Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester Withington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate her Department has made of the average timescale for a diagnosis of coeliac disease from the point a person presents to their GP with symptoms; and what assessment she has made of the impact of the time taken for a diagnosis on patient mental and physical health.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
Diagnostic services, including tests for coeliac disease, are provided in a range of settings, including community diagnostic centres (CDCs). We are expanding diagnostic capacity through the delivery of the CDC programme. NHS England assesses the delivery of diagnostic services, including by analysing regular management information for activity in CDCs as well as a national data collection for gastroscopy.
NHS England has also invested in senior clinical leadership in gastroenterology, which includes coeliac disease, as a priority workstream in the national Getting It Right First Time programme. However, it is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to commission services to meet the needs of their local populace, including the diagnosis and ongoing management of coeliac disease.
The Government and NHS England are taking steps to support people waiting for appointments and surgery for long-term conditions, including those waiting for a coeliac disease diagnosis, by offering online support, increasing elective capacity, and encouraging personalised support.
NHS England launched the My Planned Care platform in February 2022, giving patients advice and support to manage their health, and avoid significant deterioration of symptoms whilst they wait for appointments. This online platform includes advice on physical and mental health. In addition, through the NHS Long Term Plan, the Government is providing record levels of investment and increasing the mental health workforce to expand and transform National Health Service mental health services in England, helping to reduce waiting times.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence promotes its guidance on coeliac disease, which includes information for the public via its website, newsletters, and other media.
Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester Withington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help increase public awareness of coeliac disease.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
Diagnostic services, including tests for coeliac disease, are provided in a range of settings, including community diagnostic centres (CDCs). We are expanding diagnostic capacity through the delivery of the CDC programme. NHS England assesses the delivery of diagnostic services, including by analysing regular management information for activity in CDCs as well as a national data collection for gastroscopy.
NHS England has also invested in senior clinical leadership in gastroenterology, which includes coeliac disease, as a priority workstream in the national Getting It Right First Time programme. However, it is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to commission services to meet the needs of their local populace, including the diagnosis and ongoing management of coeliac disease.
The Government and NHS England are taking steps to support people waiting for appointments and surgery for long-term conditions, including those waiting for a coeliac disease diagnosis, by offering online support, increasing elective capacity, and encouraging personalised support.
NHS England launched the My Planned Care platform in February 2022, giving patients advice and support to manage their health, and avoid significant deterioration of symptoms whilst they wait for appointments. This online platform includes advice on physical and mental health. In addition, through the NHS Long Term Plan, the Government is providing record levels of investment and increasing the mental health workforce to expand and transform National Health Service mental health services in England, helping to reduce waiting times.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence promotes its guidance on coeliac disease, which includes information for the public via its website, newsletters, and other media.
Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester Withington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, who is responsible for diagnosis of coeliac disease within NHS England; and what steps her Department takes to (a) monitor the adequacy of diagnostic services for coeliac disease and (b) ensure accountability of that role holder.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
Diagnostic services, including tests for coeliac disease, are provided in a range of settings, including community diagnostic centres (CDCs). We are expanding diagnostic capacity through the delivery of the CDC programme. NHS England assesses the delivery of diagnostic services, including by analysing regular management information for activity in CDCs as well as a national data collection for gastroscopy.
NHS England has also invested in senior clinical leadership in gastroenterology, which includes coeliac disease, as a priority workstream in the national Getting It Right First Time programme. However, it is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to commission services to meet the needs of their local populace, including the diagnosis and ongoing management of coeliac disease.
The Government and NHS England are taking steps to support people waiting for appointments and surgery for long-term conditions, including those waiting for a coeliac disease diagnosis, by offering online support, increasing elective capacity, and encouraging personalised support.
NHS England launched the My Planned Care platform in February 2022, giving patients advice and support to manage their health, and avoid significant deterioration of symptoms whilst they wait for appointments. This online platform includes advice on physical and mental health. In addition, through the NHS Long Term Plan, the Government is providing record levels of investment and increasing the mental health workforce to expand and transform National Health Service mental health services in England, helping to reduce waiting times.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence promotes its guidance on coeliac disease, which includes information for the public via its website, newsletters, and other media.
Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester Withington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of people in destitution.
Answered by Jo Churchill
The Government is committed to reducing poverty and supporting low-income families. We expect to spend around £306bn through the welfare system in Great Britain in 2024/25 including around £138bn on people of working age and children.
From April, working age benefits increased by 6.7% and, Local Housing Allowance rates were raised to the 30th percentile of local market rents, benefiting 1.6 million low-income households.
Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester Withington)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on the Government's BBC funding model review.
Answered by Laura Trott - Shadow Secretary of State for Education
The Government has launched a review of the BBC’s funding model, to ensure it is fair to licence fee payers, sustainable for the long term, and supports the BBC’s vital role in growing our thriving creative industries.
This is an important cross-Government programme of work, HMT and DCMS are in regular engagement, and will continue to do so over the course of the review.
Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester Withington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his planned timetable is for laying the secondary legislation required to commence section 19 of the Road Safety Act 2006.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The Department for Transport is currently considering how best to take forward implementation of section 19 of the Road Safety Act 2006.
Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester Withington)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the BBC Funding Model Review: Terms of Reference, published on 21 March 2024, what steps she plans to take to ensure that the review assesses the potential merits of all options for securing the sustainability of the BBC.
Answered by Julia Lopez
The government believes that there are challenges around the sustainability of the current licence fee funding model, and is therefore conducting a review of the BBC’s funding model.
As the Terms of Reference make clear, the Review is assessing a range of options for funding the BBC. It is looking at how alternative models could help secure the broadcaster’s long-term sustainability amid an evolving media landscape, increased competition and changing audience behaviour, while reducing the burden on licence fee payers.
Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester Withington)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what criteria her Department uses to determine who will be consulted on the Government’s BBC funding model review; and if she will publish a list of those that have been consulted.
Answered by Julia Lopez
As set out in the Terms of Reference for the BBC Funding Model Review, the review will take evidence from a range of relevant stakeholders as we seek to assess the merits of different options for securing the sustainability of the BBC. The Secretary of State issued formal evidence requests to industry stakeholders across the broadcasting and media sector and to all three of the Devolved Administrations.
The review aims to report to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport by Autumn 2024. The findings will inform Charter Review, which is where any final decisions on changing the BBC’s funding model will be made by the Government. As required by the Charter, the Government will consult the public as part of the Charter Review process.
Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester Withington)
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 implications for her Department’s policies of the report by the APPG on Hormone Pregnancy Test entitled Bitter Pill: Primodos - the forgotten thalidomide, published on 27 February 2024.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
We remain hugely sympathetic to the families who believe that they have suffered due to the use of Hormone Pregnancy Tests (HPTs). In 2017 an independent Expert Working Group conducted a comprehensive review of the available scientific evidence, and concluded that the data did not support a causal association between the use of HPTs, such as Primodos, and adverse pregnancy outcomes. This remains the Government’s position. The Government has committed to reviewing any new evidence related to HPTs, and a possible causal association with adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester Withington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will implement the recommendations in the report by the APPG on Hormone Pregnancy Test entitled Bitter Pill: Primodos - the forgotten thalidomide, published on 27 February 2024.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
We remain hugely sympathetic to the families who believe that they have suffered due to the use of Hormone Pregnancy Tests (HPTs). In 2017 an independent Expert Working Group conducted a comprehensive review of the available scientific evidence, and concluded that the data did not support a causal association between the use of HPTs, such as Primodos, and adverse pregnancy outcomes. This remains the Government’s position. The Government has committed to reviewing any new evidence related to HPTs, and a possible causal association with adverse pregnancy outcomes.