Tag: Roger Godsiff

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-09-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether Sustainability and Transformation plans will be (a) made public and (b) fully consulted on before being implemented.

David Mowat

As set out in the NHS Shared Planning Guidance, published in December 2015, the success of Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs) will depend on having an open, engaging, and iterative process that harnesses the energies of clinicians, patients, carers, citizens, and local community partners including the independent and voluntary sectors and local government. The national bodies responsible for the development of the programme have continued to ask for robust local plans for genuine engagement as part of the STP process.

STP proposals are currently at a draft stage, but it is expected that all local leaders will be talking to the public and stakeholders regularly as it is vital that people are able to shape the future of their local services. All local STP areas should therefore now be having conversations with local people and stakeholders – understanding what matters to them, and explaining how services might be improved. No changes to the services people currently receive will be made without local engagement, and if plans propose service changes that are agreed, then formal consultation will be followed in due course in line with good practice and legislative requirements. All footprints will submit an updated plan in October, with further formal public engagement and consultation taking place from this point, as appropriate. Many footprints are already publishing patient-facing summaries as part of their engagement programme.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations his Department has made to the Government on the potential effect on health of restricting television advertising for unhealthy food on programming likely to be watched by children.

Nicola Blackwood

Evidence shows that current restrictions on the advertising of less healthy food and drink in the United Kingdom are amongst the toughest in the world.

The Department worked with other Government Departments in developing the recently launched Childhood Obesity: A Plan for Action. The policies in the plan are informed by the latest research and evidence, including from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition report Carbohydrates and Health, Public Health England’s evidence package Sugar reduction: the evidence for action, debates in this House and various reports from key stakeholders including the Health Select Committee.

Copies of Childhood Obesity: A Plan for Action, Carbohydrates and Health and Sugar reduction: the evidence for action are available at:

www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/546588/Childhood_obesity_2016__2__acc.pdf

www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/445503/SACN_Carbohydrates_and_Health.pdf

www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/470179/Sugar_reduction_The_evidence_for_action.pdf

“

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-10-10.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the Gulf Strategy Unit’s remit is; and which Government Minister set that remit.

Ben Gummer

The Gulf Strategy Integrated Delivery Team was established in 2015.

Its remit is to coordinate the Government’s strategic approach to UK engagement with the Gulf States as set out in the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015.

It employs three full-time and one part-time Government employees. One is military and three are civilian.

Administration costs were £70,004 in the 2015-16 financial year and the budget for administration costs in the 2016-17 financial year is £423,000. The 2015-16 figure reflects the fact the unit was established later in the financial year.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-10-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many times his Department did not select or treated as ineligible a contractor under article 23 of the Defence and Security Public Contract Regulations 2011 since 2011.

Harriett Baldwin

The Ministry of Defence is not aware of any instances where it has not selected, or treated as ineligible, a contractor under article 23 of the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2015-11-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what arrangements he plans to put in place to assess new drugs for rare cancers.

George Freeman

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is the independent body that makes decisions on the clinical and cost effectiveness of drugs, including those for rare cancers, based on thorough assessment of the best available evidence.

The Government has also established the Cancer Drugs Fund, which has helped over 72,000 cancer patients in England to access life-extending drugs that would not otherwise have been available to them.

The Early Access to Medicines Scheme (EAMS) was launched in April 2014 to support access in the United Kingdom to unlicensed or off-label medicines representing a significant advance in treatment in areas of unmet medical need. Eight EAMS Promising Innovative Medicines designations and four positive EAMS scientific opinions have been issued so far, including some for new cancer drugs.

The independent Accelerated Access Review is currently looking at how we can reduce the time, cost, and risk of drug development, develop a new range of flexible reimbursement models and consider the long term landscape for innovation adoption. The Review’s recommendations are expected in spring 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2015-11-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he Department has made of the effect of the availability of different cancer drugs being available in Scotland and Wales to those in England on the treatment of cancer in England.

George Freeman

No such assessment has been made.

It is for the Scottish and Welsh Governments to decide which cancer drugs should be made routinely available in Scotland and Wales.

In England, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is the independent body which makes decisions on the clinical and cost effectiveness of drugs, including cancer drugs, and other health technologies based on thorough assessment of the best available evidence.

The Cancer Drugs Fund has helped over 72,000 cancer patients in England, to access life-extending drugs that would not otherwise have been available to them.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2015-11-20.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2015 to Question 12011, when the consultation on making property ownership by foreign companies more transparent will begin.

Matthew Hancock

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 14 October 2015 to UIN: 12011.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2015-12-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if the Government will consider making young adult carers eligible for the vulnerable groups component of the bursary which provides financial support for 16 to 19 year olds.

Mr Sam Gyimah

The Government recognises the valuable service that young carers provide both to their community and their families. It is vital that they are not disadvantaged in their education, and have the same access to education, career choices, and wider opportunities as other young people.

In November 2015, officials from the Education Funding Agency met representatives from the Carers Trust to discuss how best to support young carers through the 16-19 bursary fund. We will work with the National Association of Managers of Student Services to review the use of the discretionary bursary fund and amend our funding guidance to ensure that institutions prioritise the needs of young carers.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-01-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 12 January 2016 to Question 21436, whether the UK will reconsider humanitarian assistance by air to Madaya in Syria if the Assad regime resumes its blockade; and if the Government will monitor the situation in order to take action if land access is blocked again.

Penny Mordaunt

The UK will consider any option compliant with international law that might save lives in Syria. However, the UK does not plan to drop aid to besieged and hard to reach areas inside Syria. This is not the most effective way to improve the humanitarian situation. It would also involve a considerable risk to slow, low-flying transport aircraft both from hostile air defence systems and even low-technology threats such as machine-gun and small-arms fire.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-01-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, for what reason the county of concern category was removed from his Department’s annual human rights report.

Mr David Lidington

From 2016, we will term the countries in the FCO’s Annual Human Rights Report “Human Rights Priority Countries” rather than “Countries of Concern”. This change is a better reflection of the new criteria underpinning our country reporting, which were amended following feedback from external stakeholders, including the House of Commons’ Foreign Affairs Select Committee. The term “Human Rights Priority Countries” is a better indication of the FCO’s proactive and practical engagement on human rights in the priority countries that we work in.