Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the supplies of anti-radiation treatments required in the event of a nuclear attack; and whether he has had discussions on this matter with the Welsh Government.
Answered by Maggie Throup
The Government stockpiles a range of medical countermeasures to respond to risks identified in the National Risk Register of Civil Emergencies. This includes chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear incidents. The content of the stockpile is kept under regular review, taking into account any changes in the National Risk Register.
The Department works with the UK Health Security Agency and the National Health Service to ensure arrangements are in place for the distribution of these stockpiles in emergencies. The Department also works with the Welsh Government and the other devolved administrations to ensure that all nations have access to this stockpile.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of lipoedema NHS patients in England have been treated for the condition with liposuction, in each of the last five years.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
The information requested is not held centrally.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent representations he has received from the Welsh Government on extending the temporary suspension under the Coronavirus Act 2020 of the regulations governing the administration of NHS pensions, including the 16 hour rule.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
While we have not received any formal representations from the Welsh Government we continue to have a regular discussions on a range of matters relating to the NHS Pension Scheme.
The measures were designed to support the National Health Service in responding to the pandemic. Pension abatement in the NHS applies to nurses, midwives, physiotherapists and mental health officers with a retained legacy right to retire at 55 years old without a reduction in their pension. Between the ages of 55 and 60 years old, their pension plus earnings in NHS employment cannot exceed their NHS earnings before retirement. The abatement recognises that they have a significant benefit not available to other staff in the NHS including many nurses. Other staff are not subject to abatement after taking their pension.
This rule was suspended as part of the Coronavirus Act 2020 to enable this group of staff to increase their work for the NHS should they wish. It is due to expire on 25 March 2022 with the other provisions of the Act, including the 16 hour rule. These staff will still be able to continue working for the NHS, typically at least half time. The 16 hour rule limits the amount of NHS work that can be done in the first month after returning from retirement, with no restriction thereafter. However, the Department will keep this under review.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
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 potential merits of extending the temporary suspension under the Coronavirus Act 2020 of the regulations governing the administration of NHS pensions, including the 16 hour rule.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Pension abatement in the National Health Service applies to nurses, midwives, physiotherapists and mental health officers with a retained legacy right to retire at 55 years old without a reduction in their pension. Between the ages of 55 years old and 60 years old, these pensions plus earnings in NHS employment cannot exceed NHS earnings before retirement. The abatement recognises that this a significant benefit not available to other staff in the NHS, including many nurses. Other staff are not subject to abatement after taking their pension.
The Coronavirus Act 2020 suspended the rule to enable this group of staff to increase their work for the NHS should they wish. It is due to expire on 25 March with other provisions, including the 16 hour rule. These staff can continue working for the NHS, typically at least half time. The 16 hour rule limits the amount of NHS work that can be done in the first month after returning from retirement, with no restriction thereafter. However, the Department will keep this under review.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
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 the Welsh Government with regard to the international travel implications for British citizens who have received Covishield branded Astrazeneca covid-19 vaccinations.
Answered by Maggie Throup
We continue to have regular discussions with the devolved administrations on a range of issues.
AstraZeneca doses branded as ‘Covishield’ are not approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and have not been administered in the United Kingdom. All doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines administered in the UK are the same product, which appear on the NHS COVID Pass as Vaxzevria.
The Government continues to engage with other countries regarding certification to ensure that global travel is supported by a common approach.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many doses of the Astrazeneca Covishield branded vaccines batches have been purchased by the Government and and how many have been used.
Answered by Maggie Throup
No doses of the AstraZeneca Covishield branded vaccines have been purchased by the Government. All AstraZeneca vaccine doses approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and administered in the United Kingdom were branded as the ’COVID-19 vaccine AstraZeneca’ which is now known commercially as ‘Vaxzeria’. The MHRA has not approved doses branded as ‘Covishield’ and none have been administered or rebranded as Vaxzevria in the UK. All AstraZeneca vaccines are the same product and appear on the NHS COVID Pass as Vaxzevria.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether doses of the Astrazeneca Covishield have been rebranded as Vaxzevria upon distribution to UK citizens.
Answered by Maggie Throup
No doses of the AstraZeneca Covishield branded vaccines have been purchased by the Government. All AstraZeneca vaccine doses approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and administered in the United Kingdom were branded as the ’COVID-19 vaccine AstraZeneca’ which is now known commercially as ‘Vaxzeria’. The MHRA has not approved doses branded as ‘Covishield’ and none have been administered or rebranded as Vaxzevria in the UK. All AstraZeneca vaccines are the same product and appear on the NHS COVID Pass as Vaxzevria.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when Ministers last met the (a) Food Standards Agency and (b) bodies representing businesses operating in the post farm gate meat processing sector to discuss issues relating to (i) the livestock industry in general and (ii) the functioning of abattoirs.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
There have been no specific meetings on these issues.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support he is providing to innovative research into using psilocybin to treat depression.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Department, through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) has funded or supported various studies into the use of psilocybin to treat depression. The NIHR’s Research Programmes has invested £1.1 million in the study ‘A Feasibility RCT of Single-Dose Psilocybin in Unipolar Depressive Disorder Resistant to Standard Treatments’.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what representations he has received from the Welsh Government in relation to basing the supply of covid-19 vaccines to Wales on relative need as opposed to a population share.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Departmental officials and the Welsh Government regularly discuss the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine in Wales. Allocation is based upon the Barnett formula, which uses relative population to allocate vaccines fairly across the four nations. The Welsh Government have agreed the use of this formula.