Tag: Dr Paul Monaghan

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dr Paul Monaghan on 2015-10-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for NHS Productivity of 9 July 2015, Official Report, House of Lords, column 286, on proposals for an independent inquiry on the sustainability of the NHS, if he will take steps to ensure that any such inquiry (a) identifies possible consequential effects and (b) does not adversely affect the Scottish block grant.

Alistair Burt

There is no plan to launch an independent inquiry into the sustainability of the National Health Service and there will therefore be no consequential effects on the devolved administrations or adverse effects to the Scottish block grant.

The Government remains committed to the principles of the NHS, enshrined in the NHS Constitution and in working with the NHS in implementing its own plan for the future of the NHS – the Five Year Forward View. By 2020-21, the Government will increase funding for the NHS by £10 billion a year in real terms compared to 2014-15 to support the transformation of services across the country.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dr Paul Monaghan on 2015-10-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what measures he has put in place to ensure that the Royal Mail Universal Service obligation remains active and in force across Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross constituency; and what information his Department holds on planned closures of post offices in that constituency.

George Freeman

Royal Mail, as the designated Universal Service Provider for the United Kingdom, is required under the Universal Service Obligation (USO) to deliver the universal service to all communities – urban and rural – throughout the UK – and that includes the communities of the constituency of Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross.

However, some postcode areas around the country, which may include addresses in Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, are subject to local exemptions under the USO. Such exemptions are only allowed where geographical conditions or other circumstances are considered to be exceptional by Ofcom, the independent regulator for postal services. These exceptions are carefully monitored by Ofcom and are subject to an established appeals process. Quality of service targets for all postcode areas are published quarterly by Royal Mail.

Post Office Limited (POL) has no planned post office closures in the constituency. There is one possible planned change in Brora where there is a consultation underway to move the local post office to a new location in the community.