Asked by: Nick Hurd (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the direct and indirect cost to the UK economy of disability through blindness and visual disorders.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The Department has not made a recent estimate of the direct and indirect cost to the United Kingdom economy of disability through blindness and visual disorders.
Asked by: Nick Hurd (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of levels of blindness and low vision are classifiable as preventable.
Answered by Alistair Burt
There is a range of information already available about levels of preventable sight loss. The indicator within the Public Health Outcomes Framework brings this together in a single place. The indicator is made up of four sub-indicators which will measure the crude rates of Age-Related Macular Degeneration, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, and of the rate of sight loss certifications per 100,000 population. Data has been collected since 1 April 2013.
Baseline data for 2010/11 was published in November 2012, broken down by local authority and data providing a time series up to 2013/14 has now been published. It is available to search at:
http://www.phoutcomes.info/public-health-outcomes-framework#gid/1000044/par/E12000004
Asked by: Nick Hurd (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether the privatisation of the Green Investment Bank will be by asset sale or as a going concern.
Answered by Anna Soubry
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills’ written Ministerial Statements of 25 June and 15 October make clear that the Government is moving UK Green Investment Bank plc (GIB) into private ownership and repealing the GIB legislation so that, following a sale, GIB can continue to operate as a going concern and be reclassified to the private sector with the freedom to borrow and raise a much greater volume of private capital without affecting public sector debt.
Asked by: Nick Hurd (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the cost effectiveness of (a) cataract surgery, (b) correction of refractive error, (c) interventions against trachoma and (d) other public health interventions.
Answered by Grant Shapps
DFID uses evidence on the cost-effectiveness of health interventions to inform DFID investment decisions. This includes the World Health Organisation CHOICE (CHOosing Interventions that are Cost-Effective) project that provides detailed cost-effectiveness estimates of a large number of interventions to reduce risks to health, including many causes of blindness. DFID’s aim is to maximise health gains through targeted, cost-effective health interventions that are delivered through strengthened, more efficient and effective health systems.
Every DFID project is rigorously appraised before approval. During implementation each project is regularly monitored to examine whether the targeted results are on track, whether the project represents value for money and remains cost effective, and what, if any, corrective action needs to be undertaken. DFID considers alternative approaches and cost-effectiveness, amongst other factors, whenever we make an investment. The best value for money in a given country at a given time will depend on many factors, including the local context and what others are doing.
Asked by: Nick Hurd (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assumptions her Department has made on (a) global levels of avoidable blindness and low vision and (b) projected levels of those problems in 2020 in planning its work.
Answered by Grant Shapps
The latest available evidence on the burden of disease is used in planning our work. Data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) shows that 285 million people are estimated to be visually impaired worldwide: 39 million are blind and 246 million have low vision. Data on levels and trends of the burden of diseases and injuries and the risk factors that cause them are an important input to health decision-making for national governments and development partners.When making investment decisions DFID considers many factors, including the burden of disease, to ensure that we deliver value for money and that we address the health needs of the countries we support.
Asked by: Nick Hurd (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the cost effectiveness of her Department's programmes to help reduce the incidence of avoidable blindness and low vision.
Answered by Grant Shapps
DFID uses evidence on the cost-effectiveness of health interventions to inform DFID investment decisions. This includes the World Health Organisation CHOICE (CHOosing Interventions that are Cost-Effective) project that provides detailed cost-effectiveness estimates of a large number of interventions to reduce risks to health, including many causes of blindness. DFID’s aim is to maximise health gains through targeted, cost-effective health interventions that are delivered through strengthened, more efficient and effective health systems.
Every DFID project is rigorously appraised before approval. During implementation each project is regularly monitored to examine whether the targeted results are on track, whether the project represents value for money and remains cost effective, and what, if any, corrective action needs to be undertaken. DFID considers alternative approaches and cost-effectiveness, amongst other factors, whenever we make an investment. The best value for money in a given country at a given time will depend on many factors, including the local context and what others are doing.
Asked by: Nick Hurd (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department has taken to help reduce the incidence of avoidable blindness and low vision since 2010.
Answered by Grant Shapps
DFID has a number of programmes that directly and indirectly support the prevention and treatment of avoidable blindness. Since 2010 DFID has supported: the control of river blindness; programmes that contribute to the elimination of blinding trachoma; the work of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust to tackle trachoma, diabetic retinopathy and retinopathy of prematurity across the Commonwealth; a Programme Partnership Arrangement with Sightsavers and several UK Aid Match schemes that provide a range of sight-restoring and sight-saving operations; and funding provided to UNICEF, the GAVI Alliance and the Measles and Rubella Initiative (MRI) that has helped provide, amongst other things, food fortification, Vitamin A supplementation and measles immunisation, which reduce the risk of blindness.
Prevention and treatment of avoidable blindness requires a strong health system. Through its health systems strengthening, DFID is helping to ensure that eye treatment is available for all. The UK is providing significant support to developing and maintaining robust health systems to enable developing countries to address their health priorities.
Asked by: Nick Hurd (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what information her Department holds on the global cost of lost economic activity due to blindness and low vision.
Answered by Grant Shapps
There are a limited number of studies that estimate the lost productivity from all avoidable blindness. However, there have been some studies to assess the impact of specific causes of visual impairment and blindness. For example, it has been estimated that trachoma alone causes US$3-6 billion in lost productivity per year across affected countries. DFID is supporting the prevention and treatment of trachoma in a number of highly endemic countries.
Asked by: Nick Hurd (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assistance her Department is providing to countries which have not yet developed a national eye care plan.
Answered by Grant Shapps
In 2013, the World Health Assembly approved the Global Action Plan for the Prevention of Avoidable Blindness and Visual Impairment 2014-2019 - Towards Universal Eye Health. This is a roadmap for WHO Member States and international partners with the aim of achieving a measurable reduction of 25% of avoidable visual impairments by 2019. One of the three key objectives of the plan is the development and implementation of integrated national eye health policies, plans and programmes to enhance universal eye health. The UK has signed up to the plan and existing UK programmes on avoidable blindness are contributing to achieving its objectives.
Asked by: Nick Hurd (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, pursuant to the Answer of 17 September 2015 to Question 10237, when he expects to publish proposals for the future of the National Debt Fund.
Answered by Jeremy Wright - Shadow Attorney General
I refer my Hon. Friend to my Answer of 17 September 2015. Work is on-going on the possible application to the court for directions on the future of the National Fund, consistent with its object of extinguishing or reducing the national debt. I am also continuing to consider other options. I will update my Hon. Friend as soon as I can.