• Millwood Primary Special School
• Ewing School
• Ambrose Barlow High School
• Harrop Fold High School
• Our Lady and the Lancashire Martyrs Primary School
• Seedley Primary School
• St Joseph High School
• Tootal Drive Primary School
• Bedford Hall Methodist Nursery
• Ince St Mary’s Primary
• Nicole Mere Primary School
• Oakfield High School
• Marland Fold School
• Abraham Guest High School
• North Chadderton School
• South Chadderton School
• Failsworth School

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to include additional road surface noise reduction measures, a sound barrier and home noise insulation measures in the contract specifications for the M60 smart motorway extension through Denton.

Andrew Jones

The M60 Smart Motorway project near Denton is currently in its early design stage and the scope and boundaries of the project are still being defined. By the nature, of this type of project, Highways England expect that the scheme will mostly be within the existing motorway footprint. This could include a quiet road surfacing or sound barriers.

However, any compensation arrangements will be the same as for all such improvement schemes. If properties in the nearby area of the scheme qualify for noise insulation under the Noise Insulation Regulations, then appropriate offers will be made.

The environmental impact will be assessed as part of the design and any necessary actions will be considered during the detailed design. One year after the completion of the scheme, local property owners may apply for compensation under Part I of the Land Compensation Act 1973 and such claims will be assessed under the terms of that Act.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to reduce the amount of litter on Highways England’s road network; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Jones

Highways England, as a Government Owned Company, is responsible for complying with the mandatory legal requirements under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, which includes removing litter on England’s motorways. Collecting litter puts road workers at risk and is a costly operation, so Highways England works collaboratively with a number of organisations to promote anti-litter campaigns.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-03-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the letter to the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish from the Minister for Local Growth and the Northern Powerhouse of 18 February 2016, on accountability of combined authorities, whether the scrutiny requirements of the Local Government Act 2000 apply to combined authorities.

James Wharton

The scrutiny requirements for combined authorities are set out in Schedule 5A to the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009, as inserted by the Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016, which provide that overview and scrutiny committees of combined authorities have powers to call in decisions and to involve other persons in their work. Schedule 5A also provides for secondary legislation which must ensure that the majority of members of an overview and scrutiny committee will be members of the combined authority’s constituent councils and that at least one member of an audit committee is an independent person. The scrutiny requirements of the Local Government Act 2000 do not apply to combined authorities.