Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment of the probability of an increase in youth smoking rates of illegal tobacco products as a result of the implementation of a generational ban on tobacco sales.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Smoking is still the biggest killer. It claims approximately 80,000 lives a year and puts huge pressure on our National Health Service, and costs taxpayers billions. By creating the first smoke-free generation we are stopping people from ever starting smoking. Our published modelling shows that smoking rates in England for 14 to 30-year-olds could be close to 0% as early as 2050, from an estimated 11.2% in 2023.
Evidence shows that when we have introduced targeted tobacco control measures, they have had a positive impact on tackling the problems of illicit tobacco. Consumption of illicit cigarettes has gone from 15 billion cigarettes in 2000/2001 to 1.5 billion cigarettes in 2022/2023.
In 2007, the legal age of sale for tobacco products was raised from 16 to 18 years old, which helped reduce youth smoking rates in children aged 11 to 15 years old from 9% in 2005, to less than 1.1% in 2021. This age increase created 1.3 million more people who were no longer able to be sold cigarettes, and who in theory would be in the market for illicit cigarettes. However, in practice the number of illicit cigarettes consumed fell by 25%, from 10 billion in 2005/06 to 7.5 billion in 2007/08.
The Government is investing over £100 million over five years to boost HM Revenue and Customs and Border Force’s enforcement capability to tackle illicit tobacco, supporting their Illicit Tobacco Strategy. In 2025/26 we will invest £30 million of new funding in total for enforcement agencies, including Trading Standards.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether there is a maximum time within which applications for NHS Continuing Healthcare funding to NHS Dorset must be actioned; and whether redress is available to applicants whose applications have not been decided within 12 months.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Statutory guidance and assurance regimes are in place in respect of NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) so that people are assessed and receive care in a timely way. NHS CHC guidance sets the expectation that the overall assessment and eligibility decision-making process should, in most cases, not exceed 28 calendar days from when the integrated care board (ICB) receives a positive NHS CHC Checklist, or other notice of potential eligibility, to the eligibility decision being made. To support this, NHS England’s assurance standard requires ICBs to ensure that in more than 80% of referrals for standard NHS CHC, the eligibility decision should be made within 28 days of this notification.
An individual should not be left without appropriate support while they await the outcome of the NHS CHC assessment and decision-making process. Redress is not available to applicants whose applications have not been decided within twelve months. If, however, an individual is unhappy with how their application has been handled, they can make a complaint to the relevant ICB. If an individual remains dissatisfied with the ICB’s response, they can make a complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
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 probability of young people switching from vaping to smoking tobacco products as a result of the implementation of a generational ban on tobacco sales.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is very unlikely that young people will switch from vaping to smoking, as the generational ban on tobacco sales will make it illegal for children born on or after 1 January 2009 to ever legally be sold cigarettes or other tobacco products.
Our modelling shows that smoking rates in England for 14 to 30-year-olds could be close to 0% as early as 2050. More information on the modelling and impact from raising the legal age of sale for tobacco products can be seen in the published impact assessment, which is available at the following link:
Alongside the generational ban, we have announced strong measures through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to bring about definitive and positive change to stop future generations from becoming hooked on nicotine, whether that is through cigarettes, vapes, or other nicotine products.
The bill will stop vapes from being deliberately branded and advertised to children, by providing regulatory making powers to restrict flavours, packaging, and changing how and where they are displayed in shops.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make it her policy that local authorities issuing Blue Badges within her Department's guideline timescale of 12 weeks will be able to recover the full costs of delivering that service.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Blue Badge scheme is administered, funded and operated at local level by individual local authorities. There are no timescales set for administering applications other than a suggested guideline that issuing authorities should aim to complete end to end applications within 12 weeks.
In England local authorities are legally entitled to charge a fee of up to £10 for each badge issued which allows them to recover some of the costs involved in administering the scheme. The Department has no plans to amend legislation.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Prime Minister's speech entitled Keir Starmer's speech on fixing the foundations of our country: 27 August 2024, whether she plans to increase compensation for people impacted by the regulatory maladministration of Equitable Life.
Answered by Tulip Siddiq - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Equitable Life Payment Scheme has been fully wound down and closed since 2016 and there are no plans to reopen any decisions relating to the Payment Scheme or review the £1.5 billion funding allocation previously made to it. Further guidance on the status of the Payment Scheme after closure is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/equitable-life-payment-scheme#closure-of-the-scheme.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many claims to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme on Covid-19 vaccinations have been (a) received, (b) successful, (c) unsuccessful as a result of the claim not meeting the 60 per cent disability threshold, (d) rejected and (e) still awaiting resolution.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As of 22 November 2024, the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) has received 17,379 claims related to COVID-19 vaccinations. Of these, 194 claims have resulted in a payment being awarded, 9,196 have been rejected, 7,173 are awaiting resolution, and 816 were found to be invalid due to either being outside the scope of the VDPS or for being a duplicate claim. Of the 9,196 rejected claims, 416 were rejected for not meeting the 60% disability threshold.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether any of the vials of (a) Pfizer and (b) Moderna covid-19 vaccines supplied to patients in the United Kingdom contained (i) variable and (ii) excessive levels of residual plasmid DNA.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
All batches of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines released in the United Kingdom to date have passed their release specifications for DNA levels. The specifications are set in line with their respective controlled manufacturing process and in accordance with, for example, World Health Organization guidance on the quality, safety, and efficacy of vaccines. No batches that have excessive levels of residual DNA have been released.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 20 November 2024 to Question 14442 on Access to Work Programme, what measurements her Department takes of the time scales for processing applications to monitor whether targets are being met.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions uses internal management information on finalised applications to oversee performance against our aspiration to process applications in 25 days.
The Access to Work scheme continues to be in high demand, and we are considering options for how to improve waiting times for customers.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications for Access to Work assessments have been outstanding for more than two months; what steps she is taking to reduce waiting times for such applications; and if she will make it her policy to prioritise applications from people who are about to start a job.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We are unable to provide information with regards to the number of applications for Access to Work which have been outstanding for more than two months because this information is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate costs.
With regards to what steps we have taken to reduce waiting times, we have streamlined delivery practices and have increased the number of staff processing claims. We also prioritise customers starting a job within four weeks. We have taken steps to modernise Access to Work to improve the customer experience. From April 2024, all core parts of the Scheme have been fully digital, with customers able to apply and make payment requests online.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support is available from the NHS for people requiring neurological rehabilitation following a covid-19 vaccination.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In the very rare event where an individual may have suffered a severe adverse reaction to a COVID-19 vaccine, care and support will be best met and managed by local National Health Service specialist services, augmented as appropriate by national specialist advice. Individuals would be treated and managed through existing healthcare services, for example by seeing their general practitioner, who may refer them to a relevant specialist if necessary.