Tag: Toby Perkins

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2016-07-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will introduce a NHS strategy on supporting patients with chronic pain.

Jane Ellison

The routine assessment and management of pain is a required competency of all healthcare professionals. Many patients with chronic pain can be successfully supported and managed through routine primary and secondary care pain management services. Approaches to treatment are not all pharmacological and for some patients education in self-management approaches for their condition may be also be appropriate.

It is important that patients with the most serious pain management issues are able to access specialist care. A patient whose pain is particularly difficult to manage may be referred to a specialised pain management service. Under the care of an expert multidisciplinary team, patients may be offered specialised pain management programmes specifically and more complex drug treatments. Such services are commissioned nationally by NHS England as part of its remit to deliver specialised services.

To support clinicians in the management of pain, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published several clinical guidelines on the treatment and management of different types of pain, such as migraine and back pain, as well as technical guidance on specific treatments, such as the use of opiates in palliative care and deep brain stimulation for chronic pain.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2015-11-10.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government plans to take in response to the Sixth Report of the Public Accounts Committee, HM Revenue and Customs performance in 2014-15, HC 393.

Mr David Gauke

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) recognise that their customer service has not been good enough, and have taken major steps to improve. This includes recruiting 3,000 new staff into customer service roles, available outside normal office hours when many of their customers choose to call.

These steps have started to make a difference. This month, HMRC have answered more than 80% of calls, and average queue times are now around 10 minutes.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2016-01-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has contacted the Saudi Arabian government on the human rights element in the case of Waleed Abu al-Khair.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We are very concerned about the case of Waleed Abu Al-Khair and we have raised this case with the Saudi Arabian authorities. Our Ambassador in Riyadh, as well as our Embassy team, continues to make representations on cases like this on a regular basis.

The UK’s position on human rights in Saudi Arabia is a matter of public record. We frequently raise our human rights concerns with the Saudi Arabian authorities using a range of Ministerial and diplomatic channels.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2016-02-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to extend the meningitis B vaccination programme to all infants.

Jane Ellison

National immunisation programmes are introduced on the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), the independent expert body that advises the Government on all immunisation matters. Following JCVI’s recommendation, we introduced a Meningococcal B (MenB) infant programme.

Since September 2015, all infants aged two months have been offered the MenB vaccine, followed by a second dose at four months and a booster at 12 months.

We are proud to have been the first country in the world to introduce a national, publicly-funded MenB immunisation programme for infants using the Bexsero vaccine.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2016-05-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people appointed to the taskforce to look at improving accessibility of apprenticeships for people with learning disabilities have learning difficulties.

Justin Tomlinson

The individuals invited to sit on the taskforce represent a range of organisations and specialisms, from employers and training providers to charities and educational experts. Organisations representing disabled people and those with learning disabilities have been invited to take part.

It would not be appropriate for DWP to disclose personal information about taskforce members.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2015-11-10.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the staff budget for HM Revenue and Customs was in each year since 1997-98.

Mr David Gauke

Budgets for staff are set internally in HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), however information relating to actual staff expenditure for HMRC is available from their Report and Accounts.Please note that the staff expenditure up to 2010-11 include amounts for those staff who moved to UK Border Agency.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2016-01-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure a conclusion to the case of six former British soldiers held in India on weapons charges; and what support his Department offered to each person so detained.

Mr Hugo Swire

Ministers have raised this case at the highest levels over thirty times since November 2013: my Right Honourable Friend, the Member for Witney, the Prime Minister, raised it for the third time with Prime Minister Modi, during his visit to the United Kingdom in November. On 11 January, the men were sentenced to five years’ imprisonment and I raised this in my introductory meeting with the new Indian High Commissioner the following day. While we cannot interfere in the Indian legal process, we will continue to offer consular support to all the men and their families and urge that their appeal application be dealt with swiftly.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2016-02-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if it will make it his policy to require bus operators to install audio-visual announcements of bus stops on all public buses.

Andrew Jones

Accessible on-board information helps a wide range of passengers, including those who are visually impaired, to feel comfortable and confident when taking the bus.

Traditionally however, systems providing automatic next stop announcements have proven expensive to fit and maintain, meaning that mandating their use would place a disproportionate financial burden on the bus industry.

My Department has supported initiatives to develop innovative and low-cost approaches to providing such information, as well as providing Better Bus Area funding for local authority schemes to equip vehicles with audio/visual equipment.

Many operators are already recognising the benefits of on-board information for all their customers, and I would encourage others to do the same.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2016-05-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many new Ajax armoured vehicles will be produced (a) in the UK and (b) abroad.

Mr Philip Dunne

I refer the hon. Member to the reponse given by my noble Friend, the Minister of State for Defence in the House of Lords, Earl Howe, to the noble Lord, Baron Moonie of Bennochy on 27 April 2016 to Question HL7778.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2015-11-10.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the budget was for staff answering calls to tax offices in each year since 2007-08.

Mr David Gauke

HM Revenue and Customs does not hold this information, owing to the fact that resource is now moved flexibly within the organisation to deliver customer service.