Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has had recent discussions with (a) the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and (b) clinical commissioning groups on the rollout of Libre Two sensors to manage diabetes.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
There have been no recent discussions. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence updated its guidance on real-time and intermittently scanned continuous glucose monitoring, such as FreeStyle Libre 2 sensors for eligible patients. The newly established integrated care boards will take this guidance into account in commissioning services for local populations.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
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 industry groups on the sustainability of community pharmacies.
Answered by Will Quince
The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework five-year deal commits £2.592 billion in each financial year between 2019 and 2024 for community pharmacy. On 22 September 2022, following discussions between the Department, NHS England and the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee, which represents pharmacy contractors in England, we announced an agreement for the remaining years of the Framework.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much her Department has spent commissioning research into problem gambling in each of the last five years; and whether it is her policy that gambling harms are a public health issue.
Answered by Caroline Johnson
We are committed to tackling gambling-related harms through a public health approach, recognising the potential impacts on individuals, their families, close associates and society. The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The following table shows the funding allocated for research into problem gambling through the NIHR’s research programmes in each of the last five years.
2017/18 | £0.00 |
2018/19 | £0.00 |
2019/20 | £97,535.81 |
2020/21 | £121,439.68 |
2021/22 | £695,254.73 |
In 2019, the former Public Health England conducted an evidence review of gambling-related harms. The cost of research commissioned through this review was £8,000.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the benefits of green spaces and gardening to mental and physical health and what policies the Government is pursuing to ensure those benefits can be realised by people without access to green spaces.
Answered by Maggie Throup
An evidence review of the health effects of access to greenspace, including gardening was published by Public Health England in 2020. It found evidence that exposure to greenspaces can promote and protect good health and aid in recovery from illness and help with managing poor mental and physical health. The evidence review is available at the following link:
The Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan includes specific measures such a cross-Government project on tackling mental ill-health through green social prescribing and a national framework of green infrastructure standards to ensure new developments include accessible green spaces and areas with little or no green space can be improved for the benefit of the community. The Plan is available at the following link: