Tag: Christina Rees

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christina Rees on 2015-11-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, by what process his Department identified the areas of policy within its responsibility proposed for reservation in Annex B of the publication Powers for a Purpose: Towards a lasting devolution settlement for Wales, published on 27 February 2015.

Priti Patel

Annex B to the Powers for a Purpose Command Paper provided an illustrative list of the main areas in which reservations would be needed in a reserved powers model. The list described the Government’s emerging thinking as the new reserved powers model was being developed. The Government published its full proposals in the draft Wales Bill on 20 October. .

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christina Rees on 2016-01-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of back-to-work programmes for people with mental health problems; and if he will take steps to change programmes judged to be ineffective.

Justin Tomlinson

Our ambition to halve the disability employment gap has been a key driver in establishing the Work and Health unit with the Department for Health. At least £115m of funding will go to the Work and Health Unit, including an innovation fund to test new ways to join up health and employment to help people with disabilities and health conditions to return to and stay in work.

Our wider employment programmes provide those with mental health conditions with the appropriate support to find work. Work Choice is an employment programme is specifically for those with a disability or health condition. Of the 14,290 starters who declared either a Severe or Mild to Moderate Mental Health condition as their Primary Disability, 6,650 (over 46%) have achieved a job outcome.

The Department conducts a monthly review of a sample of claimants from each employment contract, to assess the effectiveness of those programmes and requires providers to rectify any issues identified.

Further support is available through the Access to Work Mental Health Support Scheme. Last year, it supported 1630 people who declared a Mental Health condition as their Primary Medical Condition – a 15% increase on 2013/14 and a record number for the scheme.

Over the next three years, we are investing £43 million to develop an evidence base, via a range of voluntary trials, for what works to support people with mental health conditions into employment. Each of the voluntary trials will test a different approach of combined health and employment support.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christina Rees on 2016-06-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the report by Lord Justice Briggs on his report entitled, Civil Courts Structure: Interim Report, published in December 2015, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the finding in paragraph 5.23 of that report.

Mr Shailesh Vara

The Government welcomes Lord Justice Briggs’s interim report on the review of civil court structures. Our courts and tribunals are antiquated and need urgent reform. We are considering the recommendations of the interim report and will also pay close attention to the content of Lord Justice Briggs’s final report. Our work to reform the courts and tribunals includes consideration of a range of innovative approaches to provide more effective access to justice. In particular we want to make better use of technology to provide simpler court processes. As part of this we will consider the extent to which technology can be used to resolve some of the most complex cases, including personal injury claims.

Lord Justice Briggs has undertaken extensive consultation as part of his Review. In addition to this, the Government will continue to engage and consult with the judiciary, practitioners and court users on our wider programme to reform the courts and tribunals.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christina Rees on 2015-11-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons the matters within his Department’s responsibility in Schedule 1 of the draft Wales Bill have been designated as reserved.

Priti Patel

The reservations listed in Schedule 1 to the draft Wales Bill reflects the Government’s view of where the Welsh devolution boundary lies following the devolution of further powers to the Assembly provided for in the draft Bill.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christina Rees on 2016-02-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, further to the Government response of October 2013 to his Department’s consultation on arrangements concerning whiplash injuries in England and Wales, what plans his Department has (a) to maintain access to justice for claimants and (b) to protect such claimants from the under-settling of claims potentially arising from increases to the small claims court limit.

Dominic Raab

The Government will consult on the detail of the new reforms in due course, including any necessary safeguards. The consultation will be accompanied by an impact assessment.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christina Rees on 2016-09-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with UK Anti-Doping and its international partners on doping in sport.

Tracey Crouch

I have regular meetings with UK Anti-Doping, as well as the UK’s international partners, to discuss a range of anti-doping matters. The most effective way to combat doping in sport is through a collaborative approach where Governments work in partnership with the sports movement, the World Anti-Doping Agency and other National Doping Organisations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christina Rees on 2015-11-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many times he has (a) met and (b) corresponded with a minister of the Welsh Government on the draft Wales Bill in the last 12 months.

Priti Patel

The Wales Office is the lead Government department on the draft Wales Bill, and is the primary point of contact with the Welsh Government on matters related to the draft Bill.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christina Rees on 2016-03-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in how many and which courts in England and Wales court counters have closed in the last 12 months.

Mr Shailesh Vara

Court counters have closed at the following courts in the last 12 months:

Grantham Magistrates’ Court; and

Skegness Magistrates’ Court.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christina Rees on 2016-10-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the reasons are for the proposal to reduce the number of benefit appeal cases in which (a) an appellant can appear in person and (b) the panel includes a member with direct experience of the relevant benefit; and what cost savings are expected to arise from that change.

Sir Oliver Heald

The Government is investing close to £1 billion to reform and digitise our courts and tribunals to deliver swifter and more certain justice.

Technology will be at the forefront of our reforms but specific support will be provided to ensure tribunals remain accessible to all and physical hearings will continue to be used to resolve many cases.

The impact assessment published alongside the Transforming our Justice System consultation paper sets out our estimate of potential savings from tribunal panel composition reform based on possible future scenarios.

The panel composition reforms will ensure that the most appropriate panel is always selected to hear a case. As now, relevant expertise will always be available where needed, regardless of how a case is resolved. The Senior President of Tribunals will continue to determine when panel members are used.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christina Rees on 2015-11-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he has taken to consult clinicians on his policy on access to off-patent drugs.

George Freeman

Our policy on generic prescribing has been in place for a number of years. The policy helps ensure that patients can access the medicine that best meets their needs and it has been a key driver in the National Health Service making maximum use of off-patent drugs which are also known as generics. We have the best prescribing rate for these drugs in Europe.

To support clinicians who may want to prescribe a product off-label for a patient to and improve the flow of research evidence into clinical practice, the Department hosted a Roundtable Event in February 2015. Attendees included the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, Breast Cancer Now and other charities and discussions helped determine those non-legislative measures that could be undertaken. The Government is committed to this work and is holding a further roundtable event with charities.