Tag: Nicholas Brown

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2016-03-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will estimate the proportion of people affected by contaminated blood likely to (a) be financially advantaged, (b) have their income unchanged and (c) be financially disadvantaged by the Government’s compensation proposals.

Ben Gummer

The Government has committed £100 million in additional funding for a reformed payment support scheme for those affected by this tragedy. This is in addition to the current spend and the £25 million already announced in March 2015. This is significantly more than any previous government has been able to provide for those affected by this tragedy.

Around 2,400 people in England would be financially advantaged by the Government’s proposals to provide new annual payments for those who have received a stage 1 payment from the Skipton Fund, but who have not received a stage 2 payment.

The consultation proposes that those receiving annual payments from the Skipton Fund and MFET Ltd (879 people in England) would have their annual payment increased from £14,749 to £15,000 per year.

Discretionary payments (currently made by the charities) vary from year to year. Currently, all infected individuals can apply for discretionary support from the three charities. The consultation proposes that going forward, discretionary support for the infected could cover travel and accommodation costs related to ill-health. However, we are seeking views on this in the consultation and are keen to hear people’s views on this and all other proposals being made.

Bereaved spouses and partners who currently receive support from the charities are being asked whether they would prefer a lump sum amount or continued access to discretionary help or a choice of either, whatever benefits them most financially.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2016-04-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what weighting her Department gives to deprivation as a factor affecting educational outcomes.

Mr Sam Gyimah

The department recognises that deprivation is a strong predictor of pupils’ future attainment and acts as a proxy for a range of barriers to educational success, including low aspiration for the future, low levels of parental education and special educational needs.

Overcoming these barriers can create additional costs for schools as they seek to provide additional support. This is why we have committed to continuing the pupil premium at current rates for the duration of this Parliament. Worth £2.5bn this year, the pupil premium provides schools with significant extra funding to help disadvantaged pupils achieve their full potential. Since its introduction in 2011 the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers has narrowed at age 11 and age 16, offering disadvantaged pupils a more prosperous future as adults.

We are committed to introducing a national funding formula so that schools’ funding is matched fairly and consistently to need. In our recent consultation on the principles and building blocks of a national funding formula we proposed to include a deprivation factor. We will set out the detail of the formula in a second consultation, to be published later this year.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2016-06-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department issues to police forces on the provision of photographic evidence, where available, to people who have committed road traffic offences.

Mike Penning

The Home Office has not issued any guidance on the provision of photographic evidence to those who have committed road traffic offences.

This is an operational matter for individual Chief Officers of police.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 September 2016 to Question 45858 and 2 August 2016 to Question 42407, whether Government assistance has been provided to the UK Thalidomide Trust on its proposal to allow collective compensation applications to Contergan Foundation established by the German government.

Sir Alan Duncan

The Government has discussed this proposal with the Thalidomide Trust and is considering the detail. The German Government has been clear, however, that collective compensation is not permissible. In response to the UK Government’s previous correspondence they have stated that:

"The assessment of damage by the Medical Commission of the Contergan Foundation and the individual categorization in line with the damage points according to the legally stipulated points based system are mandatory – irrespective of analogous assessments from abroad".

The German Government further states that there are approximately 300 non-German recognised persons worldwide who are currently supported by the Contergan Foundation, each of whom has undergone individual assessment. This information has been shared with the Trust.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2015-11-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the potential future effect of immuno-oncology treatments and funding of such treatments through the NHS budget.

George Freeman

We have made no such assessment.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that provides guidance on the prevention and treatment of ill health and the promotion of good health and social care. NICE technology appraisal guidance makes recommendations on whether selected drugs and treatments represent a clinically and cost effective use of National Health Service resources.

NICE has issued technology appraisal guidance that recommends the use of pembrolizumab for the treatment of advanced melanoma after disease progression with ipilimumab and is currently appraising a number of other immuno-oncology treatments/indications such as nivolumab.

Commissioners are legally required to fund drugs and treatments recommended in NICE technology appraisal guidance within three months of its final guidance being issued. In the absence of guidance from NICE, it is for commissioners to make decisions on whether to fund new medicines based on an assessment of the available evidence.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2016-01-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the human rights situation in Yemen.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We continue to remain deeply concerned about the human rights situation in Yemen. The UK supported a UN Human Rights Council resolution in October 2015, which called on the UN to provide technical assistance to the Government of Yemen, assist the Yemeni National Independent Commission of Inquiry, and report back to the next session of the Human Rights Council. We continue to raise the importance of respect for human rights with all sides to the conflict.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2016-03-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what range of compensation payments is planned to be available under the Government’s proposals for people who have been affected by contaminated blood who undertake individual health assessments.

Jane Ellison

The detail of the potential payment bands can only be decided when decisions on the shape and structure of the new scheme have been made following consultation. It is anticipated that there would likely be a number of broadly defined bands of ill health with different levels of annual payment attached to each. The greatest impact of infection on health would attract the highest annual payment. We intend that the highest payment would be £15,000 per annum. The payments are not compensation but ex-gratia. Under the current scheme those who receive annual payments receive £14,749.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2016-04-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether the proposed TTIP agreement provides equality of competition for US and EU companies in the tendering of public service contracts.

Anna Soubry

The Procurement Chapter in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) will not require the Government to outsource public services, and it will only apply to specified services sectors. The Procurement Chapter is still being negotiated – the EU and US made their first exchange of offers in February. Our aim is to enhance the opportunities for UK companies seeking to operate in the US. An assessment for the European Commission suggests that around 10% of the EU’s potential economic gains could come from liberalisation of procurement in the US. Therefore, the Procurement Chapter is expected to contain an obligation not to discriminate in favour of domestic firms when procuring services.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2016-06-10.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the remit of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to cover Ombudsman Services provided by the Ombudsman Services Company.

Matthew Hancock

I refer the hon Member to my Written Ministerial Statement of 1 March 2016 [Hansard reference HCWS566]. There are no current plans to extend the scope of the FOI Act.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has any plans to extend child discounts on public transport from 16 to 18 years to match the new compulsory school leaving age.

Andrew Jones

Government recognises the importance of accessible transport to all young people and, whilst there are no plans to introduce a statutory concession for young people, we are working with the sector to encourage operators to continue to improve their offers.

In the de-regulated bus market it is for operators to set their own fares. Current estimates indicate that 50% of young people aged 16 to 19 receive at least a third off standard fares.

The new Enhanced Partnership powers in the Bus Services Bill would allow local transport authorities and bus operators to agree standard ticket rules, such as eligibility for half fares across operators.