Tag: Tom Pursglove

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what help is available to people with hepatitis C infection from contaminated blood.

Jane Ellison

Under the current support arrangements, people infected with hepatitis C through the use of National Health Service blood products are offered a lump sum payment of £20,000 on registering and the option to apply for certain discretionary support: both financial and non-financial. Should they develop “Stage 2” hepatitis C, the later stage of the disease, patients are then offered an additional lump sum of £50,000 and a regular annual payment of £14,749. Those people co-infected with hepatitis C stage 2 and HIV are offered a regular annual payment of £29,498. Currently 595 people are receiving these regular annual payments. In addition, 242 people are receiving regular payments for HIV infection.

However, the Department is consulting on options for a future support scheme which aims to ensure all of those infected with hepatitis C and registered with the payment schemes would receive regular annual payments, up to £15,000. There are currently 2,424 people with “stage 1” hepatitis C currently registered with the payment schemes who would benefit additionally from this proposed change.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2016-05-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to the Answer of 25 May 2016 to Question 37198, how many of the leaflets entitled Why the Government believes that voting to remain in the European Union is the best decision for the UK have been returned to his Department; and what the postage cost to the Government has been of such returns.

Alun Cairns

I refer the hon Member to the Prime Minister’s response of 25 May 2016. This information is not collated centrally by the Department.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2015-10-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many civil servants in her Department are members of trades unions; how much working hours facility time is claimed by each such civil servant; and what the cost of that facility time is to her Department.

Andrea Leadsom

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) recognises three Trade Unions for the purposes of collective bargaining: the First Division Association (FDA), the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) and Prospect. As not all Trade Union members pay their subscriptions through payroll it is not possible to provide accurate data on the number of employees who are trade union members.

Local union representatives are elected by the employees who are members of the union in accordance with each union’s rules for filling these posts. In order to fulfil their trade union duties the unions also elect representatives to the roles of Departmental Trade Union Side (DTUS) Chair and Secretary. The DTUS Chair and Secretary are allocated re-approved facility time up to 50% of their working hours. All other representatives must request time off from their line manager.

Details of the working time claimed by unions representatives in DECC and the cost of the facility time to the Department is provided to the Cabinet Office on a quarterly basis. The details provided in the latest return covering the period 1 April to 30 June 2015 are as follows:

Total number of Trade Union representatives	Total facility time (in working hours)	Total cost of facility time to the Department
15	315.25	£16,710

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2015-12-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people who were infected with hepatitis C due to contaminated blood products supplied by the NHS have attained sustained virological response following treatment for the infection.

Jane Ellison

Information on the numbers of people with hepatitis C through NHS-supplied blood or blood products who have attained sustained virological response following treatment for the infection is not held centrally. NHS England’s commissioning policy is for the treatment of patients based on clinical need, not on the route of infection.

All patients who meet the policy criteria, including those infected through NHS-supplied blood or blood products, are eligible for the new hepatitis C treatments. This will be dependent upon the individual patient’s hepatitis C genotype and cirrhosis status.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many driving test examiners have (a) left and (b) been recruited by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency in the last (i) one, (ii) two and (iii) five years.

Andrew Jones

Driving examiner starters have to pass a compulsory training course in order to become fully qualified examiners. If they do not pass this course they are then dismissed. Information on starters and leavers is shown in the table below:

	Starters	Leavers	Of the leavers, those who did not pass the course
In the past financial year	232	152	8
In the past two financial years	389	288	28
In the past five financial years	614	590	47

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2016-05-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 25 May 2016 to Question 37198, how many of the leaflets entitled Why the Government believes that voting to remain in the European Union is the best decision for the UK have been returned to his Department; and what the postage cost to the Government has been of such returns.

Mr Shailesh Vara

I refer the Hon Member to the Prime Minister’s response of 25th May 2016. This information is not collated centrally by the Department.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2015-10-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many civil servants in her Department are members of trades unions; how much working hours facility time is claimed by each such civil servant; and what the cost of that facility time is to her Department.

George Eustice

The number of civil servants in the Core-Department, who are members of a trade union, is matter for the unions.

The Cabinet Office publishes data relating to the Civil Service facility on a quarterly basis. The latest data is Quarter 4, 2014 and is available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/trade-union-facility-time

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2015-12-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to his Department’s publication, Living Well for Longer: One year on, published in March 2015, when he plans to publish a hepatitis C Improvement Framework.

Jane Ellison

A date for publication of the hepatitis C Improvement Framework has not yet been set. Public Health England continues working with NHS England and Operational Delivery Networks (ODNs) to establish a process of monitoring hepatitis C treatment access and uptake.

Following their establishment in August 2015, ODNs will need to continue to be developed as a mechanism for ensuring equitable access to expert multidisciplinary team care and treatment for hepatitis C. ODNs are working to develop their plans, based on the published service specification and with the support of local specialised commissioning teams and regional Clinical Directors of specialised commissioning. Work is also underway to establish by February 2016 a national network of ODN clinical leads to share good practice. In addition, the draft hepatitis C improvement framework includes a numbers of areas pertinent to ODN operation and will therefore support further development of their role.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2016-04-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much compensation has been paid to (a) all energy intensive industries, (b) the steel industry and (c) the aluminium industry under the energy intensive compensation scheme since 25 November 2015.

Anna Soubry

Across all compensation schemes (EU ETS, CPS, RO & FiT) to date, we have paid out over £189m in compensation.

Of this, the steel sector has been paid over £80m.

Since 25 Nov 2015, the aluminium sector has been paid over £464,000.

Additionally, we are processing 2016 EU ETS/CPS claims, as well as RO/FIT compensation applications, so the amounts will increase significantly in coming months.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2016-06-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of General Policy Recommendation No.16, by the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance, adopted on 16 March 2016, that doctors, teachers, landlords and other social service providers should not be obliged to report illegal immigrants.

James Brokenshire

Access to social services, benefits, social housing, NHS secondary care services, employment and private rented accommodation is subject to eligibility rules and immigration status checks by providers. The Government would not accept or support any recommendation which would bar public officials or private service providers from reporting illegal immigrants to the Home Office.