Tag: Cheryl Gillan

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cheryl Gillan on 2016-02-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 29 June 2015 to Question 4049, when he expects the review of the Autism Awareness project to be published.

Alistair Burt

Following an interim evaluation, the Department’s commissioned Autism Awareness project, has now entered its second and final phase. Once this Autism Alliance UK project has been completed, it will be reviewed and a report will be published. This is expected in approximately six months’ time.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cheryl Gillan on 2016-03-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the construction activity required to construct Phase One of High Speed 2 will result in any household experiencing carbon monoxide levels in excess of the thresholds for that substance detailed in European Directive 2008/50/EC on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The construction of Phase One of HS2 will not result in any household experiencing carbon monoxide levels in excess of the thresholds for that substance detailed in European Directive 2008/50/EC.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cheryl Gillan on 2016-05-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average time taken for autism diagnosis was by age and gender at time of diagnosis for each year from 2013.

Alistair Burt

We do not centrally collect data from the National Health Service on waiting times for an assessment of autism.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence clinical guideline on autism diagnosis states that a diagnostic assessment should start within 12 weeks of referral.

NHS England and the Association of Directors of Social Services have undertaken a series of visits to clinical commissioning groups to identify best practice on diagnosis and support.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cheryl Gillan on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the infrastructure in the NHS to deliver mechanical thrombectomy to stroke patients.

David Mowat

NHS England’s National Clinical Director (NCD) for stroke is leading work to develop a full proposal which will consider the evidence and logistical issues involved in delivering mechanical thrombectomy to stroke patients across the country. This includes working with the relevant specialist societies, Royal Colleges and Health Education England to consider the workforce implications. Once the proposal has been developed, NHS England will decide whether the procedure should be made widely available.

The Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme (SSNAP) is now collecting data on patients treated with mechanical thrombectomy and the latest data shows that 124 patients were treated between October 2015 and March 2016. It should be noted, however, that this may not reflect all patients treated as some may not have had their data entered into SSNAP.

The SSNAP team is addressing this issue with the relevant clinicians. SSNAP data is freely available at:

https://www.strokeaudit.org/

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cheryl Gillan on 2016-10-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many apprenticeships have been provided to date by HS2 Ltd.

Andrew Jones

HS2, through both HS2 Ltd and its supply chain, has a target of creating 2,000 apprenticeship opportunities over the lifetime of the project, from a forecast average annual workforce of 11,000 (with a peak of 25,000).

HS2 Ltd itself has to date provided five apprenticeships, though this is in the context that HS2 does not yet have Royal Assent and construction hasn’t yet started. Looking forward, it is anticipated that HS2 Ltd will bring in 36 apprentices a year based on an average workforce of 1,500.

For the companies that will design and construct HS2 there will be requirements to deliver Skills, Employment and Education outcomes, including apprenticeships. In each of the major HS2 Ltd contracts, all bidders are assessed on their ability to deliver on these outcomes through the procurement process. Therefore, as HS2 enters its construction stage in 2017, apprenticeships are expected to increase rapidly.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cheryl Gillan on 2015-11-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which legal advisers and barristers have been used by (a) HS2 Ltd and (b) his Department on matters relating to High Speed 2 since the start of the project; and how much each such adviser or barrister (i) has been paid and (ii) is owed.

Mr Robert Goodwill

Since the start of the High Speed 2 project, High Speed Two (HS2) Limited and the Department for Transport have used two types of external legal advisers – solicitors (including parliamentary agents) and barristers.

High Speed Two (HS2) Limited has appointed solicitors Eversheds LLP in relation to property & planning and general commercial work, and Herbert Smith Freehills in relation to construction. High Speed Two (HS2) Limited has indicated to the Department that to date it has paid £2,202,410.59 to Eversheds LLP and £763,064.07 to Herbert Smith Freehills. Both figures exclude VAT.

The Department has appointed a joint team of solicitors/parliamentary agents from Winckworth Sherwood and Eversheds LLP to provide support in relation to Phase One of the High Speed 2 project. To date, it has paid £4,019,170.18 to Winckworth Sherwood and £3,022,492.30 to Eversheds. These fees are correct up to the end of September 2015 and are exclusive of VAT.

The Department has previously, or continues to, instruct the following barristers to support the HS2 Phase One hybrid Bill: Tim Mould QC, James Strachan QC, Lisa Busch, Richard Wald, John Jolliffe, Jacqueline Lean and Richard Turney. Each barrister is remunerated at government hourly rates agreed with the Attorney General. The current spend to date on these barristers in relation to the Bill is £1,404,978.96 and is exclusive of VAT.

Since approximately 2010, the Department has also instructed a number of barristers on other HS2 work. These barristers will have been remunerated at government hourly rates agreed with the Attorney General, but unfortunately it would involve disproportionate cost for the Department to provide precise figures.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cheryl Gillan on 2016-01-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he made of the number of lung cancer patients in England who have accessed the immuno-oncology drug nivolumab via private healthcare providers or other private sources of funding in the last year; and when NICE will make its final decision about NHS patients gaining access to that drug.

George Freeman

The Department does not hold the requested information concerning private healthcare or other private sources of funding.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence currently has two technology appraisals of nivolumab for lung cancer in development:

(i) Nivolumab for previously treated locally advanced or metastatic squamous non-small-cell lung cancer, with an anticipated publication date of May 2016.

(ii) Nivolumab for previously treated locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer, with an anticipated publication date of September 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cheryl Gillan on 2016-03-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his most recent assessment is of the number and location of sites which will be affected by construction of phase one of High Speed 2 which are known habitats of species subject to the strict protection requirements in Annex IV of the EU Habitats Directive.

Mr Robert Goodwill

Phase one of High Speed 2 does not adversely affect any sites designated as a Special Protection Area or a Special Area of Conservation.

HS2 Ltd have carried out habitats regulations screening assessments to determine if the railway might indirectly affect certain species associated with the Southwest London Waterbodies SPA/Ramsar site in the Colne Valley, and to consider potential effects of traffic pollution in the Chilterns Beechwood Special Area of Conservation. No significant effect was determined in either case.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cheryl Gillan on 2016-03-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has had discussions with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the effect on air quality of the construction of Phase One of High Speed 2.

Mr Robert Goodwill

There have been regular ongoing discussions with officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on all the environmental aspects of HS2, including air quality.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cheryl Gillan on 2016-05-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress NHS England has made on including an indicator in the Mental Health Services Data Set recording a diagnosis of autism; and when data collection of such diagnoses is planned to commence.

Alistair Burt

NHS England has been working with the Health and Social Care Information Centre to develop reporting from the new Mental Health Services Data Set. This mandatory data set includes provision for the diagnosis of autism to be recorded, and reporting on this data has been prioritised. We expect experimental data reports on the number of people diagnosed with autism to be published by the end of 2016.