Tag: Andrew Gwynne

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-01-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has been approached by (a) Stockport local authority, (b) Tameside local authority and (c) the Greater Manchester combined authority to approve the re-designation of school land for housing development in the last three years.

Edward Timpson

Since January 2013, the Secretary of State for Education has received:

• 1 application from Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council, this is currently being considered.
• 4 applications from Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council, all have been approved.
• 19 applications from the Greater Manchester combined authority, 1 is being considered and the other 18 have been approved.

These figures include applications in those local authorities relating to land held by Academy Trusts under a lease from the local authority.

The Education Act 2011 requires that the Secretary of State must give consent prior to the disposal of land which has been used for any school or academy in the last eight years. Secretary of State consent is also required under section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 where local authorities wish to dispose of playing field land that has been used by a school in the last ten years. A key consideration for the government is whether the land proposed for disposal could be suitable for use by a new school.

There are a range of reasons for these disposals. Some disposals are leases from the academy trustees back to the local authority, which allow a children’s centre on site to continue or which provide land for another school. A substantial number of consents refer to local authority maintained school sites for outright disposals where the school has closed or relocated to a new build site.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions he has had with his European counterparts on the Zika virus.

Jane Ellison

The Secretary of State regularly discusses matters across his portfolio with his European counterparts. He continues to closely monitor the situation on the Zika virus. Additionally, Departmental officials continue to discuss the development of the virus with relevant European colleagues, and will be participating in a European Health Security Committee meeting on Zika on Tuesday 9 February 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-02-01.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an assessment of the effect of the patent box tax arrangement on the economy.

Mr David Gauke

The information is not held in the form requested. The estimated amounts of Patent Box relief can be found at the link below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/487119/Dec15_expenditure_reliefs_Final.xlsx.pdf

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-02-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department has paid out in compensation to (a) internal and (b) external claimants in each year since 2010.

Alistair Burt

The value of compensation payments made in each year since 2010* is outlined in the table below.

Year Compensation paid	Value of compensation paid to external claimants	Value of compensation paid to internal claimants
2014/15	£211,000	£173,750
2013/14	£3,648	£0
2012/13	£17,825	£250
2011/12	£0	£0
2010/11	£0	£0

*2015/16 data is still being audited and will be available when the final accounts are published later this year.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-02-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the report of the independent cancer taskforce, Achieving world class cancer outcomes: A strategy for England 2015-2020, published in July 2015, what progress has been made in developing a new tobacco control strategy.

Jane Ellison

The development of a new tobacco control plan for England is currently in progress and will be published later this year. The recommendations of the Independent Cancer Taskforce will be considered alongside this work.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect on NHS (a) services and (b) governance of NHS England’s decision to discontinue the role of national clinical director for neurology services 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 below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-03-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many organisations have withdrawn from the Responsibility Deal since May 2015.

Jane Ellison

Two organisations have withdrawn from the Responsibility Deal since May 2015.

Information about the Deal and the partners that have signed up to it can be found at:

https://responsibilitydeal.dh.gov.uk/

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-03-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his Department’s policy to ensure that brain tumour symptom cards are distributed to child health clinics and health visitors.

Jane Ellison

The Department has highlighted the value of the Headsmart awareness raising materials with Directors of Public Health, health visitors and school nurses, to encourage their use by professionals in signposting to specialist advice if needed. The Department and Public Health England will continue to liaise with health professionals to increase awareness of brain tumours.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-03-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2016 to Question 23756, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of funds within NHS organisations to eradicate backlog maintenance repairs which are considered to be high risk.

George Freeman

National Health Service organisations are locally responsible for the quality of their estate and the management of their own backlog maintenance. They decide on the investment needed to reduce backlog maintenance levels based on their own local plans and financial situation. Capital investment by NHS providers continues to be financed locally through income and/or through access to external financing.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-05-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether data other than the most recent National Diet and Nutrition Survey data is being used in the development of the childhood obesity strategy.

Jane Ellison

The Childhood Obesity Strategy will draw from a range of the latest data and evidence, including from Public Health England and other partners.