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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Eric Ollerenshaw – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Eric Ollerenshaw – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Eric Ollerenshaw on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what data his Department collects on prescriptions dispensed to prisoners.

    Norman Lamb

    Information on the number of prisoners who are prescribed a particular medicine or class of medicine is not collected centrally, nor are data held relating to prescription items dispensed in prisons.

    NHS England commissions all pharmacy services in prisons in England. It is responsible for the quality of service and for ensuring that good practice guidelines are followed in relation to the prescribing, safe use and treatment following withdrawal of psychotropic drugs treatments, including benzodiapines and Z-drugs. Where healthcare professionals have concerns about prescribing decisions in relation to psychotropic drug treatment in prisons, they should record these as medication safety incidents and report them to the local medicines management committee for possible further investigation. NHS England commissioners also require healthcare providers to report these incidents in patient safety contract monitoring.

    Prison pharmacy services currently follow guidelines set out in A Pharmacy Service for Prisoners, issued by the Department in 2003. NHS England is currently reviewing this guidance, and updated guidance will be published in due course. A copy of the current guidance has already been placed in the Library.

    Detailed guidance on benzodiazepine detoxification for prisoners is included in Clinical Management of Drug Dependence in the Adult Prison Setting, published by the Department in 2006. A copy has already been placed in the Library. Clinicians are expected to follow this and other relevant guidance such as that published by the Royal College of General Practitioners’ Secure Environments Group on Safer Prescribing in Prisons.

  • Annette Brooke – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Annette Brooke – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Annette Brooke on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will bring forward proposals for regulations to ensure that ME and chronic fatigue syndrome are included in all pre- and post-registration training of (a) GPs and (b) other healthcare professionals.

    Norman Lamb

    In 2007, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) produced the clinical guidance, Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (or encephalopathy): Diagnosis and management of CFS/ME in adults and children. This guidance set out best practice on the diagnosis, treatment care and support of children and adults with CFS/ME. Information on CFS/ME diagnosis and treatment can also be accessed via the NHS Evidence and NICE Clinical Knowledge summaries websites.

    The content and standard of healthcare professional training is the responsibility of regulators, such as the General Medical Council, which are independent statutory bodies. They have the general function of promoting high standards of education, working with the Royal Colleges, and co-ordinating all stages of education to ensure that students and newly qualified professionals are equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes essential for professional practice.

    The Government has mandated Health Education England (HEE) to provide national leadership on education, training and workforce development in the National Health Service. HEE is responsible for ensuring that the future workforce has the right numbers, skills, values and behaviours to meet patients’ needs today and tomorrow, and will work with stakeholders to influence training curricula as appropriate.

  • Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the annual cost is of the (a) administration of advisory committees, (b) HM Courts and Tribunals Service staff servicing such committees and (c) training and recruiting members of such committees.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    A local advisory committee is responsible for the recruitment of magistrates in a particular area, and for advising on issues relating to the conduct of magistrates following their appointment. The work of the committee is supported by HMCTS staff but the specific costs of administration for the committee and the costs of HMCTS staff supporting its work are not available as these are not recorded separately.

    The cost of training advisory committee members in the financial year 2013/14 was £17,401.45

  • Baroness Thomas of Winchester – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Baroness Thomas of Winchester – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Thomas of Winchester on 2014-05-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps are being taken to deal with websites offering services to customers wishing to apply for a blue badge parking permit, and which are not associated with the Blue Badge Improvement Service.

    Baroness Kramer

    To obtain a Blue Badge in England applicants can apply directly via the Gov.UK website or to the relevant local authority. Successful applicants will be charged no more than £10.

    The Government’s contractor, Northgate Public Services, has taken a number of positive steps to raise awareness about unauthorised websites. These include issuing a press release warning people about dubious websites, issuing a Bulletin to all local authorities so that they can warn residents, providing advice and awareness to charitable organisations representing disabled people, and ensuring staff at the national Blue Badge support helpline are able to advise the public accordingly.

  • Lord Condon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Condon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Condon on 2014-05-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many meetings have taken place in 2014 between British and French authorities to discuss homeless people living in the Calais area who seek unlawfully to board British vehicles travelling to Dover; and what has been the outcome of any such meetings.

    Lord Taylor of Holbeach

    The UK works closely with the French authorities on matters of border security and cross border criminality to maintain the integrity of our joint border controls.

    The Home Office and Border Force regularly meet the French at Ministerial, official and operational level to enhance our effectiveness in tackling irregular migration and organised immigration crime, including between Calais and Dover.

    Recent collaboration has resulted in a grant of £2 million from the UK to replace and upgrade the Passive Millimetre Wave Imaging (PMMWI) equipment currently deployed in the ports of Calais and Coquelles.

    In respect of the UK response to increase our impact on Organised Immigration Crime in France (especially northern France) Border Force have established a UK Task Force (Op Groundbreaker) and assembled Intelligence /Investigation Officers from Immigration Enforcement, Border Force, National Crime Agency and Kent Police. The Task Force is able to provide a robust response to OIC and work closely with French colleagues in Police Aux Frontiéres (PAF) nationally and in particular with OCRIEST (Office Central de Répression de l’Immigration Irrégulière et de l’Emploi d’Etrangers sans Titre – a specialist PAF Unit dedicated to tackling organised crime groups in France and abroad).

  • Lord Berkeley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Berkeley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2014-05-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what time period of asset use they have assumed in calculating the cost benefit of the Thames Tideway Tunnel.

    Lord De Mauley

    The Government has used 100 years, in line with the Treasury Green Book recommendation that the appraisal period should be taken as the useful life of the assets. Further detail can be found in the November 2011 Defra document “Costs and Benefits of the Thames Tunnel”.

  • Baroness Goudie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Baroness Goudie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Goudie on 2014-05-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Ministers will attend the Global Partnership for Education replenishment conference in June.

    Baroness Northover

    Ministerial attendance is currently being discussed and we will look to make a decision in the coming weeks.

  • Lord Addington – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Addington – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Addington on 2014-05-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the changes to the Disabled Students Allowance, what criteria will be used for assessing complex needs in candidates with specific learning difficulties or dyslexia.

    Viscount Younger of Leckie

    Discussions are underway with experts in the sector. Disabled students whose needs cannot be met by the reasonable adjustments made by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) will continue to receive support through Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs).

  • Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2014-05-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to promote the enhancement of urban (a) green infrastructure and (b) waterways.

    Nick Boles

    The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that local planning authorities should plan positively for the creation, protection, enhancement and management of green infrastructure. This is supported by the recently published planning guidance which includes guidance on green infrastructure.

    The maintenance and promotion of inland waterways is a matter for navigation authorities rather than Government. However, Government provides grant in aid funding to the two largest navigation authorities in England and Wales – the Canal & River Trust and the Environment Agency.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-05-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the accuracy of the data on levels of child mortality in the UK published by the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    We have no reason to question the accuracy of the data from the Global Burden of Disease study. Any limitations of the estimates made and methodology used are clearly set out in the published article.

    The findings reflect other studies which show that the United Kingdom child mortality rate continues to fall, but not as much as in comparable European countries.