Asked by: George Eustice (Conservative - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State during the debate in Grand Committee on Healthcare: Controlled Drugs in the House of Lords on 14 September 2023, what steps he is taking to allow therapeutic radiographer independent prescribers to prescribe (a) opioids and (b) other controlled drugs.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government responded to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) on 3 October 2022, accepting its further recommendations on administration and directions to administer controlled drugs by therapeutic radiographer independent prescribers.
As the letter set out, the Government intends to legislate to enable prescribing of controlled drugs by therapeutic radiographer independent prescribers, including tramadol, lorazepam, diazepam, morphine, oxycodone and codeine. The Government also intends to make changes relating to use of controlled drugs in healthcare by podiatrists, paramedic independent prescribers, and those acting under Patient Group Directions.
During a short debate on this topic, held in the House of Lords Grand Committee on 14 September 2023, Home Office Minister Lord Sharpe explained that we intend to bring forward legislation to make the necessary amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 by the end of the year. This remains the intention.
Asked by: George Eustice (Conservative - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 14 November 2023 to Question 149 on Universities: Mental Health Services, what information her Department holds on the (a) number and (b) proportion of universities that have amended their practices in line with the recommendations in her Department's letter.
Answered by Robert Halfon
It is a priority for this government that students are provided with the mental health support they need. The opportunity to enter, thrive and graduate from university should be open to everyone with the ability to do so. To achieve this, the department is taking an approach based on three pillars:
On 5 June 2023, the department wrote to all higher education providers asking for their strongest possible commitment to the mental health of our students, including by showing ownership of mental health at an executive level. The department has set a target for all universities to sign up to Student Minds’ University Mental Health Charter Programme by September 2024 so that they take a whole-university approach to mental health and wellbeing and follow the principles set out in the Charter. This programme is about continuous improvement from universities so that standards are raised within the sector.
61 universities had joined the programme by the 2022/23 academic year. Following the 5 June 2023 letter, nine HE providers wrote back to the department on action being taken to improve practice. A significant number of universities then applied to the Charter Programme during the summer 2023 application window. The programme has seen a greater than 50% increase in membership and now has 96 members for the 2023/24 academic year. The full list of members is available at: https://hub.studentminds.org.uk/charter-programme-members-23-24/.
The Higher Education Mental Health Taskforce is looking at the application of best practice among HE providers. The Taskforce will deliver a final report by May 2024 and will provide an update ahead of that early in 2024.
I continue to raise the value of Charter Programme membership with universities and sector representatives and hosted a roundtable on the mental health of students with university leaders at Leeds Trinity University on 23 November 2023. This roundtable addressed the important role that executive leadership have in setting the culture and practice around wellbeing for students on campus. We also confirmed at this roundtable that the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Safety in Mental Health, a renowned centre of expertise on suicide prevention, will lead the National Review of HE Suicides. This will ensure lessons from tragic instances of student suicide are shared widely across the sector.
This roundtable followed a speech I delivered at the UUK Mental Health Conference on 21 November 2023 where I asked the sector to come together and finish the job of embedding best practice.
Asked by: George Eustice (Conservative - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many times fisheries patrol vessels boarded and inspected UK registered fisheries vessels in each year between 2018 to 2022 inclusive.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Fisheries control and enforcement is a devolved matter, and each Devolved Administration is responsible for conducting inspections on vessels in their respective zones. Within England, the ten Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authorities are responsible for compliance and enforcement within inshore waters (0-6 nautical miles (nm)) and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is responsible for control and enforcement of third country vessels and all UK vessels fishing outside of 6nms. There is no fishing allowed by foreign vessels inside 6nms.
The number of inspections by MMO patrol vessels of EU vessels at sea in English waters by year are:
2018: 96
2019: 303
2020: 122
2021: 303
2022: 280
The number of inspections by MMO patrol vessels of UK vessels at sea in English waters by year are:
2018: 94
2019: 245
2020: 135
2021: 248
2022: 304
Asked by: George Eustice (Conservative - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many times fisheries patrol vessels boarded and inspected EU registered fisheries vessels in each year between 2018 and 2022 inclusive.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Fisheries control and enforcement is a devolved matter, and each Devolved Administration is responsible for conducting inspections on vessels in their respective zones. Within England, the ten Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authorities are responsible for compliance and enforcement within inshore waters (0-6 nautical miles (nm)) and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is responsible for control and enforcement of third country vessels and all UK vessels fishing outside of 6nms. There is no fishing allowed by foreign vessels inside 6nms.
The number of inspections by MMO patrol vessels of EU vessels at sea in English waters by year are:
2018: 96
2019: 303
2020: 122
2021: 303
2022: 280
The number of inspections by MMO patrol vessels of UK vessels at sea in English waters by year are:
2018: 94
2019: 245
2020: 135
2021: 248
2022: 304
Asked by: George Eustice (Conservative - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to establish the role of the Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief on a permanent basis.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The Government is committed to the role of the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for FoRB and has had three Special Envoys to date.
The current Special Envoy, Fiona Bruce MP, is a passionate advocate for FoRB, and this year was re-elected to serve a second term as the Chair of the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance, a network of 42 countries committed to protecting and promoting FoRB.
Defending FoRB for all is a longstanding priority for the UK Government. We shall continue to stand up for the rights of all individuals, and use our position at the UN Human Rights Council, and on the UN Security Council, to ensure violations and abuses of FoRB are highlighted and addressed.
Asked by: George Eustice (Conservative - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Answer of 25 October 2023 to Question 203270 on Universities: Mental Health Services, how many and what proportion of Higher Education leaders received the letter on mental health services from the Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education on 5 June 2023.
Answered by Robert Halfon
On 5 June 2023, the department wrote to the accountable officers at every higher education (HE) provider registered with the Office for Students, asking them to prioritise mental health at an executive level. 417 HE providers were registered at that time.
In this letter, a target was set for all universities to join the University Mental Health Charter Programme by September 2024. Providers who do not have degree-awarding powers are not eligible but can still follow the Charter’s principles. In addition, there is an Association of Colleges Mental Health & Wellbeing Charter for colleges.
Asked by: George Eustice (Conservative - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the letter from the Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education to all Higher Education leaders of 5 June 2023, what proportion of the university leaders that he wrote to (a) attended and (b) sent a delegate to the online Charter Question and Answer session on 19 June 2023.
Answered by Robert Halfon
It is a priority for this government that students are provided with the mental health support they need. We are taking an approach based on three pillars:
On 5 June 2023, the department wrote to all HE providers asking for their strongest possible commitment to the mental health of our students, including by showing ownership of mental health at an executive level. We set a target for universities to sign up to Student Minds’ University Mental Health Charter by September 2024 so that they take a whole-university approach to mental health and wellbeing and follow the principles set out in the Charter.
Student Minds ran two Q&A sessions for universities considering joining the University Mental Health Charter Programme. The session on 16 of June had 68 attendees. The session on 18 of June had 53 attendees.
61 universities had joined the Programme by the 2022/23 academic year. Following my letter and the Q&A sessions, a significant number of universities applied during the summer 2023 application window. The department can confirm the Programme now has 96 members for the 2023/24 academic year, which represents excellent progress towards the target in a short amount of time. The full list of members can be found here: https://hub.studentminds.org.uk/charter-programme-members-23-24/.
The department also had a good response on the back of my letter, with nine HE providers writing back. I continue to raise the value of Charter Programme membership with universities and sector representatives and will be hosting a roundtable on the mental health of students with university leaders later this year.
Going further, the Higher Education Mental Health Taskforce is looking at the adoption of best practice on higher mental health more broadly. With leadership from Professor Edward Peck, it includes representatives from students, parents, mental health experts and the HE sector. It will deliver a final report by May 2024.
Asked by: George Eustice (Conservative - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the letter from the Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education to all Higher Education leaders of 5 June 2023, how many Universities have signed up to the University Mental Health Charter Programme since the date of that letter.
Answered by Robert Halfon
It is a priority for this government that students are provided with the mental health support they need. We are taking an approach based on three pillars:
On 5 June 2023, the department wrote to all HE providers asking for their strongest possible commitment to the mental health of our students, including by showing ownership of mental health at an executive level. We set a target for universities to sign up to Student Minds’ University Mental Health Charter by September 2024 so that they take a whole-university approach to mental health and wellbeing and follow the principles set out in the Charter.
Student Minds ran two Q&A sessions for universities considering joining the University Mental Health Charter Programme. The session on 16 of June had 68 attendees. The session on 18 of June had 53 attendees.
61 universities had joined the Programme by the 2022/23 academic year. Following my letter and the Q&A sessions, a significant number of universities applied during the summer 2023 application window. The department can confirm the Programme now has 96 members for the 2023/24 academic year, which represents excellent progress towards the target in a short amount of time. The full list of members can be found here: https://hub.studentminds.org.uk/charter-programme-members-23-24/.
The department also had a good response on the back of my letter, with nine HE providers writing back. I continue to raise the value of Charter Programme membership with universities and sector representatives and will be hosting a roundtable on the mental health of students with university leaders later this year.
Going further, the Higher Education Mental Health Taskforce is looking at the adoption of best practice on higher mental health more broadly. With leadership from Professor Edward Peck, it includes representatives from students, parents, mental health experts and the HE sector. It will deliver a final report by May 2024.
Asked by: George Eustice (Conservative - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many Higher Education leaders responded to the letter from the Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education to all Higher Education leaders of 5 June 2023.
Answered by Robert Halfon
It is a priority for this government that students are provided with the mental health support they need. We are taking an approach based on three pillars:
On 5 June 2023, the department wrote to all HE providers asking for their strongest possible commitment to the mental health of our students, including by showing ownership of mental health at an executive level. We set a target for universities to sign up to Student Minds’ University Mental Health Charter by September 2024 so that they take a whole-university approach to mental health and wellbeing and follow the principles set out in the Charter.
Student Minds ran two Q&A sessions for universities considering joining the University Mental Health Charter Programme. The session on 16 of June had 68 attendees. The session on 18 of June had 53 attendees.
61 universities had joined the Programme by the 2022/23 academic year. Following my letter and the Q&A sessions, a significant number of universities applied during the summer 2023 application window. The department can confirm the Programme now has 96 members for the 2023/24 academic year, which represents excellent progress towards the target in a short amount of time. The full list of members can be found here: https://hub.studentminds.org.uk/charter-programme-members-23-24/.
The department also had a good response on the back of my letter, with nine HE providers writing back. I continue to raise the value of Charter Programme membership with universities and sector representatives and will be hosting a roundtable on the mental health of students with university leaders later this year.
Going further, the Higher Education Mental Health Taskforce is looking at the adoption of best practice on higher mental health more broadly. With leadership from Professor Edward Peck, it includes representatives from students, parents, mental health experts and the HE sector. It will deliver a final report by May 2024.
Asked by: George Eustice (Conservative - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero,what steps he is taking to support geothermal energy projects.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Geothermal technologies that generate electricity are eligible for the Contracts for Difference scheme, which is the Government’s main mechanism for supporting renewables. Furthermore, £22 million has been allocated to provide heating to nearly 4,000 local homes and facilities in Cornwall.