Asked by: Johnny Mercer (Conservative - Plymouth, Moor View)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government's revised childhood obesity plan will make tackling noncommunicable diseases a priority.
Answered by Steve Brine
Obesity is a leading cause of serious non-communicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. Many of the key measures in both chapters of our childhood obesity plan will have an impact on tackling obesity across all age groups. These include the soft drinks industry levy, sugar reduction and wider calorie reformulation programme, restricting promotions and calorie labelling in restaurants which will improve our eating habits and reduce the amount of sugar we consume.
Asked by: Johnny Mercer (Conservative - Plymouth, Moor View)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 17 of the Quinquennial Review of the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme ‘One Year On’ Report, published on 9 April 2018, what estimate he has made of the number of service personnel with (a) the most serious injuries and (b) brain injuries that will qualify for the (i) uplift of the top tariff level 1 award and (ii) increase the cap on the cumulative lump sum for multiple awards.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The amendments to Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) legislation from 9 April 2018 are not retrospective. Eligible Service personnel who make AFCS claims from 9 April 2018 will benefit from the uplifts and increases in compensation values.
Asked by: Johnny Mercer (Conservative - Plymouth, Moor View)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the pilot scheme for the Integrated Personal Care for Veterans’ System.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognises that there is a small and defined cohort of Service personnel and veterans who have been very seriously injured as a result of service, and who will remain highly dependent, requiring additional support as they transition into civilian life. The aim of the Integrated Personal Commissioning for Veterans (IPC4V) system is to provide patient-centred support to improve the integration of health and social care for that cohort whether provided by the MOD, NHS, Local Government or the third sector.
Currently at the proof of concept phase, it is anticipated that the adequacy of IPC4V can be assessed over autumn 2018.
In the interests of patient confidentiality we are unable to disclose the number of individuals taking part in the pilot.
Asked by: Johnny Mercer (Conservative - Plymouth, Moor View)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) very seriously injured and (b) brain injured veterans have been supported through the Integrated Personal Care for Veterans System pilot scheme.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognises that there is a small and defined cohort of Service personnel and veterans who have been very seriously injured as a result of service, and who will remain highly dependent, requiring additional support as they transition into civilian life. The aim of the Integrated Personal Commissioning for Veterans (IPC4V) system is to provide patient-centred support to improve the integration of health and social care for that cohort whether provided by the MOD, NHS, Local Government or the third sector.
Currently at the proof of concept phase, it is anticipated that the adequacy of IPC4V can be assessed over autumn 2018.
In the interests of patient confidentiality we are unable to disclose the number of individuals taking part in the pilot.
Asked by: Johnny Mercer (Conservative - Plymouth, Moor View)
Question to the Department for Transport:
Whether his Department plans to respond to the Peninsula Rail Task Force report and set out a rail strategy for the South West.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
I wrote to the Chair of the Peninsula Rail Task Force this week setting out the Governments response to the Task Force report.
Asked by: Johnny Mercer (Conservative - Plymouth, Moor View)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to publish the social housing green paper.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
The Social Housing Green Paper will be informed by the Housing Minister’s programme of tenant engagement; 11 of 12 tenant engagement events have been completed, with one more planned in February. Social housing tenants also have opportunity to share their views and concerns through an online survey until at least 16 February. Our aim is to publish in spring 2018.
Asked by: Johnny Mercer (Conservative - Plymouth, Moor View)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to publish the social housing green paper.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
The Social Housing Green Paper will be informed by the Housing Minister’s programme of tenant engagement; 11 of 12 tenant engagement events have been completed, with one more planned in February. Social housing tenants also have opportunity to share their views and concerns through an online survey until at least 16 February. Our aim is to publish in spring 2018.
Asked by: Johnny Mercer (Conservative - Plymouth, Moor View)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the way in which medical school places are allocated.
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
500 medical school places have already been allocated by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) to established medical schools in England and will be available to students starting medical school from September 2018.
HEFCE and Health Education England (HEE) are currently undertaking a competitive bidding process for established and prospective new medical schools to bid for the remaining 1,000 places that will be available from September 2019. Amongst other criteria, bids will based on priorities such as widening participation in to the profession, a focus on priority specialties and geographical areas across England.
Bids are being assessed by an expert assessment panel and HEFCE and HEE are expected to confirm the allocation of the additional 1,000 places in March 2018.
The draft health and care workforce strategy that is currently out for consultation proposes that HEE will consider a periodic review of the number and allocation of medical school places.
Asked by: Johnny Mercer (Conservative - Plymouth, Moor View)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's news story of 9 August 2017, 1,500 extra medical undergraduate places confirmed, how those training places will be allocated.
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
500 medical school places have already been allocated by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) to established medical schools in England and will be available to students starting medical school from September 2018.
HEFCE and Health Education England (HEE) are currently undertaking a competitive bidding process for established and prospective new medical schools to bid for the remaining 1,000 places that will be available from September 2019. Amongst other criteria, bids will based on priorities such as widening participation in to the profession, a focus on priority specialties and geographical areas across England.
Bids are being assessed by an expert assessment panel and HEFCE and HEE are expected to confirm the allocation of the additional 1,000 places in March 2018.
The draft health and care workforce strategy that is currently out for consultation proposes that HEE will consider a periodic review of the number and allocation of medical school places.
Asked by: Johnny Mercer (Conservative - Plymouth, Moor View)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 17 September 2012 to Question 118731, how many service personnel who were made redundant between 2010 and 2016 were within (a) one year, (b) two years, (c) three years and (d) four years of their immediate pension point.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.