Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made an assessment of the potential (a) risks and (b) benefits to (i) patients and (ii) caregivers of the use of a predetermined price range for categories of technologies in the new late-stage assessment process adopted by NICE.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) interim methods and processes for late-stage assessment have been subject to a public consultation between 29 February and 28 March 2024. The consultation allowed stakeholders from across the sector, including medical equipment suppliers, patients, and caregivers, to comment on these interim methods and processes. This included the proposed use of predetermined price ranges for categories of technologies. The Department and the NICE are unable to comment on the results of the consultation at this stage, as the NICE is currently considering the responses. Further information will be made available upon the completion of this process.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has received representations of concern from (a) patient safety groups and (b) medical equipment suppliers on the interim methods and processes statement for late-stage assessments published by NICE.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) interim methods and processes for late-stage assessment have been subject to a public consultation between 29 February and 28 March 2024. The consultation allowed stakeholders from across the sector, including medical equipment suppliers, patients, and caregivers, to comment on these interim methods and processes. This included the proposed use of predetermined price ranges for categories of technologies. The Department and the NICE are unable to comment on the results of the consultation at this stage, as the NICE is currently considering the responses. Further information will be made available upon the completion of this process.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has had discussions with NICE on the development of the interim methods and processes statement for late-stage assessment.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) consulted the Department on the interim methods and processes statement. As stated in paragraph 4.1 of the interim methods and processes, the NICE worked in collaboration with the Department to determine the eight planned assessment topics.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions his Department has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on a respiratory syncytial virus vaccination programme.
Answered by Laura Trott - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Ministers and officials across government meet regularly to discuss a wide range of issues, including routine and new vaccination programmes. If any RSV programmes are agreed to, they will be announced to the public and health professionals in due course.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to paragraph 61 of the National Planning Policy Framework, what discussions he has had with the Planning Inspectorate on their interpretation of the word advisory.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
When developing new planning policy the department engages with a range of stakeholders including the Planning Inspectorate.
The Government response to the consultation, published alongside the revised Framework, can be found at gov.uk. This sets out in detail the changes made to national policy following the consultation, and the reasons why those changes were made. In addition, the Government response set out that we intend to revise supporting guidance to provide further clarity on the changes to the Framework. The scope and timescales for those changes will be confirmed in due course.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had discussions with (a) the Environment Agency and (b) local authorities on the effectiveness of mechanisms to enforce the responsibilities of riparian owners for the maintenance of river banks.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Ministers regularly meet with the Environment Agency and other stakeholders to discuss flood and water management matters.
Riparian landowners, those whose land adjoins a watercourse, are required under common law to maintain watercourses, including the removal of debris and blockages, which could cause an obstruction to the flow of water on their land, or downstream if washed away, as well as maintenance of the bed and banks, and any trees or shrubs growing on the banks. Where a stream or culvert becomes silted up, choked with weeds, or the flow of water has been obstructed causing flood risk to others, the Environment Agency and local authorities have statutory powers to require the relevant person to maintain the flow of the watercourse. The Environment Agency has published guidance on owning a watercourse on GOV.UK. By April 2024, new engagement guidance will be published to help Risk Management Authorities, Environment Agency staff, and landowners have more effective conversations on this matter.
The Government’s Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM) Policy Statement sets out what we expect from those responsible for all assets and watercourses – including risk management authorities, other public and community organisations, the private sector and riparian owners – to invest in ongoing maintenance and ensure timely repairs where necessary.
Defra has commissioned an independent review of statutory powers and responsibilities associated with FCERM assets across all flood risks and coastal erosion. The review started work in 2021 and is expected to report this spring. This will review whether current mechanisms and legal powers are clear and effective and relevant expertise is shared; this includes the non-statutory powers and responsibilities of riparian landowners and asset owners. The review team is working closely with key stakeholders to ensure that it considers good practice and practitioner concerns, within the sector. Defra will consider its findings after publication.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason people born after 1 January 1983 are required to provide a valid passport when giving notice of marriage.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Every person who gives notice to marry or to form a civil partnership in England and Wales must provide evidence of their given name, surname, date of birth, and nationality. A valid passport or another specified document can be used as evidence of nationality.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
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 Answer of 4 October 2022 to Question 46153 on Parrots: Non-native Species, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of ring-necked parakeets on other native wildlife.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
An assessment carried out in 2021 concluded there was sufficient evidence to warrant the inclusion of ring-necked parakeet as a target species on the General Licence to kill or take wild birds for conservation purposes.
A prior risk assessment for ring-necked parakeets was published by the GB Non-Native Species Secretariat in March 2011 (See risk assessment here: RA_Psittacula_krameri_(Ring-necked_Parakeet) (nonnativespecies.org)). The conclusion of this assessment was that this species posed a medium risk (with low uncertainty), with the potential to negatively impact populations of cavity nesting birds.
These risk assessments may be updated when substantive new scientific evidence is made available that could alter the outcome of the risk assessment. The assessment has already concluded that this species poses a conservation threat. Defra is not aware that there is new evidence currently that would alter the conclusion of the risk assessment. Therefore, there are no immediate plans for a re-assessment of ring-necked parakeets.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2024 to Question 19192 on Tax Avoidance, whether it is his Department's policy to cease recovery of any liabilities incurred before December 2010 in cases where a taxpayer has not received an update for a period of 12 months or more from the initial date of an open enquiry or assessment.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
In the 2019 Independent Loan Charge Review, Lord Morse recommended that the Loan Charge should only apply to loans made on or after 9 December 2010. The Government accepted this recommendation.
Lord Morse was also clear that, for years before this date, where there is an open enquiry or assessment under appeal, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) should still have the ability to pursue the tax due under the existing rules. HMRC has proceeded on this basis and it is its policy to collect tax where it has the ability to do so.
As part of its overall compliance processes and its commitment to update taxpayers at least annually, all of these taxpayers should have received correspondence from HMRC in the last 12 months.
When HMRC opens an enquiry, the information sheet provided includes information about a taxpayer’s right to apply to the First Tier Tribunal for the enquiry to be closed. One of the grounds for making such an application is where there has been an excessive delay during which a taxpayer has not received any communication from HMRC.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information her Department holds on the average distance that medical students allocated a placement under the UK Foundation Programme travel from their medical school to their allocated placement; and what the (a) shortest and (b) longest distance is for those students allocated a placement in 2024.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The information requested is not held by the Department.