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Written Question
Electronic Cigarettes: Sales
Wednesday 27th March 2024

Asked by: Adam Afriyie (Conservative - Windsor)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate she has made of the number of non-compliant vapes sold on the UK market.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department works closely with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, Trading Standards, and other regulatory enforcement agencies to ensure that products sold in the United Kingdom comply with regulations for all e-cigarette products, and that non-compliant products are removed from the market.

In April 2023, the Government announced £3 million investment over two years to enhance work on illicit vape enforcement. Led by National Trading Standards, this builds on existing work by local trading standards officers across the country. Through this work, they identified that 2.1 million illicit vapes were seized across England by Trading Standards between 2022 to 2023.

To strengthen our enforcement activity, the Government will also provide an additional £30 million of funding per year for enforcement agencies, including Trading Standards. This increase in investment will help to stamp out criminal activity by boosting the enforcement of illicit tobacco and vapes.


Written Question
Pharmacy: ICT
Wednesday 27th March 2024

Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following Pharmacy First claims recently appearing incorrectly in the NHS Business Services Authority’s 'Manage Your Service' portal, what assessment they have made of (1) the loss of confidence of community pharmacies in the Pharmacy First claims system, and (2) the impact on them of needing to set up a manual double-checking system to ensure that they do not lose out on funding.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Some pharmacy contractors have experienced a discrepancy between the data that they have entered, and the data received by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). This has affected February claims for Urgent Medicines Supply. This was caused by the new formatting of data received by the NHSBSA resulting from changes made by some IT system suppliers when implementing Pharmacy First.

The NHSBSA has been working closely with IT system suppliers to resolve the issues and identify the affected contractors. They have extended the deadline for claiming February activity. Contractors will be paid for all Pharmacy First consultations undertaken.

The contractual relationship for the provision of IT to support the new services is between pharmacy contractors and IT system suppliers. Any concerns should be raised by the contractor with their chosen IT system supplier.

The Department is aware of the disruption to service this has caused to some contractors, and the concerns that contractors have overpaid. That is why the claim window has been extended, and the NHSBSA is working closely with contractors’ IT suppliers to reconcile the data to ensure every consultation is captured and paid. We are keeping the situation under close review.


Written Question
Pharmacy: ICT
Wednesday 27th March 2024

Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what were the circumstances behind Pharmacy First claims recently appearing incorrectly in the NHS Business Services Authority’s 'Manage Your Service' portal; and what assessment they have made of the impact of this on the workload of community pharmacies.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Some pharmacy contractors have experienced a discrepancy between the data that they have entered, and the data received by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). This has affected February claims for Urgent Medicines Supply. This was caused by the new formatting of data received by the NHSBSA resulting from changes made by some IT system suppliers when implementing Pharmacy First.

The NHSBSA has been working closely with IT system suppliers to resolve the issues and identify the affected contractors. They have extended the deadline for claiming February activity. Contractors will be paid for all Pharmacy First consultations undertaken.

The contractual relationship for the provision of IT to support the new services is between pharmacy contractors and IT system suppliers. Any concerns should be raised by the contractor with their chosen IT system supplier.

The Department is aware of the disruption to service this has caused to some contractors, and the concerns that contractors have overpaid. That is why the claim window has been extended, and the NHSBSA is working closely with contractors’ IT suppliers to reconcile the data to ensure every consultation is captured and paid. We are keeping the situation under close review.


Written Question
Brain: Tumours
Wednesday 27th March 2024

Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how much funding they have allocated for research into the (1) cause, and (2) treatment, of astrocytoma brain tumours in each of the past ten years; and to which organisations and projects and those funds were allocated.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests over £1 billion per year in health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR research expenditure for all cancers was £121.8 million in 2022/23. The NIHR spends more on cancer than any other disease group.

The NIHR funds and supports health, public health and social care research that leads to improved outcomes for patients and the public and makes the health and social care system more efficient, effective, and safe. Research evidence is vital for improving treatments and outcomes for people, including those with astrocytoma brain tumours.

The following table shows NIHR-funded research into astrocytoma brain tumours since 2013/14:

Award Title

Contractor

Start Date

End Date

Status

Total Award Budget

Dabrafenib with trametinib for treating BRAF V600E mutation-positive glioma in children and young people aged 1 to 17 [ID5104]

The University of Sheffield

12/10/2023

12/03/2024

Active

£70,000

A randomized, double-blind, parallel group, placebo-controlled trial of metformin in tuberous sclerosis complex.

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust

1/8/2012

28/2/2017

Closed

£239,665

Grand total

-

-

-

-

£309,665

The NIHR funds research in response to proposals received from scientists rather than allocating funding to specific disease areas. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including astrocytoma brain tumours. It is not usual practice to ring-fence funds for particular topics or conditions. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made based on the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.

It is worth noting that all applications that were fundable in open competition have been funded. The Department works closely with research funding partners such as Cancer Research UK and the Medical Research Council, who fund research into new scientific discoveries.


Written Question
Electronic Cigarettes
Wednesday 27th March 2024

Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of taking steps to create a vape-free generation.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Smoking is the number one cause of ill-health, disability, and death, responsible for approximately 80,000 deaths a year in the United Kingdom, causing around one in four cancer deaths. It costs our country £17 billion a year, and puts a huge burden on the National Health Service. There is no more dangerous product that is legally sold in our shops than tobacco, a product that will kill two thirds of its users.

The health advice on vaping is clear, vaping can play a role in helping adult smokers to quit, but if you don’t smoke, don’t vape. Vaping should never be used by, or targeted at, children, especially given the highly addictive nature of nicotine.

This is why we have announced strong measures to reduce the appeal, availability, and affordability of vapes to children, whilst ensuring that vapes remain an available quit aid for adult smokers. We will also ban the sale and supply of disposable vapes, which are clearly linked to the recent rise in vaping in children.


Written Question
Electronic Cigarettes and Tobacco: Trading Standards
Wednesday 27th March 2024

Asked by: Adam Afriyie (Conservative - Windsor)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding will be allocated to each local authority trading standards for enforcing the (a) disposable vapes ban and (b) generational tobacco ban.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government has committed to increasing investment for enforcement agencies by £30 million per year. The additional funding in England will boost agencies such as local trading standards, to enforce the new age of sale and vaping measures. It will also scale up HM Revenue and Customs and Border Force activity, to stamp out opportunities for criminals in the illicit tobacco trade.

Of this funding, over £100 million over five years will support HM Revenue and Custom’s and Border Force’s new illicit tobacco strategy, published on 29 January 2024. We are working closely with Trading Standards to consider how the new funding can best support their programmes of local-level enforcement.


Written Question
Nutrition
Wednesday 27th March 2024

Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has had recent discussions with the food and drink sector on taking steps to provide healthy alternatives to products that are high in (a) fat, (b) sugar and (c) salt.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Discussions have been held by officials with the food and drink sector on taking steps to provide healthier alternatives to products that are high in salt since 2004, high in sugar since 2014, and high in calories since 2017. Provision of healthier alternatives to products that are high in saturated fat have been part of those discussions.

My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care meets regularly with external stakeholders on a variety of issues. These ministerial meetings are routinely published on a quarterly basis in arrears on the GOV.UK website. However, my Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care will recuse herself on departmental issues relating to outside interests, all of which have been declared to the House and under the Ministerial Code.


Written Question
Pharmacy: Finance
Wednesday 27th March 2024

Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on community pharmacies, in particular in relation to funding reductions, of technical problems preventing such pharmacies from submitting accurate data for Pharmacy First consultations in February.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Some pharmacy contractors have experienced a discrepancy between the data that they have entered, and the data received by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). This has affected February claims for Urgent Medicines Supply. This was caused by the new formatting of data received by the NHSBSA resulting from changes made by some IT system suppliers when implementing Pharmacy First.

The NHSBSA has been working closely with IT system suppliers to resolve the issues and identify the affected contractors. They have extended the deadline for claiming February activity. Contractors will be paid for all Pharmacy First consultations undertaken.

The contractual relationship for the provision of IT to support the new services is between pharmacy contractors and IT system suppliers. Any concerns should be raised by the contractor with their chosen IT system supplier.

The Department is aware of the disruption to service this has caused to some contractors, and the concerns that contractors have overpaid. That is why the claim window has been extended, and the NHSBSA is working closely with contractors’ IT suppliers to reconcile the data to ensure every consultation is captured and paid. We are keeping the situation under close review.


Written Question
Health Services: Greater London
Wednesday 27th March 2024

Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the NHS' planned timetable is for a decision on the Start Well public consultation on the future of maternity, neonatal and children’s surgical services in north central London.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Start Well public consultation on proposed changes to maternity, neonatal, and paediatric surgical services in North Central London closed on Sunday 17 March 2024. The responses received will now be analysed by an independent research agency, who will produce a report for the consulting bodies, North Central London Integrated Care Board, on behalf of the local integrated care system, and NHS London Specialised Commissioning. This report will be published and, along with a wide range of evidence and information, will be used to develop a decision-making business case for consideration by the integrated care board.

North Central London Integrated Care Board expect it will take some months to develop the decision-making business case. The meeting will be held in public, with further details published later this year.


Written Question
Healthy Start Scheme
Wednesday 27th March 2024

Asked by: Emma Lewell-Buck (Labour - South Shields)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people were eligible for Healthy Start vouchers in January (a) 2022 and (b) 2023.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The number of those eligible for Healthy Start in January 2022 was 553,601, and the number of those eligible in January 2023 was 578,067.