Tag: Lord Colwyn

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Colwyn on 2014-05-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proposals they have to increase the number of dental practices piloting the National Health Service’s new contractual arrangements; and what is the timetable for those reforms to be completed.

Earl Howe

Decisions on the detailed shape of the next stage have not yet been taken. The forthcoming engagement exercise on the reforms with the dental community is intended to increase awareness of the process and allow an opportunity for the wider dental community to input.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Colwyn on 2014-05-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to introducing a tax on sugary drinks, in the light of research published in the British Medical Journal in October 2013 that such a measure could reduce obesity in the United Kingdom by 1.3 per cent.

Lord Deighton

There are difficulties of principle and practice with using tax instruments to promote public health. Unlike smoking, where any level of consumption can have damaging effects, the consumption of most drinks in moderation can be to the benefit rather than the detriment of an individual’s health. Government is instead working with industry to reduce the nation’s calorie intake.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Colwyn on 2014-05-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment NHS England has made of the effectiveness of Local Area Teams in commissioning NHS dental services since April 2013.

Earl Howe

We are informed by NHS England that the Direct Commissioning Assurance Framework, which was published in November 2013, sets out the methodology for how NHS England can demonstrate effective use of public funds in commissioning safe, high quality and sustainable services within available resources

The assurance process is evidence-based and draws on a wide range of information and indicators to assess how well services are being commissioned. The evidence used includes local insight from area teams and wider National Health Service functions. A finance and performance delivery dashboard is also used and dental data is an important component of this. Through this process, NHS England is able to ensure that the delivery of NHS dental services is monitored as an important component of the assurance process and that any concerns are addressed promptly.