Asked by: Andrew Murrison (Conservative - South West Wiltshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for the NHS of the use of (a) generative AI and (b) large language models; and whether pilot schemes are underway to assess potential uses.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
New artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are being developed that have the potential to improve healthcare delivery and to provide significant cost savings to the National Health Service. One example is the use of automated voice to text tools, which use generative AI to listen to and transcribe patient notes.
Currently, there are ongoing assessments of the use of these tools in the NHS as these technologies could help ease the administrative burden faced by staff and make systems more efficient. Several NHS trusts are running trials, including a multi-site assessment of the impact of using automated transcription software. The NHS AI team is monitoring these developments and developing guidance for the responsible use of these tools. This guidance will be informed by the Government’s broader guidance on the use of Generative AI in the public sector.
There are strict safeguards in place throughout the NHS to protect data. All providers of services which handle patient data must protect that data in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and Data Protection Act 2018, and every health organisation is required to appoint a Caldicott Guardian to advise on the protection of people’s health and care data, and ensure it is used properly. This includes where AI is used in relation to patient records.
To mitigate the likelihood and severity of any potential harm to individuals arising from use of data in AI, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has developed detailed AI guidance which provides an overarching view of data protection, including Data Protection Impact Assessments and UK GDPR. It has also produced an AI toolkit to support organisations auditing compliance of their AI-based technologies. NHS bodies are expected to make use of this guidance and toolkit.
Asked by: Andrew Murrison (Conservative - South West Wiltshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, (a) on what dates and (b) how his Department contacted service personnel on potential exposure to water contaminants in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina between 1953 and 1987.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
We take the safety of our personnel very seriously and any veteran that may have served at Camp Lejeune during this period and believes that their health was affected can apply for compensation under the War Pension Scheme. It is also worth noting that the US compensation scheme had been running for almost two years at the point it was raised on 30 July 2024 to the new Ministerial team.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not hold information on British personnel affected by water contamination at US Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987; however, we are making every effort to ensure Serving personnel and veterans are aware of their rights moving forward. On notification, I immediately instructed the Ministry of Defence to issue communications to encourage those who think they may have been affected by contaminated water at Camp Lejeune to contact the department. On 2 August 2024 the Department released an article on Gov.uk explaining how to check eligibility and claim before the deadline. This was also followed up by posts on the Department’s social media accounts and internally through Veterans UK and all three Services.
I continue to encourage anyone who was based at Camp Lejeune between 1 August 1953 and 31 December 1987 to write to the MOD so that we may provide them with advice.
Asked by: Andrew Murrison (Conservative - South West Wiltshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list communications issued from his Department to potential victims of water contamination in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina between 1953 and 1987.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
We take the safety of our personnel very seriously and any veteran that may have served at Camp Lejeune during this period and believes that their health was affected can apply for compensation under the War Pension Scheme. It is also worth noting that the US compensation scheme had been running for almost two years at the point it was raised on 30 July 2024 to the new Ministerial team.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not hold information on British personnel affected by water contamination at US Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987; however, we are making every effort to ensure Serving personnel and veterans are aware of their rights moving forward. On notification, I immediately instructed the Ministry of Defence to issue communications to encourage those who think they may have been affected by contaminated water at Camp Lejeune to contact the department. On 2 August 2024 the Department released an article on Gov.uk explaining how to check eligibility and claim before the deadline. This was also followed up by posts on the Department’s social media accounts and internally through Veterans UK and all three Services.
I continue to encourage anyone who was based at Camp Lejeune between 1 August 1953 and 31 December 1987 to write to the MOD so that we may provide them with advice.
Asked by: Andrew Murrison (Conservative - South West Wiltshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how his Department has discharged its duty of care to service (a) personnel and (b) families for potential contamination by toxic chemicals in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina between 1953 and 1987.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
We take the safety of our personnel very seriously and any veteran that may have served at Camp Lejeune during this period and believes that their health was affected can apply for compensation under the War Pension Scheme. It is also worth noting that the US compensation scheme had been running for almost two years at the point it was raised on 30 July 2024 to the new Ministerial team.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not hold information on British personnel affected by water contamination at US Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987; however, we are making every effort to ensure Serving personnel and veterans are aware of their rights moving forward. On notification, I immediately instructed the Ministry of Defence to issue communications to encourage those who think they may have been affected by contaminated water at Camp Lejeune to contact the department. On 2 August 2024 the Department released an article on Gov.uk explaining how to check eligibility and claim before the deadline. This was also followed up by posts on the Department’s social media accounts and internally through Veterans UK and all three Services.
I continue to encourage anyone who was based at Camp Lejeune between 1 August 1953 and 31 December 1987 to write to the MOD so that we may provide them with advice.
Asked by: Andrew Murrison (Conservative - South West Wiltshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Oxford-Cambridge Arc on the economies of surrounding settlements.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Chancellor has recently announced the government’s commitment to unlock growth in the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor and the high potential sectors within it, building on the proposed route of East West Rail, as part of the government’s Plan for Change to kickstart economic growth.
The Oxford-Cambridge region is home to world leading universities and globally renowned science and technology firms. But the region's true potential is being held back by several constraints, including poor transport connections and unaffordable housing and we need to go further to address the key barriers to growth across this region to deliver benefits for the whole country. This region already accounts for over 7% of total UK GDP, contributing over £40 billion to the UK economy, and fully realising its potential could add a further £78 billion by 2035 according to industry experts.
More broadly, the government has extended the UK Shared Prosperity Fund for a further year, providing £900 million for local authorities to invest in local priorities right across the UK. This includes almost £1.9 million for Wiltshire in 2025-26.
Asked by: Andrew Murrison (Conservative - South West Wiltshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Oxford-Cambridge Arc on improvements to road links between the M4 and the south coast.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Oxford-Cambridge Arc represents a strategic growth corridor with the potential to facilitate sustainable economic, social, and environmental development for the region, and its impact on the transport system is multi-modal. It is recognised that additional analytical work will be necessary to comprehensively assess the interdependencies and areas of alignment with parallel studies, including the M4 to Dorset corridor study.
Asked by: Andrew Murrison (Conservative - South West Wiltshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of deaths from contact with electricity via building and industrial cleaning activities were recorded by the Health and Safety Executive in the last 12 months for which information is available.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) places duties on employers, the self-employed and people in control of work premises (the Responsible Person) to report work-related fatalities, certain injuries, occupational diseases and specified dangerous occurrences (near misses). Reports are made via a dedicated RIDDOR submission form.
An electrocution that occurred during window cleaning being carried out as a ‘work activity’ (as opposed to by the homeowner) would be reportable under RIDDOR as a work-related fatality.
HSE collects information on deaths from contact with electricity in the category of ‘building and industrial cleaning activities’. However, it does not collect specific information relating to electrocutions caused by the use of water-fed poles in window cleaning.
Asked by: Andrew Murrison (Conservative - South West Wiltshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information her Department holds on the number of window cleaners electrocuted whilst using water-fed poles in each year for which records are available.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
I refer the hon. Member to the previous reply PQ 5554
Asked by: Andrew Murrison (Conservative - South West Wiltshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, on what dates she has met with further education college representatives to discuss further education funding in preparation for Phase 2 of the Spending Review.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, my noble Friend, the Minister for Skills, and other members of the Ministerial team at the department regularly meet with further education colleges and their representatives. There have been several recent meetings which have touched on funding.
Asked by: Andrew Murrison (Conservative - South West Wiltshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make a comparative assessment of the impact of (a) industrial injury compensation for civilians and (b) military service compensation on (i) the awarding of benefits and (ii) tax treatment.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
There are no plans to make such an assessment.
The precise treatment of compensation payments depends on the details of the individual scheme (whether industrial, military or other) will depend on the benefit concerned. Tax treatment is a matter for HMRC not DWP.