Tag: Derek Thomas

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Derek Thomas on 2015-12-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will offer military resources to assist with the refugee crisis (a) in Lesbos and (b) elsewhere.

Penny Mordaunt

The Ministry of Defence is already supporting the Home Office in its work with refugees. In the Mediterranean, Royal Navy medics and a Royal Marine force protection team are deployed on board the Border Force chartered vessel MV VOS Grace currently in the Aegean Sea, supporting the EU’s FRONTEX-led search and rescue operation. The Ministry of Defence has also supported HM Government’s Syrian Resettlement Programme through the provision of medical escorts on board some of the charter flights that recently brought Syrian refugees to the UK.

HMS ENTERPRISE is also deployed to the EU Naval Force operation in the Mediterranean tackling the migrant smugglers who profit from the perilous journeys made by migrants across the Central Mediterranean. Royal Navy assets operating in this operation and the earlier search and rescue operation in the summer, have rescued over 7,500 persons in the Mediterranean since May.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Derek Thomas on 2016-03-23.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he plans to take to help give the views of young people greater prominence in policy decisions in their community.

Mr Rob Wilson

The Cabinet Office supports the Government’s commitment of giving young people the power and opportunity to play a real part in their community. We promote engagement, advocacy and consultation at both national and local level

We support the British Youth Council (BYC) to deliver its ‘youth voice’ programme, including key activities such as the national annual Make Your Mark ballot, UK Youth Parliament, and the Youth Select Committee.

Cabinet Office has committed to continuing its support for these activities for the remainder of the current Parliament.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Derek Thomas on 2015-12-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how the proposed council tax levy for social care will support integration of health and social care.

Alistair Burt

The Government is committed to delivering more person-centred care through programmes such as the Better Care Fund, the Integrated Care Pioneers and the Vanguards. The proposed council tax levy gives councils the flexibility to raise additional funds. Councils can also voluntarily invest additional funds in programmes if they wish.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Derek Thomas on 2016-04-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when the Government plans to publish the White Paper on the BBC Charter.

Mr Edward Vaizey

The Government will set out its plans for the future of the BBC in a White Paper in May.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Derek Thomas on 2016-01-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will initiate a cross-government strategy to prevent homelessness.

Mr Marcus Jones

People find themselves facing homelessness for many reasons – and it is more than just a housing issue. Relationship breakdown, health and employment can all play a part. What is more, the costs of homelessness are felt across Government, through the criminal justice system, healthcare and the welfare bill.

I have re-established the Ministerial Working Group on Homelessness, to ensure we have a joined up response and a shared sense of mission across Government.

Through this Group, my colleagues and I will ensure that we have a coordinated plan to tackle and prevent homelessness across departmental boundaries.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Derek Thomas on 2016-05-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to support healthcare professionals working in the NHS to continue to undertake research.

George Freeman

The Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) improves the health and wealth of the nation through research. Part of the NIHR is the Faculty.

The Faculty empowers and develops the NIHR community of research professionals, to improve the nation’s health, wellbeing and prosperity. The Faculty achieves this by creating a sense of common purpose and identity around shared values that cut across organisational and professional boundaries.

The NIHR Faculty comprises three categories of membership: Investigators (including Senior Investigators), Associates and Trainees. The Faculty encompasses research, clinical and support staff from all relevant professional backgrounds.

Since 2006 the NIHR:

― has made Senior Investigators awards to 338 individuals through nine competitions;

― has supported 10,593 unique trainees through fellowships and through the NIHR Infrastructure;

― has supported 5,920 unique Investigators through research contracts and the NIHR Infrastructure;

― has supported 2,355 unique Principal Investigators through research contracts;

― has supported 3,926 unique Investigators within the NIHR Infrastructure; and

― has supported 4,652 Associates in the NIHR Infrastructure.

The number of eligible clinical professional groups able to benefit from the training programmes targeted at allied health professionals and nurses has increased by 50% since 2006.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Derek Thomas on 2016-02-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to measure (a) national and (b) local performance on tackling high levels of cholesterol.

Jane Ellison

Cholesterol testing in primary care is included in the Quality Outcomes Framework for people diagnosed with hypertension and diabetes and this is published every year by the Health and Social Care Information Centre. Public Health England’s (PHE) healthier lives website provides local comparisons of how well cholesterol is being controlled in people with diabetes. The link is below:

http://healthierlives.phe.org.uk/topic/diabetes

The Health Survey for England, an annual survey of the general population, has included measurements of total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol every year since 2008. The data is publically available from the UK Data Service.

In addition, the National Cardiovascular Health Intelligence Network within PHE is working closely with organisations concerned with cardiovascular disease to take forward the recommendations in the recent Heart UK report ‘Helping Us to Beat Cholesterol’. This report focusses on the importance of data in the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Derek Thomas on 2016-05-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department records acts of alleged genocide by Daesh reported by refugees who are provided with humanitarian aid by his Department to support future criminal investigations.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We have not received such allegations from refugees. However, the UK is supporting evidence gathering by a range of state and non state actors for potential prosecutions. In Syria, the UK is funding the work of non-governmental organisations who are gathering evidence of Human Rights violations, including by Daesh and the Asad regime. In Iraq, we are supporting the victims of sexual violence and considering how we might best complement other evidence gathering efforts already underway. Working with international partners, we are doing everything we can to assist in the gathering and preservation of evidence that could in future be used by judicial bodies to make a judgement on this matter.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Derek Thomas on 2016-02-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the report by the Social Market Foundation on the effect of single parents of a relaxation of Sunday trading hours.

Anna Soubry

In formulating its final proposals, the Government has carefully considered all the evidence submitted during the consultation process.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Derek Thomas on 2016-06-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to improve GP access to natriuretic peptide testing.

Jane Ellison

NHS England is working with key partners to ensure better co-ordination and integration of all services with the aim of delivering person-centred and coordinated care which is tailored to the needs and preferences of the individual, their carer and family.

Specifically on heart failure, NHS England is working with Health Education England to look at ways of improving the provision of and increase access to echocardiography, which is used for the diagnosis of heart failure.

NHS England has also established a best practice tariff for acute heart failure. This aims to encourage better practice in the caring for heart failure patients. In addition, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published quality standards for acute heart failure and chronic heart failure, which can be found at:

https://www.nice.org.uk/Guidance/QS9

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs103

NHS England expects commissioners and providers to take account of quality standards in the services that are delivered to patients.

The use of natriuretic peptides in diagnosing heart failure is widely understood and pathology laboratories are used to measuring them. The NICE’s guidance on acute heart failure and chronic heart failure both cover the use of natriuretic peptides. This guidance can be found at:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg108

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg187

The NICE has also developed a commissioning toolkit for the use of natriuretic peptides assessment in primary care for suspected heart failure:

https://www.nice.org.uk/sharedlearning/a-commissioning-toolkit-for-use-of-natriuretic-peptide-assessment-for-suspected-heart-failure-in-primary-care

“