Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with the devolved administrations on extending the remit of Op Courage outside England.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Health is devolved across the four nations of the United Kingdom and the services available therefore may differ across each part of the UK. The Government has not had any discussions with devolved administrations on the potential introduction of Op COURAGE outside England.
Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will discuss the potential approval of psilocybin as a medicine with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.
Answered by Will Quince
There are no plans to do so. For an authorisation to be granted for a medicine, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency must receive a full marketing application from the applicant.
Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment has she made of the potential (a) medical, (b) research and (c) mental health uses for psilocybin.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
There is no proven medical use for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies such as psilocybin in the United Kingdom and no substance has yet been licensed as safe and effective in the treatment of mental health conditions. The licensing regime for controlled drugs allows legitimate medical research to take place with an appropriate licence and safeguards. The Department commissions research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), which has invested £1.1 million in a randomised controlled trial to examine the feasibility, safety and efficacy of the use of psilocybin in people with treatment-resistant depression. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies.
Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department’s Information Risk Management and Assurance Directorate take steps to internally distribute and publicise guidance on (a) minute taking during Ministerial meetings and (b) requirements for officials to be present during Ministerial meetings.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The creation and distribution of guidance on minute taking and the requirement for officials to be present is not within the remit of the Information Risk Management and Assurance Directorate.
Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to Question 78453 tabled on 19 November 2021 by the hon. Member for Midlothian.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question 78453.
Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the value of contracts given by the Department to Randox since 2010.
Answered by Maggie Throup
The Department has placed contracts with Randox with a total value of £619,625,315.00. There have been no contracts awarded prior to 2020.
Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department takes to ensure that at least one official from his Department is present during all (a) meetings and (b) phone calls relating to Government business between Ministers and third parties.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Department operates in line with the Ministerial Code which states at 8.14 that “a private secretary or official should be present for all discussions relating to Government business. If a Minister meets an external organisation or individual and finds themselves discussing official business without an official present… any significant content should be fed back to the department as soon as possible”.
Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his Department's process is for (a) recording and (b) keeping minutes of phone calls relating to Government business made by Government ministers and officials.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Formal, structured meetings are usually minuted. Guidance is available to help officials meet their obligation under the Civil Service Code to ‘keep accurate official records’, which includes making records of decisions and actions that take place in meetings.
Specific procedures are in place for external meetings involving ministers in ‘Guidance on the management of Private Office Papers’, which is available at the following link:
https://cdn.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/information-management/popapersguidance2009.pdf
Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his Department’s process is for (a) recording and (b) keeping minutes of all meetings relating to Government business.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Formal, structured meetings are usually minuted. Guidance is available to help officials meet their obligation under the Civil Service Code to ‘keep accurate official records’, which includes making records of decisions and actions that take place in meetings.
Specific procedures are in place for external meetings involving ministers in ‘Guidance on the management of Private Office Papers’, which is available at the following link:
https://cdn.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/information-management/popapersguidance2009.pdf
Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether there is a body within his Department responsible for providing guidance and training to staff on how to manage their information and records equivalent to the Knowledge and Information Management team at the Department for Transport.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Department’s Information Risk Management and Assurance Directorate sets policy for information and records management, including the provision of advice and guidance.