The below Parliamentary question was asked by Melanie Onn on 2016-02-05.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the total value is of the bills that government departments have paid to small businesses more than 60 days after the date the invoice was received since 2010-11.
Matthew Hancock
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to her on 5 February 2016 to UIN: 25347.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Melanie Onn on 2016-03-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of trends in waiting times for elective surgery for people with inflammatory bowel disease.
Jane Ellison
Inflammatory bowel disease is not uniquely identified in the International Classification of Diseases and therefore it is not possible to specifically identify waiting times for people with this condition.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Melanie Onn on 2015-11-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the level of unmet need for locked rehabilitation units offering intense psychology and substance misuse support to patients with personality disorders and drug or alcohol problems in the Humber area.
Alistair Burt
The Department has made no such assessment. These services are locally commissioned.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Melanie Onn on 2016-02-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many state registered foster carers her Department estimates will be eligible for the Government’s proposed free 30 hours of childcare.
Edward Timpson
Foster carers will be able to access the existing 15 hour early education entitlement for three-and four-year olds for both their foster children and their own children. In addition, two year olds who are looked after by a local council or have left care under a special guardianship order, child arrangements order or adoption order are also entitled to 15 hours of early education.
Foster carers will be able to access the extended entitlement for three-and four-year olds for their own children provided that they meet the minimum income requirement. This means that foster parents should be earning the equivalent to 16 hours a week at National Minimum or Living Wage and their income should not exceed £100,000. This includes employed and self-employed parents.
Since foster carers are separately funded for the care of foster children, they will not be able to access the extended entitlement for their foster children. This is in line with the treatment of foster carers under Tax-Free Childcare, tax credits and Universal Credit.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Melanie Onn on 2016-03-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of making the drug nabilone available on the NHS for people with multiple sclerosis.
George Freeman
We have made no such assessment. Nabilone is not licensed for use in the treatment of multiple sclerosis.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Melanie Onn on 2015-11-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many permanent gastroenterologist consultants were employed in the NHS in the last six years.
Ben Gummer
The following table shows the number of permanent gastroenterologist consultants employed in the National Health Service in England in the last six years. The figures are taken from the NHS hospital and community health services (HCHS) monthly workforce statistics, which are published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre.
NHS HCHS Gastroenterology Consultants in England
full-time equivalent
|
July 2010 |
July 2011 |
July 2012 |
July 2013 |
July 2014 |
July 2015 |
|
713 |
797 |
838 |
882 |
921 |
1, 005 |
Source: Health and Social Care Information Centre, NHS HCHS monthly workforce statistics, July 2015
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Melanie Onn on 2016-02-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many paid carers her Department estimates will be eligible for the Government’s proposed free 30 hours of childcare.
Mr Sam Gyimah
The extended entitlement is intended to support working parents with the cost of childcare, enabling them to return to work or work additional hours if they wish to do so. Families where both parents work or one parent works in a single parent household will be eligible for these additional hours. In recognition of the particular challenges that paid carers can face in relation to childcare, the Childcare Bill allows for parents in certain circumstances to be regarded as being in work, for example, those parents who have caring responsibilities.
Households where one parent is working and one parent is being paid Carer’s Allowance or Universal Credit’s Carer Element will be able to access the extended entitlement provided the working parent meets the income eligibility requirements. This includes households where a parent is caring for their own three or four year old child where the child is in receipt of Disability Living Allowance or is certified blind.
In relation to single parents with a disabled child, where that parent meets the income eligibility requirements, they will also be able to access the extended entitlement. Parents who do not work will continue to receive Carer’s Allowance or Universal Credit.
It is also important to remember that all paid carers will be able to access the existing 15 hour early education entitlement for three and four year olds and the 15 hour early education entitlement for two year olds if they meet the eligibility criteria. More detail can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs/free-childcare-and-education-for-2-to-4-year-olds
The Department does not hold information on the number of households with three or four year old children where one partner (or the sole parent in a lone parent family) meets the income eligibility criteria and is in receipt of benefits relating to caring responsibilities.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Melanie Onn on 2016-03-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effects on general practices of increases in the number of patients presenting at GP surgeries in the last 12 months; and what steps he is taking to ensure that GP surgeries can cope with the number of patients presenting.
Alistair Burt
We recognise the vital job that general practitioners (GPs) do. We know how hard GPs and their practice teams work and the challenges that they are facing in providing care for growing numbers of older people and patients with more complex needs.
Figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre show that the number of patients registered with a GP has increased from 28,595,310 in 2015 to 28,893,403 in 2016, an increase of 1.0%. The GP Patient Survey, published in January 2016 shows a slight decline in the number of patients reporting that they are able to get a convenient GP appointment. Taken together, this suggests that GP workload may be increasing.
The Government is committed to providing the support GPs need so they can spend more time with patients. The new contract will see an investment of £220 million for 2016 to 2017, and we are keen to reduce administrative demands on those delivering care where practicable.
We are also investing in the primary and community care workforce and are committed to increasing the workforce by 10,000 by 2020, including an extra 5,000 doctors working in general practice.
GPs are changing the way patients can access GP appointments, not just 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday. The Prime Minister’s GP Access Fund is a £175 million investment to test improved and innovative methods of accessing general practice, including opening from 8am to 8pm on weekdays and weekends; better use of telecare and apps; more innovative ways to access services by video call, telephone and email; and more integrated services.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Melanie Onn on 2015-12-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the annual cost is of the veterans badge.
Mark Lancaster
The annual cost of Armed Forces Veterans’ Badges from November 2014 to October 2015 was £44,655.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Melanie Onn on 2016-02-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many kinship carers her Department estimates will be eligible for the Government’s proposed free 30 hours of childcare.
Mr Sam Gyimah
Kinship carers will be able to access the existing 15 hour early education entitlement for any three and four year old children in their care. In addition, two year olds who are looked after by a local council or have left care under a special guardianship order, child arrangements order or adoption order are entitled to 15 hours per week of early education.
In respect of the extended entitlement for three and four year olds, kinship carers who have parental responsibility for the child will be able to access the extended entitlement provided that they are earning the equivalent to 16 hours a week at National Minimum or Living Wage and their income does not exceed £100,000. This includes employed and self-employed kinship carers.
The Department does not hold information on the number of kinship carers who would meet the income eligibility criteria and who have three or four year old children.