Asked by: Russell Brown (Labour - Dumfries and Galloway)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what scope joint committees of NHS England and clinical commissioning groups will have to deviate from national service specifications for specialised services in (a) 2015-16 and (b) future years.
Answered by Jane Ellison
NHS England is the accountable commissioner and budget holder for all specialised services as set out in the National Health Service Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups (Responsibilities and Standing Rules) Regulations 2012, with the Manual for prescribed specialised services providing further detail.
NHS England has achieved significant progress in developing a set of nationally consistent service standards and commissioning policies, which ensure equity of access to high quality services across the board. Those standards and policies will continue to apply for those specialised services which are to be collaboratively commissioned by NHS England and clinical commissioning groups.
NHS England is currently in the process of agreeing the guidance on the collaborative commissioning arrangements which will be in place from 1 April 2015.
NHS England has clarified that where there are collaboratively commissioned services, NHS England will retain the full financial risk for these services for 2015/16. NHS England has advised us that there will be further work conducted over the next year to advise on the range of specialised services for which NHS England should remain the accountable commissioner and budget holder for 2016/17 and future years.
Copies of The National Health Service Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups (Responsibilities and Standing Rules) Regulations 2012 and the Manual for prescribed specialised services are attached.
Asked by: Russell Brown (Labour - Dumfries and Galloway)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether NHS England will remain the sole budget-holder and accountable commissioner for all specialised services in (a) 2015-16, (b) 2016-17 and (c) future years.
Answered by Jane Ellison
NHS England is the accountable commissioner and budget holder for all specialised services as set out in the National Health Service Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups (Responsibilities and Standing Rules) Regulations 2012, with the Manual for prescribed specialised services providing further detail.
NHS England has achieved significant progress in developing a set of nationally consistent service standards and commissioning policies, which ensure equity of access to high quality services across the board. Those standards and policies will continue to apply for those specialised services which are to be collaboratively commissioned by NHS England and clinical commissioning groups.
NHS England is currently in the process of agreeing the guidance on the collaborative commissioning arrangements which will be in place from 1 April 2015.
NHS England has clarified that where there are collaboratively commissioned services, NHS England will retain the full financial risk for these services for 2015/16. NHS England has advised us that there will be further work conducted over the next year to advise on the range of specialised services for which NHS England should remain the accountable commissioner and budget holder for 2016/17 and future years.
Copies of The National Health Service Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups (Responsibilities and Standing Rules) Regulations 2012 and the Manual for prescribed specialised services are attached.
Asked by: Russell Brown (Labour - Dumfries and Galloway)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many vaccine damage payments have been awarded in each year since 2003.
Answered by Mark Harper
The number of Vaccine Damage Payments made each year since 2003:
2002/03 5
2003/04 5
2004/05 4
2005/06 5
2006/07 4
2007/08 2
2008/09 0
2009/10 3
2010/11 1
2011/12 0
2012/13 0
2013/14 0
2014/15 0
Asked by: Russell Brown (Labour - Dumfries and Galloway)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he expects that a final decision will be made on the final pension age for the Ministry of Defence Police and Defence Fire and Rescue Services.
Answered by Anna Soubry
Discussions on the future arrangements for Ministry of Defence Police and Defence Fire and Rescue Service personnel pensions are still ongoing.
I recognise that this is an important issue for both communities and I am therefore seeking to resolve it as soon as possible. This is however a complex matter which raises a number of cross-Departmental issues.
Although no final decision has yet been taken, I hope to conclude this issue in the near future.
Asked by: Russell Brown (Labour - Dumfries and Galloway)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what adjustments his Department has made to the number of people reassessed for personal independence payment to reflect the current backlog of claims.
Answered by Mark Harper
Following our controlled approach, a further 29 postcode areas have gone live with reassessment. We are currently progressing detailed planning and assurance activity to identify postcode areas to be included in further phases of rollout.
Asked by: Russell Brown (Labour - Dumfries and Galloway)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have undergone a reassessment for personal independence payment before the end of their award period.
Answered by Mark Harper
The official statistics published in December show that to the end of October 2014, 29,900 claimants have had a reassessment and received their Personal Independence Payment decision. DLA remains in payment while the claimant goes through the process to claim Personal Independence Payment. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/personal-independence-payment-statistics
Asked by: Russell Brown (Labour - Dumfries and Galloway)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost was of reassessing people with progressive conditions for (a) personal independence payment and (b) employment and support allowance in 2014.
Answered by Mark Harper
We do not hold this information. Assessment and reassessment for Personal Independence Payment and Employment and Support Allowance is based on an individual’s circumstances and how their condition affects them, not the condition itself.
Asked by: Russell Brown (Labour - Dumfries and Galloway)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pertussis vaccine damage claims were made in each year since 2003; and how many were successful in each year.
Answered by Mark Harper
Information regarding claims and awards in respect of each particular disease/vaccine is unavailable.
Asked by: Russell Brown (Labour - Dumfries and Galloway)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's guidance for Performance Measurement Review Officers on how to conduct a review.
Answered by Mark Harper
Yes, the guidance will be placed in the Library.
Small sections of the document have been redacted to protect the health and safety of the Review Officer where they may possibly be at risk whilst undertaking their duties and to ensure the continued effectiveness of the review process.
Asked by: Russell Brown (Labour - Dumfries and Galloway)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent discussions she has had with her ministerial colleagues on the issue of climate change in the Sustainable Development Goals.
Answered by Justine Greening
I am in regular contact with Ministerial colleagues on the issue of climate change and the Sustainable Development Goals. Ensuring that environmental sustainability and climate change are clearly integrated into the Sustainable Development Goals is a key priority for the UK Government.