Every parliamentary written question tabled by Mark Pritchard this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 301–320 of 324 · this parliament
When he expects the UK National Screening Committee to conclude the prostate cancer screening evidence review it commissioned in November 2023.
The UK National Screening Committee’s (UK NSC) evidence review for prostate cancer screening is already underway and plans to report within the UK NSC’s three-year work plan. The evidence review includes modelling the clinical cost effectiveness of severa...
Food and Rural Affairs, if he will increase his Department's funding to the National Wildlife Crime Unit.
The National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) helps prevent and detect wildlife crime by obtaining and disseminating intelligence, undertaking analysis which highlights local or national threats and directly assisting law enforcers in their investigations. Defr...
If he will commission research into reducing consumer energy prices through locational energy consumption.
Through the Review of Electricity Market Arrangements, we are exploring several ways to reduce energy bills by making more efficient use of the energy infrastructure we are building. As part of this we are considering zonal pricing, alongside options for further reform within our current national pricing arrangements. Government is considering these options carefully and will provide more information in due course.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will join his EU counterparts in making representations to the Russian Federation over the construction of a naval base in Abkhazia.
We have repeatedly condemned Russia's illegal military presence and the Russification of Abkhazia, including through the proposed Russian naval base at Ochamchire, most recently in a UN Security Council Statement on the 16th Anniversary of Russia's invasion of Georgia. The UK fully supports Georgia's territorial integrity and sovereignty, including over the breakaway territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, in the face of continued hybrid aggression from Russia.
What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the activities of hostile states on levels of illegal immigration.
The Government’s first duty is to protect our national security and keep our country safe. We keep potential threats to the UK under constant review and, where necessary, we use all the tools at our disposal to mitigate these threats including at the border and those seeking to enter the UK through irregular means.As a matter of long-standing policy, we do not comment on the detail of security and intelligence issues.
If he will put in place oversight of integrated care boards that frequently commission services from GP practices that regularly underperform in patient satisfaction surveys.
We recognise that despite the hard work of general practice teams, patients are still struggling to access care from general practitioners (GPs). We know that GPs are delivering record numbers of appointments, however, patient satisfaction has dropped nationally.Integrated care boards (ICBs) must ensure that GP services meet the needs of the local population, and NHS England has a legal duty to annually assess the performance of each ICB and to publish a summary of its findings. The assessment must consider how well the ICB has discharged its functions, including the duty to improve the quality of services and the duty to make arrangements to involve patients, carers and the public in commissioning plans and decisions that affect them.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to protect (a) the food supply chain, (b) livestock and (c) public health from the Asian longhorned tick.
The UKHSA has been running a tick surveillance scheme (TSS) since 2004 which encourages people to send in ticks for identification. The Animal and Plant Health Agency and our veterinary investigation centres are part of this scheme, particularly through our Centre of Expertise for Extensively Managed Livestock. The TSS has so far not detected the Asian Longhorned Tick. We recognise that over the last few years there has been an expansion in certain tick populations of our livestock and managed deer populations, which can mean both public and animal health risks of tick borne diseases are increasing. In response, we have funded a £6.5 million research programme with BBSRC on vector borne diseases which includes several projects on ticks, livestock and climate impacts.
What steps he is taking to help (a) raise awareness of the symptoms of brain aneurysms and (b) improve training for GPs to recognise those symptoms.
Through neurosurgery networks, NHS England will engage with referring clinicians to ensure that patients receive appropriate assessments, diagnostics, and referral pathways to a neuroscience centre when required.Moreover, the standard of medical training is the responsibility of the General Medical Council (GMC), which is an independent statutory body. The GMC has the general function of promoting high standards of education and co-ordinating all stages of education to ensure that medical students and newly qualified doctors are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes essential for professional practice.The training curricula for speciality trainees is set by the relevant Royal College, and has to meet the standards set by the GMC and be formally approved by them. The training curriculum for general practitioner specialty training is set by the Royal College of General Practitioners. Whilst curricula do not necessarily highlight specific conditions for doctors to be aware of, they instead emphasise the skills and approaches that a doctor must develop in order to ensure accurate and timely diagnoses and treatment plans for their patients.General practitioners are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge remains up-to-date and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. This activity should include taking account of new research and developments in guidance, such as that produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, to ensure that they can continue to provide high quality care to all patients.
Innovation and Technology, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to introduce fines for social media companies for failure to remove online material which incites violence.
The Online Safety Act 2023 places duties on user to user services to proactively mitigate the risk that their services are used for illegal activity or to share illegal content. This includes content that incites violence and content which stirs up religious or racial hatred. The Act is currently being implemented. Ofcom will have a broad range of powers to assess and enforce compliance with the Act, including issuing fines to services that do not comply of up to £18m or 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue in the relevant year, whichever is higher.
If she will take steps to support farm owners to (a) diversify their businesses and (b) improve their financial security by providing accommodation for furnished holiday lettings on their farms.
The Government is supporting farmers and land managers to adapt their business models and access tailored support to do so through the agricultural transition, including through diversification. For example, farmers can access free business advice through the Farming Resilience Fund. The Government recognises that many farmers may choose to let out part of their estates as furnished holiday lettings (FHLs). Nevertheless, while the government recognises the important role that FHLs have, including those located on farms, in the visitor economy, tax rules currently privilege short-term lets over long-term rentals. The Government will therefore abolish the FHL tax regime from April 2025,which will equalise the tax treatment of landlords’ property income and gains.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help improve access to (a) clean drinking water and (b) sanitation in fragile and conflict affected states and regions.
The UK is committed to improving access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) for people in the developing world. The FCDO WASH programmes that are in fragile and conflict affected states including in Chad, DRC, Ethiopia and Mozambique. One example is the £18.5 million 4-year WASH Systems for Health program which works with governments and stakeholders to strengthen the planning, finance, management and accountability systems to improve water and sanitation services. We are also providing UNICEF with £6.25 million over 4 years to strengthen the capacity of governments to provide climate resilient WASH services in countries including fragile and conflict-affected states.
If she will publish an action plan to reduce deaths of minors from drowning.
Swimming and water safety is a vital life skill and that is why pupils are taught how to swim and be safe in and around water at primary school. Swimming and water safety are compulsory elements of the Physical Education (PE) National Curriculum at Key Stages 1 and 2. For example, it includes teaching on how to perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations. The department is focusing on a number of measures to support teaching in this area, as part of its ongoing review of the Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) curriculum. The public consultation on the revised draft RSHE statutory guidance closed on 11 July 2024. The revised guidance includes a new section called ‘Personal safety’, which outlines that pupils should know how to identify risk and manage personal safety in increasingly independent situations including around roads, railways and water. It is vitally important that teachers have clear guidance, which is why the department will be looking carefully at the consultation responses, re-engaging with stakeholders and considering the relevant evidence before setting out next steps to take the RSHE guidance forward. The department is also working closely with swimming and water safety stakeholders such as the Royal Life Saving Society UK and Swim England to support schools in raising attainment in primary school swimming and water safety. Support and advice from Swim England includes resources for schools and parents, which can be found at the following links: https://www.swimming.org/schools/ and https://www.swimming.org/learntoswim/learn-to-swim-information-for-parents/. Department officials have also worked alongside the National Water Safety Forum to develop free resources for schools to provide vital water safety knowledge that can go a long way to reduce drowning deaths. These resources can be found on the Royal Life Saving Society website at: https://www.rlss.org.uk/Pages/Category/water-safety-education.
What steps he is taking to improve the early (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of pancreatic cancer.
NHS England is delivering a range of interventions that are expected to improve early diagnosis and treatment for patients with suspected and diagnosed pancreatic cancer. For early diagnosis, this includes providing a route into pancreatic cancer surveillance for those patients at inherited high-risk, to identify lesions before they develop into cancer, and diagnose cancers sooner. New pathways are being created to support faster referral routes for people with non-specific symptoms that could be linked to a range of cancer types. General practice direct access to diagnostic tests is also being increased.To improve the consistency of access to treatments, NHS England is funding an audit into pancreatic cancer which aims to stimulate improvements in cancer treatment and outcomes. The Royal College of Surgeons began work on this audit in October 2022, and the first report is expected in October 2024.NHS England’s Getting it Right First Time programme has also appointed a team of five specialist clinicians to lead a national review into services for pancreatic cancer patients in England. The workstream supports the delivery of the Optimal Care Pathway, a Pancreatic Cancer UK-led initiative which has brought together 300 health professionals and people affected to agree on how standards of diagnosis, treatment, and care of those patients with pancreatic cancer and their families can be improved, as well as gathering examples of good practice to share.
If she will end the treatment of military compensation as income for the purpose of welfare benefit means tests.
I refer the honourable member to the answer to question UIN 500, given on the 25 July 2024.
What steps he is taking to ensure adequate supplies of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy medication.
The Department has been working with suppliers to address current supply issues with pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT), including Creon, used in the treatment of cystic fibrosis and certain cancers, including pancreatic cancer. The supply issues are impacting countries throughout Europe, and have been caused by the limited availability of raw ingredients and manufacturing capacity constraints in producing the volumes needed to meet demand. The Department is continuing to work with all suppliers of PERT to help resolve the supply issues in the short and longer term. This includes asking that they expedite deliveries, source stock from other markets, and increase production.We have issued comprehensive guidance to healthcare professionals about these supply issues, which provides advice on how to manage patients whilst there is disruption to supply. This guidance is being kept under review, and updates will be made as necessary. Serious Shortage Protocols are in place for Creon 10,000 and 25,000 capsules to limit prescriptions to one months’ supply, to allow demand management.We understand how frustrating and distressing medicine supply issues can be. While we can’t always prevent supply issues from occurring, the Department has a range of well-established processes and tools to manage them when they arise, and to help mitigate risks to patients.
What steps he is taking to increase the number of neonatal nurses in (a) England and (b) Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin integrated care system.
NHS England is establishing over 550 new neonatal nurse posts across England, including in the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care System (ICS), since publishing Implementing the Recommendations of the Neonatal Critical Care Transformation Review, which is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/implementing-the-recommendations-of-the-neonatal-critical-care-transformation-review/NHS England is working with trusts and regions to support their workforce growth plans. There were 53 neonatal nurses working in the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin ICS as of April 2024, which is nine more than in April 2023.The Government recognises that there are serious issues within maternity and neonatal services, and is committed to learning from the findings of recent inquiries and investigations, such as those carried out at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, the East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust, and the emerging lessons from the ongoing inquiry at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.
If he will have discussions with (a) manufacturers and (b) importers on the public health benefits of making non-alcoholic (i) beer, (ii) lager, (iii) spirits and (iv) wine products lower cost than the alcoholic alternatives.
The Government has set out its ambition to create a National Health Service fit for the future, which includes prioritising preventative public health measures to support people to live longer, healthier lives. The Government will continue to consider how best to address and reduce alcohol-related harms.
If he will take steps to prohibit the importing of (a) electric scooters and (b) electric bikes from countries that do not comply with UK safety standards.
UK product safety legislation requires manufacturers or importers placing products on the UK market, including e-bikes and e-scooters, to ensure those products are safe. Regulators have powers to require that unsafe products are removed from sale.We will introduce a new Bill to ensure the product safety framework keeps pace with modern technology, digital business models and international supply chains. This will better protect consumers and support business growth.
If she will take steps to ensure Ofsted includes the adequacy of the physical security of school buildings in their inspection reports.
Ofsted’s overall role is to make sure that schools provide high and rising standards for every child through its inspection and reporting process. The School Inspection Handbook does not set any specific expectations for schools regarding site security. However, if inspectors had particular concerns about the adequacy of the physical security of school buildings, those concerns would be reported on.
If he will take steps to increase the sanctions for flying over (a) military establishments, (b) facilities providing (i) equipment, (ii) goods and (iii) services to the armed forces and (c) other restricted areas.
The National Security Act 2023 introduced new and specific sanctions in relation to unauthorised overflying of Defence sites by both conventional and unmanned aircraft. The sanctions range from those applicable to a summary offence for simple, unauthorised flights, up to 14 years imprisonment where the purpose of the flight is one that is prejudicial to the safety or interests of the UK. There are no current plans to review these sanctions.