Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information he holds on (a) the reasons for the Cheshire/Mersey integrated care system's (ICS) appointment of an assistant Medical Director without advertising that post and (b) the human resources arrangements for that ICS; and what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that ICS's follow best practice in relation to human resources and governance matters.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The national human resources framework for establishing integrated care boards (ICBs) sets out the process to be followed in each integrated care system (ICS) for making appointments to their executive roles. Appointments can be made via an organisational change process or by a recruitment process. If posts are filled by an organisational change they will not be advertised.
The Department is advised that for the Medical Director post of Cheshire/Merseyside ICS, the panel agreed to appoint two candidates, one as Executive Medical Director and the other as Associate Medical Director. These appointments are on a designate basis, subject to the successful passage of the Health and Care Bill. The individuals were also appointed on the basis that both candidates will continue to undertake some clinical work and fulfil their roles on a less than full time basis. The human resources support to the ICS is provided by the Midland and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit with a small internal Health and Care Partnership resource.
The Department is working on overall implementation plans with NHS England. The Health and Care Bill proposes that the chair of an ICB be appointed by NHS England, with the approval of the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. However, the Department does not have a role in relation to other appointments that will be made to ICBs.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
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 the letter from the hon. Member for West Lancashire dated 13 October 2021 and transferred to his Department from the Department for Education on 30 November 2021, reference ZA57966.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
We replied to the hon. Member on 10 March 2022.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
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 the letter from the hon. Member for West Lancashire dated 13 October 2021 regarding student nursing funding, reference ZA57966, which was transferred to his department from the Department for Education.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
We replied to the hon. Member on 10 March 2022.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress has been made on the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances' 2021 annual report.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances is independent of Government. The Committee does not publish a separate annual report. The Code of Practice for Scientific Advisory Committees sets out the information which should be published. These are the Committee’s purpose and activities, its membership and members’ interests and a financial statement. With the exception of a financial statement, these are published in the minutes of its meetings, which is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/advisory-committee-on-borderline-substances
No financial statement is published because there is negligible financial activity to report. Members are not paid any fees or honoraria for their services and are entitled to claim repayment of expenses.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Government plans to publish its response to the consultation on changes being proposed to Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances policy about oral nutritional supplements listed in part XV of the Drug Tariff.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances (ACBS) is independent of Government. The ACBS will present its findings in a consultation report to the Department. At this stage, the report will be shared with the British Specialist Nutrition Association for further comment within a month. The Department will then consider the finalised report in relation to each of the proposed policy options.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
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 the correspondence of 1 August 2021 from the hon. Member for West Lancashire regarding free NHS services, reference ZA57330.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
We replied to the hon. Member on 13 January 2022.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the £50 million of funding for dentistry announced on 25 January 2022 will be recurrent funding.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
This additional funding is non-recurrent. National Health Service dentistry has been operating at restricted capacity during the pandemic, therefore this funding targets those who have been unable to access an appointment. The funding will secure up to 350,000 additional dental appointments for those most in need of urgent dental treatment. Children are being prioritised, in addition to people with learning disabilities, autism and severe mental health problems.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
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 the letter from the hon. Member for West Lancashire of 8 November 2021, reference ZA58199, in relation to the covid-19 booster vaccine roll out.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
We replied to the hon. Member on 28 January 2022.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
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 the letter from the hon. Member for West Lancashire of 29 October 2021, reference ZA58120, in relation to covid-19 booster vaccines.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 10 January 2022 to Question 96819.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to review the occurrence of sex-selective abortion.
Answered by Maggie Throup
The latest analysis on sex ratios at birth was published in October 2021 and found no evidence for sex selective abortions occurring in the United Kingdom between 2015 and 2019. In this period there were 105.5 male to 100 female births, which is below the accepted upper limit of 107.
Whilst this data shows that sex selection abortions are having no impact on birth ratios, it is possible that small numbers are occurring and we continue to remain vigilant, work with abortion providers and actively monitor the situation.