Tag: Nicholas Soames

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to encourage more milk processors to comply with the voluntary code on milk contracts.

George Eustice

The dairy industry code of best practice on contractual arrangements was created in Great Britain in 2012 in response to concern about fluctuating milk prices. About 85% of producers have signed up to it. There is general acceptance that the code’s introduction has led to some improvement for milk producers.

Ultimately, the code is voluntary and owned by the industry. However, this is something that I regularly discuss with the NFU and Dairy UK with a view to encouraging other, primarily smaller processors to sign up.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-02-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent progress his Department has made on the (a) composition and (b) operation of the individual funding requests screening process; and if he will make at statement.

George Freeman

NHS England has advised that updated standard operating procedures for NHS England’s management of individual funding requests was published on 26 February 2016 and is available at:

www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/policies/gp/

Clinical commissioning groups are responsible for managing their own individual funding requests.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-03-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will estimate the number of qualified doctors required in the NHS who are (a) GPs and (b) working in hospitals.

Ben Gummer

The Department has set up Health Education England to plan the future healthcare workforce for England. It is responsible for ensuring a secure workforce supply that reflects the needs of local service users, providers and commissioners of healthcare.

The number of doctors required is a matter for service commissioners and their provider partners to establish in providing a high quality service to patients and in taking into account the mechanisms through which those services will be provided. Delivery plans to meet the NHS Five Year Forward View are currently being established in collaboration via the Sustainability and Transformation Plan process. These plans will include early views on the shape of the future workforce.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-04-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his policy is on reform of the command structure of NATO.

Mr Julian Brazier

The Declaration of the NATO Summit in Wales in 2014 says, "We will ensure that the current NATO Command Structure remains robust, agile and able to undertake all elements of effective command and control". This remains our position and we fully support the reform work that NATO has done, and continues to do, to improve the ways in which it delivers military effects.

We support the work of the NATO Strategic Commanders to optimise procedures and processes within the Command Structure to make it flexible, efficient, and responsive to the security environment.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-04-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many small nuclear reactors her Department plans to order over the Spending Review 2015 period.

Andrea Leadsom

Small modular reactors (SMRs) are a relatively new technology for civil nuclear power generation and whilst a small number of bespoke “small” reactors have been built and operated, no true SMRs have yet reached demonstration or deployment.

At Autumn Statement 2015 Government announced it would launch a competition to identify the best value SMR design for the UK. In March 2016 the first phase of the competition was launched. This phase will include structured engagement with technology developers, utilities, potential investors, funders and other parties interested in developing, commercialising and financing SMRs in the UK to inform subsequent stages of the competition. This is the beginning of a process that will enable bids from interested parties in subsequent phases of the competition.

As we are still in the early stages of the competitive process no decision has yet been made on a potential SMR design or levels of deployment.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-05-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent representations he has received from care home operators about their financial viability.

Alistair Burt

The Government continues to engage with the care sector, including care providers, to understand their concerns about their financial viability and the sustainability of services.

The trade bodies Care England and the United Kingdom Home Care Association have convened a provider Taskforce, with membership from the larger care home and home care operators and representatives from the Care Providers Alliance. Officials from the Department of Health, and other Government departments attend the taskforce meetings as observers. The most recent meeting was held on 9 May 2016, where discussions were held about risks to financial viability, local authority commissioning and the impact of the introduction of the National Living Wage.

The Department is working closely with the Local Government Association to consider targeted action to address the issues.

The Department is not aware of any specific representations from care home providers in West Sussex about their future financial viability.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-05-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the cost to (a) Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust and (b) West Sussex County Council of delays in discharging older patients from hospital in the latest period for which figures are available.

Alistair Burt

The Department has made no formal estimate of the costs of delayed discharges to the National Health Service or individual hospitals.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-07-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what grants for what purpose his Department is making to the National Childbirth Trust in 2016.

David Mowat

The Department awarded the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) an Innovation Excellence and Strategic Development Grant in 2015-16 under the Innovation strand.

The grant is funding a Perinatal Mental health project. The main aims of the NCT project are, to promote positive maternal mental health and support engagement with specialist services for women experiencing perinatal mental illness.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-09-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with NHS Improvement on Katrina Percy since 7 June 2016.

Mr Jeremy Hunt

NHS Improvement (NHSI) regularly updates me on the performance of both the organisations for which it has responsibility and those which it regulates using agreed frameworks. I meet regularly with the Chief Executive of NHSI as well as with a number of the organisation’s other senior leaders. Our discussions cover a number of issues falling under NHSI’s remit, including, where appropriate, the senior personnel in organisations for which it is responsible.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department plans to take to recruit and train more doctors.

Mr Philip Dunne

On 4 October 2016 my Rt. hon Friend the Secretary of State announced that the number of medical training places available to students each year will be expanded to ensure the National Health Service has enough doctors to continue to provide safe, compassionate care in the future. From September 2018, the Government will fund up to 1,500 additional student places through medical schools each year.

The ultimate responsibility for recruitment rests with NHS organisations as they are best placed to ensure they have the right staff, in the right place, at the right time to provide safe and effective care for their patients.