Asked by: Alistair Strathern (Labour - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of shortages in supplies of (a) Elvanse 30mg and (b) other ADHD medication on the wellbeing of people with an ADHD diagnosis.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Disruptions to the supply of medicines used for the management of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been primarily driven by issues which have resulted in capacity constraints at key manufacturing sites.
The Department has been working closely with the respective manufacturers and some issues have now been resolved. However, we know that there continue to be disruptions to the supply of some other medicines, including Elvanse 30 milligram, which we have been informed should be largely resolved by April or May 2024.
We understand how frustrating and distressing medicine shortages can be. While we cannot always prevent supply issues from occurring, the Department has a range of well-established processes and tools to manage them when they arise and help mitigate risks to patients. We work with the pharmaceutical industry, NHS England the devolved administrations, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and others operating in the supply chain to help prevent shortages and to ensure that the risks to patients are minimised when supply issues arise. If any patient is concerned about their treatment, they should discuss this with their clinician at the earliest opportunity.
Asked by: Alistair Strathern (Labour - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 5 February to Question 12474 on RAF Chicksands: Housing, what plans his Department has to improve the (a) grade three (b) grade four accommodation over the next 12 months.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The programme of works commencing in April 2024 is being finalised, but currently includes the refurbishment of kitchen and ablution areas in three single living accommodation (SLA) blocks, which will improve the lived experience.
The works are unlikely to raise the blocks above grade three or four as this will require new-build blocks or a full refurbishment programme, which is unlikely to complete before the base is scheduled to close in 2030.
Asked by: Alistair Strathern (Labour - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Secretary of State for Wales’s oral contribution of 23 January 2024 during the debate on Protecting Steel in the UK, Official Report, column 265, whether her Department has (a) undertaken and (b) commissioned an independent assessment of the potential merits of the multi-union plan for steel production at Port Talbot.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
Tata Steel are now conducting a formal consultation period with staff regarding the company’s proposed £1.25 billion pound project to transition to greener steelmaking at Port Talbot.
Prior to this, Tata Steel have been discussing Union’s alternative proposals with them for several months. Ultimately, this is a commercial decision for Tata Steel and engagement with trade unions has always been a process that must be led by the employer.
We are working with Tata Steel to provide up to £100 million pounds funding for a dedicated Transition Board, which includes members from the Welsh Government, to support both affected employees and the local economy.
Asked by: Alistair Strathern (Labour - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department plans to complete its review of the police funding formula before the end of this Parliamentary session.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government is clear on the need to review the distribution of funding across forces in England and Wales, which is why we are undertaking a review of the formula. We have engaged closely with the policing sector on an evidence-based assessment of policing demand and the relative impact of local factors on forces, and this work remains ongoing.
Our priority is to deliver a robust, future-proofed funding formula that allocates funding in a fair and transparent manner. Although we are working to introduce new funding arrangements as soon as feasible, their quality and longevity is our focus.
Asked by: Alistair Strathern (Labour - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 9 January 2024 to Question 7731 on Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board: Dental Services, what the impact of IFRS16 was on the capital departmental expenditure limit (CDEL) for the NHS; and of that how much was (a) to compensate for impacts on primary care provision and (b) allocated to Milton Keynes and Bedfordshire Integrated Care Board.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The additional capital departmental expenditure limit (CDEL) allocation for IFRS 16 in the 2022/23 budget was £1.2 billion. Of that, £24 million was directly linked to NHS England’s budget line, which covers the elements of primary care estate leased by integrated care boards, a relatively small proportion of the overall primary care estate.
All National Health Service organisations provided IFRS 16 estimates to determine the amount of additional CDEL required for IFRS 16, thus ensuring a fair allocation in accordance with HM Treasury’s guidance during the implementation of the new accounting standard. NHS England then provided allocations to integrated care boards, enabling them to fund primary care leases and corporate buildings. For the Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board, the IFRS 16 CDEL allocation was £785,000 in 2022/23.
Asked by: Alistair Strathern (Labour - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help support women experiencing menopause at work.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
In March 2023, we appointed Helen Tomlinson as the Government’s first Menopause Employment Champion.
We are working across Government and with employers to increase awareness and develop policies to support women experiencing the impact of menopause at work.
We recently launched new guidance on the Help to Grow portal, empowering businesses to educate their organisation about menopause.
Asked by: Alistair Strathern (Labour - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department undertook an assessment of the impact of a separate pay spine for nursing on pay equality before launching the consultation.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has published a call for evidence to better understand the benefits, challenges and design of a separate pay spine for nursing staff. The legal and equality implications of removing nursing staff from the existing pay arrangements are also being considered separately by the Government.
The Government will carefully consider the evidence that is submitted. If a decision is made to progress with the policy, any future proposal to introduce a separate pay spine in the National Health Service would be consulted on and would include relevant impact assessments.
Asked by: Alistair Strathern (Labour - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of defining off road bikes as motor vehicles on levels of anti-social behaviour.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
All motorbikes are considered to be motor vehicles and there are no plans to change this.
The Government is committed to tackling and preventing anti-social behaviour (ASB). We know the serious impact that persistent ASB can have on both individuals and the wider community.
We provided the police, local authorities and other local agencies with a range of flexible tools and powers that they can use to respond quickly and effectively to ASB through the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.
It is for local areas to decide how best to deploy these powers depending on the specific circumstances. They are best placed to understand what is driving the behaviour in question, the impact that it is having, and to determine the most appropriate response.
Asked by: Alistair Strathern (Labour - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much of the service accommodation at Chicksands base in Mid Bedfordshire falls into each category of accommodation standard.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Of the 255 Service Family Accommodation properties at Chicksands, Mid Bedfordshire, 98.5% meet or exceed the Decent Homes (DH) Standard.
A breakdown is shown in the table below:
DH Standard | Total SFA | % |
DH Plus | 240 | 94.12% |
DH | 11 | 4.31% |
DH Minus | 4 | 1.57% |
All Service Family Accommodation allocated to Service families in the UK meets the Government’s Decent Homes Standard as a minimum. Homes below this standard should not be allocated to Service personnel and their families.
There are 1,228 Single Living Accommodation (SLA) Bedspaces at Chicksands, Mid Bedfordshire.
A breakdown is shown in the table below:
Grade for Condition | Number of Bedspaces | % |
2 | 308 | 25% |
3 | 489 | 40% |
4 | 431 | 35% |
There are four grades of permanent SLA - ranging from one to four, one being the highest condition - based on the assessment criteria of location, age, state of repair, size and facilities.
Asked by: Alistair Strathern (Labour - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 9 January 2024 to Question 7731 on Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board: Dental Services, how many Integrated Care Boards are in leasing arrangements for primary care provision; and what the value of such contracts is.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Premises used for primary care provision can be leased or owned through a variety of arrangements. For example, in general practices, most premises are directly owned or leased by the general practitioners. NHS England is aware of just one integrated care board (ICB) who is holding a lease on primary care premises. The overall value of this lease commitment is £3.8 million. Whilst other ICBs may be considering taking on leases, they would be required to seek national approval.