Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has given consular assistance to the (a) Director of Public Prosecutions or senior CPS officials and (b) Director of the Serious Fraud Office or senior SFO officials in support of any investigations being undertaken by those offices in the last 12 months.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The FCDO provides consular assistance to British Nationals overseas on a case by case basis. We keep and use information in line with the Data Protection Act 2018. We cooperate with other government departments and public authorities - including the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) - in relation to those cases where necessary and may release information to them in accordance with relevant exemptions. More information on consular assistance can be found in the publicly available document "Support for British Nationals Abroad - A Guide" (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/support-for-british-nationals-abroad-a-guide) and on how personal data is stored and processed in our consular privacy notice: (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-privacy-notice-consular-services-in-the-uk-and-at-british-embassies-high-commissions-and-consulates-overseas).
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, what overseas visits have been made by (a) herself, her predecessor or senior officials in her Department, (b) the Director of Public Prosecutions or senior CPS officials and (c) the Director of the Serious Fraud Office or senior officers over the last 12 months; which countries were visited; what matters were discussed; and whether covid-19 quarantine rules were followed by all people making such visits.
Answered by Alex Chalk - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
The Attorney General, Solicitor General and senior officials in the department have not undertaken any overseas visits in the last 12 months.
In June 2021, Lisa Osofsky (The Director of the Serious Fraud Office) and John Carroll (Chief Operating Officer of the Serious Fraud Office) visited the United States of America (USA). The purpose of the visit was to meet strategic partners and discuss collaboration and cooperation in tackling serious and complex economic crime. They both followed Covid protocols throughout their time abroad and on returning to the UK.
In October 2021, on a visit to the USA, the Director attended a work meeting with DOJ Senior Officials. In this meeting, she met with American Operational partners and discussed collaboration and cooperation in tackling serious and complex economic crime. The Director followed Covid protocols in place for foreign travel.
No overseas visits have been undertaken by any other Senior SFO Officer over the past 12 months.
Over the past 12 months, the Director of Public Prosecutions completed two overseas business trips, to Poland and the United States. During both visits, the DPP met key stakeholders, including HMG officials. Both of these visits provided an important opportunity to demonstrate support for CPS Liaison Prosecutors based in these jurisdictions and to cement the importance of their role and our cooperation with our international partners.
On both occasions, there were no requirements to quarantine on entry into either country, or on return to the UK.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the judicial reviews brought by Hereford and Worcester Fire Authority and Shropshire Fire and Rescue Authority against their proposed merger, what steps she is taking to ensure that legal processes do not prevent the delivery of future efficient and safe mergers.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
In March 2020, the Court of Appeal refused permission for the FRAs in West Mercia to appeal the High Court’s judgment on the transfer of fire governance to the PCC for West Mercia, bringing to end the judicial review. Further JR proceedings have now become redundant in light of current developments.
It is disappointing that lengthy legal action by the FRAs in West Mercia has meant that we have not yet been able to implement a transfer of governance that we considered to be in the interest of the local community.
We remain strongly committed to supporting PCCs to take on fire governance where a case exists, and I look forward to reviewing any updated proposal the newly elected PCC may decide to bring forward after the elections. We will be working with the sector in the meantime to consider the lessons learned from this process.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of not proceeding with the proposed merger of West Mercia Police Authority with Hereford and Worcester Fire Authority and Shropshire Fire and Rescue Authority.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
In July 2019, the High Court upheld the then Home Secretary’s (Amber Rudd MP) decision of March 2018 to transfer governance of Hereford and Worcester and Shropshire and Wrekin Fire and Rescue Service to the PCC for West Mercia. The Court of appeal has refused permission for the FRAs to appeal the judgement
However, given the time that has passed and developments since the business case was originally submitted in October 2017, it is right that we reconsider whether the case still meets the statutory tests. The Minister for Crime and Policing has written to PCC John Campion to explain that we will require an updated business case.
It is for the PCC and Fire and Rescue Authorities to consider whether to publish information they hold relating to the proposal, although I am aware that some of this is currently available through their websites.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that that the parties involved in the merger of the West Mercia Police Authority with Hereford and Worcester Fire Authority and Shropshire Fire and Rescue Authority publish the (a) advice and (b) resources they provided to determine the potential merits of the merger.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
In July 2019, the High Court upheld the then Home Secretary’s (Amber Rudd MP) decision of March 2018 to transfer governance of Hereford and Worcester and Shropshire and Wrekin Fire and Rescue Service to the PCC for West Mercia. The Court of appeal has refused permission for the FRAs to appeal the judgement
However, given the time that has passed and developments since the business case was originally submitted in October 2017, it is right that we reconsider whether the case still meets the statutory tests. The Minister for Crime and Policing has written to PCC John Campion to explain that we will require an updated business case.
It is for the PCC and Fire and Rescue Authorities to consider whether to publish information they hold relating to the proposal, although I am aware that some of this is currently available through their websites.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many prescriptions for (a) Nabilone, (b) Savitex and (c) unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use were issued by private healthcare specialist prescribers and dispensed in the community in October 2019.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The average cost to the National Health Service of all prescriptions for unlicensed cannabis-based products dispensed in the community from November 2018 to October 2019 was £2,789.21 per prescription.
The NHS Business Services Authority does not hold data for prescriptions dispensed by hospital pharmacies, including for Nabilone, Sativex, Epidyolex* and unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use. This information is not held centrally and is not routinely published. Intelligence from NHS England and NHS Improvement Controlled Drugs Accountable Officers is that a low number of patients are receiving prescriptions for cannabis-based products for medicinal use in independent secondary/tertiary care in England. However, this data is not collected nationally or routinely published.
In October 2019, for prescriptions issued by private healthcare specialist prescribers and dispensed in the community, there were no prescriptions for Nabilone, one prescription for Sativex, and 33 prescriptions for unlicensed cannabis-based products.
Finally, there was one prescription for unlicensed cannabis-based products prescribed on the NHS and dispensed in the community in October 2019.
Note:
*Epidyolex was unlicensed prior to September 2019; no NHS prescriptions for Epidyolex have been recorded as submitted to the NHS Business Services Authority at the time of this request. Approximately 185 patients have accessed Epidyolex through the manufacturer’s (GW Pharma) early access programmes, ahead of a licensing decision by the European Medicines Agency.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many prescriptions for unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use were prescribed by the NHS and dispensed in the community in October 2019.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The average cost to the National Health Service of all prescriptions for unlicensed cannabis-based products dispensed in the community from November 2018 to October 2019 was £2,789.21 per prescription.
The NHS Business Services Authority does not hold data for prescriptions dispensed by hospital pharmacies, including for Nabilone, Sativex, Epidyolex* and unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use. This information is not held centrally and is not routinely published. Intelligence from NHS England and NHS Improvement Controlled Drugs Accountable Officers is that a low number of patients are receiving prescriptions for cannabis-based products for medicinal use in independent secondary/tertiary care in England. However, this data is not collected nationally or routinely published.
In October 2019, for prescriptions issued by private healthcare specialist prescribers and dispensed in the community, there were no prescriptions for Nabilone, one prescription for Sativex, and 33 prescriptions for unlicensed cannabis-based products.
Finally, there was one prescription for unlicensed cannabis-based products prescribed on the NHS and dispensed in the community in October 2019.
Note:
*Epidyolex was unlicensed prior to September 2019; no NHS prescriptions for Epidyolex have been recorded as submitted to the NHS Business Services Authority at the time of this request. Approximately 185 patients have accessed Epidyolex through the manufacturer’s (GW Pharma) early access programmes, ahead of a licensing decision by the European Medicines Agency.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many prescriptions for (a) Nabilone Savitex, (b) Epidiolex and (c) unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use were dispensed by hospital pharmacies from November 2018 to October 2019.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The average cost to the National Health Service of all prescriptions for unlicensed cannabis-based products dispensed in the community from November 2018 to October 2019 was £2,789.21 per prescription.
The NHS Business Services Authority does not hold data for prescriptions dispensed by hospital pharmacies, including for Nabilone, Sativex, Epidyolex* and unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use. This information is not held centrally and is not routinely published. Intelligence from NHS England and NHS Improvement Controlled Drugs Accountable Officers is that a low number of patients are receiving prescriptions for cannabis-based products for medicinal use in independent secondary/tertiary care in England. However, this data is not collected nationally or routinely published.
In October 2019, for prescriptions issued by private healthcare specialist prescribers and dispensed in the community, there were no prescriptions for Nabilone, one prescription for Sativex, and 33 prescriptions for unlicensed cannabis-based products.
Finally, there was one prescription for unlicensed cannabis-based products prescribed on the NHS and dispensed in the community in October 2019.
Note:
*Epidyolex was unlicensed prior to September 2019; no NHS prescriptions for Epidyolex have been recorded as submitted to the NHS Business Services Authority at the time of this request. Approximately 185 patients have accessed Epidyolex through the manufacturer’s (GW Pharma) early access programmes, ahead of a licensing decision by the European Medicines Agency.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average cost to the NHS was of prescriptions for unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use from November 2018 to October 2019.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The average cost to the National Health Service of all prescriptions for unlicensed cannabis-based products dispensed in the community from November 2018 to October 2019 was £2,789.21 per prescription.
The NHS Business Services Authority does not hold data for prescriptions dispensed by hospital pharmacies, including for Nabilone, Sativex, Epidyolex* and unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use. This information is not held centrally and is not routinely published. Intelligence from NHS England and NHS Improvement Controlled Drugs Accountable Officers is that a low number of patients are receiving prescriptions for cannabis-based products for medicinal use in independent secondary/tertiary care in England. However, this data is not collected nationally or routinely published.
In October 2019, for prescriptions issued by private healthcare specialist prescribers and dispensed in the community, there were no prescriptions for Nabilone, one prescription for Sativex, and 33 prescriptions for unlicensed cannabis-based products.
Finally, there was one prescription for unlicensed cannabis-based products prescribed on the NHS and dispensed in the community in October 2019.
Note:
*Epidyolex was unlicensed prior to September 2019; no NHS prescriptions for Epidyolex have been recorded as submitted to the NHS Business Services Authority at the time of this request. Approximately 185 patients have accessed Epidyolex through the manufacturer’s (GW Pharma) early access programmes, ahead of a licensing decision by the European Medicines Agency.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions his Department has had with Buckingham Palace on promoting the Mayflower 400 celebrations in September 2020.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has not had any direct discussions with Buckingham Palace regarding the Mayflower commemorations. The Mayflower 400 group are leading on the preparations and liaising with stakeholders.