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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he next plans to review the effectiveness of cancer screening for women.

    Jane Ellison

    The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) advises Ministers and the National Health Service in all four countries about all aspects of screening policy. The UK NSC reviews its recommendations on a three year basis or earlier if any new peer reviewed evidence emerges.

    The UK NSC is currently reviewing the evidence on whether human papillomavirus testing as primary screening for cervical disease should replace the currently used cytology test and whether faecal immunochemical testing could be used as the primary screening marker in the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme. Public consultations on both reviews have just closed and the UK NSC is expected to make a recommendation to ministers later this month.

    The NHS Breast Screening Programme is currently carrying out a long-term trial to investigate extending current screening eligibility to women aged 47-49 and 71-73. Over two million women have taken part in a randomised control trial, with the impact on breast cancer mortality rates due to be reported in the early 2020s. The UK NSC will consider the research evidence when it is published.

    We are not aware of steps being taken by employers to enable staff to take time off work to attend cancer screening appointments. However, Macmillan has produced, “Your rights at work” an information leaflet on reasonable adjustments in the workplace for people who have or have had cancer.

    In 2011, the UK NSC recommended that bowel scope screening could be offered in addition to the homes testing kit as part of the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme. Currently 76% of bowel scope screening centres in England are operational, and the Secretary of State’s commitment is to have this programme rolled out to all screening centres in England by the end of 2016. Health Education England has commissioned a training pilot for non-medical endoscopists (NMEs) to provide accelerated training in certain diagnostics procedures, with the aim of providing additional screening capacity. The pilot will commence in January 2016. A framework has also been developed to help NMEs demonstrate that they have achieved the competency levels required for their role.

    The NHS Screening Programmes have a dedicated team who oversee education, training and stakeholder information. This involves working closely with Royal Colleges, Professional bodies, stakeholder groups, NHS England, Health Education England and the Public Health England campaigns team. A vast range of educational resources exist which are free to NHS staff and cover all screening programme plus the theory and practice of screening. The team is currently expanding the range of taught courses and e-learning resources to make learning more accessible. Accessible patient information is available to educate users of the service and enable informed choices regarding screening. This is complemented by a comprehensive set of material on NHS Choices regarding all 11 NHS Screening Programmes. Patient information is constantly updated and users are involved in the reviews and evaluation of all materials.

    To increase rates of cervical screening in young women, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme has commissioned a £1 million study to determine which interventions are effective at increasing screening uptake amongst women who are receiving their first invitation from the NHS Cervical Screening Programme. The study began in November 2011 and reports can be expected in spring 2016.

    In addition, the Department of Health Behavioural Insight team is developing a trial to investigate the use of behavioural insights to optimise the content of the invitation letter for cervical screening.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent representations he has received from (a) charities, (b) lobby groups, (c) experts, (d) social workers and (e) law professionals on the treatment of female prisoners with young children.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  • Lord Soley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Soley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Soley on 2016-01-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they collect any statistics on the number of children being educated at home who are the subject of abuse inquiries, or where the parents or guardian have been convicted of abuse; and whether they will publish any such statistics.

    Lord Nash

    The Department does not hold any data on the number of children who are the subject of abuse inquiries, whose parents or guardians have been convicted of abuse, or who are alleged to have suffered abuse. We are taking steps to ensure that the education system is as robust as it can be when it comes to protecting young people. It is unacceptable for any child of compulsory school age not to receive a suitable education. Local authorities have a responsibility to ensure that this does not happen.

    The Department has taken robust steps to tackle unregistered schools. We are working closely with Ofsted who have agreed to take forward prosecutions for settings operating illegally as unregistered independent schools. We have also published proposals to introduce a new system to regulate out-of-school education settings which teach children intensively, and to intervene and impose sanctions where there are safety or welfare concerns. The call for evidence on out-of-school education settings closed on 11 January 2016 and responses are being analysed.

  • Clive Efford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Clive Efford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Efford on 2016-02-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress the Food Standards Agency has made on coordinating steps in partnership with the Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Agency and the National Crime Agency to stop the marketing of Miracle Mineral Solution as a cure for children with autism; and if he will make a statement.

    Jane Ellison

    The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued advice that Miracle Mineral Solution (MMS) is not safe and should not be sold as a supplement. It has been working with local authorities across the country to share knowledge, investigate and disrupt the sale of MMS and other similar products.

    Further activity is being conducted with the support of the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and with the involvement of the FSA’s National Food Crime Unit. This activity is ongoing and it would not be appropriate to comment in detail.

    However, the FSA has secured the removal of MMS products from some major marketplace websites, and it has shared information internationally through the National Crime Agency, alerting authorities in other countries to planned seminars at which the use of MMS is promoted.

  • Baroness Walmsley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Walmsley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Walmsley on 2016-03-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many organ donors are registered in each local authority and Parliamentary constituency.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Providing the complete information on the number of people who have joined the NHS Organ Donor Register by local authority and Parliamentary constituency in the main body of this reply would exceed the word limit for responses to written parliamentary questions. The information is therefore in the attached table.

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will issue guidance to schools on the terminology used for children who do not reach the national standard grade under the proposed reforms to Key Stage 2.

    Nick Gibb

    Schools have been informed that pupil outcomes will be described as meeting or not meeting the expected standard in the Key Stage 2 (KS2) tests. Pupils who do not meet the expected standard in the teacher assessment of writing will be awarded one of a number of standards: Foundations for the expected standard, Early development of the expected standard, Growing development of the expected standard or Working towards the expected standard. The Standards and Testing Agency will provide additional guidance on scaled scores in July 2016.

    Schools are required to report to parents of year 6 children their child’s scaled scores for the KS2 tests; whether they have met the expected standard or not; and their teacher assessed standards for English writing, English reading, mathematics and science. Schools are also required to give parents more general information about the child’s achievements, general progress and attendance record. This is intended to give a more comprehensive view of a child’s overall achievements at the end of the key stage than just their attainment in the national curriculum assessments. The Department does not prescribe the terminology to be used in these reports.

    We expect schools to ensure that children’s achievements are reported in a professional and appropriate manner.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-05-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 18 April (HL7718), what action they will now take to protect land designated as a future Palestinian state.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We continue to robustly raise our concerns over Israel’s expropriation of land in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Such steps damage the prospects for a two state solution. The UK has consistently called for an end to settlement expansion, which is illegal under international law. If the Israeli government is committed to a two-state solution then it will reverse its policy.

  • Lord Shipley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Shipley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Shipley on 2016-06-15.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect work to begin on the new court complex in Sunderland under the Court Reform Programme.

    Lord Faulks

    No decisions have been taken regarding the court estate in Sunderland.

    Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) keeps its operational estate under review to make sure that it aligns with the delivery of reformed court and tribunal services. The reform of court and tribunal services which is underway will provide greater access to the courts using modern technology, reducing the need for attendance at court.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-09-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they intend to take following reports from the UN envoy that, since the diplomatic Quartet called for a halt to the construction of Jewish outposts on Palestinian land, Israeli settlement expansion has increased.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We continue to raise our serious concerns over this issue with the Israeli Government at all levels. On 07 September, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood) emphasised our concerns about settlements with Israeli Defence Minister Lieberman during their meeting.

  • Chris Elmore – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Chris Elmore – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Elmore on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will meet representatives of the Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign.

    Richard Harrington

    I am responding on behalf of the Secretary of State (SoS), as Minister for Pensions with overall responsibility on this issue.

    The previous Minister Baroness Altmann and Minister Shailesh Vara (the previous Under-Secretary of State for DWP) met with representatives of the WASPI group on 29th June 2016 to listen to their concerns. Although WASPI’s ask was unclear, at the time, Ministers indicated that the DWP did not have the available funds to deliver further concessions.

    One other outcome from that meeting was that WASPI agreed to explore options with the relevant All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG). A meeting between APPG representatives, the SoS and myself is being taken forward, and consequently there is nothing further to be gained from meeting WASPI representatives directly.

    I should add that I have been quite clear that the Government will make no further changes to the pension age or pay financial redress in lieu of a pension.