Tag: Andrew Percy

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support the Government has provided for post-conflict resolution in Papua New Guinea and Bougainville.

Mr Hugo Swire

Through our support to the United Nations Development Programme, we continue to provide funding for peace-building and post-conflict socio-economic recovery in Bougainville and more widely in Papua New Guinea. Earlier this month, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office invited a delegation of senior Bougainvillian leaders to London, Belfast and Edinburgh to share the United Kingdom’s experience of the Northern Ireland peace process and the Scottish referendum. The visit included a valuable discussion with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association on these issues.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to Surrogacy in the UK: Myth Busting and Reform, published in November 2015, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to reform the law governing surrogacy to better balance the rights of those involved and the welfare of children born via surrogacy.

Jane Ellison

A search of the Department’s central correspondence system shows that the Department received 22 representations that made direct or indirect reference to the report `Surrogacy in the UK: Myth Busting and Reform’ since it was published in November 2015.

The Government has no current plans to change the legislation in respect of surrogacy arrangements.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps she has taken to support the Humber region’s biomass projects.

Andrea Leadsom

DECC officials have met with local biomass generators and developers. There are several biomass projects at different stages of development around Immingham, Hull and Stallingborough. The £162million investment at the Brigg Renewable Energy Plant, a 40 MW straw fired biomass plant, has recently opened.

Biomass generation is contributing jobs to Humberside. As a result of £100million in investment, the Humber International Terminal (HIT) at the Port of Immingham is already receiving some of the world’s largest shipments of biomass, destined for Drax, in the adjacent county of North Yorkshire. Drax is supported by the Renewables Obligation and has secured a Contract for Difference to convert another unit to biomass (under the Final Investment Decision enabling Renewables programme). If State Aid approval for the contract is obtained, the Humber will see some 6 million tonnes per annum of pellets imported into the UK. This will enhance its position for future business, including in the heat sector. The UK government continue to support Drax with the State Aid case.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-03-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will discuss with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government the possibility of changing building regulations in flood-prone areas to enable buildings to be constructed in such a way as to mitigate some of the effects of flooding.

Rory Stewart

The current building regulations already enable the incorporation of flood resilience measures into building work. Under building regulations Approved Document C (site preparation and resistance to contaminants and moisture) the use of flood resilience measures, such as adequate sub-soil drainage, sewer non-return valves, anti-flooding devices and water resistant construction material is encouraged. We continue to promote better resilience and remain very open to hearing of any innovations in this field.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-03-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department has taken to encourage the use of faecal calprotectin in primary care to facilitate prompt and appropriate referral of people with suspected inflammation of the bowel.

Jane Ellison

The IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) Registry provides a United Kingdom-wide repository of anonymised IBD adult and paediatric patient data for prospective audit and research purposes. Patients must consent for their data to be added to the registry. The Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) has allocated transitional funding this year to incorporate IBD audit data collection into the IBD Registry, providing an enhanced system for data capture and quality improvement that will be available to every hospital in the UK. This will allow the entry of data locally and support service improvement. Initially the focus will be for IBD patients receiving biologic treatments, but the system will address other key aspects of IBD care in the future.

The second step of data collection will be to focus on new patients with IBD to begin to understand the incidence of IBD in the UK. This picture will build up over a number of years and be dependent on the engagement of clinicians.

No specific assessment of the potential effects on healthcare due to the introduction of a registry of patients with IBD in England has been made. However, the data provided through the register can support National Health Service services in areas such as the assessment of local IBD populations as well as in measuring incidence and outcomes with services in other parts of the UK.

Although there is no direct Department funding, HQIP have given £290,000 for a year’s transition funding to join the audit data with the registry.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends faecal calprotectin testing as an option to help doctors distinguish between inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and non-inflammatory bowel diseases, such as irritable bowel syndrome.

The NICE IBD Quality Standard states that general practitioners (GP) and GP practices should ensure that testing is offered and clinical commissioning groups should ensure the diagnostic services are in place to support this.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-05-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he has taken to tackle anti-Semitism in English universities.

Joseph Johnson

There is no place in our society, including higher education, for anti-Semitism or any other form of bigotry, hatred and racism. We expect universities to act swiftly to investigate and address any anti-Semitic incidents reported to them. Responsibilities for ensuring students do not face harassment, abuse or violence rests with individual institutions, as a clear part of their duties under the 2010 Equality Act.

At the request of the Government, Universities UK have set up a taskforce to consider what more can be done to address harassment on campus, including on the basis of religion and belief. The taskforce has had meetings with or received evidence from a wide range of organisations which include the Union of Jewish Students, the Board of Deputies of British Jews and Community Security Trust.

The taskforce is expected to report its findings in the autumn but has already identified the need for an improved data collection of incidents by institutions, to ensure universities are recording incidents effectively; the importance of complaints procedures that protect the identity of students who may be fearful of coming forward; and the need for better training for staff to respond to instances of harassment.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-06-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the implications for Government policies of medical and scientific evidence on the effect of moderate alcohol consumption on the risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

Jane Ellison

The United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers have made an assessment of the effect of moderate alcohol consumption on cardiovascular disease, as well as other conditions such as cancer, as part of their review of the alcohol guidelines. The alcohol guidelines give the public the latest and most up to date scientific information so they can make informed decisions about their own drinking. The advice can be read here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/health-risks-from-alcohol-new-guidelines

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2015-10-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the time taken to decide on patient access scheme applications for drugs through the Cancer Drugs Fund.

George Freeman

Within the framework set out in the 2014 Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme, a Patient Access Scheme (PAS) can be proposed by a pharmaceutical company and agreed by the Department to improve the cost-effectiveness of a medicine as part of a National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) technology appraisal.

A PAS proposal can only be submitted for a medicine that is available through the Cancer Drugs Fund if that product is also scheduled for appraisal or review by NICE and no assessment has been of the time taken to consider any such PAS proposals.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2015-10-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many defibrillators have been purchased by new schools nationally in accordance with guidance issued in 2014 by her Department; and what assessment she has made of the effect of this guidance.

Edward Timpson

The Department does not hold information on the number of schools which have staff trained in CPR. All schools should have at least one first-aider, and the number of first-aid personnel will be based on local circumstances, considered as part of a first aid needs assessment in the school. Recognised certificated courses ‘First Aid at Work’ or ‘Emergency First Aid at Work’ train staff in the administration of CPR.

The guidance published by the Department in November 2014 promoted a scheme to enable schools to purchase defibrillators at reduced cost. As of 23 October 2015, 735 defibrillators had been purchased by schools through this scheme. The Department does not hold information on the total number of schools with a defibrillator.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2015-10-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools in England have (a) staff trained in CPR or (b) a defibrillator on site; and what plans her Department has to ensure that all schools have (i) such staff and (ii) on-site defibrillators.

Edward Timpson

The Department does not hold information on the number of schools which have staff trained in CPR. All schools should have at least one first-aider, and the number of first-aid personnel will be based on local circumstances, considered as part of a first aid needs assessment in the school. Recognised certificated courses ‘First Aid at Work’ or ‘Emergency First Aid at Work’ train staff in the administration of CPR.

The guidance published by the Department in November 2014 promoted a scheme to enable schools to purchase defibrillators at reduced cost. As of 23 October 2015, 735 defibrillators had been purchased by schools through this scheme. The Department does not hold information on the total number of schools with a defibrillator.