Asked by: Lord Luce (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to extend the authority of GPs to refer patients on the Fit for Work scheme to other healthcare professionals such as nurses and physiotherapists.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
There are no plans to extend the authority to refer patients to the Fit for Work service to other healthcare professionals, since employees can no longer be referred to the assessment service in England and Wales, and no further referrals will be taken to the assessment service in Scotland from 1 March 2018.
We recently published Improving Lives: The Future of Work, Health and Disability, in which we outlined our intention to work closely with partners and stakeholders to find robust and lasting solutions to the issues associated with work-related illness and sickness absence, in particular through reform of occupational health. A copy of Improving Lives: The Future of Work, Health and Disability is attached. We have commissioned further research to better understand the current market supply and delivery structures of occupational health provision and its operation. We will shortly appoint an expert working group to champion, shape and drive the work and to inform proposals by 2019/2020.
Asked by: Lord Luce (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of opioids dispensed for pain relief contain a warning on the package that the medication may cause dependence or addiction.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The Department does not collect this information centrally. Guidance from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency states that all opioid medicines should contain a warning statement in the patient information leaflet that if taking the medication for long periods there is risk of developing an addiction or dependence. A copy of Additional warning statements for inclusion on the label and/or in the leaflet of certain medicines is attached.
It is the responsibility of the dispensing pharmacist to determine whether a specific warning should be placed on the packaging of medication.
Asked by: Lord Luce (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether GPs are being advised to carry out regular medication reviews for patients who are prescribed painkillers for chronic pain, in particular patients who are prescribed opioids; and if not, why not.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
Information on the number of people in England currently addicted to prescription opioids is not collected centrally. The Government is concerned about the impact of long term use of prescription drugs. The Department has commissioned Public Health England (PHE) to undertake an evidence review to better understand the scope of the problem of prescribed drug dependence.
The review will bring together the best available evidence on prevalence and prescribing; the nature and likely causes of dependence or discontinuation syndrome among some people who continue to take these medicines; and effective prevention and treatment responses for each condition for which they are prescribed. There are no plans to extend the remit of the PHE evidence review to over the counter painkillers.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published the guideline Controlled drugs: safe use and management in April 2016 which covers systems and processes for using and managing controlled drugs safely in all NHS settings except care homes. The guideline includes recommendations to improve working practices to comply with legislation and aims to reduce the risks associated with controlled drugs, including dependency, overdose and diversion. The NICE guideline provides authoritative guidance that reflects the latest available evidence and will allow healthcare professionals, including general practitioners, to make informed decisions about the prescription and optimal use of medicines which have the potential to cause dependency. A copy of the NICE guideline is attached.
The recently-updated national clinical guidelines for drug misuse and dependence have specific guidance about pharmacological management of dependence on benzodiazepines and z-drugs, including prescribing regimens, detoxification, adjunctive therapies and monitoring. A copy of these guidelines, Drugs misuse and dependence: UK guidelines on clinical management is attached.
Asked by: Lord Luce (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, in view of the consumption of codeine for pain relief, whether they have any plans to extend the remit of the Public Health England inquiry into prescription drug addiction and dependence to include over the counter painkillers.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
Information on the number of people in England currently addicted to prescription opioids is not collected centrally. The Government is concerned about the impact of long term use of prescription drugs. The Department has commissioned Public Health England (PHE) to undertake an evidence review to better understand the scope of the problem of prescribed drug dependence.
The review will bring together the best available evidence on prevalence and prescribing; the nature and likely causes of dependence or discontinuation syndrome among some people who continue to take these medicines; and effective prevention and treatment responses for each condition for which they are prescribed. There are no plans to extend the remit of the PHE evidence review to over the counter painkillers.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published the guideline Controlled drugs: safe use and management in April 2016 which covers systems and processes for using and managing controlled drugs safely in all NHS settings except care homes. The guideline includes recommendations to improve working practices to comply with legislation and aims to reduce the risks associated with controlled drugs, including dependency, overdose and diversion. The NICE guideline provides authoritative guidance that reflects the latest available evidence and will allow healthcare professionals, including general practitioners, to make informed decisions about the prescription and optimal use of medicines which have the potential to cause dependency. A copy of the NICE guideline is attached.
The recently-updated national clinical guidelines for drug misuse and dependence have specific guidance about pharmacological management of dependence on benzodiazepines and z-drugs, including prescribing regimens, detoxification, adjunctive therapies and monitoring. A copy of these guidelines, Drugs misuse and dependence: UK guidelines on clinical management is attached.
Asked by: Lord Luce (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people in England they estimate are currently addicted to prescription opioids, excluding cancer patients.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
Information on the number of people in England currently addicted to prescription opioids is not collected centrally. The Government is concerned about the impact of long term use of prescription drugs. The Department has commissioned Public Health England (PHE) to undertake an evidence review to better understand the scope of the problem of prescribed drug dependence.
The review will bring together the best available evidence on prevalence and prescribing; the nature and likely causes of dependence or discontinuation syndrome among some people who continue to take these medicines; and effective prevention and treatment responses for each condition for which they are prescribed. There are no plans to extend the remit of the PHE evidence review to over the counter painkillers.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published the guideline Controlled drugs: safe use and management in April 2016 which covers systems and processes for using and managing controlled drugs safely in all NHS settings except care homes. The guideline includes recommendations to improve working practices to comply with legislation and aims to reduce the risks associated with controlled drugs, including dependency, overdose and diversion. The NICE guideline provides authoritative guidance that reflects the latest available evidence and will allow healthcare professionals, including general practitioners, to make informed decisions about the prescription and optimal use of medicines which have the potential to cause dependency. A copy of the NICE guideline is attached.
The recently-updated national clinical guidelines for drug misuse and dependence have specific guidance about pharmacological management of dependence on benzodiazepines and z-drugs, including prescribing regimens, detoxification, adjunctive therapies and monitoring. A copy of these guidelines, Drugs misuse and dependence: UK guidelines on clinical management is attached.
Asked by: Lord Luce (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their policy towards the newly elected government of Somaliland; whether they intend to give support for any planned reform in that country; and if so, what form that support will take.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK is committed to supporting the shared prosperity and security of the people of Somalia, including in Somaliland. The UK congratulated the recently elected President of Somaliland on his election victory. We played an active role in supporting the elections, including through the deployment of a 60-strong election observation mission. The UK is working with the new government of Somaliland to support the delivery of its development plan and other crucial reforms. We are providing humanitarian assistance, supporting economic development, promoting good governance, and access to justice.
Asked by: Lord Luce (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reforms introduced in Zimbabwe by President Mnangagwa; and whether they plan to provide any assistance in implementing those reforms.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We welcome President Mnangagwa's commitment to holding free, fair and credible elections, with international observation. We are also encouraged by the political and economic reforms announced by the Zimbabwean government in recent weeks, including plans to amend the indigenisation law. The Minister for Africa visited Zimbabwe on 1 and 2 February and met President Mnangagwa. She welcomed his commitment to political and economic reform and made clear that implementation of these reforms will enable the UK, together with the wider international community, to consider what support we can provide.
Asked by: Lord Luce (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Lord Lieutenants are being encouraged to help promote the Commonwealth in schools in their counties ahead of the Commonwealth Summit in April 2018 in London.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
As part of the Department for Education’s outreach to schools ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), we have prepared an education pack for 11-14 year-old school pupils. We plan to contact the Lord Lieutenants when the pack is ready to be sent to schools, with a view to asking them to support the promotion of the pack.
Schools are also free to teach their pupils about the Commonwealth as part of their school curriculum. The national curriculum for citizenship education, introduced in September 2014, sets out that pupils are taught about local, regional and international governance and the United Kingdom’s relations with the rest of Europe, the Commonwealth, the United Nations and the wider world.
There are also a number of opportunities in the history programmes of study for pupils to be taught about the Commonwealth; for example, pupils are taught about British history from 1745 to 1901, including the development of empire; and they are taught about the end of Empire and Britain’s place in the world since 1945.
Asked by: Lord Luce (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Secretary of State for Education will be representing HM Government at the meeting in Fiji of Commonwealth Education Ministers in mid February in preparation for the Commonwealth Summit in April 2018 in London; and whether the purpose of that meeting is to strengthen Commonwealth cooperation between universities and schools for the benefit of young people.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
It has not yet been decided who will represent Her Majesty’s Government at the Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers. However, we hope to confirm attendance shortly, subject to parliamentary business. The purpose of the Conference is to strengthen cooperation across the Commonwealth for the benefit of young people of all ages. A key objective of this year’s conference is to address and define mechanisms through which education systems across the Commonwealth can enable sustainable development, and address major global challenges, such as climate change. This is a topic, which is of importance to young people across all member states.
Asked by: Lord Luce (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the transitional arrangements that will be sought for the UK as part of the EU withdrawal agreement will cover (1) Gibraltar, and (2) all other UK Overseas Territories.
Answered by Lord Callanan
As the Prime Minister has set out, we are seeking a strictly time-limited implementation period as part of our withdrawal negotiations, to provide certainty and stability for both people and businesses - in the UK and in the EU - to adjust to the new arrangements in a smooth and orderly way. The Prime Minister said clearly in the House on 18 December that we are not going to exclude Gibraltar from our negotiations for either the implementation period or the future agreement. It is the UK’s consistent position that our negotiations extend to include UK Overseas Territories, including Gibraltar, in those areas where their association with the EU is affected.