The below Parliamentary question was asked by Pauline Latham on 2014-04-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make representations to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence regarding its technology appraisal of ipilimumab.
Norman Lamb
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave her on 2 April 2014, Official Report, column 663W.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-06-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which countries possess comparative levels of fruit fly infestation in exported mangoes and are not subject to an EU ban on importation.
Dan Rogerson
The ban was imposed following persistent interceptions of plant pestson imports of Indian produce into the European Union (EU) and critical reports from the European Commission’s Food and Veterinary Office audits in 2010 and 2013. Despite assurances from India in response to these reports the level of interceptions remained high. The EU’s decision to introduce a ban was therefore fully justified and supported by all Member States including the UK, in line with our policy of strengthening plant health controls. Therefore, no alternatives to a ban were considered by Defra.
Protecting plant health is a key Defra objective. Plant pests and diseases such as those intercepted from India in recent years can cause serious damage to the UK glasshouse industry which is worth over £300 million per annum. However, I am aware of the importance of the mango trade and Defra officials are liaising with the Indian High Commission on what support the UK can offer to India to help it ensure compliance with EU import requirements.
The following table shows the number of consignments of mangoes imported into the UK in the last five years which were infested with Tephriditae (and therefore rejected) by country of origin. The European Commission is considering similar measures to those taken against India for other countries with high levels of interceptions of plant pests. Such consideration takes account of findings from all Member States, and covers all plant commodities and all pests identified.
|
Year |
Country of origin |
No. of consignments imported into the UK |
No. of consignments infected with Tephritidae |
|
2010 |
Dominican Republic |
351 |
1 |
|
|
India |
1977 |
1 |
|
|
Jamaica |
228 |
3 |
|
|
Pakistan |
3302 |
6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2011 |
Dominican Republic |
417 |
2 |
|
|
India |
1836 |
11 |
|
|
Jamaica |
262 |
3 |
|
|
Pakistan |
3690 |
19 |
|
|
Puerto Rico |
1 |
1 |
|
|
Sri Lanka |
144 |
1 |
|
|
Uganda |
138 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2012 |
Bangladesh |
146 |
1 |
|
|
Brazil |
445 |
1 |
|
|
Costa Rica |
70 |
2 |
|
|
Dominican Republic |
606 |
18 |
|
|
Ghana |
628 |
15 |
|
|
India |
3448 |
23 |
|
|
Jamaica |
332 |
24 |
|
|
Kenya |
2044 |
4 |
|
|
Pakistan |
5128 |
81 |
|
|
Philippines |
12 |
2 |
|
|
Sri Lanka |
189 |
10 |
|
|
St Lucia |
50 |
1 |
|
|
Thailand |
1050 |
3 |
|
|
Uganda |
104 |
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2013 |
Brazil |
316 |
3 |
|
|
Dominican Republic |
756 |
16 |
|
|
Ghana |
357 |
4 |
|
|
Guinea |
7 |
1 |
|
|
India |
3563 |
13 |
|
|
Jamaica |
516 |
17 |
|
|
Kenya |
1654 |
17 |
|
|
Pakistan |
5910 |
47 |
|
|
Puerto Rico |
104 |
1 |
|
|
Sri Lanka |
111 |
3 |
|
|
U A E |
1 |
1 |
|
|
Vietnam |
77 |
1 |
|
|
|
||
|
2014 (to 18/06/14) |
|
||
|
|
Brazil |
106 |
1 |
|
|
Dominican Republic |
420 |
3 |
|
|
Ghana |
271 |
1 |
|
|
India |
401 |
1 |
|
|
Jamaica |
464 |
9 |
|
|
Kenya |
698 |
7 |
|
|
Mexico |
61 |
1 |
|
|
Senegal |
4 |
1 |
|
|
Sri Lanka |
69 |
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
Source: Fera and Europhyt
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2014-04-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he took to publicise the consultation on extending civil partnerships to opposite sex partners.
Mrs Helen Grant
On 23 January 2014, when the consultation document was published, I made a Ministerial Written Statement to bring it to the attention of honourable members. This statement was repeated in the House of Lords, by my colleague, Baroness Northover. The publication of the consultation was also announced on the Culture, Media and Sport website. DCMS officials directly contacted around 50 organisations with an interest in the issues and asked other Departments to do the same. Officials also offered meetings to the principal stakeholders, several of which took up the offer, and emailed more than 1300 organisations and individuals who had registered an interest in receiving updates on equal marriage or related issues and highlighted the consultation in the February edition of the Women’s Engagement Newsletter, which is circulated to more than 2000 organisations and individuals.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Katy Clark on 2014-06-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the government of Bahrain about the death of Syed Mahmood.
Hugh Robertson
We are concerned about the death of Syed Mahmood on 21 May. The Ministry of Interior has launched an investigation and we await their findings. We urge the government of Bahrain to ensure the investigation is thorough, transparent and timely.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2014-04-29.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what support the Government is giving to credit unions to help extend access to fair credit.
Andrea Leadsom
The Government is supportive of credit unions and has taken a number of steps to assist them, most recently including:
The Government intends that these measures will help the credit union sector go from strength to strength, so it can be a viable option for financial services provision for an even wider range of consumers.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-06-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans to publish the results of the investigation of the recent death of babies due to bacillus cereus.
Jane Ellison
Bacillus cereus is a spore forming bacterium found widely in the environment in dust, soil and vegetation. There is limited prevention as it is a naturally occurring bacterium. However, the Food Standards Agency has published advice on their website which details information on potential food poisoning caused by Bacillus cereus.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) undertake inspections of manufacturing facilities with reference to the standards of Good Manufacturing Practice to verify that companies are producing medicines that are of the correct quality and safety. The manufacture of sterile products, such as Total Parental Nutrition, is subject to special requirements in order to minimise risks of bacterial contamination.
In the case of medicines, the MHRA and Public Health England (PHE) are currently investigating what has caused the recent incident where Total Parenteral Nutrition became contaminated with Bacillus cereus . Based on the information we currently have, we believe this is an isolated incident and the appropriate immediate action has been taken to avoid a recurrence.
The devolved administrations have been informed of the current incident involving Bacillus cereus. The investigations into the cause of this incident are still ongoing. The Department will continue to discuss matters with the devolved administrations for minimising Bacillus cereus infection.
The investigations being undertaken by MHRA and PHE are in their advanced stages and preliminary findings will be published as soon as possible. While the MHRA and PHE are undertaking their own investigations, it would be normal practice for the Coroner to report on the individual case he is currently considering.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Gibb on 2014-04-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the waiting time is for a routine new referral to Ophthalmology in the Western Sussex Hospitals Trust area; and if he will make a statement.
Dr Daniel Poulter
Information on the median average waiting time for patients waiting to start consultant-led ophthalmology treatment for all National Health Service trusts and NHS foundation trusts in England is shown in the following table.
Latest data for February 2014 shows that the median average waiting time for patients waiting to start consultant-led ophthalmology treatment in the Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is 8.6 weeks.
Monthly Referral to Treatment (RTT) waiting times for incomplete pathways in ophthalmology, February 2014
|
Provider Name |
Average (Median) Waiting Time (In Weeks) |
|
Aintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
4.7 |
|
Airedale NHS Foundation Trust |
4.1 |
|
Ashford And St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
4.9 |
|
Barts Health NHS Trust |
6.2 |
|
Bedford Hospital NHS Trust |
6.0 |
|
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
7.3 |
|
Bolton NHS Foundation Trust |
5.5 |
|
Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
4.9 |
|
Brighton And Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust |
5.7 |
|
Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust |
10.2 |
|
Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
5.7 |
|
Calderdale And Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust |
4.9 |
|
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
5.2 |
|
Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
5.3 |
|
Chelsea And Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
5.1 |
|
Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
6.5 |
|
City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust |
5.1 |
|
Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust |
4.7 |
|
Countess Of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
6.4 |
|
County Durham And Darlington NHS Foundation Trust |
6.8 |
|
Coventry And Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust |
4.4 |
|
Croydon Health Services NHS Trust |
4.9 |
|
Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Trust |
5.3 |
|
Doncaster And Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
5.0 |
|
Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
6.9 |
|
Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust |
8.8 |
|
East And North Hertfordshire NHS Trust |
4.5 |
|
East Cheshire NHS Trust |
6.1 |
|
East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust |
4.9 |
|
East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust |
4.2 |
|
East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust |
6.0 |
|
Epsom And St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust |
4.9 |
|
Frimley Park Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
6.5 |
|
George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust |
2.7 |
|
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
4.3 |
|
Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
7.5 |
|
Guy’s And St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust |
4.2 |
|
Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
5.7 |
|
Harrogate And District NHS Foundation Trust |
5.5 |
|
Heart Of England NHS Foundation Trust |
5.3 |
|
Hinchingbrooke Health Care NHS Trust |
3.6 |
|
Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
3.0 |
|
Hull And East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust |
5.5 |
|
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust |
5.1 |
|
Isle Of Wight NHS Trust |
5.5 |
|
James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
4.8 |
|
Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
5.7 |
|
King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
6.1 |
|
Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
4.6 |
|
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
5.0 |
|
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust |
4.8 |
|
Lewisham And Greenwich NHS Trust |
5.1 |
|
Luton And Dunstable University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
5.1 |
|
Maidstone And Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust |
6.3 |
|
Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
5.6 |
|
Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust |
5.7 |
|
Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust |
4.7 |
|
Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust |
5.4 |
|
Milton Keynes Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
4.0 |
|
Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
5.7 |
|
Norfolk And Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
6.4 |
|
North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust |
7.2 |
|
North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust |
6.0 |
|
North West London Hospitals NHS Trust |
3.8 |
|
Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust |
4.2 |
|
Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust |
5.5 |
|
Northern Lincolnshire And Goole NHS Foundation Trust |
5.4 |
|
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust |
5.3 |
|
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust |
8.5 |
|
Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust |
5.4 |
|
Peterborough And Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
5.4 |
|
Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust |
5.8 |
|
Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
5.7 |
|
Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust |
5.6 |
|
Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
8.8 |
|
Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust |
6.7 |
|
Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust |
5.5 |
|
Royal Devon And Exeter NHS Foundation Trust |
4.8 |
|
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust |
6.8 |
|
Royal Liverpool And Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust |
4.6 |
|
Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
5.9 |
|
Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust |
5.2 |
|
Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust |
4.0 |
|
Sandwell And West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust |
4.5 |
|
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
5.6 |
|
Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
5.6 |
|
Shrewsbury And Telford Hospital NHS Trust |
10.4 |
|
South Devon Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust |
4.2 |
|
South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
6.3 |
|
South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust |
6.8 |
|
South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust |
5.8 |
|
Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
5.4 |
|
Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust |
4.4 |
|
Southport And Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust |
3.5 |
|
St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust |
7.0 |
|
St Helens And Knowsley Hospitals NHS Trust |
4.7 |
|
Stockport NHS Foundation Trust |
6.7 |
|
Surrey And Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust |
6.2 |
|
Taunton And Somerset NHS Foundation Trust |
8.3 |
|
The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust |
5.8 |
|
The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
4.1 |
|
The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
4.7 |
|
The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust |
5.4 |
|
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King’s Lynn, NHS Foundation Trust |
3.2 |
|
The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust |
2.1 |
|
The Royal Bournemouth And Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
5.2 |
|
The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust |
4.5 |
|
United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust |
6.2 |
|
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
5.9 |
|
University Hospital Of North Staffordshire NHS Trust |
4.8 |
|
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust |
5.6 |
|
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust |
5.3 |
|
University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust |
5.3 |
|
University Hospitals Coventry And Warwickshire NHS Trust |
5.2 |
|
University Hospitals Of Leicester NHS Trust |
5.8 |
|
University Hospitals Of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust |
5.2 |
|
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust |
5.5 |
|
Warrington And Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
3.4 |
|
West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust |
10.8 |
|
West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust |
3.1 |
|
Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
8.6 |
|
Weston Area Health NHS Trust |
5.6 |
|
Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
6.0 |
|
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust |
4.7 |
|
Worcestershire Health And Care NHS Trust |
4.2 |
|
Wrightington, Wigan And Leigh NHS Foundation Trust |
4.0 |
|
Wye Valley NHS Trust |
5.6 |
|
Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
3.0 |
|
York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
5.4 |
Notes:
1. Median waiting times are calculated from aggregate data, rather than patient level data, and therefore are only estimates of the position on average waits.
2. Median waiting times are not calculated for organisations (and treatment functions) with less than 50 pathways in the month.
3. The following trusts did not submit any RTT incomplete pathway data for February 2014:
– Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust;
– Barking, Havering & Redbridge NHS Trust;
– Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;
– Tameside Hospital NHS Foundation Trust;
– The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust; and
– Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Dobbin on 2014-06-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 19 January 2012, Official Report, columns 932-3W, how many companies hold licences for the manufacture or distribution of (a) Nitrazepam, (b) Flurazepam, (c) Loprazolam, (d) Lormetazepam, (e) Temazepam, (f) Clonazepam, (g) Medazepam, (h) Midazolam, (i) Zopiclone, (j) Zaleplon, (k) Zolpiden, (l) Eszopiclone, (m) SSRI antidepressants and (n) trycyclic antidepressants; and how many of those licences were issued in the last three years.
Norman Lamb
There are currently 15 products authorised in the United Kingdom containing nitrazepam and 15 different companies authorised to manufacture and distribute them.
There are currently two products authorised in the UK containing flurazepam and one company authorised to manufacture and distribute them.
There are currently two products authorised in the UK containing loprazolam and two different companies authorised to manufacture and distribute them.
There are currently eight products authorised in the UK containing lormetazepam and four different companies authorised to manufacture and distribute them.
There are currently 10 products authorised in the UK containing temazepam and six different companies authorised to manufacture and distribute them.
There are currently six products authorised in the UK containing clonazepam and three different companies authorised to manufacture and distribute them.
There are currently no authorised products in the UK containing medazepam.
There are currently 22 products authorised in the UK containing midazolam and 10 different companies authorised to manufacture and distribute them.
There are currently 17 products authorised in the UK containing zopiclone and nine different companies authorised to manufacture and distribute them.
There are currently two products authorised in the UK containing zaleplon and one company authorised to manufacture and distribute them.
There are currently 21 products authorised in the UK containing zolpidem and 12 different companies authorised to manufacture and distribute them.
There are currently no authorised products in the UK containing eszopiclone.
There are currently 238 products authorised in the UK containing SSRI antidepressants and 57 different companies authorised to manufacture and distribute them.
There are currently 16 products authorised in the UK containing tricyclic antidepressants and 11 different companies authorised to manufacture and distribute them.
One loprazolam, four lormetazepam, two clonazepam, two midazolam, three zopiclone, four zolpidem and 75 SSRI products have been authorised in the last three years.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2014-04-29.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the number of people who are (a) employed on zero-hours contracts and (b) paid at a rate below that defined by the Living Wage Foundation as a living wage in Warrington North constituency.
Mr Nick Hurd
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-06-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government plans to bring forward legislative proposals to change (a) the classification of external communications for the purposes of interception and (b) other aspects of UK surveillance law.
James Brokenshire
External Communication is defined within the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) 2000 and the statutory Interception of Communications Code of Practice which was approved by Parliament and came into force on 1 July 2002. The Government has no present plans to amend the definition of external communication.