Asked by: Baroness Brinton (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government which organisation has responsibility for ensuring implementation and compliance with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency guidance, which states that biologic medicines should be prescribed by brand name and tracked by batch number.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
In 2008, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) issued best practice guidance on the prescribing of biological products. This advised:
“All biosimilar products are prescription only medicines (POM). When prescribing biological products, it is good practice to use the brand name. This will ensure that automatic substitution of a biosimilar product does not occur when the medicine is dispensed by the pharmacist. Products (biosimilar and reference) that have the same international non-proprietary name (INN) are not to be presumed identical for the reasons given above.”
The MHRA does not have responsibility for monitoring the compliance of healthcare professionals with its prescribing guidance. The responsibility for prescribing rests with the practitioner who has clinical responsibility for their patient's care and we would expect practitioners to take any relevant guidance into account when making their prescribing decisions. Practitioner professional bodies also have a role in setting out best practice to their members.
Asked by: Baroness Brinton (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the total annual cost of Jobseeker's Allowance for 18 to 21 year-olds in England; and what is the cost of Jobseeker's Allowance for those (1) with qualifications below Level 3, and (2) at or above Level 3.
Answered by Lord Freud
In January 2014, the latest figures available, there were 140,000 claimants aged 18 to 21 year olds in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance in England.
In 2012/13 the Department estimates it spent around £610m on Jobseeker's Allowance for 18-21 year-olds in England.
It is not possible to split this expenditure for claimants by qualification level, as the Department does not collect this information in our administrative systems.
It is not possible to identify how many live in households with a gross income of £42,000 or more as the Department does not collect this in our administrative systems.
Asked by: Baroness Brinton (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many 18 to 21 year-olds claim Jobseeker's Allowance in England; and what proportion of those (1) do not have a Level 3 qualification, and (2) live in households with a gross income of £42,000 or more.
Answered by Lord Freud
In January 2014, the latest figures available, there were 140,000 claimants aged 18 to 21 year olds in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance in England.
In 2012/13 the Department estimates it spent around £610m on Jobseeker's Allowance for 18-21 year-olds in England.
It is not possible to split this expenditure for claimants by qualification level, as the Department does not collect this information in our administrative systems.
It is not possible to identify how many live in households with a gross income of £42,000 or more as the Department does not collect this in our administrative systems.
Asked by: Baroness Brinton (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Sri Lanka about the attacks on Muslims on 15 June by Buddhists in Aluthgama; and what information have they received from the government of Sri Lanka about its plans to halt the sectarian violence.
Answered by Baroness Warsi
We continue to raise our concerns about the recent communal tensions and the significant surge in attacks against members of religious minority groups in Sri Lanka including those of 15 June, with the Sri Lankan authorities. Our High Commissioner to Colombo has met Muslim community representatives to discuss their concerns. The Head of the EU Delegation has raised recent developments with the Sri Lankan Defence Secretary. The EU delegation has released a statement in agreement with EU Heads of Mission in Sri Lanka condemning the violence and have called on the Sri Lankan government to uphold law and order.
Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa and other senior Sri Lankan Ministers have visited the area affected by violence, and the army and police have been deployed to those areas. President Rajapaksa has also urged restraint and pledged that those responsible for the violence would be held to account. We continue to watch the situation closely.