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 relating to covid-19 vaccines where causation has been established and where (a) the 60% disablement threshold has been met, (b) that threshold has not been met, have arisen as a result of (i) Vaccine-induced thrombocytopenia and thrombosis, (ii) Guillain-Barré syndrome and (iii) any other condition.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
As of 31 January 2024, of the 163 COVID-19 related applications to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme that have received an award, 69 cases were related to cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, 49 were related to Guillain-Barré syndrome and 45 cases were related to other medical conditions.
Of the 300 cases where causation was accepted but the individual did not meet the 60% threshold, 50 cases were related to cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, 63 were related to Guillain-Barré syndrome and 187 cases were related to other medical conditions.
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 relating to covid-19 vaccinations have been (a) received, (b) successful, (c) unsuccessful due to a failure to meet the 60% disability threshold, (d) rejected and (e) are still awaiting resolution.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
As of 31 January 2024, the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) has received 9172 COVID-19 related claims. Within these claims, 163 have received an award and 4421 have been rejected. Of these rejected claims: 300 claims were rejected for not meeting the 60% disability threshold; 339 claims were found invalid, either outside the scope of the VDPS or a duplicate claim; and 4249 claims are awaiting resolution.
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 and what proportion of the claimants to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme for disability caused by the Covid-19 vaccinations received their first vaccine in (a) January to March 2021, (b) April to June 2021 and (c) July to September 2021.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
As of 5 January 2024, of the 8778 COVID-19 related applications to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme, 4658 applications or 53.06% related to a first vaccination received between January and March 2021; 2028 applications or 23.10% related to a first vaccination received between April and June 2021; and 516 applications or 5.88% related to a first vaccination received between July and September 2021.
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 (a) claims to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme for disability caused by the Covid-19 vaccines and (b) applications for mandatory reversals to such claims, have been outstanding for more than (i) 18 months, (ii) 12 months and (iii) six months.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
As of 5 January 2024, of the claims submitted to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme relating to COVID-19, 157 claims have been outstanding for more than 18 months; 341 claims have been outstanding for over 12 months and 1854 claims have been outstanding for over six months.
Of these claims, no mandatory reversals have been submitted that have been outstanding for over 18 months; 18 mandatory reversal applications have been outstanding for over 12 months, and 124 mandatory reversal applications have been outstanding for over six months.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the oral contribution in response to the question from the hon. Member for Ipswich of 6 December 2023, Official Report, column 373, when she plans to publish guidance on gender-questioning children.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
On 19 December 2023, the government published draft guidance for schools and colleges in England on gender questioning children. The consultation will remain open until 12 March 2024.
The draft guidance and the consultation document can be found here: https://consult.education.gov.uk/equalities-political-impartiality-anti-bullying-team/gender-questioning-children-proposed-guidance/.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when the full written reasons for the decision of the War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Chamber of 23 August 2023 will be made available following the request of 6 September 2023 by the respondent; and for what reason the award cannot be paid to the successful appellant.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The provision of a written statement of reasons, following an appeal decision, is the responsibility of the Judge, who is independent of Government. It would therefore be inappropriate for Ministers to comment on this matter. Payment of any award is a matter for the decision-making body, Veterans UK.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what data his Department holds on (a) the level of phosphorus in, (b) the nutrient budget calculation for phosphorus in, (c) the required reduction in phosphorus levels to meet water quality targets for and (d) the date by which that reduction must be achieved for the River Avon Special Area of Conservation; and what steps Natural England is taking to meet those targets.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) and Natural England (NE) gather monitoring data to track levels of phosphorus in the River Avon Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Phosphorus concentrations in the headwaters of the River Avon are typically around 0.1 mg/L, and in some reaches are even higher, declining to around 0.065 mg/L in the lower reaches.
The River Avon Nutrient Management Plan (NMP) sets out further evidence and supporting information on phosphorus levels in the river. This includes information on the reductions in phosphorus loads from different sources that would be required to achieve the SAC water quality targets, and the measures that must be in place in order for these reductions to be achieved.
The Environment Agency (EA) and Natural England (NE) have also been reviewing the reduction targets and measures against the updated ‘polluter pays’ fair share targets and will update the NMP as needed following this review. The latest information indicates the annual average nutrient load passing through the Avon (nutrient budget) for the SAC is around 55 tonnes Ortho-phosphorus a year. Reductions to meet the SAC target potentially equate to around 47% from all sources.
Subject to Ofwat approval and expected advice from Defra on the implementation of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023, necessary water company reductions are expected to be met over PR24 and PR29. The EA and NE will be looking for similar reductions from the agricultural sector over this time frame but details around this need to be finalised.
The EA and NE are working with a number of partners, stakeholders and landowners in the River Avon to ensure nutrient loads are managed and reduced effectively. This includes delivering advice schemes like Catchment Sensitive Farming to reduce diffuse pollution from agriculture, supporting innovative river restoration schemes that optimise phosphorus reduction, and providing sustainable development advice to developers. There will be further engagement with stakeholders as part of any NMP update.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what mitigation measures are available to developers of brownfield land who have been affected by the ban on phosphates in central Christchurch.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
There are currently two parties operating phosphate credit schemes in the River Avon catchment. These are available directly to local developers within Christchurch, which is now a part of the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council (BCP) area. Natural England continues to work closely and positively with the local authorities affected and suppliers of phosphate credits.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the target date is for the completion of works to upgrade the Stony Lane Wastewater Treatment plant in Christchurch; and whether the upgrade will require the removal of all phosphates.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has made clear that reducing phosphorus pollution must be a priority for the water industry through setting a legally binding target to reduce phosphorus pollution by 80% by 2038 against a 2020 baseline, with an interim target of a 50% reduction by 2028.
Christchurch sewage treatment works is operated by Wessex Water Services Limited. All water companies, including Wessex Water, are currently developing their business plans for the next water industry investment period, and agreeing these plans with the water industry regulators.
These plans, including all upgrades which will be undertaken as part of the Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP), will be made available to the public after Ofwat’s final determination in December 2024. Until then, the Government is not able to share specific information around which sewage treatment works are, or are not, included in the programme.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Environment Agency is taking to ensure that the Avon Valley path between Burton and Christchurch is maintained.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Maintenance of public rights of way, including decisions to divert or extinguish them, is a matter for the local authority.
The Environment Agency and Natural England are working with local landowners and South West Water to review future flood risks that may impact assets that cross the flood plain, including the stretch of the Avon Valley path between Burton and Christchurch.
Public access on rights of way and common land in floodplains is regularly affected by winter flooding events. The frequency and duration of such events appears to be changing as a result of climate change, and adapting towards natural flood management needs to consider and balance this alongside rights of public access, public safety as well as land use.