Asked by: Alex Salmond (Scottish National Party - Gordon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has made an assessment of the implications for its policy on the use of medicinal cannabis of the findings in The health effects of cannabis and cannabinoids, published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine in 2017; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
Cannabis is controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and, in its raw form, currently has no recognised medicinal benefits in the United Kingdom. It is therefore listed as a Schedule 1 drug under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001.
There is a clear regime in place, administered by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, to enable medicines (including those containing controlled drugs such as cannabis) to be developed, licensed and made available for medicinal use to patients in the UK. It is important that all medicines containing controlled drugs are thoroughly trialled to ensure they meet rigorous standards so that doctors and patients are sure of their efficacy and safety. This is important to ensure fulfilment of all established and necessary regulations for approving medicines in the UK.
There are no plans to devolve policy on the medicinal use of cannabis to the Scottish Parliament.
Asked by: Alex Salmond (Scottish National Party - Gordon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the NHS has a standard procedure for booking British sign language interpreters; whether that guidance is publicised to NHS staff; and whether such staff can use it confidentially.
Answered by David Mowat
Information is not collected centrally on the number of fulfilled requests by patients for a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter; the number of appointments postponed where a BSL interpreter was not provided, or on the number of staff providing social care who have received bespoke BSL and deaf awareness training.
The Accessible Information Standard, which was formerly known as SCCI1605 Accessible Information, was published by NHS England in July 2015. It sets out a series of requirements that organisations that provide National Health Service care or publicly funded social care in England must follow. These include arranging for support to be provided by communication professionals, including BSL interpreters, where this is needed to support effective communication. The Standard also provides direction around appropriate qualification and professional registration status of communication professionals, including BSL interpreters, as well as providing other guidance in this regard. However, the Standard does not direct how such support should be arranged or funded, as this is a matter for local decision.
Compliance with the Standard is a legal duty and all organisations that provide NHS care, including general practice, or adult social care were required to implement the Standard in full by 31 July 2016, and then ensure ongoing compliance thereafter.
Asked by: Alex Salmond (Scottish National Party - Gordon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many appointments have had to be postponed due to a British sign language interpreter (a) not being booked and (b) being unavailable in the last five years.
Answered by David Mowat
Information is not collected centrally on the number of fulfilled requests by patients for a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter; the number of appointments postponed where a BSL interpreter was not provided, or on the number of staff providing social care who have received bespoke BSL and deaf awareness training.
The Accessible Information Standard, which was formerly known as SCCI1605 Accessible Information, was published by NHS England in July 2015. It sets out a series of requirements that organisations that provide National Health Service care or publicly funded social care in England must follow. These include arranging for support to be provided by communication professionals, including BSL interpreters, where this is needed to support effective communication. The Standard also provides direction around appropriate qualification and professional registration status of communication professionals, including BSL interpreters, as well as providing other guidance in this regard. However, the Standard does not direct how such support should be arranged or funded, as this is a matter for local decision.
Compliance with the Standard is a legal duty and all organisations that provide NHS care, including general practice, or adult social care were required to implement the Standard in full by 31 July 2016, and then ensure ongoing compliance thereafter.
Asked by: Alex Salmond (Scottish National Party - Gordon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many deaf people who have requested a British sign language interpreter at medical appointments have had their request fulfilled in the last five years.
Answered by David Mowat
Information is not collected centrally on the number of fulfilled requests by patients for a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter; the number of appointments postponed where a BSL interpreter was not provided, or on the number of staff providing social care who have received bespoke BSL and deaf awareness training.
The Accessible Information Standard, which was formerly known as SCCI1605 Accessible Information, was published by NHS England in July 2015. It sets out a series of requirements that organisations that provide National Health Service care or publicly funded social care in England must follow. These include arranging for support to be provided by communication professionals, including BSL interpreters, where this is needed to support effective communication. The Standard also provides direction around appropriate qualification and professional registration status of communication professionals, including BSL interpreters, as well as providing other guidance in this regard. However, the Standard does not direct how such support should be arranged or funded, as this is a matter for local decision.
Compliance with the Standard is a legal duty and all organisations that provide NHS care, including general practice, or adult social care were required to implement the Standard in full by 31 July 2016, and then ensure ongoing compliance thereafter.
Asked by: Alex Salmond (Scottish National Party - Gordon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) staff in social care settings and (b) people providing care in people's own home have received bespoke British sign language and deaf awareness training in the last five years.
Answered by David Mowat
Information is not collected centrally on the number of fulfilled requests by patients for a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter; the number of appointments postponed where a BSL interpreter was not provided, or on the number of staff providing social care who have received bespoke BSL and deaf awareness training.
The Accessible Information Standard, which was formerly known as SCCI1605 Accessible Information, was published by NHS England in July 2015. It sets out a series of requirements that organisations that provide National Health Service care or publicly funded social care in England must follow. These include arranging for support to be provided by communication professionals, including BSL interpreters, where this is needed to support effective communication. The Standard also provides direction around appropriate qualification and professional registration status of communication professionals, including BSL interpreters, as well as providing other guidance in this regard. However, the Standard does not direct how such support should be arranged or funded, as this is a matter for local decision.
Compliance with the Standard is a legal duty and all organisations that provide NHS care, including general practice, or adult social care were required to implement the Standard in full by 31 July 2016, and then ensure ongoing compliance thereafter.
Asked by: Alex Salmond (Scottish National Party - Gordon)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he has taken in response to the National Audit Office's December report on the UK's benefit sanctions system; and if he will launch an independent review of the sanctions regime.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
It is not normal practice to comment on any National Audit Office report where this is followed up by a Public Accounts Committee hearing. We are currently awaiting the Committee’s report following the Benefit Sanctions hearing held on 12 December 2016.
Once their report is published, we will wait until HM Treasury formally commissions the Department’s official response to any comments and recommendations made by the committee. We anticipate the committee’s report to be published at the end of February 2017 and for the Treasury commission to be issued shortly afterwards.
Asked by: Alex Salmond (Scottish National Party - Gordon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many NHS staff involved in end of life care have received bespoke British sign language and deaf awareness training for their work in the last five years.
Answered by David Mowat
This information is not collected or held centrally.
Asked by: Alex Salmond (Scottish National Party - Gordon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many deaf people have received end of life care in the last five years.
Answered by David Mowat
The information requested is not collected or held centrally in the format requested.
However NHS Digital has provided the attached data on discharged patients receiving palliative care with a primary or secondary diagnosis of hearing loss.
Asked by: Alex Salmond (Scottish National Party - Gordon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 22 December 2016 to Question 57916, on Syria: armed conflict, what response his Department has received from Russian and Iranian ambassadors following the meeting on 15 December 2016.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
When the Foreign Secretary summoned the Russian and Iranian ambassadors on 15 December, he made clear that; "both Russia and Iran have failed to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law, specifically by failing to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians during the months when eastern Aleppo was besieged." The Iranian Foreign Ministry responded that the statements issued by the Foreign Secretary were "unrealistic, unconsidered and destructive". On 19 December, Russia joined the UN Security Council members in voting in favour of UN Security Council Resolution 2328 on the humanitarian situation in Aleppo. The resolution requested the UN to monitor evacuations from Eastern Aleppo and demanded all parties provide the UN with safe, immediate and unimpeded access. The UK continues to urge Russia and Iran to use their influence to implement fully the terms of this UNSCR as well as the ceasefire deal they announced on 30 December
Asked by: Alex Salmond (Scottish National Party - Gordon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of Proving Torture: Demanding the impossible, Home Office mistreatment of expert medical evidence, published by Freedom from Torture in November 2016; and what steps her Department is taking to improve asylum decision-making for torture survivors.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
I refer the hon. Member to the response to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Hall Green, UIN 54220, on 30 November 2016.