Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress his Department has made on publishing a cross-government harmonised disability data as set out in the National Disability Strategy published in July 2021.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The 2021 National Disability Strategy set out an ambition to improve the lives of millions of disabled people in the UK. In January 2022, the High Court declared the strategy to be unlawful because the UK Disability Survey, which informed it, was held to be a voluntary consultation that failed to comply with the legal requirements on public consultations. The DWP Secretary of State has been granted permission to appeal from the Court of Appeal.
In order to ensure compliance with the Court’s declaration, we are obliged to pause a limited number of policies which are referred to in the strategy, or are directly connected with it. This policy is not one of the policies we have been obliged to pause.
The Disability Unit continues to work with ONS and statistical teams across Government to encourage wider use of harmonised disability concepts and definitions across departmental data and is working with ONS on the review of disability data harmonised standards to meet user needs and explore potential improvements.
Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
Question to the Department for Transport:
If he will take steps to provide the Civil Aviation Authority with additional powers to sanction (a) airlines and (b) other aviation industry stakeholders for failing to meet their obligations to disabled passengers.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Air travel needs to be accessible and enjoyable for everyone. That is why the Department consulted last year on whether the Civil Aviation Authority should have additional administrative powers to enforce consumer laws, and on compensation in the event of wheelchairs being damaged on UK domestic flights. Ministers are reviewing responses and will set out next steps shortly.
Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has had recent discussions with Post Office Limited on the future strategy of its Drop and Collect service.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Government has robust mechanisms in place to maintain oversight of Post Office Limited and regularly engages with the company on various live issues, including Post Office Limited’s approach to Drop and Collect. For example, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State attends monthly meetings with Post Office Limited’s CEO and officials attend quarterly shareholder meetings between the Department and Post Office Limited.
Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of The Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill on workplace (a) rights and (b) adjustments for people with disabilities.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill and the powers within it are not intended to remove workers’ rights and protections. The Bill is an enabling Act. The key measures, including the powers to preserve, revoke or replace, will provide UK (and devolved) ministers with the tools to review, amend or repeal their retained EU law in a way that is right for the UK and reflects the UK’s new regulatory freedoms.
Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent steps his Department has taken to (a) help support and (b) provide assistance to the customers of Safe Hands Funeral Plans.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
In January 2021, the government legislated to bring all pre-paid funeral plan providers and intermediaries within the regulatory remit of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) from 29 July 2022. This has ensured that 1.6 million funeral plan customers are, for the first time, protected by compulsory and robust regulation as they seek to put their affairs in order.
Safe Hands Plans went into administration in March 2022. The government understands that this will be very concerning for customers of Safe Hands.
While the detailed investigation being carried out by the administrators is ongoing, the government continues to work closely with the FCA to monitor the implementation of regulation in this sector.
The government has been supportive of steps taken by the sector to provide assistance to Safe Hands customers. Dignity and Co-op – two of the largest providers in the country – have recently offered Safe Hands’ customers new funeral plans at a substantially discounted price. This may go some way towards supporting affected planholders.
Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help improve survival outcomes for children with sarcoma.
Answered by Will Quince
Operational Delivery Networks (ODNs) are responsible for improving integration between children’s cancer services and improving the experience of care. The National Health Service is increasing participation in clinical trials, which is currently approximately two thirds of patients and tumour banking rates. It is improving the transition between children’s and teenager and young adult services, in particular ensuring that there is no age gap between different services and embedding genomic medicine within children’s cancer services.
In addition, sarcoma has been highlighted within the new specification as requiring a particular focus, relating to the development of clear access and referral arrangements and the agreement of treatment protocols in each ODN.
Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to increase public awareness of (a) sarcoma and (b) other childhood cancers.
Answered by Will Quince
On 1 March 2022, a phase of the ‘Help us help you’ campaign was launched to address some of the barriers which prevent people seeking advice on the potential symptoms of all cancers. NHS England is developing plans for future phases of the campaign to raise awareness of cancer symptoms during 2022/23.
Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plan her Department has to improve the level of awareness among primary care professionals of (a) sarcoma and (b) other childhood cancers.
Answered by Will Quince
General practitioners (GPs) are responsible for maintaining their clinical knowledge and identifying learning needs through continuing professional development. This should include take account of new research and developments, such as guidance produced by the National Institute for Health and Care.
All United Kingdom registered doctors are expected to meet the professional standards set out in the General Medical Council’s (GMC) Good Medical Practice. In 2012 the GMC introduced revalidation which supports doctors in regularly reflecting on how they can develop or improve their practice and promotes improved quality of care through improvements in clinical governance.
The training curricula for postgraduate trainee doctors is determined by the relevant medical Royal College and must meet the standards set by the General Medical Council. Whilst curricula do not necessarily highlight specific conditions, it emphasises the skills and approaches a doctor must develop in order to ensure accurate and timely diagnoses and treatment plans for their patients.
Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department’s fuel poverty target numbers take into account the higher average energy costs and usage incurred by disabled people.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The fuel poverty target is to ensure that as many fuels poor homes as is reasonably practicable achieve a minimum energy efficiency rating of Band C, by 2030. Its aim is to target energy efficiency support to low-income households.
The 2030 target does not include estimates of energy costs including what the energy costs will be for disabled people.
Progress against the target is reported on in the annual fuel poverty statistics, which can be found https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fuel-poverty-statistics.
Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of the level of support provided by energy suppliers to disabled customers through programmes such as benefit entitlement checks and debt write-off.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Ofgem require energy suppliers to support disabled customers. This includes protection from disconnection during the winter, and the provision of additional support through a Priority Services Register. Ofgem monitors compliance with their rules protecting vulnerable consumers. Their most recent report is available at: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2021-10/Ofgem%20Consumer%20Protection%20Report%20Autumn%202021_Final.pdf.
Under the Warm Home Discount scheme, Ofgem provides a breakdown in their annual reports of the Industry Initiatives supporting fuel poor and vulnerable households through measures that include benefit entitlement checks and debt write-off. The 2020-2021 report is available at: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/warm-home-discount-annual-report-scheme-year-10.