Tag: Andrew Gwynne

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-06-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of alcohol consumption on levels of obesity; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison

The last Government’s “Healthy Lives, Healthy People: A call to action on obesity in England”, October 2011 states that alcoholic drinks can be high in calories and contribute to the energy imbalance that can lead to being overweight and obesity.

We welcome the fact that some businesses are choosing to label calories voluntarily on their alcoholic beverages.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-09-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress his Department has made on ensuring that energy efficiency in the private rented sector is improved to meet new regulations regarding E-grade standards for properties to be let.

Jesse Norman

The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property)(England and Wales) Regulations 2015 requires that all landlords of domestic and non-domestic privately rented property in England and Wales ensure that, from 1 April 2018, their properties reach an energy performance rating of at least an E before granting a tenancy to new or existing tenants, unless a prescribed exemption applies.

The Department has undertaken, and will continue to undertake, engagement activity with landlord groups to help them understand the requirements of the regulations. Officials are currently preparing guidance to assist non-domestic landlords in complying with their obligations under the regulations, and we will prepare similar guidance for domestic landlords in due course.

The Department is also developing a landlord exemptions register, a requirement of the Regulations, which will be used by enforcement authorities to help target their enforcement activities, and which will allow landlords to register online any exemptions that apply.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-09-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department plans to continue to support Commissioning through Evaluation; and whether he plans to maintain patient access to that programme whilst a formal decision is made on its future.

David Mowat

There are no current plans to stop supporting the Commissioning through Evaluation programme.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what funding his Department has allocated to the Troubled Families Programme for (a) 2016-17, (b) 2017-18 and (c) 2018-19.

Damian Hinds

The Department for Work and Pensions has not allocated direct funding to the Troubled Families Programme in those financial years. The Department has allocated funding for around 300 Troubled Families Employment Advisors to drive improved employment outcomes.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-01-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many senior civil servants in his Department left to take up jobs in the (a) for-profit and (b) not-for-profit healthcare sector in the last six months.

Jane Ellison

The Department does not hold details of the new destinations or occupations of Civil Servants after they leave the Department. However, on leaving the Civil Service, individuals must consider whether an application under the Outside Business Appointments rules is required before accepting any new appointment or employment.

The Department has received a total of five applications from Senior Civil Servants who left the Department between 30 June 2015 and 08 January 2016 – four were for roles within the not-for-profit healthcare sector and one was for the for-profit healthcare sector.

The Department cannot confirm, however, that offers of employment were actually taken up.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2015-11-02.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the value of stationery that has been (a) lost and (b) stolen from his Department in each of the last five fiscal years; and what the cost was of replacing such stationery.

Matthew Hancock

The Prime Minister’s Office is part of the Cabinet Office. No stationery was reported as lost or stolen from the Cabinet Office in any of the last five fiscal years.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2015-11-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what estimate he has made of the value of stationery that has been (a) lost and (b) stolen from his Department in each of the last five fiscal years; and what the cost was of replacing such stationery.

Alun Cairns

There has been no stationery reported lost or stolen from the Wales Office in the last five fiscal years.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department made of the effect of previous reviews on the uptake of innovation in the NHS in establishing the terms of reference for the Accelerated Access Review.

George Freeman

The Accelerated Access Review (AAR), chaired by Sir Hugh Taylor, will make recommendations to government on reforms to accelerate access for National Health Service patients to innovative medicines and medical technologies making our country the best place in the world to design, develop and deploy these products. The terms of the reference for the review focus on faster access to innovations, which may include certain off-patent repurposed drugs, as opposed to the routine availability of medicines or medical technologies.

Prior to establishing the terms of reference for the AAR, the Department reviewed evaluation reports and met with officials from previous initiatives on the uptake of innovation in the NHS including the Innovation, Health and Wealth report. As a result, building upon the lessons of previous reviews is explicit with the terms of reference of the AAR.

The AAR has regular meetings with senior officials from NHS England via a steering group as recommendations are being developed. In addition, some staff from NHS England have been assigned to support the review team.

Sir Hugh is still in the process of developing final recommendations which will be published in spring 2016. In his Interim Report published in October, Sir Hugh sets out a proposition on “galvanising the NHS”. This involves supporting the NHS to adopt innovation, more rapidly through better practical support, stronger incentives and the potential streamlining of local structures.

The Department reviewed evaluation reports and met with officials from previous initiatives on the uptake of innovation in the NHS prior to establishing the terms of reference for the AAR. It was clear that whilst progress has been made on the uptake of innovation in the NHS there is still much to do. Sir Hugh and the head of the External Advisory Group, Professor Sir John Bell, set out the case for uptake of innovation in the recently published AAR Interim Report.

The AAR has senior level contact with officials working on Lord Carter’s review of NHS efficiency to ensure that information is shared between the two teams.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, who each (a) Colonel of the Regiment and (b) Colonel-in-Chief is in the armed forces.

Mark Lancaster

Lists of Colonels in Chief and Regimental Colonels are shown in the attached table. Where an individual’s rank is below that of one star and their name is not already available in the public domain it cannot be released and I am withholding the information under the data protection act.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-01-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether it is his Department’s policy that Royal Marines are required to contribute towards the cost of their uniform or equipment.

Mark Lancaster

On joining and for deployments, Royal Marines are issued with the uniform and equipment required for their role and specific tasking.

Officers, unlike Other Ranks, are required to pay for the maintenance of their uniforms for which Income Tax relief is provided automatically via salary.