Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Alasdair McDonnell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Alasdair McDonnell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alasdair McDonnell on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to improve early diagnosis rates of pancreatic cancer.

    Jane Ellison

    Improving early diagnosis of cancer is a priority for this Government. We have committed to implementing recommendation 24 of the Independent Cancer Taskforce’s report Achieving World-Class Outcomes and this will be underpinned by investment of up to £300 million more in diagnostics each year by 2020. The strategy also makes recommendations for speeding up diagnosis of cancers with non-specific but concerning symptoms through the use of multidisciplinary diagnostic centres. NHS England is working with partners across the health system to consider how best to take forward these and other recommendations.

    Updated suspected cancer referral guidelines by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), including new guidelines for pancreatic cancer, which was published last June will continue to support general practitioners (GPs) to identify patients and urgently refer them as appropriate, where pancreatic cancer is suspected. NICE noted that more lives could be saved each year in England if GPs followed the new guideline, which encourages GPs to think of cancer sooner and lower the referral threshold.

  • Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in the EU, Africa and the Middle East on addressing the refugee crisis in the Middle East.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    Foreign and Commonwealth Office ministers regularly discuss the migration and refugee crisis with their counterparts in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The Supporting Syria and the Region Conference, co-hosted by the UK in London on 4 February, brought together over 60 countries, as well as international organisations, business, civil society, Syrians and people affected by the conflict. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) held bilateral talks with colleagues from a range of countries, and migration was a feature of many of those meetings. On 15 February, the Foreign Secretary attended the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, and discussed the crisis with ministers for foreign affairs from EU countries.
    My right hon. Friend, the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington) attended the General Affairs Council in Brussels on 16 February, where he discussed migration with Europe ministers from EU countries. Migration was on the agenda at the European Council on 18-19 February, attended by the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron). It was also the main focus of the Justice and Home Affairs Council in Brussels on 25 February, attended by the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May).

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-03-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to clause 96 of the Investigatory Powers Bill, whether Immigration Officers carried out equipment interference before 1 March 2016.

    James Brokenshire

    Immigration officers have had the power to carry out property interference, including interference with equipment, since 2013 through an amendment to the Police Act 1997.

    They may only use the power to investigate and prevent serious crime which relates to an immigration or nationality offence and have done so since 2013. The Bill maintains this position whilst strengthening safeguards and oversight.

  • Lord Moonie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Lord Moonie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Moonie on 2016-04-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many applicants for Maternity Allowance last year were also in receipt of a state pension.

    Baroness Altmann

    The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

  • Michelle Donelan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Michelle Donelan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michelle Donelan on 2016-05-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether it is planned that the Government’s childhood obesity strategy will include measures restricting the marketing of unhealthy foods to children.

    Jane Ellison

    Our Childhood Obesity Strategy, which will be launched in the summer, will look at everything that contributes to a child becoming overweight and obese. It will set out what more can be done by all.

  • Deidre Brock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Deidre Brock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Deidre Brock on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to devolve to Scotland the areas of law and policy on the environment formerly dealt with by the EU after the withdrawal of the UK from the EU.

    George Eustice

    Until we leave the EU, current arrangements for farming, fisheries, food and drink, rural affairs and our environment remain in place. Defra will continue to ensure the right policies are in place for a cleaner, healthier environment for everyone.

    We are now preparing to negotiate our exit. Defra officials will be working with the new Department for Exiting the European Union to look at future support for the environment. The Government will work very closely with the Devolved Administrations, Parliament, and a wide range of other interested parties on this approach.

  • Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of proposed changes to pharmacy funding on (a) patients accessing services distant from where they live and (b) working age adults who travel considerable distance to work.

    David Mowat

    The Government’s proposals for community pharmacy in 2016/17 and beyond, on which we have consulted, are being considered against the public sector equality duty, the family test and the relevant duties of my Rt. hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health, under the National Health Service Act 2006.

    Our assessments include consideration of the potential impacts on the adequate provision of NHS pharmaceutical services, including the supply of medicines, access to NHS pharmaceutical services, supplementary hours, non-commissioned services, individuals with protected characteristics, impacts on other NHS services, health inequalities, individuals with restricted mobility and access to healthcare for deprived communities.

    An impact assessment will be completed to inform final decisions and published in due course.

    Our proposals are about improving services for patients and the public and securing efficiencies and savings. We believe these efficiencies can be made within community pharmacy without compromising the quality of services or public access to them.

    Our aim is to ensure that those community pharmacies upon which people depend continue to thrive. We are consulting on the introduction of a Pharmacy Access Scheme, which will provide more NHS funds to certain pharmacies compared with others, considering factors such as location and the health needs of the local population.

    We want a clinically focussed community pharmacy service that is better integrated with primary care and public health in line with the Five Year Forward View. This will help relieve the pressure on general practitioners and accident and emergency departments, ensure better use of medicines and better patient outcomes, and contribute to delivering seven day health and care services.

    The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for England, Dr Keith Ridge has commissioned an independent review of community pharmacy clinical services. The review is being led by Richard Murray, Director of Policy at The King’s Fund. The final recommendations will be considered as part of the development of clinical and cost effective patient care by pharmacists and their teams.

    NHS England is also setting up a Pharmacy Integration Fund to support the development of clinical pharmacy practice in a wider range of primary care settings, resulting in a more integrated and effective NHS primary care patient pathway.

    The rollout of the additional 1,500 clinical pharmacists announced by NHS England will help to ease current pressures in general practice by working with patients who have long term conditions and others with multiple medications. Having a pharmacist on site will mean that patients who receive care from their general practice will be able to benefit from the expertise in medicines that these pharmacists provide.

  • Liz McInnes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Liz McInnes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz McInnes on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the change in the number of firefighter posts was in Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service in 2013-14.

    Greg Clark

    Information on the number of full time equivalent firefighter posts for each fire and rescue service and for each year, together with greater detail, is available in the Department’s Fire and Rescue Operational Statistics publication (Table 2 for full time equivalent posts) at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fire-and-rescue-authorities-operational-statistics

    “

  • Alistair Carmichael – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Alistair Carmichael – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alistair Carmichael on 2015-11-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidelines his Department has on the maximum travel time for people who need to undergo a medical driving assessment to a centre where they can undergo that assessment; and if he will estimate the proportion of such people in Scotland who live outside that maximum travel time.

    Andrew Jones

    The Department for Transport does not issue guidelines on the maximum travel time a person would be expected to spend travelling to a driving assessment.

    Depending on the medical condition being investigated, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) will either utilise an assessment performed by the applicant’s nearest Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency test centre or a disability assessment centre. The disability assessment centres are independent and provide a service to the DVLA. While the DVLA sets the standards required for the assessments, it is unable to influence the location of the centres.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-12-16.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, by what mechanism any savings made by insurance companies as a result of a change to the small claims limit for soft tissue road traffic accident injuries will be passed on to policyholders.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The pricing of insurance products is a commercial matter for individual insurers in which the Government does not seek to intervene. The motor insurance market is intensely competitive and the Government therefore expects that the insurance industry will pass on savings to consumers.

    Some insurers have already committed to pass on all savings to consumers as a result of the proposed changes.