Asked by: Ivan Lewis (Independent - Bury South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 29 March 2018 to Question 134204, what the timetable is for Public Health England’s Operational Delivery Network Hepatitis C profile tool to be completed; and whether that tool will be made publicly available.
Answered by Steve Brine
All national level surveillance data, including estimates of numbers of people tested, diagnosed and treated, and the burden of advanced liver disease related to hepatitis C are available in the Public Health England (PHE) annual reports: Hepatitis C in England report and Shooting Up: infections among people who inject drugs in the United Kingdom, available at the following link:
PHE is currently finalising a tool which has Operational Delivery Network level estimates of hepatitis C prevalence, diagnoses, treatment and severe hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related liver disease in people who inject drugs. This tool is expected to be published on gov.uk in the coming weeks.
The new tool will replace data the HCV commissioning template which contains data at Drug Action Team level:
Asked by: Ivan Lewis (Independent - Bury South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 29 March 2018 to Question 134204, if he will place copies of the most recent surveillance data on (a) Hepatitis C prevalence in people who inject drugs, (b) the size of that at-risk population, (c) treatment and diagnoses and (d) severe HCV-related liver disease by Operational Delivery Network in the Library.
Answered by Steve Brine
All national level surveillance data, including estimates of numbers of people tested, diagnosed and treated, and the burden of advanced liver disease related to hepatitis C are available in the Public Health England (PHE) annual reports: Hepatitis C in England report and Shooting Up: infections among people who inject drugs in the United Kingdom, available at the following link:
PHE is currently finalising a tool which has Operational Delivery Network level estimates of hepatitis C prevalence, diagnoses, treatment and severe hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related liver disease in people who inject drugs. This tool is expected to be published on gov.uk in the coming weeks.
The new tool will replace data the HCV commissioning template which contains data at Drug Action Team level:
Asked by: Ivan Lewis (Independent - Bury South)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle pneumonia in developing countries.
Answered by Alistair Burt
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I provided on 23 February to Question number 128984.
Asked by: Ivan Lewis (Independent - Bury South)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to help developing countries provide universal health coverage for the prevention and tackling diseases.
Answered by Alistair Burt
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I provided on 17 May to Question number 143196.
Asked by: Ivan Lewis (Independent - Bury South)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government is taking to use the opportunity provided by the World Health Assembly to encourage developing countries to strengthen their healthcare systems.
Answered by Alistair Burt
Supporting developing countries to strengthen their health systems is a priority for the UK. At the World Health Assembly, the UK publicly voiced our support for the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) leadership on global health. DFID is funding the WHO to lead on strengthening health systems by stepping up its work on supporting Member States to improve access to quality medicines and diagnostics and to strengthen health information systems.
Asked by: Ivan Lewis (Independent - Bury South)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to tackle the stigma of, and discrimination towards people with, HIV Aids globally.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The UK government’s HIV response prioritises those still left behind by the huge progress made in recent years, including adolescents, women and girls and under-served groups such as men who have sex with men, injecting drug users, sex workers and prisoners living with and affected by HIV.
Through the Robert Carr Civil Society Networks Fund we are supporting civil society networks of people affected by HIV to demand their rights, address stigma and discrimination and hold governments to account. The UK has committed £9 million to this Fund, since its start, to help champion their rights to access prevention and treatment services.
Asked by: Ivan Lewis (Independent - Bury South)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to help ensure regional and global civil society networks have sufficient funds to respond to the HIV epidemic.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The UK government understands the vital role that regional and global civil society networks play in the AIDS response, in particular in supporting the rights and addressing the needs of inadequately served groups affected by HIV. That is why the UK government played a leadership role with other founding donors in setting up the Robert Carr Civil Society Networks Fund. So far the UK has committed £9 million to this Fund. We will make our decision on future investments to the Fund later this year.
Asked by: Ivan Lewis (Independent - Bury South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding for flood defences has been allocated to each constituency in England and Wales since 2015.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The Government is investing £2.6 billion between 2015 and 2021, delivering at least 1,500 new flood defence schemes and better protecting 300,000 homes. However, funding for defences is not allocated by constituency and there is no set quota.
Asked by: Ivan Lewis (Independent - Bury South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the implications for her Department's policies of the Community Security Trust's Antisemitic Incidents Report 2017.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Home Office is committed to addressing all forms of hate crime. In July 2016, the Department published Action Against Hate: The UK Government’s Plan for Tackling Hate Crime.
The Government will refresh this action plan in 2018, working closely with a wide network of partners and stakeholders including the Community Security Trust (CST).
Asked by: Ivan Lewis (Independent - Bury South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with the Mayor of Greater Manchester on promoting Greater Manchester's technology sector.
Answered by Margot James
The Secretary of State, in his previous role as Minister for Digital, wrote to Mayor Andy Burnham on 22nd December 2017, responding to the Mayor’s request for more information on the government’s investment of £21m in Tech Nation. This funding involves setting up 10 new regional hubs, including in Manchester (which will serve as the base for the North West) to support and promote the needs of the local tech communities. The Secretary of State clarified that Tech nation will work with local partners to connect with and build on the networks and ecosystems that already exist. The Mayor has been introduced to senior Tech Nation staff who are assessing the unique needs of each region.
This letter also offered further discussion with DCMS on how government policy can help to deliver the Greater Manchester Digital Strategy. I also committed to meeting Mr Burnham following our appearance on Question Time on 18th January 2018.