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Written Question
Huntington's Disease: Health Services
Thursday 23rd March 2023

Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to health and social care services for people with Huntington's disease.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Specialised elements of neurology care are provided through the 25 specialised neurological treatment centres across England to ensure that people with more complex health needs, including those with Huntington’s disease, receive the best possible care.  The NHS England Neuroscience Transformation Programme is developing a number of optimal pathways for neurology services. The transformation programme will provide integrated care systems (ICSs) with the tools, information and resources, such as ICS-level neurology data, that they will need to drive the transformation in their neurology services. In addition, the neuropsychiatry service specification is in development. When finalised, this will outline the multi-disciplinary approach to caring for patients with complex neurological conditions who require specialised assessment and mental health support.


Written Question
Kenya: Food Supply
Tuesday 21st March 2023

Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking with the Kenyan Government to help tackle the hunger crisis in the Kenyan counties of (a) Marsabit and (b) Isiolo.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

The UK is closely monitoring the humanitarian situation in Kenya, including in the counties of Marsabit and Isiolo. In response to the ongoing drought, 30,500 children have received life-saving nutritional assistance due to the UK's support. UK-supported programmes have also reached over half a million people in Kenya in drought-prone areas. The UK-supported Hunger Safety Net Programme has reached over half a million people in Kenya in drought-prone areas. This programme has targeted over 7,000 households in Isiolo and over 19,200 households in Marsabit who receive regular cash transfers, building resilience to climate-related shocks.


Written Question
Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage and Hydrogen
Friday 17th March 2023

Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the Government is taking steps to ensure measurement traceability for (a) fiscal and (b) financial transactions for the (i) Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage and (ii) hydrogen sectors.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government is progressing business models to incentivise the application of CCUS and low carbon hydrogen at pace. A series of publications since December 2020 have provided updates on the development of the CCUS and hydrogen production business models. The Department, in consultation with technical advisors and stakeholders, is developing the fiscal metering requirements needed to meet the commercial needs of the various CCUS and hydrogen production business models and ensure traceability for environmental monitoring purposes. Outcomes of this will be stipulated in future publications.


Written Question
Medical Equipment: Technology
Thursday 16th March 2023

Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to publish the implementation plan for the Medical Technology Strategy.

Answered by Will Quince

The Department’s inaugural Medical Technology (Medtech) Strategy was published on 3 February 2023. The strategy identified four key priorities to achieve the vision of right product, right price, right place. The Medtech Directorate is currently working in collaboration with industry and delivery partners across the United Kingdom to determine key actions and initiatives for the four priorities of the implementation plan. We aim to publish the plan by June 2023. In parallel, the Directorate is setting up a governing board to oversee strategy implementation.


Written Question
Dogs: Animal Breeding
Thursday 16th March 2023

Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the finding by the British Veterinary Association in its survey entitled Voice of the veterinary profession, reported in October 2022, that 93 per cent of vets are concerned about the increase in unregulated canine fertility clinics, whether her Department is taking steps to tackle illegal breeding practices in canine fertility clinics.

Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Significant steps have already been taken to improve and update the laws on dog breeding to crack down on unscrupulous breeders who breed dogs purely for financial greed at the expense of animal welfare.  Under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 (the 2018 Regulations), anyone in the business of breeding and selling dogs and/or who breeds three or more litters in a twelve-month period needs to hold a valid licence issued by their local authority. Licensees must meet strict statutory minimum welfare standards which are enforced by local authorities who have powers to issue, refuse or revoke licences.

All dog breeders, including canine fertility clinics who do not meet the threshold for licensing under the 2018 Regulations, are obliged under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (the 2006 Act) to protect their animals from suffering and provide for their welfare needs in line with best practice. Carrying on a licensable activity without a licence, or breaching the 2006 Act, may result in imprisonment, a fine or both.


Written Question
Ukraine: Children
Tuesday 14th March 2023

Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in Ukraine on that country's child protection process as it relates to inclusion of and support for disabled children.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

The UK engages closely with the Government of Ukraine on Ukraine's child protection process, and works with international organisations and partners to champion support to Ukraine on this issue. We are co-chairing the National Recovery Working Group on Social Protection, and provide technical advisory support on disability inclusion and inclusive care reform. UK funding to Ukraine and the surrounding region aims to prioritise support to the most vulnerable, including people with disabilities and children. We have pledged over £140 million to UN and Red Cross Agencies, including £15 million to UNICEF and £25 million in matched funding to the Disasters Emergency Committee Appeal.


Written Question
Mental Health Services: Children and Young People
Wednesday 8th March 2023

Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the report entitled Early evaluation of the children and young people’s mental health trailblazer programme, published by the National Institute for Health and Care Research on 20 February 2023.

Answered by Claire Coutinho - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero

The department welcomes the findings of the report. Trailblazer sites have been instrumental in the successful roll out of Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) to 26% of pupils in schools and learners in further education. This has been achieved a year ahead of schedule.

The findings reveal substantial progress in implementing MHSTs, as well as some positive early impacts, despite challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. These include improved school and college staff knowledge and confidence in dealing with mental health issues. Many education settings, MHSTs and wider delivery partners agreed that the programme will lead to a number of positive outcomes, including improving children and young people’s understanding of mental health and wellbeing.

The MHST programme has evolved since the Trailblazers were launched, but the findings of this report will continue to help inform future rollout and mobilisation of MHSTs to support the mental health and emotional wellbeing of children and young people. Over 500 MHSTs are expected to be operating by 2024.

Work is already underway with partners to ensure that we use the learning to inform current and future practice. Since the MHST Trailblazers became operational in 2018/19, the Education Mental Health Practitioner curriculum has been strengthened in response to feedback on needs such as learning disabilities and autism, challenging behaviour and support for parents. The department is also working with the education sector and mental health experts to protect and promote staff wellbeing. Initiatives include the Education Staff Wellbeing Charter and a new one-to-one counselling and peer support scheme for 2,000 school leaders, delivered by the charity, Education Support.

The findings of this report, as well as the 2021 interim evaluation and a planned phase 2 longer-term outcome evaluation, will continue to inform MHST roll out and drive improvements in evidence-based mental health and emotional wellbeing support for children and young people.


Written Question
Food: Packaging
Tuesday 7th March 2023

Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to (a) assess and (b) improve the accessibility of food packaging for blind and partially sighted people.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The availability and accessibility of essential food information to all consumers is vitally important. It is already a requirement that food information must be easily visible, clearly legible and where appropriate indelible, in addition to there being a required minimum font size for mandatory information.

We are aware of moves by some retailers to provide information on food in braille format, and the government is interested in seeing how this works.

We know there are other exciting possibilities, including the use of mobile phone apps and QR codes via which consumers with visual impairments may be able to access not only the basics, but the full range of information available on the label, as well as additional information provided via the App or QR code. This is clearly an area of interest with potential and one with which we will be engaging in the future.


Written Question
Social Prescribing: Children and Young People
Monday 6th March 2023

Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)

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 potential merits of social prescribing for supporting mental health and wellbeing in children and young people; and what steps his Department is taking to increase access to social prescribing for children and young people.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

No specific assessment has been made. The Department recognises the value of social prescribing for children and young people. NHS England training programme for social prescribing link workers includes a module to support social prescribing for children and young people.


Written Question
Dogs: Animal Breeding
Wednesday 22nd February 2023

Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of unregulated canine fertility clinics on animal welfare.

Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Department has not made an assessment of the impact of unregulated canine fertility clinics on animal welfare.