Asked by: Marie Rimmer (Labour - St Helens South and Whiston)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has issued (a) guidance and (b) other advice to (i) medical professionals, (ii) health and care partnerships and (iii) other health-related bodies on the potential impact of section 170 of the Health and Care Act 2022 on clinical practice.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The Department has not issued guidance or advice on the potential impact of Section 170 of the Health and Care Act 2022 on clinical practice. On 15 July 2022, NHS Blood and Transplant wrote to NHS Trust Chief Executives, Medical Directors, Advisory Group Chairs, Clinicians and Recipient and Living Donor Co-ordinators to inform them of the commencement of Section 170 of the Health and Care Act 2022.
We continue to engage with colleagues across the public sector, including from NHS Blood and Transplant, the Human Tissue Authority, UK Visas and Immigration, National Crime Agency and the Crown Prosecution Service, to raise awareness of the change in the law and build the United Kingdom’s capacity to identify, investigate and prosecute transplant tourism.
Asked by: Marie Rimmer (Labour - St Helens South and Whiston)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he will respond to the correspondence of 12 December 2022 from the hon. Member for St Helens South and Whiston on energy intensive businesses that purchased oil before the natural gas price cap was introduced.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
I wrote to the hon. Member on 19 January about energy intensive businesses that purchased oil before the natural gas price cap was introduced.
Asked by: Marie Rimmer (Labour - St Helens South and Whiston)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that those living on Caravan and Mobile Home parks are included within the Energy Bill Support Scheme where their electricity bills are paid directly to their landlord.
Answered by Graham Stuart
As announced on 29 July, the Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) Alternative Funding will be available to provide equivalent support of £400 for energy bills for the households who will not be reached through the EBSS. This includes those who do not have a domestic electricity meter or a direct relationship with an energy supplier, such as park home residents.
The Government is working quickly with a range of organisations, such as local authorities, as well as Devolved Administrations and across UK Government, to finalise the details of the Alternative Funding and have the process up and running for applications this winter.
Asked by: Marie Rimmer (Labour - St Helens South and Whiston)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing fetal pain relief during abortion procedures, in a similar way to that provided to fetuses in utero during open fetal surgery for spina bifida repair.
Answered by Caroline Johnson - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
The Department does not set clinical practice. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has considered the issue of fetal pain and awareness in its guidelines on ‘The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion’ and ‘Fetal Awareness: Review of Research and Recommendations for Practice’, which are available at the following links:
https://www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/guidelines/abortion-guideline_web_1.pdf
https://www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/guidelines/rcogfetalawarenesswpr0610.pdf
The Royal College has established a review group to consider the latest evidence on fetal pain and fetal awareness. It is expected to report on its findings by the end of 2022.
Asked by: Marie Rimmer (Labour - St Helens South and Whiston)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of the Shakespeare North project in Prescot on arts education and the local regeneration of the town for residents following her visit to that project.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The Secretary of State visited Shakespeare North in Prescot last month so she could see personally the contribution the project has made and will continue to make to the local economy and the ambitious and extensive educational outreach that is planned. Shakespeare North provides many opportunities for children and young people to experience creative and cultural activities and works with education providers to ensure they can engage with the venue in a meaningful way. Education partnerships from Shakespeare North provide local schools with workshops, access to performances and Continuing Professional Development opportunities for teachers wanting to promote cultural learning and creative practice in their classrooms. Shakespeare North’s community programmes are providing creative activities and opportunities to engage with their local culture and heritage through workshops for people of all ages. These activities exemplify the Secretary of State’s priority to promote access to arts and culture and encourage residents to draw on the rich heritage of their local area.
Shakespeare North has received capital funding from central and local government, including: £5 million Treasury grant in 2016; £12 million Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council (increased from £6 million); £10.5 million Liverpool City Region (LCR) (increased from £6.5 million); and £3 million from the Capital Kickstart fund.
The Government recognises that improving access to high-quality arts and culture in previously under-served areas of the country is critical to giving people pride in the cities, towns and villages in which they work and live, helping people in every part of the country to prosper and to fulfil their full potential. This is why the Government instructed Arts Council England to invest all the additional money (£43.5 million) agreed in the 2021 Spending Review outside London and where possible in Levelling Up for Culture Places – 109 areas that the Government and Arts Council England have jointly identified as having had historically low investment in arts and culture, which will be targeted for future investment. One of the areas is St Helen’s, which has already received over £6 million in funding since 2018 for 36 projects, such as Heart of Glass, which works with artists and community groups to unlock stories, reimagine public spaces and forge new connections.
Earlier this year, the Department for Education’s Schools White Paper shared their intention to work with DCMS to develop and publish a Cultural Education Plan, working in close collaboration with Arts Council England, Historic England and the British Film Institute. This plan will include how best to support children and young people to take part in cultural opportunities in their local areas and to support those who wish to pursue careers in creative and cultural industries.
Asked by: Marie Rimmer (Labour - St Helens South and Whiston)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress NHS England is making on the steps it is taking to engage with people living with dementia who draw on healthcare.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
NHS England regularly engages with dementia organisations and stakeholders on the delivery of NHS Long Term Plan’s commitments. In addition to planned meetings and events, NHS England engages with Alzheimer’s Society, Alzheimer’s Research UK and others on an ad hoc basis. It has endorsed Alzheimer’s Society’s revised dementia guide and delivered a joint webinar on the integration of dementia services.
During the pandemic, NHS England worked with Alzheimer’s Society to launch the Dementia Change Action Network website for those living with dementia and continues to engage with people with lived experience to design and shape services, guidance and policy. NHS England and NHS Improvement also commissioned resources to support memory services, developed with input from people living with dementia and their carers. This includes an e-learning course to support memory services managing a change in practice, to ensure the delivery of a personalised assessment and diagnosis; and a guide to supporting continuous development, improvement and innovation in memory services.
Asked by: Marie Rimmer (Labour - St Helens South and Whiston)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress NHS England is making on the steps it is taking to engage with representatives of dementia organisations.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
NHS England regularly engages with dementia organisations and stakeholders on the delivery of NHS Long Term Plan’s commitments. In addition to planned meetings and events, NHS England engages with Alzheimer’s Society, Alzheimer’s Research UK and others on an ad hoc basis. It has endorsed Alzheimer’s Society’s revised dementia guide and delivered a joint webinar on the integration of dementia services.
During the pandemic, NHS England worked with Alzheimer’s Society to launch the Dementia Change Action Network website for those living with dementia and continues to engage with people with lived experience to design and shape services, guidance and policy. NHS England and NHS Improvement also commissioned resources to support memory services, developed with input from people living with dementia and their carers. This includes an e-learning course to support memory services managing a change in practice, to ensure the delivery of a personalised assessment and diagnosis; and a guide to supporting continuous development, improvement and innovation in memory services.
Asked by: Marie Rimmer (Labour - St Helens South and Whiston)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure that people who are currently outside the energy price cap due to the use of a 100 per cent renewables energy provider can switch to a provider that falls within the energy price cap policy.
Answered by Greg Hands
It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Marie Rimmer (Labour - St Helens South and Whiston)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department plans to send observers to the trial of Mubarak Bala, President of the Humanist Association of Nigeria, following his most recent court appearance on 1 February 2022.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The UK Government has followed the case of Mubarak Bala, President of the Humanist Association of Nigeria closely, and has raised the importance of Mr Bala being treated in full accordance with his human rights on multiple occasions with the Nigerian authorities.
We were not able to send observers to Mr Bala's recent trial, which has now passed, because of the extant insecurity and genuine risk of violence in Kano State, where Mr Bala's trial took place. The FCDO advises against all but essential travel to Kano State, due to insecurity. We are concerned about the severity and length of sentence Mr Bala received at trial, and the British High Commissioner has spoken with the Kano State Government and the Nigerian President's Chief of Staff to express those concerns. We will continue to monitor the case and consider the merit and viability of attending any future trial or appeal should one take place.
Asked by: Marie Rimmer (Labour - St Helens South and Whiston)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the continued detention of Mubarak Bala, President of the Humanist Association of Nigeria, after his court appearance on 1 February 2022.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The UK Government is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities. This is a longstanding human rights policy priority for the UK Government, and we look forward to hosting a global summit to promote FoRB later this year.
The UK Government has followed Mr Bala's case closely, and has raised his case on multiple occasions with the Nigerian authorities, including following his recent sentencing. The UK Government believes that the right of individuals to express opinions is essential to a free and open society. We are concerned by the severity and length of sentence received by Mr Bala at trial. The British High Commissioner has spoken with the Kano State Government and the Nigerian President's Chief of Staff to express those concerns. We will continue to follow developments in Mr Bala's case closely, and will continue to stress the importance of Mr Bala being treated in full accordance with his human rights, the rule of law, and the Nigerian constitutional right to FoRB.