Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department's policy paper Get Active: A strategy for the future of sport and physical activity, published on 30 August 2023, what steps she plans to take to help ensure that the use of (a) anabolic steroids and (b) image and performance enhancing drugs is included by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity in its work to self-regulate the workforce.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The safety and wellbeing of everyone taking part in sport is hugely important. This includes the issue of image and performance enhancing drugs and the significant impact of these substances on the physical and mental health of those who use them.
UK Anti-Doping (UKAD), an arm’s length body of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, is collaborating with the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) to embed clean sport content in CIMSPA’s professional standards for personal trainers and coaches.
The government’s call for evidence on sport integrity opened on 30 August 2023 alongside the publication of “Get Active”. It covers the handling of a range of sport integrity issues, including doping.
We will continue to support the work of UKAD and other partners to protect and promote clean sport and to look beyond the sporting community to shine a spotlight on the issue of image and performance enhancing drugs.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department's policy paper Get Active: A strategy for the future of sport and physical activity, published on 30 August 2023, what steps she is taking to ensure that rurality is considered when meeting the target for at least 75% of Sport England place investment being committed to areas with the lowest levels of physical activity and social outcomes.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
We know that active people are fitter, happier and healthier - which is why in our new Sport Strategy - 'Get Active’ - we set out an ambitious strategy to boost our national health by getting 3.5 million extra active people by 2030. This includes bold targets to reach communities with the lowest levels of physical activity.
Building on their 12 local delivery pilot areas, Sport England is expanding their place-based work so that at least 75% of their investment is committed to areas with the lowest levels of physical activity and social outcomes.
Sport England are using a range of data sources to inform this approach including physical activity data from the Active Lives Surveys as well as wider social data including IMD, community need and health inequalities data. These datasets help to identify a range of diverse communities, including rural communities, across England that need support to become more active.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions officials in her Department has had with (a) other Government Departments and (b) third-party stakeholders on policy formation on tackling puppy smuggling.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Defra officials have regular discussions with other Government Departments, including Border Force, and third-party stakeholders such as the RSPCA, Dogs Trust, Cats Protection and Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, on policy formation on tackling puppy smuggling.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Bosworth)
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 NHS England on monitoring the initial effectiveness of the Neuroscience Transformation Programme in the fields of (a) improving specialised adult neuroscience science and (b) a new model of integrated care for neurology services.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
To improve specialised adult neuroscience, the NHS England Neurosciences Service Transformation Programme (NSTP) has worked with a range of stakeholders to identify what ‘good’ looks like. This includes common principles regarding access to appropriate timely services.
The NSTP provides integrated care systems (ICSs) with the tools, information, and resources to support the transformation of integrated services at a local level. Outcomes include the Adult Neurology Integrated Care Board dashboard and the Neurosurgery Networks, which have led on the five Neurosurgery Recovery High Impact Changes. This work will support ICSs as they take on joint responsibility for commissioning specialised neurology and specialised neurosurgery services from April 2024.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions officials in her Department has had with (a) other Government Departments and (ii) third-party stakeholders on policy formation on tackling pet theft.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
In response to concerns about the apparent increase in pet theft since the start of the pandemic the Government set up the Pet Theft Taskforce in May 2021. The Taskforce was a cross-government initiative including Defra, the Ministry of Justice and the Home Office. The Taskforce published their findings in September 2021 with input from animal welfare groups and experts in relevant fields. We are in the process of taking forward the Task Force’s recommendations together with relevant Departments.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the independent advisors appointed by Government will be able to take steps to help tackle financial issues at rugby union clubs.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Rugby union clubs play an important role in local communities, and make an invaluable contribution to our sporting heritage and national life.
However, the recent failures of several clubs have laid bare the challenges facing rugby union. That is why we have appointed two independent advisers to work alongside the RFU and PRL in their efforts to ensure the future sustainability of rugby union.
The independent advisers will develop a set of recommendations for all stakeholders involved in the game, to secure rugby union’s immediate future and advise on its future direction.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Bosworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he (a) has had and (b) plans to have with (i) NHS England and (ii) other bodies on raising public awareness of HRT prepayment certificates.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Department has engaged extensively with stakeholders when developing and implementing the hormone replacement therapy prescription prepayment certificate (HRT PPC) which was introduced on 1 April this year.
We have worked with print and broadcast media to promote the HRT PCC, updated relevant NHS England and NHS Business Services Authority web pages, and used social media to amplify our key messages.
We have also engaged with various key stakeholder groups including those representing clinicians and patients as well as a number of menopause charities. We shared key resources with stakeholders encouraging them to amplify across their channels and engage their wider networks to further maximise reach, helping to raise awareness of the HRT PPC and ensure patients can benefit.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of the financial stability of Premiership rugby clubs.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government recognises the recent challenges faced by Rugby Union. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government went above and beyond through the Sports Survival Package to provide unprecedented levels of financial support to sports clubs, including rugby union clubs, to ensure their survival.
The Government is clear that robust governance is essential to sustainable and successful sport. The respective National Governing Body is responsible for the governance of their sport. In the case of Rugby Union, the Government is working closely with the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and Premiership Rugby League (PRL).
The Government shares the concerns of fans about where the game goes next, so has appointed two expert independent advisers to work with the RFU and PRL on their plans to secure the future of professional rugby union. They will report their recommendations to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport later in the summer.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Bosworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the level of take-up of HRT prepayment certificates in (a) England and (b) Leicestershire.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Between the launch of the service on 1 April 2023 and the end of 13 June 2023, there were 250,971 applications for a Hormone Replacement Therapy Prescription Prepayment Certificate across England. It is estimated that 5,237 applications were received from patients in the Leicestershire area.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Bosworth)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make a comparative assessment of the criteria for a National Defence Medal used by [a] Australia, [b] New Zealand and [c] Canada; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing such a medal for those who serve in the UK armed forces.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
Medals in the UK honours system are not given for Service alone. There are, therefore, no current plans to introduce a National Defence Medal.
This should not be seen as a reflection of the value placed on the service given.