Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to convert EU Regulation 658/2014 into UK law; and, if so, which UK body will assume the role of the European Medicines Agency for the setting and charging of fees to UK-based marketing authorisation holders.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency sets and charges fees for marketing authorisations in the United Kingdom which are granted nationally and not approved centrally by the European Medicines Agency. The extent to which European Medicines Agency procedures will apply in the UK after we have exited the European Union will be subject to negotiations. The Government will ensure that the UK’s full approval regime is ready and operational as soon as the UK has formally departed the EU.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to transpose the forthcoming EU Medical Devices Regulation into UK law following the UK's exit from the EU; and how they intend to address those aspects of the Regulation that are based on participation in EU institutions and the single market.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The Government is committed to the safe and effective regulation of medical devices in the United Kingdom. We continue to strengthen safety while ensuring patients and the public have fast access to new, innovative devices.
We will be implementing the new Devices Regulations, the first provisions of which are expected to enter into force in May this year. Details of the future legislative framework will be subject to the outcome of negotiations with the European Union.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will give details of progress made by all the networks of the Public Health Responsibility Deal, including future plans and a description of the outcomes obtained.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
The action notes and papers from the last alcohol network group meeting, which took place on 5 November 2014 are attached. There are no current plans for any of the Responsibility Deal networks to meet, but the Department continues to engage with key stakeholders in each of these sectors as part of its routine policy activity.
On alcohol, 1.3 billion units of alcohol were removed from the market through improving consumer choice of lower alcohol products, exceeding the target two years ahead of schedule. 101 companies pledged to have 80% of their bottles and cans of alcoholic drinks displaying unit content, the previous Chief Medical Officer’s lower-risk guidelines and a warning about drinking when pregnant by the end of 2013. An independent report (2014) found that 79.3% of labels provided all these three elements correctly, with 92.8% providing correct pregnancy information. The pledge was considered to be met.
On food, around 75% of the retail market and 65% of major high street restaurants and contract caterers have committed to reduce salt. This includes all the major supermarkets, many big manufacturing brands, restaurant chains and contract caterers. 43 companies, including major retailers, fast food and pubs and caterers, as well as the makers of household-name brands are taking a range of actions to help us to consume fewer calories, including through reducing the sugar content of sugar sweetened beverages. 45 major out of home businesses are currently displaying calories on their menus to help consumers make informed choices when eating outside the home, and account for approximately a quarter of all out of home meals served. 23 businesses agreed to adopt the voluntary United Kingdom front of pack nutrient labelling scheme accounting for two thirds of the market for pre-packed foods and drinks.
Employees in a wide range of companies are seeing their health and well-being taken more seriously as more and more organisations (over 500) signed up to the health at work pledges. The focus was on making occupational health more about prevention, as well as looking at improving the management of people with chronic health conditions, the workplace environment, healthier canteen food, encouraging more active travel and helping staff to give up smoking. Over 80 construction firms signed up to the health at work pledges representing over 250,000 employees. Construction is the UK’s largest industry employing 2 million workers, 6% of the entire workforce. It is also the unhealthiest industry. Construction workers are at least 100 times more likely to die from a disease caused or made worse by their work than they are to die from a fatal accident. These diseases are all preventable. This was the first sector-specific health at work pledge.
Working behind the scenes and reaching into the heart of communities, many businesses and organisations – around 300 - made pledges to help get more people, of all ages and backgrounds, more active. Through the physical activity workplace pledge, we estimate 1.5 million more people are now supported to be more active than before in their workplaces.
On 11 March 2016 the Department let all partners know that they will not need formally to report on the progress of the pledges that they have signed up to by submitting their annual updates this year. The Department has not separately analysed the annual reports submitted by partners to date.
This Government has renewed priorities and it is considering how best to work with partners and other stakeholders to deliver those. This includes tackling childhood obesity and wider work on diabetes and prevention.
The Department will keep all partners informed of any developments on the Responsibility Deal whilst the Government is considering how it should best work with industry to deliver its new priorities. In the meantime, the Government expects that all partners will want to continue to work towards the commitments they have already made and welcomes the fact that many organisations have continued to announce significant new commitments.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will give details of progress made by the Alcohol Network of the Public Health Responsibility Deal, including (1) reports on its last meeting, (2) plans for future meetings, and (3) an analysis of the fulfilment made of pledges provided by contributors.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
The action notes and papers from the last alcohol network group meeting, which took place on 5 November 2014 are attached. There are no current plans for any of the Responsibility Deal networks to meet, but the Department continues to engage with key stakeholders in each of these sectors as part of its routine policy activity.
On alcohol, 1.3 billion units of alcohol were removed from the market through improving consumer choice of lower alcohol products, exceeding the target two years ahead of schedule. 101 companies pledged to have 80% of their bottles and cans of alcoholic drinks displaying unit content, the previous Chief Medical Officer’s lower-risk guidelines and a warning about drinking when pregnant by the end of 2013. An independent report (2014) found that 79.3% of labels provided all these three elements correctly, with 92.8% providing correct pregnancy information. The pledge was considered to be met.
On food, around 75% of the retail market and 65% of major high street restaurants and contract caterers have committed to reduce salt. This includes all the major supermarkets, many big manufacturing brands, restaurant chains and contract caterers. 43 companies, including major retailers, fast food and pubs and caterers, as well as the makers of household-name brands are taking a range of actions to help us to consume fewer calories, including through reducing the sugar content of sugar sweetened beverages. 45 major out of home businesses are currently displaying calories on their menus to help consumers make informed choices when eating outside the home, and account for approximately a quarter of all out of home meals served. 23 businesses agreed to adopt the voluntary United Kingdom front of pack nutrient labelling scheme accounting for two thirds of the market for pre-packed foods and drinks.
Employees in a wide range of companies are seeing their health and well-being taken more seriously as more and more organisations (over 500) signed up to the health at work pledges. The focus was on making occupational health more about prevention, as well as looking at improving the management of people with chronic health conditions, the workplace environment, healthier canteen food, encouraging more active travel and helping staff to give up smoking. Over 80 construction firms signed up to the health at work pledges representing over 250,000 employees. Construction is the UK’s largest industry employing 2 million workers, 6% of the entire workforce. It is also the unhealthiest industry. Construction workers are at least 100 times more likely to die from a disease caused or made worse by their work than they are to die from a fatal accident. These diseases are all preventable. This was the first sector-specific health at work pledge.
Working behind the scenes and reaching into the heart of communities, many businesses and organisations – around 300 - made pledges to help get more people, of all ages and backgrounds, more active. Through the physical activity workplace pledge, we estimate 1.5 million more people are now supported to be more active than before in their workplaces.
On 11 March 2016 the Department let all partners know that they will not need formally to report on the progress of the pledges that they have signed up to by submitting their annual updates this year. The Department has not separately analysed the annual reports submitted by partners to date.
This Government has renewed priorities and it is considering how best to work with partners and other stakeholders to deliver those. This includes tackling childhood obesity and wider work on diabetes and prevention.
The Department will keep all partners informed of any developments on the Responsibility Deal whilst the Government is considering how it should best work with industry to deliver its new priorities. In the meantime, the Government expects that all partners will want to continue to work towards the commitments they have already made and welcomes the fact that many organisations have continued to announce significant new commitments.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 17 September (HL2043), when they expect to publish updated guidelines relating to lower-risk drinking.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
The Chief Medical Officer, with advice from a group of independent experts, has reviewed current drinking guidelines. The proposals will be published shortly.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will review the Responsibility Deal for alcohol in the light of the Institute of Alcohol Studies report <i>Dead on Arrival? Evaluating the Public Health Responsibility Deal for Alcohol</i>.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
We are currently reviewing all aspects of the Responsibility Deal, including for alcohol.
Partnership working continues to play an important role and Government remains committed to its principles. The new Government has renewed priorities and we are currently working through ideas in these areas.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effect of alcohol misuse on the NHS and other public services.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
Local communities, services and businesses are best placed to tackle alcohol-related issues in their area and enforce the behaviour and develop the cultures that they want.
As part of the health and care reforms, local government has been given the responsibility, backed by ring-fenced budgets, to improve people’s health – this includes responsibility for tackling problem drinking.
We have given local authorities more than £8 billion in funding over three years so they can put the right services in place to help their communities to improve people’s health – this includes responsibility for tackling problem drinking. An example of where this has been done is by Balance, the North East Alcohol Office, who produced a report which details the impact of alcohol misuse on their region’s paramedics.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the report <i>An equal right to sight </i>by SeeAbility, and the subsequent response by the College of Optometrists and others, what steps they are taking to ensure that children with learning difficulties have regular and full ocular examinations.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
The recent NHS England “Improving Eye Health and Reducing Sight Loss Call to Action” consultation called for a debate on how to tackle eye care inequalities and specifically those experienced by people with learning disabilities. NHS England recently commissioned a service in London that will provide sight tests and dispensing of glasses at a number of special schools. This service is being provided by SeeAbility and is governed by the existing regulatory framework for primary eye care services in England. NHS England will work with SeeAbility to review current levels of provision and determine the extent to which children with learning disabilities struggle to access high street optical practices.
A copy of the consultation is attached and can be found at the following link:
http://www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/qual-clin-lead/calltoaction/eye-cta/
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to review the quality of eye tests carried out by optometrists and dispensing opticians.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
Under the Sight Testing (Examination and Prescription) (No.2) Regulations 1989, when a doctor or optometrist carries out a sight test, they have a legal duty to perform such examinations that are necessary to detect signs of injury, disease or abnormality and to refer the patient for further investigation if necessary. They will also carry out tests to determine if the patient requires an optical appliance to correct a defect in sight.
These requirements apply to all sight tests, whether provided on the National Health Service or privately.
The General Optical Council (GOC) is the regulatory body for optometrists who carry out sight tests and any concern about the quality of sight tests can be raised directly with the GOC.
Dispensing opticians do not carry out sight tests.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made by the Alcohol Network on the Responsibility Deal.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
There were 131 partners in the Responsibility Deal Alcohol Network, who signed up to a range of voluntary Responsibility Deal pledges on alcohol and committed to help people drink within the lower-risk alcohol guidelines.
Under the previous Government, Responsibility Deal Alcohol Network partners committed to a 2012 pledge to remove 1 billion units of alcohol sold annually from the market by December 2015, principally through improving consumer choice of lower alcohol products. A 2014 interim monitoring report of progress against this pledge estimated that between 2011 and 2013 the number of units of alcohol removed from the market exceeded this target two years ahead of target date, showing there was a reduction of 1.3 billion units due to reductions in alcohol by volume of alcohol products.
Also under the previous Government, Responsibility Deal Alcohol Network partners committed to a pledge to have 80% of bottles and cans displaying unit content, the Chief Medical Officer’s (CMO) lower-risk guidelines and by the end of 2013 a warning about drinking when pregnant. A 2014 independent report by Campden BRI found that 79.3% of labels provided all three elements correctly. The report also assessed market share by total amount of alcohol sold to allow comparison of progress since 2008 (trend data). This found that unit information increased by 22%; the CMO’s lower-risk drinking guidelines by 314%; and pregnancy warnings boosted by 122%.