Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of epilepsy (a) awareness and (b) first aid training for prison staff.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The HMPPS National Health and Safety Arrangements for First and Emergency Aid (publishing.service.gov.uk) require each prison to complete a first aid needs assessment, taking account of local risk and demand. All sites must have in place suitable numbers of adequately trained staff, equipment, and facilities to meet the need for first aid provision. First Aid training provided to prison staff – such as the course provided by St Johns Ambulance, which includes a wide range of topics, including how to deal with epileptic seizures – meets the standard required to comply with the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations.
Information for all HMPPS staff about epilepsy is provided on the Occupational Health employee information website https://hmpps.workplacewellbeing.com/guidance/epilepsy/. This explains how epilepsy affects safety at work, and how managers can ensure adequate first aid cover by reviewing risk assessments, implementing reasonable adjustments, and making referrals to Occupational Health.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 48 of the Defence Equipment & Support Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23, what weakness he has identified in delivery management oversight from staff working remotely.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Defence Equipment and Support identified the relatively sudden shift to 'large scale' Working From Home as a result of the C-19 pandemic may have resulted in some employees not receiving the appropriate levels of duty of care from their delivery managers which UK legislation describes and mandates. As a result, a Training Needs Analysis was carried out which established the need for additional training.
A series of measures to address this training need have been implemented, including new Health and Safety training for all employees and managers. All Occupational Health and Safety policy and guidance has been reviewed to ensure it covers both office and remote scenarios.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 48 of the Defence Equipment & Support Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23, what the conclusions of the Training Needs Analysis were.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Defence Equipment and Support identified the relatively sudden shift to 'large scale' Working From Home as a result of the C-19 pandemic may have resulted in some employees not receiving the appropriate levels of duty of care from their delivery managers which UK legislation describes and mandates. As a result, a Training Needs Analysis was carried out which established the need for additional training.
A series of measures to address this training need have been implemented, including new Health and Safety training for all employees and managers. All Occupational Health and Safety policy and guidance has been reviewed to ensure it covers both office and remote scenarios.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to support women who are physically unable to work to state pension age.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We know that older people are more likely to develop a disability or health condition that impacts on their ability to work, and the Department has initiatives to support them as part of the core Jobcentre Plus offer, as well as through specialist provision.
This Government is committed to providing a financial safety net for those who need it, including when they near or reach retirement. Support is available through the welfare system to those who are unable to work, are on a low income or have additional costs as a consequence of a long-term health condition or disability but are not eligible to pensioner benefits because of their age. Good work is generally good for health. Therefore, where possible and appropriate, the Government supports disabled people and people with health conditions to start, stay and succeed in work through an ambitious programme of initiatives.
These include: the Work and Health Programme; Access to Work grants; Disability Confident; a digital information service for employers; Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres; Employment Advice in NHS Talking Therapies and Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care. Building on existing provision and the £2 billion investment announced at the Spring Budget, we announced a new package of support in Autumn Statement 2023 including to explore new ways of providing individuals receiving a fit note with timely access to support; and establish an expert group to advice on a voluntary national baseline for Occupational Health provision. Access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. This can support people to find work they can do, and the appropriate adjustments to allow them to work successfully with their disability or health condition.
The principle of having a State Pension age that is the same for everybody is fundamental in the UK. Unlike a personal or workplace pension, which can potentially be drawn earlier, it has always been the case that nobody can claim their State Pension early, before they reach their State Pension age. We have no current plans to change this principle.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the Health and Safety Executive's annual budget is for accessing scientific papers and other academic journals; to which academic journals it subscribes; and whether there are any relevant academic journals to which it does not have access in the context of its work on UK REACH.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) Annual Budget for accessing scientific papers and other academic journals was £52k in the 22/23 financial year. This value can vary year on year depending on requirements of HSE staff, changes to cost of access to journals etc
On subscriptions, HSE’s Divisions will organise access to specialist journals depending on need. Examples include:
a. British Medical Journal
b. Ergonomics in Design
c. Flight International
d. Human Factors
e. International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics
f. Journal of Pyrotechnics
g. New Scientist
h. Science in Parliament
i. Business Green
j. Future Farming
k. MIT Technology Review
l. The Economist
Additionally, HSE has access to Elsevier’s Government edition of ScienceDirect which provides users access to over 2,000 online journals and e-chapters.
HSE staff can also request articles and full journals from the British Library interlibrary loans service and utilise a commercial provider “Reprints Desk” for articles that are urgently required. When required HSE can also purchase articles directly from publishers.
As part of the above arrangements, HSE has been able to access all published material that it has needed to deliver the programme of work on UK REACH
Asked by: Kate Hollern (Labour - Blackburn)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of including suicides as reportable incidents under the RIDDOR process.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
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.
Under RIDDOR, at Regulation 6, requires the responsible person to report:
A suicide would not meet the criteria for reporting under RIDDOR as it is not a death resulting from a work related accident or occupational exposure. An ‘accident’ is defined under RIDDOR as an unforeseen and unintentional incident.
Suicides will be considered in an Inquest conducted by a Coroner or Procurator Fiscal (in Scotland) who will make the decision whether the death was ‘suicide’. The Coroner/Procurator Fiscal can refer cases to the HSE, or other public body, if they consider there is an ongoing risk to others.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the interview by the Minister for Defence People, Veterans and Service Families with the Financial Times on 9 August 2023, whether his Department plans to review the disqualifying medical conditions for armed forces recruitment in the (a) regulars and (b) reserves for each service.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Director General Defence Medical Services (DG DMS) has responsibility for medical policy within the Ministry of Defence (MOD). The Head Research and Clinical Innovation within Defence Medical Services is responsible for the policy development process and holds authority to publish medical policy on behalf of the DG DMS and MOD.
To ensure operational efficiency and the safety of all personnel, we expect all Armed Forces entrants to be able to serve, fit and healthy, for the period of their engagement. Consequently, there are a number of medical conditions that are a bar to Service that would not be an impediment to most other careers.
Medical entry standards applied to both regular and reserve forces are regularly reviewed by subject matter experts, military health professionals and military occupational physicians. Based on the medical evidence available and an understanding of the occupational implications of any medical condition, the medical standards for recruitment are developed and subsequently modified over time in response to both changing medical evidence and development of military demands.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which (a) Minister and (b) military personnel in his Department has responsibility for establishing the disqualifying medical conditions for Armed Forces recruitment in the (i) regulars and (ii) Reserves for each service.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Director General Defence Medical Services (DG DMS) has responsibility for medical policy within the Ministry of Defence (MOD). The Head Research and Clinical Innovation within Defence Medical Services is responsible for the policy development process and holds authority to publish medical policy on behalf of the DG DMS and MOD.
To ensure operational efficiency and the safety of all personnel, we expect all Armed Forces entrants to be able to serve, fit and healthy, for the period of their engagement. Consequently, there are a number of medical conditions that are a bar to Service that would not be an impediment to most other careers.
Medical entry standards applied to both regular and reserve forces are regularly reviewed by subject matter experts, military health professionals and military occupational physicians. Based on the medical evidence available and an understanding of the occupational implications of any medical condition, the medical standards for recruitment are developed and subsequently modified over time in response to both changing medical evidence and development of military demands.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of by the scientific accuracy of the Health and Safety Executive's guidance on blood borne virus transmission.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. It prevents work-related death, injury and ill health. No assessment has been made, however the HSE guidance on bloodborne virus transmission references current UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) scientific evidence on risk of transmission of blood-borne viruses.
UKHSA provides advice on management of exposure to blood-borne viruses in occupational settings through its local, regional and national health protection function and through specialist advice from its national team. UKHSA also hosts the UK Advisory Panel for Healthcare Workers living with Bloodborne Viruses which provides advice about the transmission and management of bloodborne viruses among healthcare workers
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of occupational exposure limits for ozone on patients in the health care sector.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No assessment has been. The Health and Safety Executive publishes guidance on health hazards and control measures in relation to ozone.