Tag: Luciana Berger

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-02-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he plans to bring forward proposals to change the closest living relative definition in the Mental Health Act 1983 to include unmarried fathers once their children are aged 18.

Alistair Burt

One of the aims set out in the Green Paper, No voice unheard, no right ignored – a consultation for people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health conditions, published in March 2015, is to ensure people’s ‘nearest relative’ under the Mental Health Act 1983 (MHA) is someone who is meaningful to them. We have no plans to specifically change the nearest relative definition in the MHA to include unmarried fathers once their children are aged over 18 years.

This will ensure that people are able to choose their own ‘nearest relative’, who has specific legal responsibilities under the MHA. The current MHA definition of the nearest relative will be updated to be used as a default if necessary, when the person is unable to make a choice for some reason.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-02-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what account the police takes of mental health conditions when deciding whether to prosecute people under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.

Mike Penning

The police and Crown Prosecution Service work together to take decisions on whether to pursue a prosecution under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, applying the evidential and public interest tests set out in the Code for Crown Prosecutors. The Code provides that prosecutors should have regard to whether the suspect is, or was at the time of the offence, suffering from any mental or ill health as, in some circumstances, this may mean that it is less likely that a prosecution is required.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-02-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much of Public Health England’s social marketing budget for 2015-16 has been allocated to mental health.

Jane Ellison

Mental health and wellbeing is integrated into many Public Health England campaigns.

In 2015-16 an estimated £380,000 has been allocated to the development and promotion of mental health content for 11-16 year olds via the Rise Above campaign.

In addition, the Information Service for Parents (ISP) programme delivers information on mental and physical health topics to support parents and parents-to-be. There are a wide range of topics relating to mental health covered including ante-natal and post-natal depression, and the importance of seeking professional help to address mental health issues in both parents and young children. The annual cost of delivering the ISP is £250,000, but we cannot ascribe a precise value to mental health given the breadth of issues it covers.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-03-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many and what proportion of NHS consultant psychiatrist posts were vacant in each year since 2010.

Ben Gummer

This information is not collected.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-03-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2016 to Question 30123, on prescriptions: learning disability, what he plans to include in the programme of work to reduce inappropriate prescribing; and what the timetable for that programme is.

Alistair Burt

I am planning to meet NHS England officials in April to discuss action to reduce the inappropriate prescribing of medication for people with a learning disability. The work programme and timeframe have not yet been agreed.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-03-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has for the successor body to Health Education England for the commissioning for non-medical education.

Ben Gummer

The Government, through Health Education England, will retain the responsibility for commissioning and funding the minimum numbers of clinical placements assessed as required to produce sufficient healthcare graduates for the National Health Service.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-03-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure mental health service user groups are consulted in advance about arrangements for mental health conferences organised by his Department or NHS England.

Alistair Burt

The second mental health Crisis Care Concordat national summit was held on 24 November 2015, hosted jointly by the Department and Mind.

The event concentrated on progress with improving crisis care since the launch of the Concordat in February 2014. The Summit was full, with 250 delegates and speakers. All delegates were Concordat activists – either involved in their local Crisis Concordat groups or representatives from national signatory and supporter organisations. People with lived experience and carers attended, as well as members of the National Survivor User Network. Some attendees will have been present representing their organisations but also will have had lived experience, and it is therefore not possible to calculate the number of those attendees who were mental health service users.

All Departmental conferences involve stakeholders and service users as part of the preparation process.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-04-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average waiting time for autistic adults with mental health problems to access psychiatric therapy was in (a) England and (b) each clinical commissioning group in each of the last five years.

Alistair Burt

The information requested is not collected centrally.

However, as recommended by the independent Mental Health Taskforce, the Department is developing a five-year plan for the development of mental health data to be published by the end of this year. The plan will set out future data requirements and timings for developing data to inform pathways of care which will include data requirements for autism.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-04-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 19 April 2016 to Question 34106, occupational health, if he will make it his policy to collect the information referred to.

Alistair Burt

We do not have any plans to collect this data.

We do not collect data on the number of organisations that have mental wellbeing policies in place.

Organisations may take a number of different approaches to ensuring the wellbeing of their workforces, which would make measurement very complex, with an absence of communications standards. However, the issue remains of importance to the Department.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-04-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether participation in the randomised control trial his Department is conducting on in-work progression is mandatory for claimants; and what consequences there will be for claimants who do not wish to take part in that trial.

Priti Patel

Universal Credit claimants who meet the eligibility criteria will be required to participate in the trial. However, we are careful to protect people who are vulnerable. Claimants who are unable to work or earn more due to caring or because of health conditions or disabilities will not be required to participate, and there are a number of further exclusion criteria which generally reflect those applied to out of work UC claimants.

Every claimant participating in the trial will have a tailored Claimant Commitment which is a joint agreement between the work coach and the claimant which sets out clearly what reasonable activity they have agreed to do in order to improve their earnings. Trial participants who fail to engage in the process, or who fail to take the reasonable actions mutually agreed in their claimant commitment without good reason may have their Universal Credit payments reduced under a sanction.

Claimants will be given the opportunity to explain why they have not complied with a requirement. An independent decision maker will consider if a sanction is appropriate and if the claimant had good reason for not complying, taking into account the claimant’s representations. Where a claimant is sanctioned there are clear safeguards in place.