Asked by: Chris Ward (Labour - Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the World Health Organization's Air Quality Guidelines, whether his Department plans to introduce a Clean Air Bill.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Last year, the Government launched a rapid review of the Environmental Improvement Plan, to revise our plan for significantly improving the environment, including for air quality. We plan to develop a new, statutory plan to protect and restore our natural environment with delivery information to help meet each of our ambitious Environment Act targets.
We are considering the World Health Organization's guidelines as part of an evidence-led process for considering future targets, however we are clear that these guidelines are not ready-made targets for direct adoption as they do not consider achievability or individual countries’ circumstances.
The Government does not currently have plans for a new Clean Air Act and is instead focusing on developing a series of interventions to ensure everyone’s exposure to air pollution is reduced.
Asked by: Chris Ward (Labour - Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support community pharmacists.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises that pharmacies are an integral part of the fabric of our communities, as an easily accessible ‘front door’ to the National Health Service, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals.
The Government is committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. That includes making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists. To support contractors in delivering a quality NHS service, NHS England is providing fully funded national training opportunities.
We are working at pace with Community Pharmacy England to ensure that the funding we have available is used to support community pharmacy in the best way possible. We will announce the outcome in the normal manner, by letter to contractors, when the consultation has concluded.
Asked by: Chris Ward (Labour - Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of making food and nutrition assessments a statutory requirement in discharge care plans for patients leaving hospital.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Clinicians decide when a patient is medically ready for discharge, based on a set of criteria. The Hospital discharge and community support guidance sets out that multidisciplinary teams working across health and social care should plan and include information about post-discharge care and should ensure that general practice and other primary care providers are linked into all discharge planning. The Hospital discharge and community support guidance is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hospital-discharge-and-community-support-guidance
Diagnosis and detection are key, and health staff are trained to spot the early warning signs of malnutrition so effective individual treatment can be put in place. Tools and guidance are available through a range of organisations for health and social care professionals to identify and treat malnutrition and access appropriate training.
All National Health Services are recommended to adhere to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) clinical guideline, Nutrition support for adults: oral nutrition support, enteral tube feeding and parenteral nutrition, code CG32, which is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg32
This sets out the recommendations, based on the best available evidence, for the organisation, screening, and delivery of nutritional support in hospitals and the community. This includes screening for malnutrition and risk of malnutrition. The NICE guidelines recommend that all hospital inpatients on admission and all outpatients at their first clinic appointment should be screened for malnutrition. Screening should be repeated weekly for inpatients and when there is clinical concern for outpatients. People in care homes should be screened on admission and when there is clinical concern.
NHS England’s Nursing Directorate is leading on a review and refresh of the National Nutrition and Hydration guidance, which builds on the NHS England’s previous Commissioning Excellent Nutrition and Hydration guidance 2015-2018, which is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/nut-hyd-guid.pdf
Asked by: Chris Ward (Labour - Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing Clean Air Zones in cities across England.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The evidence shows that Clean Air Zones are effective in reducing air pollution and Defra publish ‘Evaluation of Local NO2 Plans’ annual reports which cover this in detail. Other measures can also be effective, and Local authorities are best placed to determine the best route for reducing nitrogen dioxide in their cities. The Government is committed to working with them as they deliver legally binding obligations to improve the air we breathe. There are no plans to extend clean air zones to other cities.
Asked by: Chris Ward (Labour - Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data her Department holds on vehicle emissions in (a) Brighton and (b) other cities in England.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport does not hold this information.
Asked by: Chris Ward (Labour - Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help bring peace and stability to the Democratic Republic of Congo; and what steps he is taking to help ensure the conflict doesn't spread to other countries.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary met with President Tshisekedi in Kinshasa and President Kagame in Kigali on 21 and 22 February, where he was clear that there can be no military solution to the conflict. There must be an immediate cessation of hostilities.
The Foreign Secretary urged both leaders to engage meaningfully with African led peace processes to find a lasting political solution and avoid regional escalation. The UK will continue to discuss with partners, including in the region, what more it can do to support these efforts.
On 25 February the Foreign Secretary announced a package of measures which aim to bring about a ceasefire, avoid regional escalation and bring Rwanda back to the negotiating table.
Asked by: Chris Ward (Labour - Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the impact of dementia training for adult social care staff on improving quality of life for (a) individuals with dementia and (b) their families.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are committed to a professional, well supported social care workforce. Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, providers must provide enough suitably qualified, competent, skilled, and experienced staff to meet the needs of the people using the service. Staff must receive the support, training, professional development, supervision, and appraisals that are necessary for them to carry out their role.
The required training needs are set out in the Dementia Training Standards Framework, which was commissioned and funded by the Department and developed in collaboration with the sector. It sets out the essential knowledge and skills and expected learning outcomes applicable across the health and care spectrum.
We now have a national career framework for adult social care, the Care Workforce Pathway, which is linked to several existing competency frameworks, including the dementia training standards framework.
The Department has also launched a new Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate qualification which links to the outcomes in the Care Workforce Pathway. This contains the baseline knowledge required to provide quality care and will make sure that those who are starting out their careers have an informed awareness of dementia.
The Department delivers dementia research via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR has invested £6 million in two Dementia & Neurodegeneration Policy Research Units to increase evidence and inform policymaking in the Department and its health system partners. One of the units is undertaking a project which seeks to gather current evidence on how dementia training is best delivered to social care workers and explore stakeholder views on how this evidence could inform future policies and practice.
Asked by: Chris Ward (Labour - Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the cost to the NHS of providing treatment for malnutrition to people over 65-years old in Sussex in the last (a) 12 months and (b) five years.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In the United Kingdom, the primary causes of malnutrition are clinical, rather than it solely being caused by poor or inadequate dietary intake. Most cases of clinical malnutrition will be secondary to another health condition which may impact on nutritional needs or impact on a person’s ability to eat and drink, rather than it solely being caused by poor or inadequate dietary intake. The term malnutrition is sometimes incorrectly used to refer to a poor diet or the low status of one or more nutrients, and although this may put someone at increased risk of malnutrition, this would not necessarily meet the criteria for a clinical diagnosis of malnutrition.
Although malnutrition prevalence data specific to Sussex is not available, population prevalence estimates that 5% of the adult population may have malnutrition, with a higher proportion of these amongst those who are admitted to hospital. Approximately one in three patients admitted to hospital or who are in care homes are malnourished or at risk of becoming so. The cost of malnutrition in England is estimated to be £19.6 billion per year.
Poverty across all age groups is associated with the increased likelihood of household level food insecurity. The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs’ UK Food Security Report 2024 found that 90% of UK households were food secure in the financial year ending 2023, and according to the report, food security tends to improve with age. While the report does not address the food security of pensioners as a distinct group, it provides insights into how food security varies with age, income, and disability status. In the financial year ending 2023, households headed by individuals aged 75 to 84 years old and 85 years old and over had the highest levels of food security, at 98% for both age groups. This suggests that, on average, pensioners may experience lower rates of food insecurity than the general population. Further information on the UK Food Security Report 2024 is available at the following link:
Asked by: Chris Ward (Labour - Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of food poverty on trends in the level of malnutrition in over 65-year-olds in Sussex in the last (a) 12 months and (b) five years.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In the United Kingdom, the primary causes of malnutrition are clinical, rather than it solely being caused by poor or inadequate dietary intake. Most cases of clinical malnutrition will be secondary to another health condition which may impact on nutritional needs or impact on a person’s ability to eat and drink, rather than it solely being caused by poor or inadequate dietary intake. The term malnutrition is sometimes incorrectly used to refer to a poor diet or the low status of one or more nutrients, and although this may put someone at increased risk of malnutrition, this would not necessarily meet the criteria for a clinical diagnosis of malnutrition.
Although malnutrition prevalence data specific to Sussex is not available, population prevalence estimates that 5% of the adult population may have malnutrition, with a higher proportion of these amongst those who are admitted to hospital. Approximately one in three patients admitted to hospital or who are in care homes are malnourished or at risk of becoming so. The cost of malnutrition in England is estimated to be £19.6 billion per year.
Poverty across all age groups is associated with the increased likelihood of household level food insecurity. The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs’ UK Food Security Report 2024 found that 90% of UK households were food secure in the financial year ending 2023, and according to the report, food security tends to improve with age. While the report does not address the food security of pensioners as a distinct group, it provides insights into how food security varies with age, income, and disability status. In the financial year ending 2023, households headed by individuals aged 75 to 84 years old and 85 years old and over had the highest levels of food security, at 98% for both age groups. This suggests that, on average, pensioners may experience lower rates of food insecurity than the general population. Further information on the UK Food Security Report 2024 is available at the following link:
Asked by: Chris Ward (Labour - Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number and proportion of people aged over-65 who are malnourished in Sussex in the last (a) 12 months and (b) five years.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In the United Kingdom, the primary causes of malnutrition are clinical, rather than it solely being caused by poor or inadequate dietary intake. Most cases of clinical malnutrition will be secondary to another health condition which may impact on nutritional needs or impact on a person’s ability to eat and drink, rather than it solely being caused by poor or inadequate dietary intake. The term malnutrition is sometimes incorrectly used to refer to a poor diet or the low status of one or more nutrients, and although this may put someone at increased risk of malnutrition, this would not necessarily meet the criteria for a clinical diagnosis of malnutrition.
Although malnutrition prevalence data specific to Sussex is not available, population prevalence estimates that 5% of the adult population may have malnutrition, with a higher proportion of these amongst those who are admitted to hospital. Approximately one in three patients admitted to hospital or who are in care homes are malnourished or at risk of becoming so. The cost of malnutrition in England is estimated to be £19.6 billion per year.
Poverty across all age groups is associated with the increased likelihood of household level food insecurity. The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs’ UK Food Security Report 2024 found that 90% of UK households were food secure in the financial year ending 2023, and according to the report, food security tends to improve with age. While the report does not address the food security of pensioners as a distinct group, it provides insights into how food security varies with age, income, and disability status. In the financial year ending 2023, households headed by individuals aged 75 to 84 years old and 85 years old and over had the highest levels of food security, at 98% for both age groups. This suggests that, on average, pensioners may experience lower rates of food insecurity than the general population. Further information on the UK Food Security Report 2024 is available at the following link: