Asked by: Simon Burns (Conservative - Chelmsford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps are being taken to minimise the overrunning of engineering works on the London Liverpool Street - Chelmsford - Colchester - Ipswich railway line.
Answered by Claire Perry
Network Rail is responsible for the day to day operation of the rail network and the delivery of enhancements. The independent regulator, the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) will continue to monitor closely Network Rail’s performance delivery on the Anglia route, which will cover all the causes of delay, including the impact of overrunning engineering works.
The Track Access Contracts between Network Rail and train operators provide for Network Rail to pay compensation to an operator in the event that train services cannot operate or are delayed due to engineering works or disruption outside that operator’s control. The Department for Transport does not hold details of the timing or number of such payments, which are a commercial matter between the parties directly concerned, overseen by the ORR. The ORR publishes the annual totals of these payments at route level on its data portal:
https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/displayreport/report/html/345da3b9-b9ac-449a-aace-8298c5b39e2b
The ORR concluded its assessment of Network Rail’s performance between 2009 and 2014 in July. Since Network Rail did not deliver its funded obligations, and to address issues which have disrupted services for passengers, the company has committed at least £25m extra funds to improve the resilience of the network in London and the South East, with plans to be in place by December. In the Long Distance sector, the company fell significantly short of its funded target. Under an order made by the ORR in 2012, taking account of issues beyond Network Rail's control, the company has been asked to return £53.1m to funders for failure to deliver its agreed obligations in 2013-14. The Government is reinvesting this sum to improve on-train mobile services for passengers.
Asked by: Simon Burns (Conservative - Chelmsford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what sanctions have been imposed on Network Rail as a result of engineering works overrunning and causing disruption to the rail service on the London Liverpool Street - Chelmsford - Colchester - Ipswich railway line in the last five years.
Answered by Claire Perry
Network Rail is responsible for the day to day operation of the rail network and the delivery of enhancements. The independent regulator, the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) will continue to monitor closely Network Rail’s performance delivery on the Anglia route, which will cover all the causes of delay, including the impact of overrunning engineering works.
The Track Access Contracts between Network Rail and train operators provide for Network Rail to pay compensation to an operator in the event that train services cannot operate or are delayed due to engineering works or disruption outside that operator’s control. The Department for Transport does not hold details of the timing or number of such payments, which are a commercial matter between the parties directly concerned, overseen by the ORR. The ORR publishes the annual totals of these payments at route level on its data portal:
https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/displayreport/report/html/345da3b9-b9ac-449a-aace-8298c5b39e2b
The ORR concluded its assessment of Network Rail’s performance between 2009 and 2014 in July. Since Network Rail did not deliver its funded obligations, and to address issues which have disrupted services for passengers, the company has committed at least £25m extra funds to improve the resilience of the network in London and the South East, with plans to be in place by December. In the Long Distance sector, the company fell significantly short of its funded target. Under an order made by the ORR in 2012, taking account of issues beyond Network Rail's control, the company has been asked to return £53.1m to funders for failure to deliver its agreed obligations in 2013-14. The Government is reinvesting this sum to improve on-train mobile services for passengers.
Asked by: Simon Burns (Conservative - Chelmsford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on how many occasions engineering works carried out by Network Rail on the London Liverpool Street - Chelmsford - Colchester - Ipswich railway line have overrun causing disruption to the service in each of the last five years.
Answered by Claire Perry
Network Rail is responsible for the day to day operation of the rail network and the delivery of enhancements. The independent regulator, the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) will continue to monitor closely Network Rail’s performance delivery on the Anglia route, which will cover all the causes of delay, including the impact of overrunning engineering works.
The Track Access Contracts between Network Rail and train operators provide for Network Rail to pay compensation to an operator in the event that train services cannot operate or are delayed due to engineering works or disruption outside that operator’s control. The Department for Transport does not hold details of the timing or number of such payments, which are a commercial matter between the parties directly concerned, overseen by the ORR. The ORR publishes the annual totals of these payments at route level on its data portal:
https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/displayreport/report/html/345da3b9-b9ac-449a-aace-8298c5b39e2b
The ORR concluded its assessment of Network Rail’s performance between 2009 and 2014 in July. Since Network Rail did not deliver its funded obligations, and to address issues which have disrupted services for passengers, the company has committed at least £25m extra funds to improve the resilience of the network in London and the South East, with plans to be in place by December. In the Long Distance sector, the company fell significantly short of its funded target. Under an order made by the ORR in 2012, taking account of issues beyond Network Rail's control, the company has been asked to return £53.1m to funders for failure to deliver its agreed obligations in 2013-14. The Government is reinvesting this sum to improve on-train mobile services for passengers.
Asked by: Simon Burns (Conservative - Chelmsford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reason the Chief Executive of NHS England has not replied to the letter of 30 May 2014 from the right hon. Member for Chelmsford on behalf of his constituent Mr John McPhee; and when he expects a substantive response to the letter.
Answered by Jane Ellison
NHS England has advised that a response has now been sent to my Rt. hon. Friend. The earlier failure to acknowledge my Rt. hon. Friend’s correspondence was due to an administrative error within NHS England’s processes, which has now been rectified.
Asked by: Simon Burns (Conservative - Chelmsford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the right hon. Member for Chelmsford can expect a response from the Chief Executive of NHS England to his letter of 30 May 2014 on his constituent Mr John McPhee.
Answered by Jane Ellison
NHS England has confirmed that my Rt. hon. Friend’s correspondence is currently being actioned and apologise for not providing a response sooner.
The matters raised by the constituent are currently the subject of an ongoing complaint investigation with the Essex Area Team of NHS England. NHS England can reassure my Rt. hon. Friend that a complaints manager has been in contact with the constituent (who has also raised a complaint direct with NHS England) to discuss their concerns and agree a way forward for resolution.
Asked by: Simon Burns (Conservative - Chelmsford)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission, what the names are of the candidates who have been short-listed for consideration for the position of Clerk of the House and Chief Executive; and what the country of residence of each such candidate is.
Answered by Viscount Thurso
Three candidates are currently shortlisted. It is not the Commission’s practice to disclose confidential personal information, including names of applicants for positions.
Asked by: Simon Burns (Conservative - Chelmsford)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission, what funding the Commission allocated for payment of travel, hotel and subsistence expenses of candidates interviewed for the role of Clerk of the House and Chief Executive; what the actual cost was of paying those expenses; and from which budget those expenses will be paid.
Answered by Viscount Thurso
No specific budget has been allocated for the payment of travel, hotel or subsistence expenses for candidates interviewed for the role of Clerk of the House and Chief Executive. The cost incurred to 14 July is £2,702.31. The costs are met from the House Service's general recruitment budget.
Asked by: Simon Burns (Conservative - Chelmsford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of (a) NHS staff, (b) pregnant women and (c) pensioners took up influenza vaccinations in each of the last four years for which figures are available.
Answered by Jane Ellison
Data for England on the number of seasonal influenza vaccinations administered by primary care and National Health Service trusts to target groups have been derived from the Annual Influenza Vaccine Uptake Reports published by Public Health England (PHE).
Annual influenza vaccine uptake for healthcare workers (HCWs) (England) is reported in the following table. Influenza vaccination is offered to frontline healthcare or social care professionals directly involved in patient care.
Influenza vaccine uptake for frontline HCWs with direct patient care | |||
Number of HCWs With Direct Patient Care | Number of Vaccines Administered | Vaccine Uptake (%) | |
2010/11 | 1,035,219 | 359,080 | 34.7 |
2011/12 | 1,023,679 | 456,542 | 44.6 |
2012/13 | 1,023,763 | 466,601 | 45.6 |
2013/14 | 974,632 | 534,090 | 54.8 |
Annual influenza vaccine uptake for pregnant women (England) are presented in the following table. Influenza vaccination has been offered to all pregnant women (includes those NOT in a clinical at-risk group and those IN a clinical at-risk group) since the 2010-11 flu season.
Influenza vaccine uptake for pregnant women | |||
Number of Patients Registered | Number of Vaccines Administered | Vaccine Uptake (%) | |
2010/11 | 318,562 | 121,164 | 38.0 |
2011/12 | 710,554 | 195,031 | 27.4 |
2012/13 | 713,740 | 287,561 | 40.3 |
2013/14 | 659,223 | 262,081 | 39.8 |
Annual influenza vaccine uptake for people aged 65 and over (England) are presented in the following table. Influenza vaccination is offered to this group.
Influenza vaccine uptake in those aged 65 years and over | |||
Number of Patients Registered | Number of Vaccines Administered | % Vaccine Uptake | |
2010/11 | 8,631,137 | 6,287,011 | 72.8 |
2011/12 | 9,138,632 | 6,764,364 | 74.0 |
2012/13 | 9,377,661 | 6,881,636 | 73.4 |
2013/14 | 9,646,433 | 7,062,210 | 73.2 |
Source: PHE Influenza Immunisation Vaccine Uptake Monitoring Programme
Asked by: Simon Burns (Conservative - Chelmsford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2014, Official Report, columns 27-8W, on pharmaceutical price regulation scheme, what payments have been made to the devolved administrations in the financial year 2014-15 to date; and what payments were made to the devolved administrations in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15 financial years under the iteration of the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme which has applied from 1 January 2014.
Answered by Norman Lamb
To date, no payments have been made to the devolved administrations in respect of the 2014 Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme (PPRS) in financial year 2014-15. Constructive discussions have taken place with the Department and the devolved administrations to identify a fair allocation of receipts received under the PPRS. Agreement on the allocations for financial year 2013-14 has been reached and the Department intends to make the payments for that financial year within the next month.
Asked by: Simon Burns (Conservative - Chelmsford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the total cost to the NHS was of providing free flu vaccinations in each of the last four years for which figures are available.
Answered by Jane Ellison
NHS England spent a total of £251 million on immunisation programmes in 2013-14. Of this, £89 million is identifiable as relating to the purchase of flu vaccines for adults and the administration of flu vaccines for both adults and children.
Vaccines for the national childhood immunisation programme, including for childhood flu immunisation from 2013-14, are purchased and managed by Public Health England on behalf of the Department and are not a cost for the National Health Service. The cost of the vaccine and its storage and distribution are commercially confidential.
Data for NHS spend for the years prior to 2013-14 is not held centrally.