Asked by: Sajid Javid (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the draft guidance published by NICE on 3 November 2023, what steps she is taking to reduce delays in access to (a) treatment and (b) medicines for people with cystic fibrosis.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The Government wants National Health Service patients to benefit from rapid access to effective new medicines. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the NHS on whether all new licensed medicines should be routinely funded by the NHS based on an assessment of their costs and benefits and aims wherever possible to publish guidance close to the point of licensing. The NHS is legally required to fund medicines recommended by NICE, normally within three months of final guidance.
Since 2019, NHS patients have been able to access the cystic fibrosis therapies Orkambi, Symkevi and Kaftrio through an interim access agreement. The agreement makes the medicines available for a limited time at a reduced price, while further information has been collected to inform a NICE appraisal. On 15 November 2023, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency approved a new licence extension and children as young as two years old with cystic fibrosis are now eligible to receive Kaftrio through the interim access agreement.
Asked by: Sajid Javid (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to tackle concerns of freeholders subject to high estate charges.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
We want to make estate management companies more accountable to their freeholders for how their money is spent
When Parliamentary time allows, the Government intends to legislate to ensure that freehold homeowners who pay estate rentcharges have the right to challenge their reasonableness and to go to the tribunal to appoint a manager to manage the provision of services.
In addition, we will remove the statutory right for owners of rentcharges to take possession or grant a lease of the property in the event of non-payment by the homeowner.
Asked by: Sajid Javid (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what percentage of adults in Bromsgrove District have received a covid-19 vaccination according to the latest available data.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
As of 27 May 2021, the number of people in Bromsgrove Lower Tier Local Authority (LTLA) who have received a first dose and those who have received first and second doses are 65,668 and 46,519 respectively.
The estimated percentage of those aged 16 years old and over who have had at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in Bromsgrove LTLA is 77.1%, based on population figures of 85,144. However, it should be noted that general practice boundaries are not necessarily coterminous with LTLA boundaries and therefore people outside of the Bromsgrove LTLA area may have been vaccinated in a Bromsgrove GP practice and vice versa. 16 years old and older, rather than 18 years old and over, has been given as the lowest relevant age cohort for population estimates across English geographies available on the National Immunisation Managements Service (NIMS) is 16-29.
Further information can be found at the following link: www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/covid-19-vaccinations/
Asked by: Sajid Javid (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people have received (a) one dose and (b) two doses of the covid-19 vaccination in Bromsgrove District according to the latest available data.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
As of 27 May 2021, the number of people in Bromsgrove Lower Tier Local Authority (LTLA) who have received a first dose and those who have received first and second doses are 65,668 and 46,519 respectively.
The estimated percentage of those aged 16 years old and over who have had at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in Bromsgrove LTLA is 77.1%, based on population figures of 85,144. However, it should be noted that general practice boundaries are not necessarily coterminous with LTLA boundaries and therefore people outside of the Bromsgrove LTLA area may have been vaccinated in a Bromsgrove GP practice and vice versa. 16 years old and older, rather than 18 years old and over, has been given as the lowest relevant age cohort for population estimates across English geographies available on the National Immunisation Managements Service (NIMS) is 16-29.
Further information can be found at the following link: www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/covid-19-vaccinations/
Asked by: Sajid Javid (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
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 build on the promotion of connecting with nature as part of Mental Health Week 2021 in its future work on mental health.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
Our “COVID-19 mental health and wellbeing recovery action plan” recognises the important role that access to green spaces plays in supporting our mental health, and it outlines a range of work carried out by Government departments to increase access to green spaces.
This includes through testing green social prescribing through the Preventing and tackling mental ill health through green social prescribing project. This £5.77 million cross-Government project will test green social prescribing in seven sites, run national research work to understand scalability, and deliver a robust project evaluation. The project will work with communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19, and is running from October 2020 until April 2023. It will increase our understanding of how nature-based activities such as community gardening projects and green exercise can meet the needs of people with, or at risk of developing, mental ill health and help to inform future policy development.
Asked by: Sajid Javid (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the review into the Football Index Gambling Product is taking to engage with former customers who may be able to support its work.
Answered by John Whittingdale - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
The Secretary of State has appointed Malcolm Sheehan QC to lead the independent review of the Football Index gambling product and we have published its scope and terms of reference on gov.uk. As I said in my Written Ministerial Statement of 7 June, many former customers of Football Index have already contacted the Department to provide information and they can continue to do so via gamblingactreview@dcms.gov.uk. The statement can be found at: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2021-06-07/hcws63
Asked by: Sajid Javid (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what support his Department is providing to (a) entrepreneurs and (b) people who wish to expand their small businesses.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government has put measures in place to support businesses of all sizes and stages of growth.
The Start Up Loans Company is part of the Government-backed British Business Bank and offers support to start or grow new businesses and those in operation for up to 24 months. Loans of up to £25,000 are available to individuals aged 18 and over, repayable across 1 to 5 years at a competitive fixed rate of 6%. These loans include 12 months of free mentoring from an industry expert.
The Government’s new ‘Help to Grow’ scheme will help small businesses across the UK to learn new skills, reach new customers, and boost profits. Help to Grow: Management will provide intensive management skills support to 30,000 small businesses. Help to Grow: Digital could support 100,000 small businesses with online advice and a voucher for software costs.
The Business Support Helpline and the 38 Growth Hubs across England also offer tailored advice to businesses and entrepreneurs seeking financial support, as well as joining up national and local support.
The Government’s business advice pages on GOV.UK, including the business finance finder search tool, provide information and guidance relevant to starting, growing and maintaining a business, as well as statutory rights and obligations, and links to support provided by devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Sajid Javid (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent steps his Department has taken to work with representatives of the wedding industry on pilot schemes to facilitate the easing of social distancing restrictions on ceremonies and receptions.
Answered by Paul Scully
BEIS Ministers and officials meet with representatives of the sector-led UK Weddings Taskforce on a regular basis to discuss the challenges faced by the sector and how best to support it through the pandemic.
Information provided by the Weddings Taskforce is contributing to the Events Research Programme and helping us draw conclusions on how to bring about the return of larger weddings after Step 4.
Asked by: Sajid Javid (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to encourage recruitment to the armed forces in (a) Worcestershire and (b) the UK.
Answered by Leo Docherty
The Armed Forces recruit nationally and do not operate a specific policy of increasing recruitment from particular geographic areas. Armed Forces Career Offices (AFCO) are spread across the UK including six in the Midlands. AFCOs are complemented by dedicated call centres and online recruiting operations, ensuring that all communities have the same recruitment opportunities. During the pandemic, the Armed Forces have conducted COVID-secure outreach programmes and virtual careers events, supported by web-based information services and social media campaigns.
Asked by: Sajid Javid (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to work with rural communities to tackle fly-tipping.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
Fly-tipping is a crime which affects all of society, including rural communities and private landowners, and we are committed to tacking this unacceptable behaviour
We appreciate the difficulty and cost that fly-tipping poses to landowners and we work with a wide range of interested parties through the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group (NFTPG), such as the National Farmers Union, Campaign to Protect Rural England, Countryside Alliance and the Countryside Landowners Association, to promote and disseminate good practice, including advice on how to prevent fly-tipping on private land which can be found at: NFTPGAdviceforLandowners.pdf (tacklingflytipping.com)
We are also working with the NFTPG to develop a fly-tipping toolkit to help local authorities, landowners and others work in partnership to tackle this crime.
We expect local authorities to investigate all incidents of fly-tipping, including those on private land; prosecuting fly-tippers when there is sufficient evidence and recovering investigation, enforcement and clearance costs where possible
Budget 2020 allocated up to £2 million to support innovative solutions to tackle fly-tipping. In April 2021 we commissioned a research project considering the drivers, deterrents and impacts of fly-tipping tipping, which will include consideration of rural areas. This research project is due to be completed before the end of this year and will support informed policy making. We are exploring additional funding opportunities and priorities, including considering the role of digital solutions.
We are taking forward the commitment in the Resources and Waste Strategy to develop proposals for the reform of the waste carrier, broker, and dealer regime. We are currently working with industry and the regulator and we intend to consult later this year. We also intend to consult on the introduction of mandatory electronic waste tracking. Digital records of waste movements will allow regulators to detect when waste does not reach the next stage, which may help to identify illegal activity including fly-tipping.
The Environment Bill will help us to use our resources more efficiently and reduce the amount of waste we produce. It will enable us to fundamentally change the way we use resources, including increasing rates of recycling and making the products we use every day more durable and easier to recycle.