Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to require local authorities to disregard compensation offered to wounded (a) service people and (b) veterans under the (i) War Pensions and (ii) Armed Forces Compensation scheme as income from (A) Housing Benefit, (B) Council Tax Support, (C) Discretionary Housing Payments and (D) Disabled Facilities Grants.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Housing Benefit regulations permit local authorities to disregard beyond the standard disregard of £10 a week for the whole or part of any War Pensions and guaranteed income payments under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.
Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) can be paid to those who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs. Local authorities (LAs) administer the scheme as they are best placed to make informed judgements about relative priorities and needs in their area to ensure that the most vulnerable are supported and the funds are targeted effectively. There are no prescribed resource tests and payments are entirely at LA discretion. LAs simply have to be satisfied that the person concerned is in receipt of housing support (through HB or housing element of UC) and needs further financial assistance towards housing costs.
This Department is not responsible for the policies concerning Council Tax Support and Disabled Facilities Grants.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that (a) serving members of the Armed Forces and (b)veterans in receipt of compensation for a service-related injury are not disadvantaged compared to their civilian counterparts in the receipt of welfare benefits.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department takes its responsibilities under the Armed Forces Covenant very seriously. It has an Armed Forces Advocate in place at Director level who is responsible for ensuring that members of the armed forces community do not suffer any disadvantage as a result of service. This covers both the development of policy and the way the department delivers its services. The advocate is supported by officials who provide expert advice to policy makers and others on the application of the covenant.
DWP has a range of special provisions in place to take account of the particular needs and circumstances of the armed forces community, ranging from delivering the Armed Forces Independence Payment to providing for special National Insurance Credits for spouses.
Some armed forces compensation payments also receive special treatment compared to similar payments and replies to the hon. Member’s other questions set this out in more detail.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department has taken to incorporate the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant into welfare and benefits policy making.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department takes its responsibilities under the Armed Forces Covenant very seriously. It has an Armed Forces Advocate in place at Director level who is responsible for ensuring that members of the armed forces community do not suffer any disadvantage as a result of service. This covers both the development of policy and the way the department delivers its services. The advocate is supported by officials who provide expert advice to policy makers and others on the application of the covenant.
DWP has a range of special provisions in place to take account of the particular needs and circumstances of the armed forces community, ranging from delivering the Armed Forces Independence Payment to providing for special National Insurance Credits for spouses.
Some armed forces compensation payments also receive special treatment compared to similar payments and replies to the hon. Member’s other questions set this out in more detail.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which trusts have been identified by Getting It Right First Time as part of its Further Faster pilot to deliver rapid clinical transformation for patients with (a) Crohn's disease and (b) ulcerative colitis.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Further, Faster pilots aim to accelerate service transformation across a range of specialities. Within gastroenterology, the pilots are driving forward interventions such as the introduction of Patient Initiated Follow Up, which can be beneficial for patients with chronic conditions like inflammatory bowel disease.
The following trusts are participating in the pilots as part of Cohort 1:
- Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust;
- Barts Health NHS Trust;
- Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust;
- George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust;
- Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust;
- Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust;
- Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust;
- Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust;
- Medway NHS Foundation Trust;
- Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;
- Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust;
- Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust;
- Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust;
- Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust;
- Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust;
- South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust;
- The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust;
- The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust;
- Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust;
- United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust;
- University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust;
- University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust;
- Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust; and
- Wye Valley NHS Trust.
The following trusts are participating in the pilots as part of Cohort 2:
- Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;
- East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust;
- East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust;
- Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;
- Isle of Wight NHS Trust;
- James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;
- Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;
- Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust;
- Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust;
- Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust;
- Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust;
- Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust;
- Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;
- Stockport NHS Foundation Trust;
- The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;
- University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust;
- University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust;
- University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust;
- University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust;
- University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust;
- Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;
- Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust;
- Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust; and
- York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to tackle shortages in the supply of ADHD medicines.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are aware of disruptions to the supply of medicines used for the management of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), primarily driven by issues which have resulted in capacity constraints at key manufacturing sites. We understand how frustrating and distressing medicine shortages can be and we want to assure patients that we are working with the respective manufacturers to resolve the issues as soon as possible and to ensure patients have continuous access to ADHD medicines in the United Kingdom, in the short and long term.
We have issued communications to the National Health Service to advise healthcare professionals on management of patients whilst there continue to be disruptions to supplies. Patients are advised to speak to their clinician regarding any concerns they have and to discuss the suitability of treatment with alternative medicines.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will take legislative steps to ratify the Global Ocean Treaty.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK was pleased to be among the first signatories to the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement when it opened for signature at the UN on 20 September 2023 and the Agreement was laid before Parliament for scrutiny on 16 October 2023. Work is in hand on the legislation and other measures needed to translate the detailed and complex provisions of the Agreement into UK law before we can ratify the Agreement, which will be taken forward when parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department plans to publish a report following a review of the regulatory provision contained in regulations 3 to 16 of the Merchant Shipping (Work in Fishing Convention)(Medical Certification) Regulations 2018.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency have conducted a survey on the Merchant Shipping (Work in Fishing Convention) (Medical Certification) Regulations 2018, the results are being analysed and the report is due to be published in Spring 2024.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the APPG on Brain Tumours Inquiry Report entitled Pathway to A Cure, whether his Department plans to work with the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency to encourage the inclusion of brain tumour patients in early phase cancer trials.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care welcomes the All-Party Parliamentary Group report, recommendations of which continue to be worked through with the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, and UK Research and Innovation and the Medical Research Council.
A series of new measures are to be introduced by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency with support from partners to make it faster and easier to gain approval and to run clinical trials in the United Kingdom. As part of this, comprehensive new guidance, co-designed with various stakeholder groups, will be introduced to accompany the new legislative measures. This will ensure that UK clinical trials work in partnership with patients and the public and are representative of the diversity of people who may benefit from a medicine if the data generated ultimately lead to regulatory approval. The guidance will outline how to include patients meaningfully into the design and conduct of trials, and how to achieve diversity in trials in a way that is proportionate and achieves the best results.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to provide university researchers with access to designated officials across government.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Most departments have a Chief Scientific Adviser responsible for delivering high-quality science advice. They directly advise ministers and colleagues and oversee mechanisms to ensure departments take account of, and commission, scientific and engineering evidence, including through Science Advisory Councils.
Government Office for Science (GOS) works with departments on Areas of Research Interest (ARIs) to improve access to academic advice in policy making. In September 2023 GOS, published a database of departmental ARIs, which includes contact information to enable researchers to engage with policy. GOS also work with learned societies and university policy teams to improve links between government and academia.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the eligibility threshold for means-tested free school meals for Universal Credit recipients in line with (a) inflation and (b) national living wage increases.
Answered by Robert Halfon
Over 2 million pupils are currently eligible for benefits based free school meals (FSM). Close to 1.3 million additional infants receive free and nutritious meals under the Universal Infant Free School Meal (UIFSM) policy.
The department believes that the current eligibility threshold level, which enables pupils in low income households to benefit from FSM while remaining affordable and deliverable for schools, is the right one. The department does not have plans to change the current eligibility conditions for FSM. The department continues to keep eligibility under review to ensure that these meals are supporting those who most need them. The department also continues to monitor the consequences of the rising cost of living and is working with other government departments to provide support to disadvantaged families.