Asked by: Peter Dowd (Labour - Bootle)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps she is taking to help (a) small businesses and (b) individuals access (i) Community Development Finance Institutions and (ii) other alternative lending sources.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The British Business Bank’s Finance Hub provides a comprehensive guide for small businesses seeking finance, including the role played by Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs) and other alternative lending sources. Several CDFIs are delivery partners for Start Up Loans, providing finance of up to £25,000 for business owners who have been trading for up to three years. CDFIs also provide loans to businesses through the British Business Bank’s regions and nations funds.
In addition, CDFIs play an invaluable role in enabling individuals to access finance who would otherwise be excluded.
Asked by: Peter Dowd (Labour - Bootle)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to encourage the uptake of flu vaccination across (a) support staff and (b) other professions working in the NHS.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
All providers delivering services under the NHS Standard Contract are contractually responsible for ensuring that all eligible frontline staff in contact with service users are vaccinated for flu. NHS England policy is to ensure all frontline patient facing staff working in Trusts are offered a flu vaccination.
NHS England is making best us of established networks to encourage uptake of flu vaccination by frontline health and care workers. This is being achieved using owned communication channels to target National Health Service and care staff and encouraging stakeholders, employers, and Government departments to share messaging, content and case studies with frontline professionals, their members and service users.
NHS England has developed a set of over 85 creative assets for local sites to use for the current seasonal flu campaign, including an FAQ leaflet and core messages, which have been available to order as print copies from Campaign Resource Centre since August 2023 with digital versions available to download throughout the campaign.
NHS England is also sharing regularly updated messaging, as well as highlighting and sharing best practice with its employer networks and reminding them of their responsibility to ensure staff are physically and mentally fit for work.
Asked by: Peter Dowd (Labour - Bootle)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will take steps to ensure that the consultation entitled Toilet provision in buildings other than dwellings, published on 13 August 2023, includes the consideration of equal provision of sanitary bins in male and female toilets.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 195483 on the 6 September 2023.
Asked by: Peter Dowd (Labour - Bootle)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department plans to make an assessment of the adequacy of Approved Document M for ensuring that men who experience incontinence can access sanitary bins.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 195483 on the 6 September 2023.
Asked by: Peter Dowd (Labour - Bootle)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of an in-service evaluation for spinal muscular atophy in the NHS on (a) patients and (b) patient families outside of the pilot area.
Answered by Will Quince
The UK National Screening Committee reviewed screening for spinal muscular atrophy in June 2023. While acknowledging recent developments, it found that more evidence was needed to assess how screening might work safely in the United Kingdom.
Its recommendation was to develop a new cost effectiveness modelling study for the UK screening context, as well as start scoping in-service evaluation work in live services in the National Health Service in the UK.
Planning is now underway for the modelling and in-service evaluation, which will help to address these uncertainties and unanswered questions. The UK National Screening Committee will continue to engage with spinal muscular atrophy stakeholders to help shape and input into the work and will keep the public updated via blog articles and ongoing stakeholder engagement.
Asked by: Peter Dowd (Labour - Bootle)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of opportunities available to the patient community to input into the (a) design and (b) delivery of the UK National Screening Committee’s upcoming in-service evaluation of spinal muscular astrophy screening in the NHS.
Answered by Will Quince
The UK National Screening Committee reviewed screening for spinal muscular atrophy in June 2023. While acknowledging recent developments, it found that more evidence was needed to assess how screening might work safely in the United Kingdom.
Its recommendation was to develop a new cost effectiveness modelling study for the UK screening context, as well as start scoping in-service evaluation work in live services in the National Health Service in the UK.
Planning is now underway for the modelling and in-service evaluation, which will help to address these uncertainties and unanswered questions. The UK National Screening Committee will continue to engage with spinal muscular atrophy stakeholders to help shape and input into the work and will keep the public updated via blog articles and ongoing stakeholder engagement.
Asked by: Peter Dowd (Labour - Bootle)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a permanent newborn screening programme for spinal muscular atrophy on the Government's Life Sciences Vision ambition to make the UK a world leader for (a) access and (b) uptake of new and innovative treatments and technologies.
Answered by Will Quince
The UK National Screening Committee reviewed screening for spinal muscular atrophy in June 2023. While acknowledging recent developments, it found that more evidence was needed to assess how screening might work safely in the United Kingdom.
Its recommendation was to develop a new cost effectiveness modelling study for the UK screening context, as well as start scoping in-service evaluation work in live services in the National Health Service in the UK.
Planning is now underway for the modelling and in-service evaluation, which will help to address these uncertainties and unanswered questions. The UK National Screening Committee will continue to engage with spinal muscular atrophy stakeholders to help shape and input into the work and will keep the public updated via blog articles and ongoing stakeholder engagement.
Asked by: Peter Dowd (Labour - Bootle)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the UK not having a spinal muscular atrophy screening programme on the development of the UK life science sector.
Answered by Will Quince
The UK National Screening Committee reviewed screening for spinal muscular atrophy in June 2023. While acknowledging recent developments, it found that more evidence was needed to assess how screening might work safely in the United Kingdom.
Its recommendation was to develop a new cost effectiveness modelling study for the UK screening context, as well as start scoping in-service evaluation work in live services in the National Health Service in the UK.
Planning is now underway for the modelling and in-service evaluation, which will help to address these uncertainties and unanswered questions. The UK National Screening Committee will continue to engage with spinal muscular atrophy stakeholders to help shape and input into the work and will keep the public updated via blog articles and ongoing stakeholder engagement.
Asked by: Peter Dowd (Labour - Bootle)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made a comparative assessment of health inequalities for babies that have had access to newborn screening for spinal muscular atrophy with those that haven't.
Answered by Will Quince
The UK National Screening Committee reviewed screening for spinal muscular atrophy in June 2023. While acknowledging recent developments, it found that more evidence was needed to assess how screening might work safely in the United Kingdom.
Its recommendation was to develop a new cost effectiveness modelling study for the UK screening context, as well as start scoping in-service evaluation work in live services in the National Health Service in the UK.
Planning is now underway for the modelling and in-service evaluation, which will help to address these uncertainties and unanswered questions. The UK National Screening Committee will continue to engage with spinal muscular atrophy stakeholders to help shape and input into the work and will keep the public updated via blog articles and ongoing stakeholder engagement.
Asked by: Peter Dowd (Labour - Bootle)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the UK National Screening Committee commissioning a cost-effectiveness modeling study for spinal muscular atrophy on the timeline for implementing newborn screenings across the UK.
Answered by Will Quince
The UK National Screening Committee reviewed screening for spinal muscular atrophy in June 2023. While acknowledging recent developments, it found that more evidence was needed to assess how screening might work safely in the United Kingdom.
Its recommendation was to develop a new cost effectiveness modelling study for the UK screening context, as well as start scoping in-service evaluation work in live services in the National Health Service in the UK.
Planning is now underway for the modelling and in-service evaluation, which will help to address these uncertainties and unanswered questions. The UK National Screening Committee will continue to engage with spinal muscular atrophy stakeholders to help shape and input into the work and will keep the public updated via blog articles and ongoing stakeholder engagement.