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Written Question
Health Services: Finance
Thursday 28th March 2024

Asked by: Simon Jupp (Conservative - East Devon)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support applicants for continued healthcare funding who appeal a decision to (a) NHS England and (b) the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

A public information leaflet is on the GOV.UK website in multiple languages, explaining the full process for appealing to NHS England or to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, as well as the eligibility decisions for NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC). This leaflet is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-continuing-healthcare-and-nhs-funded-nursing-care-public-information-leaflet

CHC guidance, named the National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing Care, states that any individual being considered for CHC at the screening or referral stage should be given a copy of this leaflet, along with any relevant local information about processes and contact details. This guidance is available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64b0f7cdc033c100108062f9/National-Framework-for-NHS-Continuing-Healthcare-and-NHS-funded-Nursing-Care_July-2022-revised_corrected-July-2023.pdf

NHS England has also commissioned a free Information and Advice Service for CHC from Beacon. This service provides independent and high-quality support on navigating CHC assessments and care planning, or to appeal against a decision about CHC eligibility. Further information is available at the following link:

https://beaconchc.co.uk/how-we-can-help/free-information-and-advice-on-nhs-continuing-healthcare/


Written Question
Economic Growth
Thursday 28th March 2024

Asked by: Simon Jupp (Conservative - East Devon)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the evidential basis is for his Department's tweet of 29 September 2023 that the UK was the fastest growing European G7 country since 2010.

Answered by Bim Afolami - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The calculations underlying this statistic were based on public information available on the 29 September 2023, including quarterly GDP data published by the Office for National Statistics for the UK and OECD data for the remaining G7 European economies.

The data showed that cumulative GDP growth in the UK from the beginning of 2010 (change on 2009 Q4) through to 2023 Q2 of 24.2% was greater than that of France (16.4%), Italy (3.5%) and Germany (21.2%).


Written Question
Income Tax: G7
Wednesday 27th March 2024

Asked by: Simon Jupp (Conservative - East Devon)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the evidential basis is for his Department's tweet of 6 January 2024 that the UK had the lowest effective average personal tax rate in the G7; and what the effective average personal tax rate is in each G7 country.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is committed to rewarding hard work through a fair and simple tax system that is also competitive internationally. The Government is taking a responsible approach by delivering tax cuts within the fiscal rules.

The tweet of 6 January 2024 was based on the most recently published data from the OECD’s Taxing Wages 2023 publication. This shows the total personal tax liability divided by salary for a single employed individual with no children on average earnings for Germany (37.4%), Italy (28.8%), France (27.7%), Canada (25.6%), the US (24.8%) and Japan (22.3%). Following the 2p NICs cut made at Autumn Statement, the effective personal tax rate for an employee on £44,300 (the OECD’s figure for UK average earnings) reduced from 23.6% to 21.5%, which would be the lowest rate in the G7, according to the latest available OECD data. This has fallen to 20.1% following the further 2p NICs cut made at Spring Budget.


Written Question
Sodium Valproate and Surgical Mesh Implants: Compensation
Wednesday 20th March 2024

Asked by: Simon Jupp (Conservative - East Devon)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Hughes Report: Options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh, published by the Patient Safety Commissioner on 7 February 2024, whether she has made an assessment of the potential implication for her policies of the provision of financial redress for people harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

The Government commissioned the Patient Safety Commissioner (PSC) to produce a report on redress for those affected by sodium valproate and pelvic mesh. We are grateful to the PSC and her team for completing this report and our sympathies remain with those affected by sodium valproate and pelvic mesh. The Government is now carefully considering the PSC’s recommendations and will respond substantively in due course.


Written Question
Voluntary Organisations: VAT
Monday 4th March 2024

Asked by: Simon Jupp (Conservative - East Devon)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will exempt not for profit organisations delivering welfare services for people living with dementia from VAT.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

VAT has been designed as a broad-based tax on consumption, and the twenty per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. Whilst there are exceptions to the standard rate, these have always been strictly limited by both legal and fiscal considerations.

Welfare services for people living with dementia provided by local authorities and similar bodies and charities are exempt from VAT, meaning no VAT is charged to the final consumer.

Welfare services for people living with dementia, provided by state regulated private welfare organisations, are also exempt from VAT. State regulated suppliers are those that are registered with the Care Quality Commission, and are eligible for the VAT exemption where they are providing services that are state regulated.

The regulation requirement ensures that VAT relief is limited to providers certified as offering safe and high-quality welfare services. This is a long-standing requirement, and there are no plans to make changes to these rules.


Written Question
Small Businesses: East Devon
Tuesday 20th February 2024

Asked by: Simon Jupp (Conservative - East Devon)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has made an estimate of the number and proportion of SMEs that have received funding from her Department in East Devon constituency in each of the last three years.

Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Department has a wide range of programmes and is pleased that the first of the new Regions and Nations Funds includes East Devon constituency. The new South West Investment Fund launched in July 2023 and has already invested £32,000 into Exeter Eyewear based at Exeter Science Park.

Through its business as usual programmes and Covid support schemes, the British Business Bank facilitated funding to the following number of businesses in East Devon in the last three years:

  • 2023: 15 (up to September 2023)
  • 2022: 40
  • 2021: 254

Written Question
Japanese Knotweed: Weed Control
Monday 19th February 2024

Asked by: Simon Jupp (Conservative - East Devon)

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 eradicate Japanese knotweed.

Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government recognises the threats posed by invasive species, including Japanese knotweed, and has a comprehensive Great Britain Non-native Species Strategy designed to co-ordinate action to tackle these threats.  Defra funds biocontrol research to tackle Japanese knotweed. It is hoped that this will provide a cost and time effective way of managing this species. This research has identified the psyllid Aphalari itadori, (a sap-sucking insect), as a biological control agent for tackling Japanese Knotweed. Information about the research can be found on the Japanese Knotweed Alliance website.

Local Action Groups, with support from Government, are actively involved in reducing and eradicating Japanese knotweed.

Japanese knotweed is listed on Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which makes it an offence to allow the plant to escape or cause it to grow in the wild. The Government has developed guidance on how to prevent the spread of Japanese knotweed and other harmful weeds, as well as how to treat and dispose of them, which can be found on GOV.UK:

How to stop invasive non-native plants from spreading - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The Government also run awareness raising campaigns such as ‘Be Plant Wise’ and Invasive Species Week, as well as providing species information and online training materials on biosecurity on the GB NNSS website.


Written Question
Sewage: East Devon
Wednesday 14th February 2024

Asked by: Simon Jupp (Conservative - East Devon)

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 help reduce sewage discharges in East Devon constituency.

Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government is clear that the amount of sewage discharged into our waters is unacceptable. That is why our Plan for Water sets out more investment, stronger regulation, and tougher enforcement to tackle widespread sources of pollution.

We have legislated to introduce unlimited penalties on water companies which breach their environmental permits and expand the range of offences to which penalties can be applied, giving the Environment Agency the tools it needs to hold water companies including South West Water (SWW) accountable.

The Environment Agency has worked with water companies to complete a programme to install Event Duration Monitoring to provide robust and consistent monitoring of how often and for how long all Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) are used. This was completed for all CSOs in Devon and Cornwall in 2023.

The Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) is an important mechanism for delivering benefits to the natural environment. The Environment Agency works closely with SWW to review investigations and influence improvements to water company assets and activities which impact the environment, including but not limited to bathing waters, drinking water protected areas and sites of special scientific interest.

The Environment Agency is currently investigating two recent incidents in Exmouth and has required SWW to provide data and information to support its investigations. The Environment Agency is seeking assurance that SWW is doing all it can to mitigate the environmental impacts, while the Environment Agency waits for future overdue improvements through WINEP. The prioritisation of improvements remains a substantial agenda item at regular performance meetings with the company.


Written Question
Menopause: Health Services
Thursday 8th February 2024

Asked by: Simon Jupp (Conservative - East Devon)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to help improve access to NHS menopause services.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

The menopause is a priority area within the Women’s Health Strategy. The NHS England National Menopause Care Improvement Programme is working to improve clinical menopause care in England and reduce disparities in access to treatment. NHS England is working with integrated care systems in the Midlands, piloting new guidance to support teams in primary care better to recognise and treat menopause symptoms.

We are investing £25 million in women’s health hubs, so that women can get better access to care for essential services such as menstrual problems, contraception and the menopause.

We have also reduced the cost of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) prescriptions through a bespoke HRT Prescription Prepayment Certificate. More than 500,000 HRT Prescription Prepayment Certificates have now been purchased since the launch on 1 April 2023, meaning women who pay for prescriptions, pay less than £20 for all of their HRT prescriptions for a year. The average saving is estimated to be around £30 a year with total savings of approximately £13 million.


Written Question
Menopause: Health Services
Thursday 8th February 2024

Asked by: Simon Jupp (Conservative - East Devon)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of NHS menopause services available in Devon.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

No specific assessment has been made. The menopause is a priority area within the Women’s Health Strategy. The NHS England National Menopause Care Improvement Programme is working to improve clinical menopause care in England, and to reduce disparities in access to treatment. This programme has already delivered training packages for healthcare professionals, and a self-care fact sheet for women. NHS England is also working with integrated care systems in the Midlands, piloting new guidance to support teams in primary care to better recognise and treat menopause symptoms. We are investing £25 million in women’s health hubs nationally, so that women can get better access to care for essential services such as menstrual problems, contraception and the menopause.

The two priority areas for the pilot women’s health hubs in Devon are services for a menopause pathway and improving access to long-acting reversible contraception, including for non-contraceptive reasons such as the menopause.