Tag: David Simpson

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the conclusion in the Flood Resilience Review, published in September 2016, that a 20 to 30 per cent increase in winter rainfall is possible over the next 10 years.

Dr Thérèse Coffey

The National Flood Resilience Review identified that over the next 10 years we could see extreme rainfall events that could be up to 20-30 per cent higher than recent past extreme rainfall events.

The Environment Agency will use 20 and 30 per cent extreme rainfall scenarios with local detailed models used to design new flood risk management schemes.

The scenarios will also be considered for wider flood incident planning and operational readiness that might be needed by relevant responders.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2016-02-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost to the public purse was of the campaign to encourage (a) young people and (b) first-year university students to take up the Men ACWY vaccine.

Jane Ellison

The total marketing budget for the campaign to encourage the uptake of the Men ACWY vaccine was £99,000.

The paid-for activities formed part of an integrated communications and marketing approach which involved Public Health England working closely with NHS England, meningitis charities and Universities UK. National, regional, online and specialist print and broadcast media coverage of the vaccination campaign was secured at no cost. The vaccination programme was also promoted through university networks at national and regional/local level.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2016-07-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent changes her Department has made to licensing criteria for badger control in England.

George Eustice

Following a public consultation, the following changes to licensing conditions were published on 17 December 2015:

• Enabling Natural England to keep the duration of annual badger control operations under review rather than limiting them to six weeks.

• Reducing the minimum size of an area from 150km² to 100km².

• Removing the requirement for at least 70% of the land in candidate areas to be accessible but retaining a requirement that approximately 90% of the land in the control area be either accessible, or within 200m of accessible land.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the annual cost to the NHS of the common cold.

Nicola Blackwood

No estimate has been made of the annual cost of the common cold to the National Health Service. Although it is usually perceived as a single illness, the common cold is caused by a wide range of viruses.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2016-02-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has for implementing a meningitis vaccination programme for older adults.

Jane Ellison

The Department has no plans to introduce a meningitis vaccination programme for older adults.

National immunisation programmes are introduced following advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), the expert body that advises the government on all immunisation matters. JCVI reviewed all available evidence and advised that immunisation against meningococcal group B should be routinely offered to infants from two months of age and immunisation against meningococcal A, C, W and Y should be routinely offered to teenagers aged around 14 years.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2016-07-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Northern Ireland counterpart on control of bovine TB in Northern Ireland.

George Eustice

Bovine TB policy is a devolved matter. The UK Chief Veterinary Office and other Defra officials have regular discussions with their counterparts in Northern Ireland on the eradication of bovine TB.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how his Department plans to raise awareness among young people of the dangers of so-called smart drugs.

Nicola Blackwood

The Government’s drug information website FRANK is updating its content to include enhancement drugs, including so-called smart drugs.

FRANK forms part of a wider programme of education and prevention that should be delivered locally in line with evidence on what works best in effective prevention programmes.

Public Health England (PHE) commissioned Mentor’s Alcohol and Drug Education and Prevention Information Service (ADEPIS) programme to helps schools and practitioners share information and resources to help them deliver good quality drug prevention activities. PHE also delivers the Rise Above campaign to 11–16 year olds, which provides content that aims to delay and prevent uptake of risky behaviours including smoking, drinking alcohol and drug use, to build resilience and enable young people to make good life choices.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2016-02-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to implement the recommendation of the National Screening Committee, made in January 2016, on making non-invasive prenatal testing for Down’s syndrome available to expectant mothers.

Ben Gummer

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) has recommended that non-invasive prenatal testing for Down’s syndrome should be introduced as an additional test into the NHS Fetal Anomaly Screening Programme as part of an evaluation. Ministers are currently considering this important recommendation from the UK NSC which has the potential to transform antenatal care.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2016-07-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many cases of avian influenza there were in the UK in 2016.

George Eustice

There has been one confirmed case of notifiable avian influenza in poultry during 2016 to date; Low Pathogenic H5N1 at a poultry farm near Dunfermline, Scotland.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what support his Department is providing nursing homes facing closure.

David Mowat

This response relates to adult social care in England.

Adult social care is largely delivered through an independent sector of care provider organisations that operate in a competitive market. Whilst many people pay for their own services, both local government and the National Health Service commission services for people who have eligible needs and are financially eligible. The Government works with local authorities to encourage good practice in commissioning services, producing guidance and through a sector-led improvement programme.

The Government recognises that the care sector is operating in a challenging financial environment and continues to engage with the care sector, including nursing care providers, to understand their concerns about their financial viability and the sustainability of services.

The trade bodies Care England and the United Kingdom Home Care Association have convened a provider Taskforce, with membership from the larger care home and home care operators and representatives from the Care Providers Alliance. Officials from the Department of Health, and other Government Departments attend the taskforce meetings as observers. The Taskforce has discussions about risks to financial viability, local authority commissioning and the impact of the introduction of the National Living Wage.

The Department is working closely with the Local Government Association to consider targeted action to address the issues.

In addition, on 13 July 2016, the Department announced that the NHS-funded Nursing Care (NHS-FNC) rate was being increased on an interim basis to £156.25 per week for individuals assessed as eligible. This increase was to be backdated to 1 April 2016 for individuals who were in receipt of NHS-FNC at that time.