Tag: Jo Cox

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Cox on 2016-04-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to support carers assisting people with mental health conditions.

Alistair Burt

The Government recognises the invaluable contribution made by unpaid carers including those who care for people with mental health conditions and the importance of supporting them in their caring roles.

That is why we continue to support implementation of the improved rights for carers enshrined in the Care Act 2014. The Department has provided £104 million of funding to local authorities for these rights in 2015/16, which include an extended right to assessment and, for the first time, a duty on local authorities to meet carers’ eligible needs for support.

We have also made an additional £400 million available to the National Health Service between 2011 and 2015 to provide carers with breaks from their caring responsibilities to sustain them in their caring role. The equivalent annual allocation of £130 million for carers breaks is now included in the Better Care Fund.

In May 2014, NHS England published its action plan NHS England – Commitment to carers, it includes a series of commitments around eight priorities, which include raising the profile of carers, including young carers.

The Department is leading on the development of a new cross-Government National Carers Strategy that will look at what more can be done to support existing and new carers including those who care for people with mental health conditions. To support the development of the strategy we are currently conducting a national call for evidence. We want to engage with a wide range of individuals and organisations with experience of caring, to ensure our evidence reflects the diversity of experience of carers, and those for whom they care. The call for evidence was launched in March and will run until mid-summer 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Cox on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of a seven-day elective service in the NHS on the number of hours worked by NHS staff; and if he will publish any such assessment.

Ben Gummer

The Government’s current plans for ensuring the same quality of care in hospitals on all days of the week are focussed on those with urgent and emergency care needs at weekends and those who are already inpatients. It is for individual health economies to determine if they wish to provide elective care at weekends, for example if they can use more efficiently additional resources that are available to meet urgent and emergency care needs.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Cox on 2016-02-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much his Department paid out in attendance allowance in each of the last three years.

Justin Tomlinson

The Department publishes historic benefit expenditure and caseload data consistent with the annual Budget and Autumn Statements. These are available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/benefit-expenditure-and-caseload-tables-2015

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Cox on 2016-04-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will adopt recommendations 58 to 63 of the All Party Parliamentary Inquiry Report, Feeding Britain.

Priti Patel

As part of the ongoing development of the sanctions policy, we have already implemented many of the recommendations from the All Party Parliamentary Inquiry Report ‘Feeding Britain’ and Matthew Oakley’s independent review of sanctions, since they were published in 2014 and some are still being considered.

Where we identify an issue, we act to put it right. As with all our policies, we keep the operation of the sanction system under constant review to ensure that it continues to function effectively and fairly.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Cox on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of a seven-day elective service in the NHS on the number of NHS staff available (a) Monday to Friday and (b) on a weekend; and how he estimates staffing levels will change.

Ben Gummer

The Government’s current plans for ensuring the same quality of care in hospitals on all days of the week are focussed on those with urgent and emergency care needs at weekends and those who are already inpatients. It is for individual health economies to determine if they wish to provide elective care at weekends, for example if they can use more efficiently additional resources that are available to meet urgent and emergency care needs.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Cox on 2016-02-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues and local government representatives on transferring responsibility of attendance allowance to local authorities.

Justin Tomlinson

Later this year, the Government will consult on giving more responsibility to support older people with care needs to Local Authorities in England and to Wales, including people who, under the current system, would be supported through Attendance Allowance. Work on the consultation is progressing with the relevant departments, and officials will work with stakeholders throughout the consultation process.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Cox on 2016-04-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the fairness of the (a) licence fee and (b) initial overcharge for those paying the licence fee by direct debit.

Mr Edward Vaizey

The BBC’s funding has been a central issue in the Charter Review process, and this has included consideration of the fairness and affordability of the licence fee, and the ways in which it can be paid. David Perry QC’s independent report on TV Licence Fee Enforcement highlighted that current payment plans, set out in regulations, inhibit the ability of TV Licensing to help those on lower incomes by offering alternative, more manageable payment schemes. The conclusions of his report have been considered as part of the wider Charter Review process, and the government’s position on these issues will be set out in the forthcoming White Paper.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Cox on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of a seven-day elective service in the NHS on patient (a) care and (b) safety; and if he will publish any such assessment.

Ben Gummer

The Government’s current plans for ensuring the same quality of care in hospitals on all days of the week are focussed on those with urgent and emergency care needs at weekends and those who are already inpatients. It is for individual health economies to determine if they wish to provide elective care at weekends, for example if they can use more efficiently additional resources that are available to meet urgent and emergency care needs.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Cox on 2016-02-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress he has made on the transfer of responsibility for attendance allowance to local authorities.

Justin Tomlinson

Later this year, the Government will consult on giving more responsibility to support older people with care needs to Local Authorities in England and to Wales, including people who, under the current system, would be supported through Attendance Allowance. Work on the consultation is progressing with the relevant departments, and officials will work with stakeholders throughout the consultation process.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Cox on 2016-06-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure the constructive engagement of the Saudi-led coalition with the UN on the question of its de-listing as a state or armed group that violates children’s rights during conflict.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

[This question was tabled before the sad death of the Honourable Lady but the subject remains important and the Government’s response ought to be placed on the public record.]

The UN Secretary General’s annual report on Children in Armed Conflict was published on 2 June. The report includes a section outlining the impact of the conflict in Yemen on children.

The conflict in Yemen has had a significant impact on children, in terms of the numbers of child casualties, the recruitment of children as soldiers, and attacks on hospitals and schools.

We note the announcement by the UN Secretary General on 6 June that removed the listing of the Saudi Arabian-led Coalition from the report’s annex, pending the conclusion of a joint review by the UN and Saudi Arabia on the cases and numbers cited in the text. We welcome co-operation between the UN and Saudi Arabia to look in to this matter.