Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the answer of 1 December to Question 94595, how many current Access to Work applications which have been allocated for an assessment are there for people identified as living with a (a) form of arthritis and (b) a musculoskeletal condition.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department does not hold data on the number of Access to Work applications allocated for assessment for people identified as living with (a) a form of arthritis or (b) a musculoskeletal condition. While the health condition is recorded on the customer’s record to ensure appropriate support is awarded this information is not collated for reporting purposes. Determining these figures would require a manual review of individual applications, which would incur a disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on the number of children living with DIPG each year; and what resources has the Government allocated to research into the causes of and treatment of DIPG.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is committed to furthering investment in research into the causes and treatment of brain tumours. Between 2018/19 and 2023/24, the Department’s research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), invested £11.8 million, and United Kingdom Research and Innovation invested £46.8 million in this area.
In September 2024, the NIHR launched a package of support to deliver a step-change in brain cancer research through:
The Department does not hold specific data on the number of children living with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) each year. The National Disease Registration Service (NDRS) collects diagnosis, treatment and outcome data on cancer patients in England. The most recent published data on registrations of cancer including cancer incidence and mortality in the Accredited Official Statistics on Cancer Registrations covering 2023 is available at the following link:
https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/cancer-registration-statistics
DIPG is not currently one of the cancer groups routinely published against, however work will be undertaken by the NDRS to understand whether there are any improvements needed in registration to accurately identify DIPG moving forwards.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact on aid delivery of Israel's announcement that it will bar 37 humanitarian organisations from delivering aid in Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement I made to the House on 5 January.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to increase the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement I made to the House on 5 January.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what action the Government is taking following Israel's announcement that it will bar 37 humanitarian organisations from delivering aid in Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement I made to the House on 5 January.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of healthcare provision in prisons; and what steps he is taking to ensure that prisoners have timely access to appropriate medical treatment.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England commissions prison health care services into every prison in England. Every prison has onsite health care services including, primary care, mental health, dentistry, and substance misuse teams. This includes the care and management of those with long term conditions such as diabetes. All prisons offer a range of appointments to meet the needs of patients, and this includes routine appointments and urgent appointments.
NHS England commissions health care in prison that is the equivalence of community health care. The National Service Specification for primary care defines what this means for patients who require support. Access to health provision is available to every person in prison at any stage of their sentence, and this begins at the point of entry. NHS England also commissions health needs assessments across prisons to determine the needs and requirements of the prison population.
NHS England is reviewing the National Primary Care Service Specification to ensure it continues to meet the needs of the prison population.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of healthcare provision in prisons for inmates with diabetes; and what steps he is taking to ensure that diabetic prisoners have timely access to appropriate medical treatment.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England commissions prison health care services into every prison in England. Every prison has onsite health care services including, primary care, mental health, dentistry, and substance misuse teams. This includes the care and management of those with long term conditions such as diabetes. All prisons offer a range of appointments to meet the needs of patients, and this includes routine appointments and urgent appointments.
NHS England commissions health care in prison that is the equivalence of community health care. The National Service Specification for primary care defines what this means for patients who require support. Access to health provision is available to every person in prison at any stage of their sentence, and this begins at the point of entry. NHS England also commissions health needs assessments across prisons to determine the needs and requirements of the prison population.
NHS England is reviewing the National Primary Care Service Specification to ensure it continues to meet the needs of the prison population.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will set out the process by which appointments of the Chair and non-executive directors of the Port of London Authority are made.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Under Port of London Authority legislation, the Secretary of State for Transport appoints the Chair and one to three non‑executive directors, typically for terms of up to three years, with reappointment possible subject to performance and need.
Appointments follow the Governance Code on Public Appointments https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/governance-code-for-public-appointments through an open, fair, and transparent process managed by the Department for Transport (DfT). Vacancies are advertised on the Cabinet Office Public Appointments website with a timetable, role description, and person specification. Candidates apply via the portal and are assessed by a panel against published criteria. The panel recommends to Ministers who make the final decision. This process ensures merit-based appointments, and compliance with Ports Good Governance Guidance https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/good-governance-guidance-for-ports .
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with NHS Trusts and clinical directors on ensuring surgical trainees have adequate access to operating theatres.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has held no discussions with National Health Service trusts and clinical directors on surgical trainees’ access to operating theatres.
It is the responsibility of individual employers to ensure their staff have appropriate access to ongoing training and professional development to provide safe and effective care.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment his Department has made of the readiness of the replacement digital service for the new Jobs and Careers Service.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department is working to ensure the new Jobs and Careers Service is delivered on schedule. The Department continues to engage with stakeholders and will communicate changes in a timely manner.