Tag: Ben Bradshaw

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Bradshaw on 2015-11-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners released under a Home Detention Curfew in Devon were returned to prison after breaking the conditions of such a curfew between 2011 and 2014.

Andrew Selous

The number of prisoners released on Home Detention Curfew (HDC) in England and Wales has fallen in recent years. This is principally due to the reduction in the number of prisoners eligible for the scheme.

The Ministry of Justice only collates data on the number of prisoners released on HDC who are then recalled to prison for breach of their curfew conditions and this data is only available for England and Wales as a whole. It would incur disproportionate cost to isolate from this overall data those recalled prisoners who had been released on HDC from prisons in Devon.

This data is published and can be located at the following link (table A3.5 details HDC recalls):

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/424903/prison-releases-annual-2014.xlsx

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Bradshaw on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether (a) ex-intravenous drug users and (b) former-sex workers will be included in the review of blood donations by the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs.

Jane Ellison

The Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood Tissues and Organs (SaBTO) is carrying out a review of blood donor selection criteria. Currently a working group is being formed. The process will fully involve stakeholders, similar to the previous 2011 SaBTO review, and contacting stakeholders inviting their contribution to the review will begin imminently. The terms of reference will include input from stakeholders and be published once approved by SaBTO which will be at their next meeting. The review will be holistic and evidence relating to the risks of blood-borne infections in people who have previously injected drugs or received money or drugs for sex will be included. The review will be incremental, with published progress reports and any intermediate advice.

It is anticipated that the group will publish its final report in 2017.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Bradshaw on 2016-04-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 23 March 2016 to Question 31117, whether there has been any lasting duration of the HPV reduction that Public Health England have associated with the bivalent vaccine.

Jane Ellison

The findings of Kavanagh and others, 2014, and of Mesher and others, 2016, are consistent with the reductions in human papillomavirus (HPV) 16/18 that were expected in the assessments that informed the Department’s policies. Neither of these papers report findings about genital warts incidence, both report no decrease in HPV types 6 and 11; this is also consistent with expectations in assessments that informed the Department’s policies.

The answer of 23 March 2016 stated, ‘data reported to Public Health England (PHE) from genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics shows a reduction in rates of genital warts diagnoses at GUM clinics between 2009 and 2014.’ This analysis has been updated with data for 2013 and 2014. The reductions reported were in patients aged 15 years and older. As the introduction of the quadrivalent vaccine was in 2012, to 12 year olds, no impact on genital warts in 15+ year olds within this time period was expected due to this introduction. Use of the quadrivalent vaccine within this age group prior to its introduction in the national immunisation programme was assessed as a possible but highly unlikely cause of the reductions seen.

The latest data from PHE showing reductions in genital warts diagnoses in GUM clinics amongst ages offered the bivalent vaccine are data for 2014: the future duration of any protection from genital warts associated with the bivalent vaccine has not been (and cannot be) inferred.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Bradshaw on 2015-11-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish a statement of funds available for the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Department will publish a statement of funds available for the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy in Spring 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Bradshaw on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how long the review on blood donations by the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs is expected to take.

Jane Ellison

The Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood Tissues and Organs (SaBTO) is carrying out a review of blood donor selection criteria. Currently a working group is being formed. The process will fully involve stakeholders, similar to the previous 2011 SaBTO review, and contacting stakeholders inviting their contribution to the review will begin imminently. The terms of reference will include input from stakeholders and be published once approved by SaBTO which will be at their next meeting. The review will be holistic and evidence relating to the risks of blood-borne infections in people who have previously injected drugs or received money or drugs for sex will be included. The review will be incremental, with published progress reports and any intermediate advice.

It is anticipated that the group will publish its final report in 2017.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Bradshaw on 2016-04-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 23 March 2016 to Question 31117, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s policies of the 2016 paper by Mesher and others, Reductions in HPV 16/18 in a population with high coverage of bivalent HPV vaccination in England: an ongoing cross-sectional study; and whether such findings have been taken into account when assessing the differential impact of the bivalent and quadrivalent HPV vaccines on genital wart incidence.

Jane Ellison

The findings of Kavanagh and others, 2014, and of Mesher and others, 2016, are consistent with the reductions in human papillomavirus (HPV) 16/18 that were expected in the assessments that informed the Department’s policies. Neither of these papers report findings about genital warts incidence, both report no decrease in HPV types 6 and 11; this is also consistent with expectations in assessments that informed the Department’s policies.

The answer of 23 March 2016 stated, ‘data reported to Public Health England (PHE) from genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics shows a reduction in rates of genital warts diagnoses at GUM clinics between 2009 and 2014.’ This analysis has been updated with data for 2013 and 2014. The reductions reported were in patients aged 15 years and older. As the introduction of the quadrivalent vaccine was in 2012, to 12 year olds, no impact on genital warts in 15+ year olds within this time period was expected due to this introduction. Use of the quadrivalent vaccine within this age group prior to its introduction in the national immunisation programme was assessed as a possible but highly unlikely cause of the reductions seen.

The latest data from PHE showing reductions in genital warts diagnoses in GUM clinics amongst ages offered the bivalent vaccine are data for 2014: the future duration of any protection from genital warts associated with the bivalent vaccine has not been (and cannot be) inferred.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Bradshaw on 2015-11-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has made an assessment of the effect of inflammatory arthritis on an individual’s ability to stay in work.

Jane Ellison

We are aware that a high proportion of people with inflammatory arthritis are of working age. Inflammatory arthritis is a major cause of sickness absence.

Treatment for inflammatory arthritis has improved dramatically with the development of new drugs. It is essential for people with relevant symptoms to present early to their general practitioner and for the condition to be diagnosed promptly. Ensuring that people have access to the best possible treatment and support provides the greatest scope to enable people with inflammatory arthritis to stay in work.

The newly formed Work and Health Unit is a joint endeavour between Department of Health and Department for Work and Pensions. The Unit has been established to lead the drive for improving work and health outcomes for people with health conditions and disabilities, as well as improving prevention and support for people absent from work through ill health and those at risk of leaving the workforce.

In the Spending Review the Government has provided at least £115 million of funding for the Unit including a Work and Health Innovation Fund.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Bradshaw on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the terms of reference for the blood donations review will be approved by the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs.

Jane Ellison

The Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood Tissues and Organs (SaBTO) is carrying out a review of blood donor selection criteria. Currently a working group is being formed. The process will fully involve stakeholders, similar to the previous 2011 SaBTO review, and contacting stakeholders inviting their contribution to the review will begin imminently. The terms of reference will include input from stakeholders and be published once approved by SaBTO which will be at their next meeting. The review will be holistic and evidence relating to the risks of blood-borne infections in people who have previously injected drugs or received money or drugs for sex will be included. The review will be incremental, with published progress reports and any intermediate advice.

It is anticipated that the group will publish its final report in 2017.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Bradshaw on 2016-05-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of the £1.7 billion funding for the Superfast Broadband Programme is from (a) central government (b) local government and (c) the EU.

Mr Edward Vaizey

From the £1.7 billion funding for the Superfast Broadband programme around £780 million is from central government, £740 million is from local government and £200 million is from the EU.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Bradshaw on 2015-11-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what support his Department provides to people with inflammatory arthritis to help them to stay in work.

Jane Ellison

We are aware that a high proportion of people with inflammatory arthritis are of working age. Inflammatory arthritis is a major cause of sickness absence.

Treatment for inflammatory arthritis has improved dramatically with the development of new drugs. It is essential for people with relevant symptoms to present early to their general practitioner and for the condition to be diagnosed promptly. Ensuring that people have access to the best possible treatment and support provides the greatest scope to enable people with inflammatory arthritis to stay in work.

The newly formed Work and Health Unit is a joint endeavour between Department of Health and Department for Work and Pensions. The Unit has been established to lead the drive for improving work and health outcomes for people with health conditions and disabilities, as well as improving prevention and support for people absent from work through ill health and those at risk of leaving the workforce.

In the Spending Review the Government has provided at least £115 million of funding for the Unit including a Work and Health Innovation Fund.