Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with health stakeholders on the potential merits of introducing (a) allergy nurses and (b) dietitians in every integrated care system.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have committed to develop a 10-Year Health Plan to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future, by driving three shifts in the way health care is delivered. The plan will set out bold ambitions to provide more care in the community, make greater use of technology, and build a more preventative health service.
We will be carefully considering input from the public, patients, health staff, and our stakeholders as we develop the plan over the coming months. The engagement process has been launched and I would encourage parliamentarians and stakeholders to engage with that process to allow us to fully understand what is not working as well as it should and what the potential solutions are, including for allergies. This engagement process is available at the following link:
Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Prime Minister's speech on the NHS at the King's Fund on 12 September 2024, whether his Department has plans to move allergy services to primary care.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have committed to develop a 10-Year Health Plan to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future, by driving three shifts in the way health care is delivered. The plan will set out bold ambitions to provide more care in the community, make greater use of technology, and build a more preventative health service.
We will be carefully considering input from the public, patients, health staff, and our stakeholders as we develop the plan over the coming months. The engagement process has been launched and I would encourage parliamentarians and stakeholders to engage with that process to allow us to fully understand what is not working as well as it should and what the potential solutions are, including for allergies. This engagement process is available at the following link:
Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to amend standards for cat and dog pens.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 require businesses providing the following activities to hold a licence issued by their local authority: selling dogs or cats, dog breeding, boarding for dogs or cats, home boarding for dogs, dog day care or keeping or training dogs or cats for exhibition. Statutory guidance details the licence conditions, including conditions relating to housing and accommodation for dogs and cats.
Defra recently completed a post-implementation review (PIR) of the Regulations, which can be found at - The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 Post Implementation Review. The Government is considering the findings and will be outlining more detail on next steps in due course.
Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has targets for the time it takes to complete evaluations of new medicines.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) aims wherever possible to publish recommendations for the National Health Service on new medicines within 90 days of the date of a marketing authorisation. NICE uses key performance indicators to report on the timeliness of its technology appraisals. NICE has achieved a 28% improvement in the timeliness of its medicines appraisals since April 2024.
Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care what discussions he has had with NICE on the potential impact of its approval of medicines for use in the NHS on (a) economic productivity, (b) health outcomes and (c) reducing the burden of disease on (i) patients and (ii) caregivers.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Departmental officials regularly discuss a range of issues with colleagues in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), including the impact of its recommendations.
NICE develops its guidance independently and based on an assessment of the available evidence, considering all health-related costs and benefits for patients and caregivers, including health outcomes, in line with its established methods and processes.
NICE does not take account of economic productivity in its assessments. It would involve valuing interventions differently based on the working status of the recipient population, which would be methodologically and ethically challenging and could systematically disadvantage certain groups including children, long-term sick and unemployed people, and result in fewer treatments being recommended for these populations.
Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will make it his policy that a copyright exception for text and data mining will not be brought into law until a rights reservation mechanism has been proven to work to the satisfaction of copyright holders.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government published a consultation on Copyright and AI in December 2024.
This consultation seeks views on proposals to introduce a text and data mining exception alongside a rights reservation mechanism and transparency measures. The Government has been clear in oral answers, in both houses, that it will not introduce these measures until it has a workable system in place.
The proposals in this consultation are presented for feedback and discussion, and no decision has yet been taken on the final policy.
The consultation closes on 25 February.
Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to ensure that a rights reservation mechanism has been (a) trialled and (b) proven before a copyright exception for text and data mining is brought into law.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government published a consultation on Copyright and AI in December 2024.
This consultation seeks views on proposals to introduce a text and data mining exception alongside a rights reservation mechanism and transparency measures. The Government has been clear in oral answers, in both houses, that it will not introduce these measures until it has a workable system in place.
The Government recognises the vital importance of right holder feedback on a rights reservation mechanism, and how it will work in practice, and will take this feedback into account as it develops its approach.
The consultation closes on 25 February.
Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Civil Aviation Authority is reviewing the ban on Pakistan International Airlines; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of that ban on travel between the UK and Pakistan since 2020.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Pakistan is currently listed on the UK Air Safety List (ASL). The UK Air Safety Committee regularly reviews all carriers and States listed on the ASL.
No assessment is made on the impact of the ban as decisions are based on a safety assessment only. Travel between the UK and Pakistan since 2020 has continued to be facilitated through direct services – including via UK airlines, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic – and indirect services.
Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of including further education providers under the remit of the School Teacher Review Body in her Department's contribution to the Spending Review.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Further education (FE) colleges, rather than government, are responsible for setting and negotiating pay within colleges. Colleges are not bound by the national pay and conditions framework for school teachers, but are free to implement their own pay arrangements in line with their own local circumstances.
In making their recommendations for 2025/26, the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) has been asked to consider the impact of their recommendations for school teachers on the FE teaching workforce in England. The published evidence provides information and context for STRB to consider as part of this process.
The Autumn Budget 2024 set out the government’s commitment to skills, by providing an additional £300 million revenue funding for FE to ensure young people are developing the skills this country needs. The department recognises the vital role that FE teachers and providers play in equipping learners with the opportunities and skills they need to succeed in their education. We will set out in due course how this funding will be distributed.
FE institutions remain solely responsible for the pay, contractual conditions and terms of service for their workforce, and for managing their own industrial relations.
Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of including further education colleges under the remit of the School Teacher Review Body from 2025-26.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Further education (FE) colleges, rather than government, are responsible for setting and negotiating pay within colleges. Colleges are not bound by the national pay and conditions framework for school teachers, but are free to implement their own pay arrangements in line with their own local circumstances.
In making their recommendations for 2025/26, the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) has been asked to consider the impact of their recommendations for school teachers on the FE teaching workforce in England. The published evidence provides information and context for STRB to consider as part of this process.
The Autumn Budget 2024 set out the government’s commitment to skills, by providing an additional £300 million revenue funding for FE to ensure young people are developing the skills this country needs. The department recognises the vital role that FE teachers and providers play in equipping learners with the opportunities and skills they need to succeed in their education. We will set out in due course how this funding will be distributed.
FE institutions remain solely responsible for the pay, contractual conditions and terms of service for their workforce, and for managing their own industrial relations.