The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-02-24.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to further reform the Bank of England.
Harriett Baldwin
The Government has set out its plans for reform of the Bank of England in the Bank of England and Financial Services Bill, which is currently progressing through Parliament.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-03-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment the NHS has made of the potential health risks of exposure to formaldehyde used in the manufacture of everyday products.
Jane Ellison
Consumer products are subject to the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 which demands that "No producer shall supply or place a consumer product on the market unless the product is a safe product.”
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) applies in the workplace when hazardous substances are manufactured, used or where processes are undertaken that generate hazardous substances. COSHH requires the employer to carry out a risk assessment to establish what, if any, hazards are associated with products/processes employees are using/undertaking and then put measures in place to control exposure to those hazards.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-03-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much funding her Department received from the European Social Fund (a) between 2007 and 2014 and (b) from 2014 to the last month for which data is available.
Mr Desmond Swayne
My Department has not received any funding from the European Social Fund.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-03-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which military operations UK armed forces have been involved in that have (a) included other EU member states and (b) been EU-led.
Penny Mordaunt
The security and stability of the UK has long depended on our strong partnerships in the Euro-Atlantic area, and we have worked alongside our Allies both in NATO and EU operations. The UK Armed Forces are currently deployed alongside European partners in many environments, including the NATO Operation in the Aegean and the EU-led Operation in the Central Mediterranean, both providing critical support to the international efforts to destroy the illegal smuggling networks putting thousands of lives at risk. Additionally, UK Armed Forces are deployed in other EU Operations and Missions in Mali, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Somalia, as well as the anti-piracy operation off the Horn of Africa.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-04-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with which local authorities her Department has held discussions on the possibility of local authorities running multi-academy trusts.
Edward Timpson
Regional Schools Commissioners discuss the options for schools to convert to academy status with local authorities on a regular basis – and in the case of underperforming schools in particular, those discussions focus on which multi-academy trusts are the most effective way of securing sustainable improvement.
The White Paper Educational Excellence Everywhere makes clear that we want to ensure that we make best use of talented staff currently within local authorities to establish or join multi-academy trusts. Our discussions with local authorities will continue to look at the options available to harness that talent.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-05-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will direct the NHS to review its decision on the expansion of access to pre-exposure prophylaxis treatment for people most at risk of contracting HIV.
Jane Ellison
NHS England’s Specialised Services Commissioning Committee (SSCC) have considered and accepted NHS England’s external legal advice that it does not have the legal power to commission pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). However, work on PrEP is ongoing and up to £2 million will be invested in a pilot programme to target those at highest risk over the course of two years.
Public Health England is working to identify the most effective locations for the introduction of this pilot. The Department will be discussing future commissioning with stakeholders.
PrEP is a new use of HIV drugs which has shown effectiveness in research trials at preventing HIV in people at high risk of getting HIV such as men who have sex with men and people with HIV-positive partners. The drug used in United Kingdom trials, Truvada, is not yet licenced for use as PrEP. As with any new intervention, PrEP now needs to be properly assessed in relation to clinical and cost effectiveness to see how it could be commissioned in the most sustainable and integrated way and how it compares with other cost-effective approaches.
Our £2.4 million national HIV Prevention and Sexual Health Promotion Programme also gives those at highest risk the best advice to make safer choices about sex.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-09-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to promote breast cancer awareness during Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2016.
David Mowat
Public Health England will support Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2016 with social media activity. The Be Clear on Cancer Breast Cancer materials are freely available online via the Campaign Resource Centre at:
https://campaignresources.phe.gov.uk/resources/
A campaign on heart and lung diseases including cancer is currently ongoing and will conclude on 15 October.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-10-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what information her Department holds on the number of people aged between 18 and 25 who have taken a gap year over the last five years.
Mr Rob Wilson
The Department does not hold this information.
Local Authorities hold data on NEETS (not in employment, education or training) but this data does not specify those on gap years.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-11-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of fixing recoverable costs in medical negligence cases to a maximum of £250,000 on the accountability of the NHS to the public.
Ben Gummer
Over the past 10 years claimant legal costs as a percentage of damages paid by the National Health Service have increased from 32% to 52%. We believe that claimant legal costs are disproportionate to the value of the damages paid, sometimes representing up to 299% for lower value claims, and disproportionate to the defendant costs. Ultimately this all comes out money for front line services. The proposal for fixed recoverable cost in lower value clinical negligence claims was suggested by Lord Justice Jackson in his report Reform of Civil Litigation Funding and Costs in England and Wales.
The Department is working closely with partners and interested parties to develop a proposal to introduce fixed recoverable costs for clinical negligence claims. The Department’s proposal in the consultation is a maximum threshold level of £250,000, based on Lord Justice Jackson’s original proposal and with a view to covering at least 80% of all claims. We welcome views on the proposal from all sectors. The results of a pre-consultation exercise with a number of key stakeholders, including representatives of claimant lawyers, and the consultation documentation, including the Impact Assessment, will be published early 2016 subject to relevant Committee clearances.
The level of potential savings will ultimately depend upon the final maximum threshold level proposed. By making legal costs proportionate to the damages paid we would hope to save circa £80 million per annum. The Department is also working with various clinical groups looking at how the current level of incidents can be reduced. In terms of maternity our target to reduce avoidable harm by 50% and save 6,000 lives.
The Department sees the fixed recoverable cost work as part of an overall strategic approach aimed at improving patient safety, improving customer care and improving litigation. Improving patient safety and reducing the incidents of harm is a key element of this.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-01-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will deploy the RAF to provide humanitarian support to the people of Syria through the use of air drops.
Penny Mordaunt
The UN, the Red Cross Movement and Non-Governmental Organisation partners have the mandate and expertise to deliver an appropriate response to the humanitarian crisis in Syria. Any UK response would work to the same principles by which the UN operates. We would not use air drops when there is ground access particularly in the circumstances of western Syria, where there are no assurances about the safety of delivering humanitarian assistance by air. Nor would the UK undermine humanitarian agencies by providing duplicate aid through air drops, in the absence of full coordination with all agencies on the ground.