Tag: Baroness Thomas of Winchester

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Thomas of Winchester on 2015-11-20.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the scoring system for the Personal Independence Payment assessment for enhanced rate mobility is compatible with enabling more disabled people to work, particularly in rural areas.

Baroness Altmann

The Government is committed to giving all disabled people the opportunity to fulfil their potential and achieve their ambitions. Work is an important part of this, which is why the Government has committed to halving the disability employment gap, requiring us to transform policy, practice and public attitudes.

Enhanced rate mobility payments within Personal Independence Payment are intended for those who face the greatest barriers to their mobility. We believe that the assessment criteria, which was designed in close consultation with disabled people and disability groups, achieve this by targeting support to those who need it most.

We currently have no plans to review how the PIP assessment for enhanced rate mobility is working.

Access to Work (ATW) provides practical and financial support with the additional costs faced by individuals whose health or disability affects the way they do their job. The type of support provided is tailored to an individual’s needs and can include travel to work, support workers and specialist aids and equipment.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Thomas of Winchester on 2016-07-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the result of the referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU, what plans they have for maintaining the UK’s status as a leader in EU and international collaboration on research into rare diseases such as muscular dystrophy and neuromuscular conditions.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

The Government recognises the importance of our research base, which is why we have protected the ring fenced science resource budget in real terms from its current level of £4.7bn for the rest of the parliament. Programmes such as the £1.5bn Global Challenges Research Fund and the £1bn Ross Fund will support the UK’s status as a global leader in medical research.

The Global Challenges Research Fund will mobilise the UK’s world leading research base to address key challenges facing developing countries, including in health research. The Ross Fund will develop, test and deliver a range of new products (including vaccines, drugs and diagnostics) to help combat the world’s most serious diseases in developing countries.

The referendum result has no immediate effect on the right of researchers to apply to or participate in EU research programmes. UK participants can continue to apply to the programmes in the usual way. The future of UK access to these programmes will be determined as part of a wider discussion with the EU.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Thomas of Winchester on 2015-11-20.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are monitoring the numbers of disabled people who have had to give up work after a Personal Independence Payment assessment led to the loss of a Motability car.

Baroness Altmann

We recognise that the transition from DLA to PIP can be challenging for individuals, which is why the Department worked closely with Motability as we developed our plans for the introduction of PIP. The Motability charity provide a one-off package of transitional support and advice to support customers who no longer meet the eligibility criteria for the Motability scheme. For most of these customers who entered into their first lease agreement with Motability before January 2013, Motability will provide transitional support of £2,000. This will enable many former Scheme customers to continue to meet their mobility needs by purchasing a used car. For customers who entered into their first lease agreement with the scheme after January 2013 and up to December 2013, Motability will supply transitional support of £1,000 to assist with mobility costs. Motability is also providing help with the cost of adaptations made to non-scheme vehicles and information on non-scheme motoring and insurance. The Scheme also offers customers an opportunity to purchase their vehicle after the end of the lease.

Support is also available through the Access to Work Scheme, which is potentially available on application to anyone with a health condition or disability that affects the way they perform their job and who needs practical support above and beyond the reasonable adjustments that an employer has a duty to make under the Equality Act 2010. The type of support Access to Work provides is tailored to an individual’s needs and can include travel to work.

DLA and PIP are available regardless of whether claimants are in or out of work. We do not hold information about the employment circumstances of recipients of either benefit, including those who are members of Motability.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Thomas of Winchester on 2016-07-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the result of the referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU, what measures they plan to take to ensure continued UK access to grants from Horizon 2020.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

The UK economy is fundamentally strong and our research and innovation are world-leading. The UK’s decision to leave the EU has no immediate effect on the right of researchers to apply or to participate in Horizon 2020 as the UK is still an EU member state. UK participants can continue to apply to the programme in the usual way. The Commission has made a public statement on its website to this effect. The future of UK access to European research and innovation funding will be determined as part of wider discussions with the EU.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Thomas of Winchester on 2015-12-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have introduced a requirement for health professionals involved in the Personal Independence Payment assessment to confirm that they have referred to the reliability criteria when formulating their advice.

Baroness Altmann

The guidance for health professionals undertaking assessments for Personal Independence Payment specifies that for a descriptor to be able to apply to a claimant, the claimant must be able to complete the activity reliably i.e. safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly and in a reasonable time period. For a report to be considered fully acceptable it must include confirmation that the health professional has fully considered these reliability criteria.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Thomas of Winchester on 2016-07-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the result of the referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU, what measures they plan to take to ensure the UK’s continued participation in EU-wide data sharing initiatives for clinical trial development and condition-specific patient registries.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

The Government recognises the importance of our research base, which is why we have protected the ring fenced science resource budget in real terms from its current level of £4.7bn for the rest of the parliament. Programmes such as the £1.5bn Global Challenges Research Fund and the £1bn Ross Fund will support the UK’s status as a global leader in medical research.

The Global Challenges Research Fund will mobilise the UK’s world leading research base to address key challenges facing developing countries, including in health research. The Ross Fund will develop, test and deliver a range of new products (including vaccines, drugs and diagnostics) to help combat the world’s most serious diseases in developing countries.

The referendum result has no immediate effect on the right of researchers to apply to or participate in EU research programmes. UK participants can continue to apply to the programmes in the usual way. The future of UK access to these programmes will be determined as part of a wider discussion with the EU.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Thomas of Winchester on 2015-12-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have revisited the Personal Independence Payment assessment moving around guidance on reliability to ensure that that guidance captures real-life situations and that the criteria are applied consistently and fairly.

Baroness Altmann

The PIP Assessment Guide for Health Professionals carrying out assessments includes guidance on the assessment criteria and how they should be applied. The guide is regularly reviewed to ensure that the criteria is applied consistently and fairly.

Chapter 3 – ‘The Assessment Criteria’ (page 73) explains how to apply the reliability criteria, including in the ‘Moving Around’ activity. We have also provided a worked example to further assist health professionals.

The latest version of the guide is annexed to this answer.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Thomas of Winchester on 2016-07-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the result of the referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU, what plans they have for ensuring that the conditional approval of the European Medicines Agency for new treatments continues to have validity in the UK.

Lord Prior of Brampton

The previous Prime Minister was clear that the negotiation for Britain’s future relationship with Europe needed to begin under the new Prime Minister, and we now have got to look at all the detailed arrangements.

The Department has launched a ministerial industry strategy group to prepare for the renegotiation on the new European Union/United Kingdom relationship, which includes looking at the relationship between the UK and the EU medicines regulatory framework.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Thomas of Winchester on 2015-12-16.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Access to Work scheme can fund, or help fund, the installation of a disabled toilet in a workplace.

Baroness Altmann

Access to Work is able to help with adaptations to Premises and Equipment.

In all cases where adaptations to premises are required, advisers will look to see what reasonable adjustment has first been made in accordance with employers obligations under the Equality Act.

Dependent on the size of the business, an employer contribution may also be sought.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Thomas of Winchester on 2016-07-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether local authorities will be able to bid for resources from the Department for Transport’s Access Fund for Sustainable Travel to support or develop Wheels 2 Work schemes within their areas.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The Department for Transport welcomes applications to the Access Fund from local transport authorities in England (except London) that support or develop Wheels 2 Work schemes in their area which increase cycling and improve access to work, skills, education or training.