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Written Question
Neurology: Health Services
Tuesday 11th July 2023

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.


Written Question
Pets: Theft
Friday 7th July 2023

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.


Written Question
Rugby: Finance
Tuesday 27th June 2023

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.


Written Question
Hormone Replacement Therapy: Prescriptions
Wednesday 21st June 2023

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.


Written Question
Rugby: Finance
Tuesday 20th June 2023

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.


Written Question
Hormone Replacement Therapy: Prescriptions
Tuesday 20th June 2023

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.


Written Question
Military Decorations
Monday 12th June 2023

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.




Written Question
Rural Areas: Employment
Tuesday 6th June 2023

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 recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on encouraging young people to consider employment in (a) farming and (b) other rural occupations.

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

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a wide range of issues.

Attracting bright new talent into land-based careers and having a skilled workforce in place is vital for the future of UK food and farming.

The Government is contributing towards the establishment of a new professional body for the farming industry; The Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture (TIAH). TIAH is aimed at removing the fragmentation that exists within current learning and skills landscape for farming businesses, enabling the industry to drive greater uptake of skills, creating clear career development pathways and promoting the sector as a progressive, professional and attractive career choice. This includes leading a cross-industry initiative to address common negative misconceptions about the sector.

We are currently piloting different approaches to building entrepreneurial capacity in those who wish to start their own land-based business or scale-up their existing business venture, including how to pitch effectively for land and finance, which are crucial for their success.

The Government is also reforming post-16 technical education to provide clearer routes into skilled employment in agriculture and other sectors. A key part of this is the introduction of the new Technical Level programmes (T-levels) which include pathways in agriculture, environmental and animal health and care. Alongside apprenticeships this provides more opportunities and pathways for young people looking for careers in agriculture and horticulture.


Written Question
Diabetes: Health Services
Tuesday 6th June 2023

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 recent discussions he has had with NHS England on increasing access to diabetes healthcare teams in (a) Leicestershire (b) Bosworth and (c) the rest of the UK.

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

The Department has held no discussions with NHS England on increasing access to diabetes healthcare teams specifically in Leicestershire, Bosworth and the rest of the UK.

On 17 May 2023, the Government launched a call for evidence to inform the Major Conditions Strategy on how best to prevent, diagnose and manage six groups of major conditions, including diabetes.


Written Question
Plastics: Treaties
Tuesday 30th May 2023

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 assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of progress by the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop a UN plastics treaty.

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

The UK is proud to have supported the proposal by Rwanda and Peru that led to the ambitious resolution on ending plastic pollution agreed at the 5th session of the United Nations Environment Assembly in March 2022.

A series of Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) meetings is now underway to negotiate the content of the treaty, with good progress being made. The second of five planned INC meetings will take place 29 May – 2 June in Paris, with the aim of concluding negotiations by the end of 2024. Whilst the timeline to agree this global Treaty is short, this reflects the urgency needed to tackle plastic pollution, alongside the strong global political will for an agreement.

The UK supports a combination of international obligations and national measures across the whole plastic lifecycle to ensure that the Treaty can adequately address the transboundary nature of plastic pollution. As one of the founding members of the high ambition coalition of countries calling for an end to plastic pollution by 2040, the UK will do all we can to press for the agreement of a high ambition Treaty by the end of 2024.