Asked by: Lord Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many recipients of Healthy Start vouchers are not in receipt of prepaid cards despite remaining eligible for the scheme.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Business Services Authority estimates that as of 18 October 2022, there were 2,954 households previously were in receipt of paper vouchers which have not successfully applied to the NHS Healthy Start prepaid card scheme.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to publish data on the take-up of the Healthy Start scheme among eligible families in April 2022.
Answered by Lord Kamall
The information requested is not currently held centrally. The Department of Health and Social Care and the NHS Business Services Authority are working with the Department for Work and Pensions to obtain the relevant data as soon as possible. Once received, this information will be published online.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the potential merits of introducing an automatic registration process for the Healthy Start scheme.
Answered by Lord Kamall
The Department has not considered the potential merits of introducing an automatic registration process for the Healthy Start scheme.
The NHS Business Services Authority operates the Healthy Start scheme which has recently transitioned from paper vouchers to a prepaid card. All applicants to the scheme, where they meet the eligibility criteria set out in the legislation, must accept the terms and conditions of the prepaid card at the point of application. As the prepaid card is a financial product and cannot be issued without the applicant accepting these terms, the NHS Business Services Authority cannot automatically provide eligible families with a prepaid card.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many women in prison aged (1) 18 to 25, or (2) 26 years or older, have been (a) in receipt of mental health care, or (b) referred to mental health support, whilst in custody.
Answered by Lord Kamall
This data is not collected in the format requested. All those entering prison receive comprehensive health screening within 72 hours and a further general health assessment within seven days of arrival. This incorporates questions to establish any mental health concerns and allows referrals to the mental health team if indicated.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many women aged (1) 18 to 25, and (2) 26 years or older, have accessed primary care mental health services in each of the last 10 years.
Answered by Lord Kamall
The information requested is not held centrally.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether an impact assessment has been undertaken on the application of transaction fees to purchases made using Healthy Start prepaid cards.
Answered by Lord Kamall
No impact assessment was undertaken. The NHS Business Services Authority do not charge the retailer transaction fees for use of the Healthy Start prepaid card. However, as for any card payment, retailers may be charged by their acquiring bank.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to allow Healthy Start prepaid cards to be used for making online and telephone purchases of food items covered by the scheme.
Answered by Lord Kamall
All beneficiaries who have a prepaid card can use it in all retailers which accept Mastercard payments and sell the permitted Healthy Start food items. There are no current plans to allow the prepaid card to be used online or for telephone purchases.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether transaction fees will be applied to purchases made using Healthy Start prepaid cards; and if so, what plans they have to consider the potential merits of exempting charitable food providers from those fees.
Answered by Lord Kamall
The NHS Business Services Authority does not charge the retailer transaction fees for use of the Healthy Start pre-paid card. As for any card payment, retailers may be charged by their acquiring bank.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many women aged (1) 18 to 24, and (2) 25 years or older, have accessed primary care mental health services, in each of the last 10 years.
Answered by Lord Kamall
The information requested is not collected centrally.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many women in prison aged (1) 18–24, or (2) 25 years or older, have been (a) in receipt of mental health care, or (b) referred to mental health support, whilst in custody.
Answered by Lord Kamall
This information is not collected in the format requested.
However, NHS England and NHS Improvement have advised that, as at 30 November 2021, the records of nine women aged 18 to 24 years old and 324 women aged 25 years old and over in prison indicate a severe and enduring mental health condition according to Quality and Outcomes Framework definitions and are likely to have received related intervention for their condition. This represents women presenting with significant levels of mental ill-health requiring specialist mental health service interventions and does not include women in custody who have accessed primary care mental health services and are treated through normal primary care provision for lower level presentations.