Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will hold discussions with her counterpart in the Scottish Government on compelling the removal of derelict small boats in Scottish harbours.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
While DFT keeps in regular contact with our counterparts in Transport Scotland, Ports policy is devolved and any issues regarding Scottish ports and harbours would be for colleagues at Transport Scotland and the relevant Scottish minister to oversee.
DfT has not been made aware that there is a substantial issue around derelict small boats in Scottish harbours, either by Scottish authorities during our regular engagement or members of the public. The department would of course welcome a meeting with the relevant Scottish authorities if they felt there was a need to do so.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the number of fraudulent claims there were for the Personal Independence Payment in each (a) nation and (b) region in each of the last five years.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
We publish annual estimates of fraud and error levels in the benefit system in Great Britain, however as these figures are produced using sample data, they are not available below the national level.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2025 to Question 21725 on Ukraine: Humanitarian Aid, when he plans to make a decision on future funding for MOAS frontline medical evacuation services in Ukraine.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
We have engaged with Defence staff in Kyiv and the Ukrainian Embassy in London and it does not appear that this is a prioritised and supported request from the Ukrainian Government. While we recognise the important work the charity undertakes in-country we are unable to meet MOAS' request.
I regret the disappointment this will cause for the charity and the staff in Ukraine and recognise the impact this will have on MOAS' ability to continue to provide this capability. However, we must be led by the needs of the Ukrainian Government and ensure that UK taxpayers' money is appropriately allocated where Ukraine deems the need is greatest.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support her Department provides to its employees that are kinship carers.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The potential support the Department for Work and Pensions provides to its employees that are kinship carers are, according to each person’s needs, a combination of flexi hours, flexible working patterns, special leave, adjusted duties and a carers’ passport to ensure that effective support can be transported when employees change jobs within DWP. Our employee assistance programme also offers wider support, which includes employee counselling, critical incident and bereavement support and legal/finance advice and signposting.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when her Department last reviewed its policy on supporting its employees that are kinship carers.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
DWP reviews the support it gives to carers in its workforce, including kinship carers, on an ongoing basis across a range of relevant HR policies. DWP last reviewed its policy on supporting its employees that are kinship carers, specifically in respect of time off work, in March 2024.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding the Government has provided for endometriosis research in each of the last five years; and what proportion of Government-funded medicinal research that accounts for.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The following table shows how much funding the NIHR has awarded for endometriosis research, as well as that spend as a percentage of total urogynaecology research spend, for each year from 2019/20 to 2023/24:
Financial year | Spend | Proportion of total urogynaecology spend |
2019/20 | £493,945 | 8.9% |
2020/21 | £554,151 | 10.5% |
2021/22 | £973,089 | 16.8% |
2022/23 | £1,360,614 | 24.9% |
2023/24 | £1,325,329 | 21.9% |
This information reflects in-year payments to 10 research awards that were active during this time period. It does not reflect the total award value. The total award value for these awards, across their full duration, is £7,714,953.
In addition, between 2019/20 and 2023/24, there were 18 awards with relevance to endometriosis active on UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) portfolio. These awards had a total value of £8.43 million. The following table shows the in-year expenditure for this research, for each year from 2019/20 to 2023/24:
Financial year | In year spend | Percentage of spend versus UKRI research base outturn |
2019/20 | £585,662 | <1% |
2020/21 | £683,812 | <1% |
2021/22 | £1,017,417 | <1% |
2022/23 | £1,264,127 | <1% |
2023/24 | £1,589,230 | <1% |
The remaining spend is slated for future financial years.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department provided evidence to the Strategic Defence Review.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
On 30 July 2024, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) was invited, alongside other Government Departments, to provide written evidence to the Strategic Defence Review (SDR).
DBT responded to that call for evidence on 23 September 2024. The findings of the SDR are due to be published in 2025.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what training is provided to NHS staff to highlight the differences in symptoms of a heart attack between men and women.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Guidance for National Health Service staff is available through the British Heart Foundation, and specific learning sessions are available to support training, with further information on both available, respectively, at the following two links:
https://www.chsselearning.org.uk/hearte/15-womens-health/
NHS England has been cognisant of gender differences when running public campaigns, and as such has ensured clear messaging on atypical symptoms in women. This has been represented through sharing patient stories within campaign material, highlighting the differences in gender symptoms. Further information on NHS England’s public campaign is available at the following link:
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 January 2024 to Question 21874 on Motor Vehicles: Lighting, when the independent research started; which organisation is undertaking the work; and if she will publish the terms of reference for the research.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The research started in October last year and is being carried out by the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL). There are no plans to publish the Terms of Reference for the research, but further details can be found on the TRL website.
https://www.trl.co.uk/news/trl-works-with-dft-to-understand-more-about-the-causes-of-glare
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
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 potential impact of differences in approved medicines on (a) men and (b) women.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is responsible for approving medicines in the United Kingdom before they are made available to the wider public. This involves a rigorous assessment using data from clinical trials to assess safety and efficacy.
If data suggests that a medicine may have a different effect on men and women, this is considered within the assessment process. Every medicine is assessed on a case-by-case basis, as several factors may impact the performance of a specific product.
Post authorisation, where there is identified or potential differences between men and women in safety or effectiveness, this can be monitored in the risk management plan. The agency keeps the safety and effectiveness of all medicines under continual monitoring in all populations. Should any differences in outcomes between men and women be identified, the agency will take appropriate regulatory action.