The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2014-06-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will publish an update to A Framework for Sexual Health Improvement in England first published in March 2013.
Jane Ellison
The first review of progress on the Framework will be published shortly.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2014-03-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the proportion of calls made to the NSPCC reporting female genital mutilation cases that have been passed on to the police.
Norman Baker
[holding answer 18 March 2014]
The NSPCC’s FGM helpline received 174 contacts between its launch in June 2013 and 28 February 2014. Of this number, 75 have been referred on to the relevant police force. There were 35 contacts from professionals seeking advice on the correct procedures to follow in regard to a child at risk of FGM. The other 64 contacts were more general enquiries relating to FGM.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2014-04-30.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many of his Department’s agencies, non-departmental public bodies or sponsored bodies have developed their own global health strategies.
Jane Ellison
In addition to the cross-Government global health strategy, Health is Global: An outcome framework for global health 2011-2015, published in 2011, Public Health England is developing a global health strategy.
This will complement, and will be consistent with, Health is Global.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2014-06-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the potential cost of extending the human papilloma virus vaccination programme to include all boys aged 12 and 13 years.
Jane Ellison
We have not made any estimate of extending the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme to include boys aged 12 and 13 years, as the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has not yet completed its consideration of whether HPV vaccine should be offered to males.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2014-06-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to improve hepatitis C diagnosis and treatment rates among (a) South Asian populations, (b) homeless people, (c) injecting drug users and (d) other at-risk groups.
Jane Ellison
The commissioning of local Hepatitis C services, including bespoke services for homeless people or other at-risk groups, is the responsibility of local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). NHS England expects that decisions made by local CCGs will take account of the needs of their local populations.
A range of materials has been published to help CCGs commission relevant services. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published guidance on improving uptake of testing and diagnosis for hepatitis C in risk groups. Public Health England has published a commissioning template to support commissioning of hepatitis C diagnosis and treatment services. Guidance for commissioning bespoke services for homeless people has been published by the Faculty for Homeless and Inclusion Health.
The Department supports the Inclusion Health programme which champions the health and health care of vulnerable groups, including homeless people. The programme seeks to improve the health data for these groups, and set out practical steps for assessing needs (e.g. through Joint Strategic Need Assessments) and commissioning services. We are also involved in funding work in this area through the Homeless Hospital Discharge Fund to improve hospital discharge arrangements for people who are homeless (£10 million 2013-14) and £40 million capital fund for hostel refurbishment with a focus on improving health outcomes (2014-15).
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2014-06-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people were working in his Department on sexual health matters in each year since 2010; and how many people have worked in (a) his Department and (b) Public Health England on sexual health matters since the formation of Public Health England.
Jane Ellison
The following table shows staff numbers working directly on sexual health matters within the Department since 2010. There are also a number of senior civil servants and other staff, such as analysts, working in the Department who input to work on sexual health and a wide range of other issues.
|
Year |
Department staff numbers sexual health |
Whole Time Equivalent (WTE) |
|
2010 (estimated) |
19 |
17.2 |
|
2011 |
10 |
10 |
|
2012 |
9 |
8.7 |
|
2013 |
6 |
5.7 |
|
2014 |
6 |
5.7 |
The total number of Public Health England staff working on sexual health is 255.3 WTE.
Public Health England’s head count includes staff working on Health Protection, field epidemiology, microbiology services and Health and Wellbeing staff. Some staff are externally funded and are not exclusive to sexual health, working across disciplines.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2014-03-31.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, who is responsible for enforcing standards in the hygiene of toilets on trains; and who is accountable for any failings in this area.
Stephen Hammond
It is a matter for the Train Operator to ensure that the appropriate standards of cleanliness are met on trains.
More information can be obtained from the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) which can be contacted at:
2nd Floor
200 Aldersgate Street
London
EC1A 4HD
Tel: 020 7841 8000
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2014-04-30.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much Public Health England has spent on consultancy workers in 2013-14.
Jane Ellison
Public Health England (PHE) has incurred no expenditure with professional consultancy firms of the nature described in the Cabinet Office definition of Consultancy.
However, PHE sought approval under the Department’s Professional Services approvals route for £8.1million of contingent labour where the daily rate of the individuals concerned was more than £220 per day. This involves approval by the Chief Executive of PHE, by the Department’s Procurement and by the Department’s Financial Approvals Panel.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2014-06-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the Government’s assessment is of the effectiveness of warning labels on alcoholic beverages regarding drinking during pregnancy; and what assessment he has made of the potential benefits of making such labels mandatory.
Jane Ellison
Research in the evidence around the effectiveness of alcohol harm reduction communications and related campaigns suggests that labelling and point of sale information can have an impact on consumption, in conjunction with broader campaigns to raise consumer awareness and education on the health risks linked to alcohol consumption.
As part of the Public Health Responsibility Deal, alcohol retailers and producers have committed to putting an agreed warning or a pregnancy warning logo on 80% of labels on bottles and cans by the end of 2013. An independent market survey is underway to measure compliance. This level of coverage should allow the majority of consumers to see the pregnancy warning and logo.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2014-06-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what incentives are in place to improve the uptake of hepatitis C treatment nationally.
Jane Ellison
Clinical commissioning groups have considerable local flexibility to introduce incentives where they wish to prioritise a particular issue, based on their population needs. There are no national incentives in place to support improved uptake of hepatitis C treatment in England.