Asked by: Stephen Gilbert (Liberal Democrat - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether it is his policy that specialised commissioning hubs will be able to deviate from national standards in their commissioning of specialised care.
Answered by Jane Ellison
NHS England has a number of direct commissioning responsibilities, including for a range of prescribed specialised services for which national commissioning policies and service specifications are developed and published.
The majority of other NHS services fall within the commissioning responsibilities of clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and for these services it is for CCGs to determine commissioning policies and service requirements on a local basis.
It is important that the respective commissioning approaches fit together in a way that provides clinically and cost effective and cohesive care for patients and for that reason NHS England is supporting a range of collaborative commissioning approaches between its specialised commissioning teams, clinical advisors and CCGs.
National service specifications and clinical commissioning policies will still apply for those specialised services that will be collaboratively commissioned with CCGs.
Asked by: Stephen Gilbert (Liberal Democrat - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions officials in his Department have had with NHS England on the fast track interim policy agreed by NHS England during the appraisal of sofosbuvir by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence.
Answered by George Freeman
NHS England has advised that it is currently developing interim proposals to allow selected patients with cirrhosis to have early access to some of the new drugs that are expected to be available to treat hepatitis C later in 2015. NHS England aims to have these interim policies in place by the first half of 2015.
These will provide access to treatment in advance of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s final technology appraisal guidance on these products which is expected to be published shortly.
Asked by: Stephen Gilbert (Liberal Democrat - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans NHS England has to support patients with cirrhosis to access treatment for hepatitis C after the waiver for the implementation period of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance for the medicine sofosbuvir.
Answered by George Freeman
NHS England has advised that it is currently developing interim proposals to allow selected patients with cirrhosis to have early access to some of the new drugs that are expected to be available to treat hepatitis C later in 2015. NHS England aims to have these interim policies in place by the first half of 2015.
These will provide access to treatment in advance of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s final technology appraisal guidance on these products which is expected to be published shortly.
Asked by: Stephen Gilbert (Liberal Democrat - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many new homes have been completed in St Austell and Newquay constituency in each of the last five years; and how many of those homes have been affordable housing.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
Statistics on house building starts and completions by tenure in each local authority district, including Cornwall, are published in the Department's live tables 253 (annual) and 253a (quarterly), which are available at the following link:
http://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-house-building
A more complete account of additional affordable housing including new build and acquisitions is provided for each local authority area in England and is published in the Department’s live table 1008, which is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-affordable-housing-supply
These statistics are not available by parliamentary constituency.
Asked by: Stephen Gilbert (Liberal Democrat - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reasons small and medium-sized enterprises are exempted from the provisions of the draft B Single Use Carrier Bags Charges (England) Order 2015; and if she will bring forward a revised draft Order omitting that exemption.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
We have chosen to exempt small and medium businesses (with fewer than 250 employees) from the plastic bag charge to avoid placing an administrative burden on start-up and growing businesses at a time when we are supporting growth in the economy.
Large companies make up the major proportion of the country’s retail market. For example, the relatively small number of retail companies in the UK with more than 500 employees employ 65% of people working in retail and have 69% of annual retail business turnover.
We have no plans to remove the exemption for small and medium businesses, although those businesses are able to charge on a voluntary basis.
Asked by: Stephen Gilbert (Liberal Democrat - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has for the division of dividends on the assets held by the Pool Re scheme; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom
The total value of the Pool Re fund was £5.504 billion as at 30 September 2014.
The government has provided a guarantee to Pool Re since it was established in 1993. Last year Pool Re and HM Treasury agreed a package of reforms that provides for fair and proportionate compensation for taxpayers for the continued provision of the guarantee. These reforms will see HM Treasury’s fee increased from 10% of Pool Re’s annual premium income to 50% - an increase that we estimate will raise an additional £120m per annum. In addition, the reforms will see Pool Re make a distribution to its members and the government based on any annual surplus that it makes. Whilst the occurrence and level of that surplus are subject to inherent uncertainty, based on Pool Re’s recent results we estimate that this will see insurers who reinsure terrorism insurance risk with Pool Re and the government each receive an additional payment of approximately £55 million per annum.
The changes took effect from 1 January 2015. In total, we estimate that these changes will raise an additional £50m for the Exchequer in 2014/15, and £175m per year thereafter, compared to the previous agreement.
Asked by: Stephen Gilbert (Liberal Democrat - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the anticipated dividend payment to the Government and the insurance industry from the assets managed in the Pool Re scheme in 2014-15 is; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom
The total value of the Pool Re fund was £5.504 billion as at 30 September 2014.
The government has provided a guarantee to Pool Re since it was established in 1993. Last year Pool Re and HM Treasury agreed a package of reforms that provides for fair and proportionate compensation for taxpayers for the continued provision of the guarantee. These reforms will see HM Treasury’s fee increased from 10% of Pool Re’s annual premium income to 50% - an increase that we estimate will raise an additional £120m per annum. In addition, the reforms will see Pool Re make a distribution to its members and the government based on any annual surplus that it makes. Whilst the occurrence and level of that surplus are subject to inherent uncertainty, based on Pool Re’s recent results we estimate that this will see insurers who reinsure terrorism insurance risk with Pool Re and the government each receive an additional payment of approximately £55 million per annum.
The changes took effect from 1 January 2015. In total, we estimate that these changes will raise an additional £50m for the Exchequer in 2014/15, and £175m per year thereafter, compared to the previous agreement.
Asked by: Stephen Gilbert (Liberal Democrat - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what funds are currently managed by the Pool Re scheme; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom
The total value of the Pool Re fund was £5.504 billion as at 30 September 2014.
The government has provided a guarantee to Pool Re since it was established in 1993. Last year Pool Re and HM Treasury agreed a package of reforms that provides for fair and proportionate compensation for taxpayers for the continued provision of the guarantee. These reforms will see HM Treasury’s fee increased from 10% of Pool Re’s annual premium income to 50% - an increase that we estimate will raise an additional £120m per annum. In addition, the reforms will see Pool Re make a distribution to its members and the government based on any annual surplus that it makes. Whilst the occurrence and level of that surplus are subject to inherent uncertainty, based on Pool Re’s recent results we estimate that this will see insurers who reinsure terrorism insurance risk with Pool Re and the government each receive an additional payment of approximately £55 million per annum.
The changes took effect from 1 January 2015. In total, we estimate that these changes will raise an additional £50m for the Exchequer in 2014/15, and £175m per year thereafter, compared to the previous agreement.
Asked by: Stephen Gilbert (Liberal Democrat - St Austell and Newquay)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the cost of energy for homes not connected to mains gas or electricity.
Answered by Matt Hancock
Whilst this Government is committed to helping reduce energy bills for all consumers, we acknowledge the challenges faced by off-gas grid consumers, in particular due to higher costs of heating fuel.
In November we held the Fourth Ministerial Roundtable on heating oil and LPG, bringing together industry, consumer groups and MPs to discuss issues affecting off-gas grid customers. We co-ordinate and support the industry’s “Buy Oil Early” campaign, so people stock up at good times for price and quick delivery. In December the Autumn Statement allocated £25m to DECC for funding the installation of central heating in off-gas grid households that currently do not have such a system.
The launch of the domestic Renewable Heat Incentive last year gives off-gas grid households a real choice of heating for the first time, by providing payments to offset the extra cost of installing renewable heating technologies compared to the replacement of their existing system.
Energy efficiency is often the best way to reduce both heating and electricity bills. The Green Deal Home Improvement Fund offers grants to all householders for energy efficiency improvements to their home, such as insulation, whilst our amendments to the ECO Affordable Warmth scheme provide stronger incentives for energy suppliers to install energy efficiency measures in off-gas grid homes.
More widely the Warm Home Discount, worth £140 this year, will go to more than two million low income and vulnerable households, including many off the gas grid.
Asked by: Stephen Gilbert (Liberal Democrat - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many primary school teachers in each parliamentary constituency in the South West have a science degree.
Answered by David Laws
The following table provides the headcount number and percentage of all regular teachers[1] in service in primary schools in each constituency in the South West with a degree in a science subject in November 2013. This is the latest information available.
Name of Constituency | Number of teachers With science degree[2] | Number of teachers with a qualification recorded[3] | Percentage with a science Qualification
| Confidence interval[4] | Percentage of teachers with qualification recorded | |
Bath | 24 | 319 | 7.5 | +/- | 2.9 | 96.1 |
Bournemouth East | 36 | 336 | 10.7 | +/- | 3.3 | 94.9 |
Bournemouth West | 33 | 354 | 9.3 | +/- | 3.0 | 98.3 |
Bridgwater and West Somerset | 32 | 390 | 8.2 | +/- | 2.7 | 97.5 |
Bristol East | 31 | 395 | 7.8 | +/- | 2.7 | 92.9 |
Bristol North West | 54 | 466 | 11.6 | +/- | 2.9 | 92.8 |
Bristol South | 43 | 484 | 8.9 | +/- | 2.5 | 93.8 |
Bristol West | 45 | 423 | 10.6 | +/- | 2.9 | 89.1 |
Camborne and Redruth | 25 | 343 | 7.3 | +/- | 2.8 | 91.5 |
Central Devon | 45 | 411 | 10.9 | +/- | 3.0 | 97.2 |
Cheltenham | 37 | 396 | 9.3 | +/- | 2.9 | 99.7 |
Chippenham | 48 | 460 | 10.4 | +/- | 2.8 | 95.4 |
Christchurch | 18 | 212 | 8.5 | +/- | 3.8 | 97.7 |
Devizes | 44 | 426 | 10.3 | +/- | 2.9 | 95.5 |
East Devon | 36 | 374 | 9.6 | +/- | 3.0 | 98.4 |
Exeter | 43 | 406 | 10.6 | +/- | 3.0 | 99.0 |
Filton and Bradley Stoke | 40 | 419 | 9.5 | +/- | 2.8 | 97.9 |
Forest of Dean | 33 | 385 | 8.6 | +/- | 2.8 | 96.0 |
Gloucester | 46 | 546 | 8.4 | +/- | 2.3 | 96.6 |
Kingswood | 35 | 392 | 8.9 | +/- | 2.8 | 98.7 |
Mid Dorset and North Poole | 27 | 273 | 9.9 | +/- | 3.5 | 96.8 |
Newton Abbot | 34 | 341 | 10.0 | +/- | 3.2 | 97.7 |
North Cornwall | 42 | 382 | 11.0 | +/- | 3.1 | 93.4 |
North Devon | 57 | 455 | 12.5 | +/- | 3.0 | 96.4 |
North Dorset | 34 | 371 | 9.2 | +/- | 2.9 | 97.6 |
North East Somerset | 44 | 416 | 10.6 | +/- | 3.0 | 96.1 |
North Somerset | 47 | 381 | 12.3 | +/- | 3.3 | 93.8 |
North Swindon | 38 | 483 | 7.9 | +/- | 2.4 | 95.5 |
North Wiltshire | 38 | 387 | 9.8 | +/- | 3.0 | 96.5 |
Plymouth, Moor View | 35 | 448 | 7.8 | +/- | 2.5 | 97.2 |
Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport | 31 | 360 | 8.6 | +/- | 2.9 | 94.2 |
Poole | 30 | 313 | 9.6 | +/- | 3.3 | 99.1 |
Salisbury | 37 | 366 | 10.1 | +/- | 3.1 | 94.6 |
Somerton and Frome | 41 | 423 | 9.7 | +/- | 2.8 | 98.4 |
South Dorset | 28 | 295 | 9.5 | +/- | 3.3 | 97.0 |
South East Cornwall | 28 | 351 | 8.0 | +/- | 2.8 | 92.6 |
South Swindon | 41 | 508 | 8.1 | +/- | 2.4 | 94.8 |
South West Devon | 40 | 370 | 10.8 | +/- | 3.2 | 96.4 |
South West Wiltshire | 41 | 408 | 10.0 | +/- | 2.9 | 93.2 |
St. Austell and Newquay | 29 | 376 | 7.7 | +/- | 2.7 | 91.7 |
St. Ives | 32 | 372 | 8.6 | +/- | 2.8 | 89.4 |
Stroud | 53 | 480 | 11.0 | +/- | 2.8 | 96.0 |
Taunton Deane | 48 | 484 | 9.9 | +/- | 2.7 | 99.8 |
Tewkesbury | 41 | 432 | 9.5 | +/- | 2.8 | 96.9 |
The Cotswolds | 32 | 429 | 7.5 | +/- | 2.5 | 96.8 |
Thornbury and Yate | 48 | 351 | 13.7 | +/- | 3.6 | 98.9 |
Tiverton and Honiton | 55 | 445 | 12.4 | +/- | 3.1 | 96.5 |
Torbay | 34 | 399 | 8.5 | +/- | 2.7 | 96.8 |
Torridge and West Devon | 40 | 406 | 9.9 | +/- | 2.9 | 97.6 |
Totnes | 41 | 342 | 12.0 | +/- | 3.4 | 99.1 |
Truro and Falmouth | 43 | 336 | 12.8 | +/- | 3.6 | 94.4 |
Wells | 33 | 386 | 8.5 | +/- | 2.8 | 98.5 |
West Dorset | 23 | 354 | 6.5 | +/- | 2.6 | 97.0 |
Weston-Super-Mare | 45 | 434 | 10.4 | +/- | 2.9 | 93.5 |
Yeovil | 44 | 449 | 9.8 | +/- | 2.8 | 98.5 |
Total South West | 2,102 | 21,743 | 9.7 | +/- | 0.4 | 95.9 |
Total England | 18,795 | 227,513 | 8.3 | +/- | 0.1 | 95.5 |
Source: School Workforce Census
[1] Includes qualified and unqualified teachers.
[2] Includes teachers with a first or higher science degree but excluding those with a science PGCE where no record of a science degree exists and those with a BEd in sciences.
[3] Those recorded with a qualification in any subject, (the total in the sample from which the rate is calculated).
[4] The range within which we can be 95% confident that the true value exists.