Tag: Frank Field

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-02-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of children in England received the meningitis B vaccine in 2015-16; and what steps he is taking to maximise take-up rates.

Jane Ellison

Meningitis B (MenB) immunisation for infants was introduced on 1 September 2015 on the basis of expert advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, the independent body which advises Government on all immunisation matters. The vaccine is offered alongside other routine immunisations at two and four months of age, with a booster dose at 12-13 months. A limited one-off catch-up programme was also offered, targeting infants born in May and June 2015.

Preliminary vaccine coverage for children born in July 2015 was 94.0% for one dose and 84.8% for two doses when measured at six months of age.

The introduction of MenB immunisation has been supported by a comprehensive media and communications campaign in partnership with health partners and meningitis charities. This resulted in significant coverage across national, local, parenting and social media. New patient information leaflets and posters have also supported the campaign, and comprehensive guidance has been added to the NHS Choices website. Existing children’s immunisation information booklets and leaflets have been amended to reflect the new immunisation schedule. A training factsheet and video for health professionals have also been produced.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will carry out an assessment of the effect of changes in funding for community pharmacies on patient safety.

Alistair Burt

The community pharmacy proposals for 2016/17 and beyond, on which we are consulting, are being considered in respect to the public sector equality duty, the family test and relevant duties of the Secretary of State under the National Health Service Act 2006. The latter includes the duty as to improvement in quality of services, such as the safety of services.

At this stage we would note that all pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacies are regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council, which protects, promotes and maintains the health, safety and wellbeing of members of the public by upholding standards and public trust in pharmacy. Also, under NHS pharmaceutical services, community pharmacies are required to meet clinical governance requirements, which encourage continuing quality improvement, including through risk management.

An impact assessment will be completed to inform final decisions and published in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-03-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will respond to the petition of Isabelle Garnett on the www.change.org website, entitled Help my son get the autism care he needs.

Alistair Burt

I met Isabelle and Robin Garnett on 15 March, together with the hon. Member for Dulwich and West Norwood (Helen Hayes). I was grateful for the opportunity to discuss Matthew’s care and the broader issues of ensuring that children and young people’s mental health services are transformed using the £1.4 billion funding being made available over the lifetime of this Parliament. It is crucial that children such as Matthew get the best possible care, based on the best clinical advice at all stages, with hospital stays kept to the minimum necessary and in the most appropriate setting to meet their needs.

On 22 March, Matthew transferred to a unit in Northampton where the specialist care he needs is available.

I have asked the Department, with NHS England and other partners, to consider urgently how we can best learn the lessons from the experiences of Matthew and his family, including whether this case raises broader systemic issues that need to be addressed.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-04-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the number of working couples who in 2020-21 will be eligible for universal credit and who will receive more if they are living apart than if they are living together; and if he will make a statement.

Priti Patel

We do not issue forecasts of these volumes. The number of working couples on Universal Credit and their circumstances will vary according to a number of factors, such as the economic climate. Even if this data were published, such forecasts will change over time.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to reply to the letter of 15 March 2016 on wage insurance from the hon. Member for Birkenhead.

Justin Tomlinson

My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Stephen Crabb) has replied to the Rt. Hon. Member today.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-07-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many people working for his Department or its executive agencies on a (a) directly employed, (b) agency or (c) outsourced basis are paid less than the living wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation; and how many of those people are employed on zero-hours contracts.

Sir Alan Duncan

No member of staff of the Foreign and Commonwealth (FCO) or its Executive Agencies who is directly employed is paid less than the living wage.

The FCO defines zero-hours contracts as a contract of employment which does not specify a fixed number of hours per week, and has no guaranteed minimum number of hours. The FCO uses this type of contract to cope with fluctuating demand and/or retain specialist expertise no longer available in the current workforce. For example, we bring back retired FCO officers with relevant skills/experience to act as sensitivity reviewers or VIP visit liaison officers.

Our centrally held records do not enable us to differentiate between staff on zero-hours contracts and those on contracts with a fixed number of hours. To provide this information would incur disproportionate cost.

We do not hold a record of contract status for staff employed by companies providing outsourced services to the FCO.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-09-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much her Department plans to spend on supporting low-income communities to access renewable energy in developing countries in each of the next five years.

James Wharton

The UK Government has committed to invest £5.8billion between April 2016 and March 2021 through its International Climate Finance (ICF) to support sustainable economic growth and build resilience to the impacts of climate change. The UK aims to spend 50% of this climate finance on adaptation and 50% on mitigation activities, including a range of measures to support access to renewable energy in developing countries.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-10-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2016 to Question 48875, how many refugees her Department has helped to remain in, or stay as close as possible to, their countries of origin.

Rory Stewart

The UK is supporting hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the Syria crisis in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. We also provide support, assistance and protection for over 5 million Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank and the region. In Africa, our programmes support over a million refugees, with a focus on Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda. The Secretary of State recently visited Kenya and saw how UK support for refugees is creating trading opportunities and sustainable livelihoods closer to home. The UK has announced a further £20 million to help voluntary, humane and safe returns for Somali refugees in Kenya, and £15 million towards a UN Appeal to support an expected one million displaced people in Afghanistan, including returning refugees.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2015-10-27.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of in-work households in receipt of tax credits with an underlying entitlement to Working Tax Credit in each of the last five tax years had not had a claim with an underlying entitlement to Working Tax Credit in the preceding tax year.

Damian Hinds

The information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2015-11-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department is undertaking of the effect on children’s (a) attainment, (b) health and (c) attendance of the universal infant free school meals policy.

Mr Sam Gyimah

The decision to introduce universal infant free school meals (UIFSM) was based on pilots of universal free school meals carried out between 2009 and 2011 in Newham and Durham. The pilots demonstrated benefits in terms of children’s health, attainment and behaviour, as well as helping families with the cost of living.

The UIFSM policy has been in place for just over a year. We will look carefully at a range of indicators in relation to UIFSM once we are satisfied that we have sufficient time series data to undertake a robust analysis.