Tag: Andrew Gwynne

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2015-12-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department and each of its agencies and non-departmental public bodies plans to spend on (a) Christmas cards, (b) postage of Christmas cards, (c) Christmas parties and (d) Christmas decorations and trees in 2015.

Jane Ellison

A search of the Department’s Business Management System database for 2015 has identified there is no planned spend to fund Christmas cards, postage of Christmas cards and parties. As separately identified from our facilities management suppliers, EMCOR, the Department has no plans currently to purchase Christmas decorations or trees from them.

The Civil Service Code sets out the principles and standards of behaviour expected of civil servants, including their fiduciary obligation to make sure public money and other resources are used properly and efficiently. Public money is not used by the Department, Public Health England or the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to fund occasions such as internal social gatherings or office parties. Any social events are funded by the staff themselves.

Arm’s length bodies have systems in place to ensure public funds are used appropriately and standards of propriety are met, in line with their responsibilities as public bodies

Spend as requested from all the Departments non-departmental public bodies and its agencies are separately reported below:

NHS England have confirmed they hold no planned expenditure for all these categories.

Monitor have confirmed they hold no planned expenditure for all these categories.

The Care Quality Commission have confirmed they hold no planned expenditure for all these categories.

Public Health England have confirmed they hold no planned expenditure for all these categories.

Health Education England have confirmed they hold no planned expenditure for all these categories.

The Health and Social Care Information Centre have confirmed they hold no planned expenditure for all these categories.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence 2015 expenditure is contained in the table below.

	£
Christmas cards	0
Postage	0
Parties	£1615.32
Decorations and trees	0
Total	£1615.32

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency 2015 expenditure is contained in the table below.

	£
Christmas cards	£0.00
Postage	£0.00
Parties	£0.00
Decorations and trees	£630+£126 VAT
Total	£756

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority have confirmed they hold no planned expenditure for all these categories.

The Human Tissue Authority have confirmed they hold no planned expenditure for all these categories.

The Health Research Authority have confirmed they hold no planned expenditure for all these categories.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-01-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the level of aseptic pharmaceutical medication error within the NHS.

George Freeman

Neither the Department nor NHS England has made any such assessment.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-01-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 14 January 2016 to Question 21778, on genito-urinary medicine, what questions it is planned will be asked of local commissioners as part of Public Health England’s survey of local commissioning arrangements for sexual health; when that survey is planned to be completed; and when he plans to make publicly available the results of that survey.

Jane Ellison

Public Health England, supported by the Association of Directors of Public Health, is undertaking a review of Sexual Health, Reproductive Health and HIV Commissioning services; the survey was first published on the 19 January 2016. The closing date for the survey is 8 February 2016. Results of the survey, including responses and analysis of the questions, will be published this summer.

A range of tailored commissioning questions have been selected for local authorities, NHS England and clinical commissioning groups. Each survey is slightly adapted for its audience. The survey questions focus on 11 key areas; commissioning support structures, services commissioned, needs assessments, service specifications, access to services, tendering, changes to investment, tariffs and payments, outcomes and performance, resources and top challenges.

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

To ask the Prime Minister, what discussions (a) he, (b) Edward Llewellyn, (c) Camilla Cavendish and (d) staff of the Number 10 Policy Unit have had with representatives of (i) the Food and Drink Federation, (ii) Coca-Cola, (iii) PepsiCo and (iv) the British Soft Drinks Association in each of the last 18 months; and what the subject was of each such meeting.

Mr David Cameron

Details of my meetings with external organisations are released on a quarterly basis and can be accessed via the gov.uk website.

My officials and special advisers have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals on a range of subjects.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost was of residential training for officials in his Department in each of the last five years.

Jane Ellison

The Department is committed to developing its staff and equipping them with the skills and knowledge to carry out their work.

In 2011, the Department became a full subscriber to Civil Service Learning (CSL). CSL is responsible for providing a managed service for all learning and development across the Civil Service.

Learning and development activity is typically arranged by individual teams or individuals in the Department.

Therefore, no central records of these events are kept. To collect this information from the Department’s directorates and match this with CSL data would incur disproportionate costs.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when he expects to publish the reformed Electronic Communications Code.

Mr Edward Vaizey

The Government remains committed to delivering a reformed Electronic Communications Code that is clear, fit for purpose, and supports network coverage which provides consumers with a choice of high quality telecommunications services. We are considering the interests of all stakeholders. We will update Parliament on plans in due course.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what representations he has received on reducing the number of (a) metropolitan district councils and (b) councillors in metropolitan counties with a combined authority and metro mayor.

James Wharton

The Government invited areas that wanted to negotiate a deal devolving major powers to come forward with written proposals by 4 September 2015. It is for local areas to propose governance structures that are right for them, including electoral changes that are wanted locally. Discussions continue with local areas on the precise arrangements to be put in place in areas to deliver deals.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-02-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will place in the Library a copy of the full impact assessment of the infected blood scheme reform consultation containing the assessment of the potential financial effects of proposed reforms on recipients; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison

The impact assessment we have prepared is an analysis of the proposals and not the final outcome. We will publish the final full impact assessment when we announce the outcomes of the consultation.

On page 32 – 34 of the consultation document itself the Department gives some indication of the impact of the proposed changes on individuals.

All respondents to the consultation have been encouraged to say how the proposals will affect them in order that full consideration can be given to this and other issues before any final decisions are made on the reformed scheme.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to page six of NHS England’s document, Delivering the Forward View: NHS planning guidance 2016-17 to 2020-21, if he will place in the Library a list of the planned footprints for the sustainability and transformation plans.

Ben Gummer

NHS England will publish the planned footprints for the sustainability and transformation plans later this month.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department plans to run a second Be Clear on Cancer campaign on oesophago-gastric cancers.

Jane Ellison

There will be two national ‘Be Clear on Cancer’ campaigns in 2016-17. The decision on which cancers these campaigns will focus on will be informed by a steering group, whose members include primary and secondary care clinicians, analysts and key voluntary sector organisations. A number of factors are taken into account when deciding which campaigns to run, including all available evaluation data. A second national oesophago-gastric campaign will be considered alongside the other existing campaigns.

PHE is analysing cancer waiting times data and campaign tracking research and it is expected that the first national oesophago-gastric cancer (1st wave) interim report will be published this summer.