Yvonne Fovargue Portrait

Yvonne Fovargue

Labour - Makerfield

First elected: 6th May 2010


Electricity and Gas Transmission (Compensation) Bill
18th Jan 2023 - 25th Jan 2023
Shadow Minister (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
9th Jan 2018 - 14th Mar 2019
Shadow Minister (Communities and Local Government)
3rd Jul 2017 - 9th Jan 2018
Procedure Committee
13th Jul 2015 - 3rd May 2017
Shadow Minister (Business, Innovation and Skills)
18th Sep 2015 - 27th Jun 2016
Shadow Minister (Defence)
8th May 2015 - 18th Sep 2015
Shadow Minister (Education)
20th Oct 2014 - 30th Mar 2015
Procedure Committee
27th Jan 2014 - 30th Mar 2015
Consolidation Bills (Joint Committee)
6th Dec 2010 - 30th Mar 2015
Consolidation, &c., Bills (Joint Committee)
6th Dec 2010 - 30th Mar 2015
Shadow Minister (Defence)
7th Oct 2013 - 20th Oct 2014
Shadow Minister (Transport)
11th Jan 2013 - 7th Oct 2013
Opposition Whip (Commons)
7th Oct 2011 - 11th Jan 2013
Health and Social Care Committee
2nd Nov 2010 - 24th Oct 2011


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Yvonne Fovargue has voted in 642 divisions, and never against the majority of their Party.
View All Yvonne Fovargue Division Votes

Debates during the 2019 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party)
Shadow DUP Spokesperson (Human Rights)
(4 debate interactions)
Alex Chalk (Conservative)
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
(4 debate interactions)
Thérèse Coffey (Conservative)
(4 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
HM Treasury
(19 debate contributions)
Department of Health and Social Care
(13 debate contributions)
Department for Education
(10 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
View all Yvonne Fovargue's debates

Makerfield Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Petition Debates Contributed

The proposed Human Rights Act reforms must be withdrawn. The Government must not make any changes to the Human Rights Act, especially ones that dilute people's human rights in any circumstances, make the Government less accountable, or reduce people's ability to make human rights claims.

There should be a public inquiry into Government contracts granted during Covid-19. Many contracts have been granted without full and open procurement processes. A public inquiry would be able to ascertain whether contracts had been procured fairly and represent value for money for tax payers.

The Government should class in-person interaction with family members and unmarried partners abroad as an essential reason to travel.


Latest EDMs signed by Yvonne Fovargue

13th July 2023
Yvonne Fovargue signed this EDM on Thursday 20th July 2023

School libraries and librarians

Tabled by: Margaret Greenwood (Labour - Wirral West)
That this House recognises the importance of encouraging children to enjoy books from an early age and of developing a culture of reading for pleasure in schools; notes that evidence suggests that school libraries lead to better literacy and educational outcomes, higher attainment, improved wellbeing and contribute to the delivery …
43 signatures
(Most recent: 26 Oct 2023)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 28
Independent: 3
Liberal Democrat: 3
Scottish National Party: 3
Democratic Unionist Party: 2
Plaid Cymru: 2
Social Democratic & Labour Party: 1
Green Party: 1
Alba Party: 1
17th April 2023
Yvonne Fovargue signed this EDM on Tuesday 18th April 2023

TransPennine Express

Tabled by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
That this House calls for the contract for TransPennine Express to be terminated; notes that TransPennine Express has been providing unacceptable levels of service to the north for years and that they are at truly now dire levels; also notes that TransPennine Express recently cancelled almost a quarter of all …
33 signatures
(Most recent: 9 May 2023)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 29
Independent: 2
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
Scottish National Party: 1
View All Yvonne Fovargue's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Yvonne Fovargue, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.


Yvonne Fovargue has not been granted any Urgent Questions

Yvonne Fovargue has not been granted any Adjournment Debates

5 Bills introduced by Yvonne Fovargue


A Bill to require retailers to register white goods at the point of sale to facilitate product recall; and for connected purposes.

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading
Tuesday 8th September 2020
(Read Debate)

A Bill to make provision about the use of bailiffs and other enforcement agents by local authorities to collect council tax arrears; to establish a code of practice for enforcement agents; to create an independent bailiffs ombudsman to administer the code and to investigate and adjudicate complaints; and for connected purposes.

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading: House Of Commons
Wednesday 28th October 2015

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading: House Of Commons
Wednesday 2nd July 2014

A Bill to require credit card companies to discharge a debt when three times the equivalent of the principal sum owed has been paid in interest; and for connected purposes

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading: House Of Commons
Tuesday 27th November 2012

The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to require fee charging debt management companies to inform potential clients of the availability of free advice on debt management; and for connected purposes

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading: House Of Commons
Wednesday 19th October 2011

Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
14th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when the Government plans to publish its response to the consultation entitled Call for evidence: reviewing the personal insolvency landscape.

The call for evidence on the review of the personal insolvency closed on 23 October 2022. The Government is currently analysing the significant number of responses and feedback received and will publish its response in due course.

Kevin Hollinrake
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
14th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what information her Department holds on how many people have accessed a personal insolvency solution while the Insolvency Service has been conducting its Review of the personal insolvency framework.

The number of people entering a formal personal insolvency solution since the commencement of the personal insolvency review at the beginning of July 2022 until 28 February 2023 was 74,124.

The Insolvency Service publishes official statistics each month on the number of people entering a personal insolvency solution. The latest insolvency statistics can be accessed at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/monthly-insolvency-statistics-february-2023.

Kevin Hollinrake
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
7th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make an assessment of the impact of insomnia on UK productivity.

We have no plans to make an assessment of the impact on insomnia on UK productivity.

Nusrat Ghani
Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
6th Jul 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what measures he has put in place to (a) assess and (b) control the release of silica dust into urban areas; and what steps he is taking to lower the risk of exposure to that dust among the general public.

This is not a matter for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

10th Jun 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of exclusive tariffs on price comparison websites on competition in the energy retail market.

The offering of exclusive tariffs by price comparison companies enables them to exert competitive pressure on suppliers to offer consumers better energy deals. The ability to offer exclusive tariffs and the removal of the requirement to show whole of the market tariffs by price comparison companies followed the Competition Markets Authority’s recommendation in its market study of digital comparison tools in 2017. Consumers can access the exclusive tariffs via the price comparison companies’ websites or telephone comparison service.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
10th Jun 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of potential effect of loyalty penalties in the energy retail market on consumers.

The Government is tackling the loyalty penalty experienced by households who do not shop around for their energy supply, which the Competition and Markets Authority has estimated, creates a £1.4bn average annual detriment to those consumers. We legislated for a price cap in 2018, which saves households £75-£100 a year on average. Ofgem, the sector regulator, is working to make it easier and quicker for households to switch energy deal. As set out in our Energy White Paper, the Government will introduce an opt-in switching scheme and trial out-out switching to help more households get a better deal on their energy.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
14th Apr 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to help vulnerable consumers make the transition to net zero.

The Government has extended the Energy Company Obligation to 2026 and expanded the Warm Home Discount to £475 million per year from 2022 to 2025/2026. This will see targeted support continue to be provided to low-income and vulnerable households to install energy saving measures and heat their homes over the winter months, while making savings on their energy bills through having better insulated homes. The future Home Upgrade Grant scheme, due to commence in 2022, will support low-income households with upgrades to the worst-performing homes off the gas grid in England. These upgrades will create warmer homes at lower cost and support low-income families with the switch to low-carbon heating. This increased energy efficiency is complemented by the Government’s rollout of over 26 million smart meters, which help consumers see how much energy they are using in near real-time and make sure they are ready to take advantage of the next wave of flexible, low-carbon technologies and energy tariffs.

This Government is committed to getting the transition to net zero right for all consumers, including those in vulnerable circumstances, and will shortly publish a call for evidence to begin an ongoing strategic dialogue between consumers, industry and the Government on affordability in the energy system.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
14th Apr 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to ensure consumers and businesses have access to redress and other consumer protections in emerging low-carbon markets.

As a Competent Authority, the energy regulator Ofgem, has an obligation to ensure Alternative Dispute Resolution is provided in the energy sector under the Alternative Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes (Competent Authorities and Information) Regulations 2015.

Ofgem has appointed Ombudsman Services: Energy as the redress provider in the energy sector and has set out the types of dispute that Ombudsman Services: Energy can resolve, including issues relating to billing, sales, switching, supply, micro-generation and Feed in Tariffs.

Consumer protection continues to be a central part of policy considerations in relation to new energy markets, for example we have recently consulted on extending access to redress to heat network customers.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
18th Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps (a) his Department and (b) the Office for Product Safety and Standards are taking to raise public awareness on the safe charging of e-scooters in homes.

Manufacturers are required to ensure the safety of their products under reasonably foreseeable use, and to issue instructions for safe use.

The Government is considering the requirements for electric scooters as part of its Future of Transport Regulatory Review. Following this review any necessary public awareness information or guidance will be issued.

4th Feb 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether smart products sold on online marketplaces will be subject to the provisions of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill.

Security requirements to be set out using the powers in the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill will have to be complied with relation to all relevant consumer connectable products sold to customers in the UK, including those sold on online marketplaces.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
4th Feb 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to include provisions for when a smart product is recalled within the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill.

The Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill includes provisions that allow the Secretary of State to issue recall notices relating to relevant insecure consumer connected products, if deemed appropriate.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
24th Sep 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether illegal fraudulent and scam content will be included within the scope of forthcoming online harms legislation.

The government is deeply concerned about the scale and growth of online fraud.

We have consulted widely on our world-leading online harms proposals. Further details about the new regulatory framework will be included in the full government response to the Online Harms White Paper consultation, which will be published this year.



21st Jul 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will hold discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on a timescale for the phasedown of the use of fluorinated gases in asthma inhalers.

Defra has a legal duty to undertake a comprehensive review of the F-gas Regulation. As part of this work, Defra will identify additional action that can be taken with regard to F-gases and their contribution to net zero. At COP26, Defra committed to an accelerated hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) phasedown. Defra intends to publish an assessment report by the end of 2022 as the first stage of the review. It will focus mainly on analysing the effects of the current Regulation, together with the current state of play in relevant industry sectors and international commitments. The second stage of the review will involve a public consultation on proposals for any legislative changes.

The F-gas Regulation currently includes an exemption from the HFC phasedown for metered dose inhalers (MDIs). The continuation or removal of the exemption for MDIs will be considered as part of the policy development and analysis into future options, as well as implications of the HFC phasedown on MDIs. To support this work there is ongoing engagement between Defra, the NHS and the Department of Health and Social Care.

21st Jul 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has conducted modelling on the impact of the potential removal of medical exemption to the F gas phase down schedule on the cost of medicines.

Defra is reviewing the F-gas Regulation, which includes an exemption from the hydrofluorocarbon phasedown for metered dose inhalers (MDIs). The review will consider the implementation of the current F-gas Regulation and options for future policy development. The implications of removing the exemption for MDIs, including the potential impact of this on cost and supply, will be included in the analysis.

NHS England is in the process of reducing the use of MDIs containing high global warming potential propellants and has produced cost estimates for the switch from MDIs to currently readily available alternatives. These cost estimates will be incorporated in Defra’s work.

Defra is working on this review jointly with the Scottish and Welsh Governments and we plan to consult on proposed future policies next year.

15th May 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of people identified as being clinically extremely vulnerable to covid-19 who have registered (a) to indicate that they require support getting the food and/or other essentials they need and (b) but do not require support; and how many of those vulnerable people are receiving food and basic supplies through (i) supermarket deliveries, (ii) Government or local authority food parcels and (iii) other support.

The shielding programme was put in place to protect clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) people – those who have been advised by the NHS not to leave their homes, because they are at a high risk of developing complications from coronavirus (COVID-19) infection. Overall 2.2 million individuals have been identified as needing to shield. Of this group, approximately 350,000 have registered a need for essential supplies making the individual eligible for a priority slot for a supermarket delivery or food boxes, which they may cancel at any time.

In total over 2 million food boxes have been successfully delivered to CEV individuals since March. We are continuing to work with supermarkets to increase delivery capacity.

We do not hold centrally information on deliveries of food parcels by local authorities, total number of individuals benefiting from supermarket deliveries, or other support received by CEV individuals.

Victoria Prentis
Attorney General
18th Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals to enable the use of e-scooters on roads.

The Department is preparing regulations that will enable trials of rental e-scooters to begin. Trials will gather evidence of the safety of e-scooters and the impacts they have on the road. This will inform any future legislation for e-scooters and other micromobility vehicles. The Department recently consulted on proposed rules for e-scooter use that will be contained in the regulations and is working with local authorities to allow trials to begin soon.

18th Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has plans to extend the remit of the rental e-scooter trial scheme to include the use of privately purchased e-scooters.

E-scooter trials will include only rental scooters. This allows trials to take place in a controlled manner while we assess their safety and other impacts. There are a wide range of e-scooters available, built to differing standards. Limiting trials to rental scooters ensures that only approved scooters are used, and that they can meet legal requirements. It will also improve the quality of the evidence we gather, that will inform whether e-scooters should be fully legalised.

7th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of insomnia on the likelihood of people not being in employment or training.

No assessment has been made. However, the Government has funded an extension of the Midlands’ Mental Health and Productivity Pilot, which is trialling interventions, including one with a focus on insomnia, to support and improve employee mental health and wellbeing, to support employees to remain in work. The final evaluation will be available by Spring 2024.

In addition, a range of Government initiatives are supporting disabled people, and people with health conditions, including insomnia, to start, stay, and succeed in, work. These include:

  • Increasing Work Coach support in Jobcentres for people with health conditions receiving Universal Credit or Employment and Support Allowance;
  • Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres offering advice and expertise on how to help disabled people and people with health conditions into work;
  • The Work and Health Programme and Intensive Personalised Employment Support, providing tailored and personalised support for participants;
  • Access to Work grants towards the extra costs of working beyond standard reasonable adjustments;
  • Disability Confident, encouraging employers to think differently about disability and health, and to take positive action to address the issues employees face in the workplace;
  • The Information and Advice Service, providing better integrated and tailored guidance on supporting and managing health and disability in the workplace; and
  • Support in partnership between the DWP and the health system, including Employment Advice in NHS Talking Therapies, which combines psychological treatment and employment support for people with mental health conditions.
Tom Pursglove
Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
6th Jul 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will introduce an industry awareness campaign on the potential effects of exposure to silica.

Over the last three years the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has delivered several month-long inspection campaigns encompassing risks arising from silica in the construction industry. These campaigns also ran over the period impacted by coronavirus restrictions. HSE used these campaigns to highlight risks from dust, including silica, and used repeated messaging to drive sustained behaviour changes. The campaigns involved inspectors across the country visiting around 1000 sites identified as being likely to have dust risks present.

HSE also delivers communications campaigns to support its regulatory activity. These campaigns inform duty holders and workers of the hazards faced and how these should be controlled and monitored. HSE’s dust campaign which ran in late 2021, included silica exposure, and involved social media and press activity to support awareness of the risks and how to control them.

6th Jul 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will reduce the Workplace Exposure Limit in the UK for silica related work to 0.05 mg/m3 in line with other countries.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) does not currently intend to review the Workplace Exposure Limit (WEL) of Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) in Great Britain. HSE contributed to the more recent European Union (EU) assessment of the limit in January 2019, where the EU reclassified RCS as a carcinogen and implemented the same occupational exposure limit as already existed in GB.

HSE will continue to monitor international developments in this area and the evidence base to consider the range of interventions that might be suitable, including any change to the exposure limit in GB.

6th Jul 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to make silicosis a notifiable disease under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013.

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) are made under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and apply to all sectors and workplaces in Great Britain.

The 2013 regulations clarified and simplified the list of reportable ill-health conditions (occupational diseases), as a result of a recommendation made by Professor Löfstedt in his report “Reclaiming health and safety for all: An independent review of health and safety legislation,” published in 2011.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) keeps the regulations, including specified injuries and reportable diseases, under review. The list of current reportable occupational diseases, including silicosis, will be considered as part of the next formal post-implementation review of RIDDOR, which is due to report in October 2023. HSE will engage with a range of stakeholders as part of the review process.

6th Jul 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she has taken to help reduce exposure to respirable crystalline silica in the workplace.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has a well-established regulatory framework in place to protect workers from the health risks associated with exposure to hazardous substances at work.

Under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) employers have a duty to prevent or adequately control worker exposure to hazardous substances such as Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS). COSHH sets out the hierarchy of control that must be implemented and, if managed appropriately, should result in achieving a level below the Work Exposure Limit (WEL) as detailed in HSE Guidance ‘EH40/2005, Workplace exposure limits’.


HSE also delivers communications campaigns to support its regulatory activity. These campaigns inform duty holders and workers of the hazards faced and how these should be controlled and monitored. HSE’s dust campaign which ran in late 2021, included silica exposure, and involved social media and press activity to support awareness of the risks and how to control them.

6th Jul 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to introduce further measures on prevention of respiratory conditions in the workplace.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) continues its activity to help prevent work related respiratory ill health by using the best available evidence to design interventions that will improve health outcomes. HSE delivers a wide range of regulatory activity to prevent work related respiratory ill health, focusing on steps employers and workers can take to control occupational exposures.

7th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the annual cost to the NHS of treating patients with insomnia.

No assessment has been made by the Department or NHS England of the annual cost to the National Health Service for treating patients with insomnia.

7th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve health outcomes for people with insomnia.

Through ‘Advancing Our Health: Prevention in the 2020s’, the Government committed to review the evidence on sleep and health. That review has been undertaken, and the outcomes will be published in due course.

28th Nov 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his planned timetable is for the publication of responses to the consultation entitled Advancing our health: prevention in the 2020s, published on 22 July 2019.

We have no current plans to publish a summary of the responses to the consultation ‘Advancing our health: prevention in the 2020s’ and there are no plans to publish next steps.

28th Nov 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his planned timetable is for the publication of next steps following the consultation entitled Advancing our health: prevention in the 2020s, published on 22 July 2019.

We have no current plans to publish a summary of the responses to the consultation ‘Advancing our health: prevention in the 2020s’ and there are no plans to publish next steps.

22nd Nov 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of rheumatoid arthritis patients received a biologic in the last 12 months.

This information is not collected in the format requested.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
22nd Nov 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many severe asthma patients were refused biologic treatment in the last 12 months.

The information on the proportion of severe asthma patients prescribed a biologic is not held in the format requested. However, 3,396 patients commenced a new biologic therapy for severe asthma in the last year. All those patients considered to benefit from a biologic treatment by a specialist severe asthma team will have received the treatment.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
22nd Nov 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of severe asthma patients have been prescribed a biologic in the last 12 months.

The information on the proportion of severe asthma patients prescribed a biologic is not held in the format requested. However, 3,396 patients commenced a new biologic therapy for severe asthma in the last year. All those patients considered to benefit from a biologic treatment by a specialist severe asthma team will have received the treatment.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
21st Jul 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has plans to include incentives within the Quality and Outcomes Framework or Investment and Impact Fund to help ensure that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients receive a proactive review of their care after a prescription of oral corticosteroid for a COPD exacerbation.

We have no specific plans to do so. However, the Quality and Outcomes Framework and the Investment and Impact Fund are reviewed to ensure alignment with the latest clinical guidance and best practice.

21st Jul 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate he has made of the number of patients who have received all components of the discharge bundle included in the Best Practice Tariff for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the last 12 months.

No specific estimate has been made. Compliance with the Best Practice Tariff criteria is measured by the National COPD Audit Programme’s secondary care audit.

21st Jul 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has plans to include measures to promote an increase in treatment reviews of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients who are risk of exacerbation within CORE20+5.

There are no plans to do so. However, Core20PLUS5 supports increasing the uptake of COVID-19, flu and pneumonia vaccines to reduce infective exacerbations and potential emergency hospital admissions.

21st Jul 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to amend the respiratory outcomes section in the update of the NHS Long Term Plan.

The Department and NHS England are currently reviewing delivery of the commitments made in the NHS Long Term Plan, including those relating to respiratory outcomes. The update to the NHS Long Term Plan will be published later this year.

There are no current plans to include metrics measuring uptake of biologics in the NHS Long Term Plan update. However, pathways to biologic therapy are being streamlined, including through the Accelerated Access Collaborative’s work to improve the identification of patients in primary and secondary care settings for referrals to assess suitability to receive biologic treatment.

Gillian Keegan
Secretary of State for Education
21st Jul 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, If he will include metrics on the uptake of biologics for severe asthma in the update to the NHS Long Term Plan.

The Department and NHS England are currently reviewing delivery of the commitments made in the NHS Long Term Plan, including those relating to respiratory outcomes. The update to the NHS Long Term Plan will be published later this year.

There are no current plans to include metrics measuring uptake of biologics in the NHS Long Term Plan update. However, pathways to biologic therapy are being streamlined, including through the Accelerated Access Collaborative’s work to improve the identification of patients in primary and secondary care settings for referrals to assess suitability to receive biologic treatment.

Gillian Keegan
Secretary of State for Education
9th Jun 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what alternatives to oral corticosteroids treatment are available for asthma and COPD patients.

While the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guideline ‘Asthma: diagnosis, monitoring and chronic asthma management’ does not specifically make recommendations on oral corticosteroids, NICE is working with the British Thoracic Society and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network to produce United Kingdom-wide guidance to update and replace this guideline. Evidence on pharmacological management, including the use of oral corticosteroids, will be reviewed during this process.

The 2022/23 Quality and Outcomes Framework incentivises general practitioners to assess asthma control through a questionnaire, which records of the number of exacerbations, an assessment of inhaler technique and a written personalised action plan, to monitor potential over-prescribing. The Impact and Investment Fund currently contains two indicators which aim to improve the care of people with asthma, including recognising Primary Care Networks which reduce in the percentage of patients receiving six or more Short-Acting Beta Agonists (SABAs) prescriptions per year.

NICE’s guidelines for asthma and its guideline ‘Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in over 16s: diagnosis and management’ recommend oral corticosteroids and alternatives. For adults with asthma, these include SABAs, leukotriene receptor antagonists and long-acting beta2 agonists. For chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), NICE recommends smoking cessation, SABAs and short-acting muscarinic antagonists, Theophylline tablets, oral mucolytic therapy, oral anti-oxidant therapy, oral anti-tussive therapy, oral prophylactic antibiotic therapy, long-term oxygen therapy, ambulatory oxygen therapy, short-burst oxygen therapy, non-invasive ventilation and pulmonary rehabilitation. NICE has also published technology appraisal guidance on biologics for those with severe asthma, such as Omalizumab for treating severe persistent allergic asthma.

No specific assessment has been made of the cost of caring for and treating adverse events in patients prescribed frequent or maintenance prescriptions of oral corticosteroids. However, in developing its guidelines, NICE has recommended a number of medicines for patients with severe asthma, such as mepolizumab, which considered the costs and benefits relating to a potential reduction in the use of corticosteroids.

NHS England and NHS Improvement’s Severe Asthma Collaborative is developing capacity in severe asthma centres to streamline patient pathways to biologic therapies and reduce variation in prescribing and patient management. A toolkit has been produced to support clinical teams.

The Royal College of General Practitioners’ guidance on long term condition recovery asks clinicians to consider all high-risk patients with COPD and asthma who have not received a review for more than 12 months and have been prescribed either three or more SABAs in the last 12 months; those aged five years old and over not on the asthma or COPD register who have received two or more courses of oral steroids in 12 months; and those on the asthma or COPD register to be prioritised for review.

Gillian Keegan
Secretary of State for Education
9th Jun 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will make recurrent oral corticosteroids prescriptions from primary care a trigger for referral to secondary or tertiary care for asthma patients.

While the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guideline ‘Asthma: diagnosis, monitoring and chronic asthma management’ does not specifically make recommendations on oral corticosteroids, NICE is working with the British Thoracic Society and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network to produce United Kingdom-wide guidance to update and replace this guideline. Evidence on pharmacological management, including the use of oral corticosteroids, will be reviewed during this process.

The 2022/23 Quality and Outcomes Framework incentivises general practitioners to assess asthma control through a questionnaire, which records of the number of exacerbations, an assessment of inhaler technique and a written personalised action plan, to monitor potential over-prescribing. The Impact and Investment Fund currently contains two indicators which aim to improve the care of people with asthma, including recognising Primary Care Networks which reduce in the percentage of patients receiving six or more Short-Acting Beta Agonists (SABAs) prescriptions per year.

NICE’s guidelines for asthma and its guideline ‘Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in over 16s: diagnosis and management’ recommend oral corticosteroids and alternatives. For adults with asthma, these include SABAs, leukotriene receptor antagonists and long-acting beta2 agonists. For chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), NICE recommends smoking cessation, SABAs and short-acting muscarinic antagonists, Theophylline tablets, oral mucolytic therapy, oral anti-oxidant therapy, oral anti-tussive therapy, oral prophylactic antibiotic therapy, long-term oxygen therapy, ambulatory oxygen therapy, short-burst oxygen therapy, non-invasive ventilation and pulmonary rehabilitation. NICE has also published technology appraisal guidance on biologics for those with severe asthma, such as Omalizumab for treating severe persistent allergic asthma.

No specific assessment has been made of the cost of caring for and treating adverse events in patients prescribed frequent or maintenance prescriptions of oral corticosteroids. However, in developing its guidelines, NICE has recommended a number of medicines for patients with severe asthma, such as mepolizumab, which considered the costs and benefits relating to a potential reduction in the use of corticosteroids.

NHS England and NHS Improvement’s Severe Asthma Collaborative is developing capacity in severe asthma centres to streamline patient pathways to biologic therapies and reduce variation in prescribing and patient management. A toolkit has been produced to support clinical teams.

The Royal College of General Practitioners’ guidance on long term condition recovery asks clinicians to consider all high-risk patients with COPD and asthma who have not received a review for more than 12 months and have been prescribed either three or more SABAs in the last 12 months; those aged five years old and over not on the asthma or COPD register who have received two or more courses of oral steroids in 12 months; and those on the asthma or COPD register to be prioritised for review.

Gillian Keegan
Secretary of State for Education
9th Jun 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to encourage primary care clinicians to monitor potential over-prescribing of oral corticosteroids.

While the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guideline ‘Asthma: diagnosis, monitoring and chronic asthma management’ does not specifically make recommendations on oral corticosteroids, NICE is working with the British Thoracic Society and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network to produce United Kingdom-wide guidance to update and replace this guideline. Evidence on pharmacological management, including the use of oral corticosteroids, will be reviewed during this process.

The 2022/23 Quality and Outcomes Framework incentivises general practitioners to assess asthma control through a questionnaire, which records of the number of exacerbations, an assessment of inhaler technique and a written personalised action plan, to monitor potential over-prescribing. The Impact and Investment Fund currently contains two indicators which aim to improve the care of people with asthma, including recognising Primary Care Networks which reduce in the percentage of patients receiving six or more Short-Acting Beta Agonists (SABAs) prescriptions per year.

NICE’s guidelines for asthma and its guideline ‘Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in over 16s: diagnosis and management’ recommend oral corticosteroids and alternatives. For adults with asthma, these include SABAs, leukotriene receptor antagonists and long-acting beta2 agonists. For chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), NICE recommends smoking cessation, SABAs and short-acting muscarinic antagonists, Theophylline tablets, oral mucolytic therapy, oral anti-oxidant therapy, oral anti-tussive therapy, oral prophylactic antibiotic therapy, long-term oxygen therapy, ambulatory oxygen therapy, short-burst oxygen therapy, non-invasive ventilation and pulmonary rehabilitation. NICE has also published technology appraisal guidance on biologics for those with severe asthma, such as Omalizumab for treating severe persistent allergic asthma.

No specific assessment has been made of the cost of caring for and treating adverse events in patients prescribed frequent or maintenance prescriptions of oral corticosteroids. However, in developing its guidelines, NICE has recommended a number of medicines for patients with severe asthma, such as mepolizumab, which considered the costs and benefits relating to a potential reduction in the use of corticosteroids.

NHS England and NHS Improvement’s Severe Asthma Collaborative is developing capacity in severe asthma centres to streamline patient pathways to biologic therapies and reduce variation in prescribing and patient management. A toolkit has been produced to support clinical teams.

The Royal College of General Practitioners’ guidance on long term condition recovery asks clinicians to consider all high-risk patients with COPD and asthma who have not received a review for more than 12 months and have been prescribed either three or more SABAs in the last 12 months; those aged five years old and over not on the asthma or COPD register who have received two or more courses of oral steroids in 12 months; and those on the asthma or COPD register to be prioritised for review.

Gillian Keegan
Secretary of State for Education
31st Mar 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of home administration of biologics for severe asthma; and whether he has plans to extend that treatment.

The NHS England and NHS Improvement Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC) on Improving Access to Biologic Therapy estimates that approximately 200,000 or 5% of patients with asthma have severe asthma. Of these patients, the AAC estimates that between 50,000 to 100,000 may be eligible for biologic therapy, with approximately 11,000 patients receiving this treatment. The AAC aims to improve the identification of these patients in primary and secondary care settings, to allow referrals to specialist severe asthma centres to determine their suitability for biologic treatment.

No specific estimate of the number of patients awaiting an appointment at a severe asthma centre has been made as this information is not collected in the format requested. No specific assessment has been made of the effectiveness of home administration of biologics for severe asthma. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s COVID-19 rapid guideline on severe asthma promoted the use of home administration for biologic treatments to maintain access and reduce risks to patients of COVID-19 exposure. While we are ensuring that patients who are eligible for this treatment are able to access it, there are no plans to extend the eligibility criteria.

Gillian Keegan
Secretary of State for Education
31st Mar 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of patients awaiting an appointment at a severe asthma centre.

The NHS England and NHS Improvement Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC) on Improving Access to Biologic Therapy estimates that approximately 200,000 or 5% of patients with asthma have severe asthma. Of these patients, the AAC estimates that between 50,000 to 100,000 may be eligible for biologic therapy, with approximately 11,000 patients receiving this treatment. The AAC aims to improve the identification of these patients in primary and secondary care settings, to allow referrals to specialist severe asthma centres to determine their suitability for biologic treatment.

No specific estimate of the number of patients awaiting an appointment at a severe asthma centre has been made as this information is not collected in the format requested. No specific assessment has been made of the effectiveness of home administration of biologics for severe asthma. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s COVID-19 rapid guideline on severe asthma promoted the use of home administration for biologic treatments to maintain access and reduce risks to patients of COVID-19 exposure. While we are ensuring that patients who are eligible for this treatment are able to access it, there are no plans to extend the eligibility criteria.

Gillian Keegan
Secretary of State for Education
31st Mar 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of patients who are eligible for biologic treatment for severe asthma who are not currently accessing it.

The NHS England and NHS Improvement Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC) on Improving Access to Biologic Therapy estimates that approximately 200,000 or 5% of patients with asthma have severe asthma. Of these patients, the AAC estimates that between 50,000 to 100,000 may be eligible for biologic therapy, with approximately 11,000 patients receiving this treatment. The AAC aims to improve the identification of these patients in primary and secondary care settings, to allow referrals to specialist severe asthma centres to determine their suitability for biologic treatment.

No specific estimate of the number of patients awaiting an appointment at a severe asthma centre has been made as this information is not collected in the format requested. No specific assessment has been made of the effectiveness of home administration of biologics for severe asthma. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s COVID-19 rapid guideline on severe asthma promoted the use of home administration for biologic treatments to maintain access and reduce risks to patients of COVID-19 exposure. While we are ensuring that patients who are eligible for this treatment are able to access it, there are no plans to extend the eligibility criteria.

Gillian Keegan
Secretary of State for Education
7th Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of covid-19 on people with asthma and severe asthma.

As COVID-19 is a new disease, it is not yet clear what the physical, neurological, psychological and rehabilitation impacts will be for those with conditions such as asthma and severe asthma.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
7th Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timescale is for patients with severe asthma who are shielding during the covid-19 outbreak and who have been taught to self-administer their medication at home to return to clinical supervision.

People with severe asthma are not currently being asked to shield. The decision to continue self-administration of home biologics will be made between the person with severe asthma and their specialist centre on how best to manage their condition.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
7th Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what help is available for asthma sufferers to enable them to continue to self-administer their medication due to the pressures on the NHS during the covid-19 outbreak.

Specialist respiratory services for severe asthma, along with urgent and emergency treatment for other serious complaints, have continued throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. In most cases people with severe asthma have been able to receive their medication at home instead of having to attend hospital.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence COVID-19 rapid guideline on severe asthma promoted the use of home delivery for biologic treatments to maintain access and reduce the risks to patients of COVID-19 exposure. The NHS England severe asthma ‘Accelerated Access Collaborative’ will continue to focus on the area of home administration.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
7th Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce the geographical variation in the prescribing of biologics for severe asthma.

No estimate has been made and information on the number of severe asthma patients are receiving biologic therapies is not available in the format requested.

Clinicians are responsible for making prescribing decisions for their patients, taking into account the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s technology appraisals and guidance on management of asthma and the local commissioning decisions. Prescribing of biologics for severe asthma is co-ordinated through severe asthma centre multi-disciplinary teams to ensure current treatments are optimised and all appropriate treatments are considered with use of biologics as part of the treatment review for each patient.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
7th Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many severe asthma patients are receiving biologic therapies through (a) the severe asthma networks and (b) other services.

No estimate has been made and information on the number of severe asthma patients are receiving biologic therapies is not available in the format requested.

Clinicians are responsible for making prescribing decisions for their patients, taking into account the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s technology appraisals and guidance on management of asthma and the local commissioning decisions. Prescribing of biologics for severe asthma is co-ordinated through severe asthma centre multi-disciplinary teams to ensure current treatments are optimised and all appropriate treatments are considered with use of biologics as part of the treatment review for each patient.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
7th Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the size of the eligible population among severe asthma suffers for biologic treatments.

No estimate has been made and information on the number of severe asthma patients are receiving biologic therapies is not available in the format requested.

Clinicians are responsible for making prescribing decisions for their patients, taking into account the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s technology appraisals and guidance on management of asthma and the local commissioning decisions. Prescribing of biologics for severe asthma is co-ordinated through severe asthma centre multi-disciplinary teams to ensure current treatments are optimised and all appropriate treatments are considered with use of biologics as part of the treatment review for each patient.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)