Tag: Rosie Cooper

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rosie Cooper on 2016-03-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to implement an adult hearing screening programme; and if he will recommend to the National Screening Committee that it undertakes a public health campaign on deafness and hearing loss.

Alistair Burt

The UK National Screening Committee recommended in 2015 that screening for hearing loss in adults should not be offered because:

– although hearing loss in older adults is a serious public health problem the evidence is too limited to establish the type of screening test to be used, the severity of hearing loss to target, the age of the population to be screened and the frequency of screening;

– uncertainty on the effectiveness of the long term use of hearing aids and on the effectiveness of additional interventions aimed at improving the duration of hearing aid use; and

– the absence of randomised controlled trials of screening in the general population. Screening has not been shown to provide any hearing related improvement in quality of life in comparison to hearing loss identified in other ways.

There are currently no plans by Public Health England to run an awareness campaign on adult hearing loss.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rosie Cooper on 2016-07-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department can take against developers who illegally build new developments too close to river banks and exacerbate existing flooding problems in the area.

Gavin Barwell

National planning policy is clear that inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding should be avoided by directing development away from areas at highest risk, including floodplains. Where unauthorised development has taken place, we have given local planning authorities a wide range of powers to tackle the situation. These powers include the ability to serve an enforcement notice setting out the steps required to remedy a breach – which can include the demolition of a building if the authority considers that appropriate. Non-compliance with such a notice is punishable by an unlimited fine and local authorities have the power to take the necessary steps themselves and recover the costs from the developer. Other powers include the ability to apply for a planning injunction against apprehended as well as actual breaches of planning control. The penalties for non compliance with an injunction are severe – including imprisonment for contempt of court. Full details of local authorities’ enforcement powers can be found in our online planning guidance: http://planningguidance.communities.gov.uk/blog/guidance/ensuring-effective-enforcement/.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rosie Cooper on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether welfare claimants receive refunds for postage and other costs incurred in obtaining a doctor’s certificate as required by his Department and ensuring its safe transmission by post.

Caroline Nokes

For DWP purposes a statement of fitness for work (SOFFW) can be obtained from a GP at no cost to the claimant.

DWP does not refund postage or other costs associated with obtaining a SOFFW. Claimants are notified when making a claim that there is a requirement to supply a SOFFW to meet the ESA entitlement conditions. To support this DWP provides options for postage, either a Freepost Licence code or a pre-paid envelope at no cost to the claimant. These are handled by Royal Mail and subject to their governance and safeguarding arrangements.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rosie Cooper on 2015-11-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the proposals on the provision of court and tribunal estate in England and Wales published by his Department on 16 July 2015, when the decision was taken to include Ormskirk Magistrates’ Court and Family Court in the list of courts to be considered for closure.

Mr Shailesh Vara

A Written Ministerial Statement announcing the consultation on the closure of 91 courts in England and Wales was laid on 16 July 2015. Until that announcement, no final decision had been made on courts being considered for closure.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rosie Cooper on 2016-01-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department have met (i) mobile telephone operators and (ii) BT to discuss the transfer of emergency calls made from mobile telephones to the wrong police force.

Mr Edward Vaizey

I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

The 999/112 Liaison Committee, chaired by DCMS, provides a forum for representatives from Government; Communications Providers, including BT (which provides the 999 call handling agency) and Mobile Network Operators (MNOs); emergency services and Ofcom, to discuss 999 operational matters The LC’s main concern is the effective handling and transfer of emergency calls from the public, through call handling agents ,to emergency authorities.

The “Code of Practice for the Public Emergency Call Service (PECS) between Communications Providers, Call Handing Agencies and the Emergency Authorities” sets out protocols governing 999 calls. This includes guidelines for the Emergency Authorities to manage any occasional situation in which an emergency 999 call is misdirected.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rosie Cooper on 2016-02-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of (a) how many cases of prostate cancer could be identified earlier by a national prostate cancer screening programme and (b) what effect such a programme would have on survival rates.

Jane Ellison

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) recently examined and consulted upon the international peer reviewed evidence regarding prostate cancer screening. The UK NSC recommended against a systematic population screening programme for prostate cancer. This is because the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is not an accurate enough test for prostate cancer. Additionally, the UK NSC identified that there is still an incomplete understanding of which prostate cancers are aggressive and require treatment and which are safe to actively monitor. There is a significant amount of research activity underway, but currently the evidence suggests that a systematic screening programme would do more harm than good.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rosie Cooper on 2016-03-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department permits GP practices to require patients to have a telephone consultation prior to seeing a GP.

Alistair Burt

There is no central guidance to general practitioner (GP) practices on waiting times for telephone consultations.

GPs can conduct telephone consultations with patients if they feel it is appropriate to do so. This could remove the need for the patient to go on to have a face to face consultation, however, it is for the GP to use his or her clinical judgement to decide if and when a face to face consultation should take place, and for the patient to decide if they wish to attend.

This Government is committed to improving access to GP consultations and the Prime Minister’s GP Access Fund encourages practices in the schemes to use innovative methods to provide appointments to patients.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rosie Cooper on 2016-07-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what support is available in West Lancashire for children with autistic spectrum disorders.

David Mowat

The provision of local health services is a matter for the local National Health Service. This information can be obtained from the West Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rosie Cooper on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether Atos and the Centre for Health and Disability Assessments are required to refund costs incurred by people in supplying the medical information to those bodies required by his Department.

Penny Mordaunt

Claimants are not required to obtain further medical evidence for which they may be charged. Health and disability assessment providers will contact the individual’s GP should they feel additional evidence is required. No refund will be provided to a claimant should they choose to obtain additional evidence.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rosie Cooper on 2015-11-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, why HM Courts and Tribunals Service officials based in Lancashire were not informed that courts in that county were to be considered for closure before the consultation on the proposal for a single local justice area for Lancashire.

Mr Shailesh Vara

The consultation on the merger of the Local Justice Areas in Lancashire was launched on behalf of the Cumbria and Lancashire Judicial Business Group. This consultation closed on the 10 July 2015 and is separate to the consultation on the court and tribunal estate which I announced on 16 July 2015.