Asked by: Annette Brooke (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received on the provision of psychiatric inpatient beds for people with learning disabilities in Dorset.
Answered by Norman Lamb
A search of the Department’s Ministerial correspondence database has not identified any items of correspondence received since 1 June 2014 about the provision of psychiatric inpatient beds for people with learning disabilities in Dorset.
This figure represents correspondence received by the Department’s Ministerial correspondence unit only.
Asked by: Annette Brooke (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that care home residents can obtain information and advice before they agree to pay a top-up fee for care home accommodation, in accordance with choice of accommodation regulations under the Care Act 2014; and what guidance he is giving to local authorities on their role in providing such information and advice.
Answered by Norman Lamb
The Care and Support Statutory Guidance to local authorities was issued in October. Annex A of the Guidance sets out what local authorities are expected to do under the Care Act 2014 regarding choice of accommodation, including top-up payments. Specific guidance on information and advice about this is contained in paragraphs 51 and 52 of the Guidance.
Under section 4 of the Care Act 2014 a local authority must establish and maintain a service for providing people in its area with information and advice in relation to care and support. Local authorities should facilitate access to financial information and advice provided independently of the local authority to support people in making informed financial decisions.
Where a ‘top-up’ arrangement is being considered a local authority must provide the person who plans to make the payment with sufficient information and advice to help them understand their responsibilities, liabilities and the consequences if the arrangement breaks down, before they enter into a top-up agreement.
Asked by: Annette Brooke (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress he has made on the development of a population-based measure to help determine the numbers of older people who report feeling lonely; and how this measure will build on the measures already contained in the Public Health and Adult Social Care Outcomes Frameworks.
Answered by Norman Lamb
Public Health England has commissioned the Institute of Health Equity to undertake a rapid review of the evidence around social isolation across the lifecourse. A publication, aimed at NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups and local authorities, will describe who is at risk of social isolation, at what stage of life, what impact this has on health inequalities and what works to reduce social isolation in the groups identified.
The Department considered a number of data sources that could provide data for a population-based measure of loneliness. The Department has not found a measure that would provide local authorities with sufficient information for action. The Department remains interested in exploring how the issue can be measured in the general population in a way that will support local authorities, and will retain the existing measure of social isolation in both the Public Health Outcomes Framework and the Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework.
Asked by: Annette Brooke (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how his Department's plans to develop a measure to record levels of loneliness will help services to establish whether more work is required to tackle loneliness amongst older men.
Answered by Norman Lamb
Public Health England has commissioned the Institute of Health Equity to undertake a rapid review of the evidence around social isolation across the lifecourse. A publication, aimed at NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups and local authorities, will describe who is at risk of social isolation, at what stage of life, what impact this has on health inequalities and what works to reduce social isolation in the groups identified.
The Department considered a number of data sources that could provide data for a population-based measure of loneliness. The Department has not found a measure that would provide local authorities with sufficient information for action. The Department remains interested in exploring how the issue can be measured in the general population in a way that will support local authorities, and will retain the existing measure of social isolation in both the Public Health Outcomes Framework and the Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework.
Asked by: Annette Brooke (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department and NHS England are taking to ensure that local autism diagnostic pathways are improving outcomes for adults with autism locally.
Answered by Norman Lamb
The Department is currently seeking views on proposed new statutory guidance for local authorities and National Health Service organisations to support the implementation of Think Autism, the update to the 2010 adult autism strategy.
The consultation looks at issues including the identification and diagnosis of autism in adults, and the proposal that NHS England local audit teams should look at people’s experiences of the diagnostic process locally and assure themselves that this is acceptable. The consultation period began on 7 November and closes on 19 December 2014.
Responses are invited from a wide range of people and groups, including adults with autism, families and carers, health and social care organisations that plan, commission and provide services for autism and their families. The Department intends to issue the statutory guidance in February 2015.
Local authority areas will also report back on progress they are making on autism diagnosis and other issues in Public Health England’s forthcoming national autism self-assessment exercise on implementing the Adult Autism Strategy.
Asked by: Annette Brooke (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure professional awareness of diagnostic pathways will be prioritised among (a) health bodies and (b) local authorities in the statutory guidance on implementing the adult autism strategy.
Answered by Norman Lamb
The Department is currently seeking views on proposed new statutory guidance for local authorities and National Health Service organisations to support the implementation of Think Autism, the update to the 2010 adult autism strategy.
The consultation looks at issues including the identification and diagnosis of autism in adults, and the proposal that NHS England local audit teams should look at people’s experiences of the diagnostic process locally and assure themselves that this is acceptable. The consultation period began on 7 November and closes on 19 December 2014.
Responses are invited from a wide range of people and groups, including adults with autism, families and carers, health and social care organisations that plan, commission and provide services for autism and their families. The Department intends to issue the statutory guidance in February 2015.
Local authority areas will also report back on progress they are making on autism diagnosis and other issues in Public Health England’s forthcoming national autism self-assessment exercise on implementing the Adult Autism Strategy.
Asked by: Annette Brooke (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to publish the report on her Department's review of asbestos policy in schools.
Answered by David Laws
The Department is working with stakeholders, experts and the Health and Safety Executive to consider the latest evidence, and determine appropriate policy responses. We will provide an update on the management of asbestos in schools in the new year.
Asked by: Annette Brooke (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to enable the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child on a communications procedure.
Answered by Edward Timpson
The UK Government believes that strong and effective laws already exist in the UK under which individuals, including children, may seek enforceable remedies in the courts or tribunals if they feel that their rights have been breached. We do not therefore currently believe that ratification of the Optional Protocol is necessary. Nonetheless, the Government will continue to keep this under review.
Asked by: Annette Brooke (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 10 November 2014 to Question 213491, how many representations he has received on the future of the winter fuel allowance claimed by UK citizens living in mainland France on a UK state pension.
Answered by Steve Webb
The Government intends to bring in an eligibility criterion derived from average winter temperatures, with payments going only to eligible people living in EEA countries with cold climates. The regulations establishing Winter Fuel Payments for 2015/16 will include the new eligibility condition. These regulations are made annually under the Social Security Contributions & Benefits Act 1992, and those for winter 2015/16 will be made in the current Parliament.
Since 1 June 2014, we have received two Parliamentary Questions, twenty one items of Ministerial or official correspondence and four Freedom of Information requests relating to the future of Winter Fuel Payments in France. Following the European Court ruling in the Stewart case, Winter Fuel Payments are made to those with a “genuine and sufficient link” to the UK, rather than – as previously – being restricted to those who had previously received a Payment in the UK.
Asked by: Annette Brooke (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 10 November 2014 to Question 213491, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals on amending the eligibility criterion derived from average winter temperatures.
Answered by Steve Webb
The Government intends to bring in an eligibility criterion derived from average winter temperatures, with payments going only to eligible people living in EEA countries with cold climates. The regulations establishing Winter Fuel Payments for 2015/16 will include the new eligibility condition. These regulations are made annually under the Social Security Contributions & Benefits Act 1992, and those for winter 2015/16 will be made in the current Parliament.
Since 1 June 2014, we have received two Parliamentary Questions, twenty one items of Ministerial or official correspondence and four Freedom of Information requests relating to the future of Winter Fuel Payments in France. Following the European Court ruling in the Stewart case, Winter Fuel Payments are made to those with a “genuine and sufficient link” to the UK, rather than – as previously – being restricted to those who had previously received a Payment in the UK.