Asked by: Chris Green (Conservative - Bolton West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many participants were recruited to industry-sponsored clinical trials in each of the National Institute for Health and Care Research's Local Clinical Research Networks in 2022-23.
Answered by Will Quince
A total of 32,328 participants were recruited into industry sponsored clinical trials in England in 2022/23 which were supported by the National Institute for Health Research and Clinical Research Network (CRN). The following table shows a breakdown of the number by Local CRN.
Local CRN | 2022/23 |
East Midlands | 1716 |
East of England | 2,579 |
Eastern | 0 |
Greater Manchester | 3,449 |
Kent, Surrey and Sussex | 847 |
North East and North Cumbria | 2,571 |
North Thames | 2,723 |
North West Coast | 1,840 |
North West London | 3,216 |
South London | 2,255 |
South West Peninsula | 1,807 |
Thames Valley and South Midlands | 1,432 |
Wessex | 1,692 |
West Midlands | 2,507 |
West of England | 1,262 |
Yorkshire and Humber | 2,432 |
Total | 32,328 |
Asked by: Chris Green (Conservative - Bolton West)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
What steps her Department is taking to advance the UK's role in the science and technology sector.
Answered by Paul Scully
In March,the Government published the Science and Technology Framework. This details our strategic vision for how to make the UK a science and technology superpower by 2030.
The Framework sets out the steps required to attract investment, grow UK companies, innovate successfully and safely, and deploy our world class science and technology research base for good.
We have already announced investment of £900million in exascale computing, £2.5billion over 10 years in quantum technologies and a £1billion semiconductor strategy.
Asked by: Chris Green (Conservative - Bolton West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of (a) automated dispensing technology, (b) digital consultations and (c) other digital technologies on levels of efficiency in the pharmacy sector.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
Between 16 March and 8 June 2022, the Government ran a consultation on proposals to enable all pharmacies to be able to access external hub dispensing services facilitating greater use of automation. An impact assessment which takes into consideration the role of automated dispensing technology in the hub and spoke model was completed as part of this work. The impact assessment is available at the following link:
There will be synergistic efficiencies gained by using hub and spoke dispensing and original pack dispensing (OPD) supporting the highly automated processes that hubs are likely to employ. Between 1 November and 13 December 2021, the Government consulted on proposals to enable OPD. The consultation response is available at the following link:
The Delivery plan for recovering access to primary care, published on 9 May, commits to significantly improving the digital infrastructure between general practice and community pharmacy by introducing interoperable digital solutions to support secure communications between general practice and community pharmacies. There are no plans to make an assessment of the potential impact of digital consultations and other digital technologies on levels of efficiency.
Asked by: Chris Green (Conservative - Bolton West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Delivery plan for recovering access to primary care, published on 9 May 2023, what assessment his Department has made of the potential role of the pharmacy sector in helping patients to monitor (a) high blood pressure and (b) other long-term conditions at home.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
On 9 May, as part of the Delivery plan for recovering access to primary care, we announced a further investment of up to £645 million over two years to expand the role of community pharmacy including the expansion of existing blood pressure services. This service offers a blood pressure cuff check, as well as ambulatory monitoring where appropriate. General practitioners can also refer their patients directly to the community pharmacy for ambulatory blood pressure measurements, supporting care closer to home and self-care. Pharmacists are experts on medicines and any prescription which is dispensed by a community pharmacist requires the pharmacy to provide to the patient information and advice including how to use the medicines safely. This includes products patients require to monitor their long-term conditions, for example blood glucose testing strips for diabetic patients and peak flow monitors for patients with asthma.
Asked by: Chris Green (Conservative - Bolton West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Delivery plan for recovering access to primary care, published on 9 May 2023, what steps his Department is taking to improve IT connectivity between community pharmacies and other parts of the NHS.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
The Delivery plan commits to significantly improving the digital infrastructure between general practice and community pharmacy by introducing interoperable digital solutions to support secure communications between general practice and community pharmacies. Community pharmacists will be able to access patients’ records, view previous interventions and results, and populate those records with standardised messages related to the services provided in community pharmacy and referrals will be enabled from general practice to community pharmacies and between pharmacies.
Asked by: Chris Green (Conservative - Bolton West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps she is taking to support garden centres.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Autumn Statement 2022 announced a package of changes to business rates worth £13.6bn over the next 5 years in lower bills. This includes a freeze to the multiplier, scrapping the downward revaluation cap and extending and increasing the generosity of the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Relief from 50% to 75% in 2023-24.
This is in addition to the Energy Bills Discount Scheme; the increased Employment Allowance of £5,000 and setting the Annual Investment Allowance at £1 million permanently. This is a comprehensive package of support which will help protect businesses such as garden centres.
Asked by: Chris Green (Conservative - Bolton West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data his Department holds on the number of Taxi and Private Hire Licences (a) refused and (b) revoked by (i) Bolton and (ii) Wigan Council.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Department gathers data on the number of private hire vehicle operator licences that have been refused and revoked. This information is published on GOV.UK in the taxis, private hire vehicles and their drivers (TAXI) data set. Information about private hire vehicle operator licences can be found in the TAXI0111 table. Neither Bolton or Wigan Metropolitan Borough Councils refused or revoked a private hire vehicle operator licence between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022.
The Department does not gather or hold data on the number of private hire or taxi vehicle licences that have been refused or revoked.
The Department holds data on the number of refusals and revocations of taxi and private hire vehicle driver licences which have been recorded on the National Register for Revocations, Refusals and Suspensions (NR3S):
| Refusals recorded on the NR3S database (April 2021-March 2022) | Revocations recorded on the NR3S database (April 2021-March 2022) |
Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council | 3 | 6 |
Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council | 28 | 0 |
Asked by: Chris Green (Conservative - Bolton West)
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 30 January 2023 to Question 129959 on Drugs: Prices, how many of the 24 commercial agreements that resulted in non-uniform pricing since 2020 were agreed through (a) The Cancer Drugs Fund, (b) routine commissioning and (c) the Innovative Medicines Fund.
Answered by Will Quince
Of the 24 commercial agreements that resulted in non-uniform pricing since 2020, 11 were agreed through the Cancer Drugs Fund and 13 were agreed through routine commissioning. NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE&I) and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) will lead a public engagement exercise on proposals for the Innovative Medicine Fund in due course. NHSE&I and NICE will continue to work collaboratively in line with NHSE&I’s published commercial framework to negotiate deals with industry that enable patients to access the most innovative and effective new medicines and ensure the National Health Service gets the best value.
Asked by: Chris Green (Conservative - Bolton West)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much and what proportion of the £354m funding allocated to life sciences manufacturing has been allocated to life sciences manufacturing projects; and which projects have received this funding.
Answered by George Freeman
This Government recognises the valuable role that life sciences manufacturing plays in the UK economy, as outlined in the Life Sciences Vision published in 2021. Last March, we launched the £60 million Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund to encourage manufacturing investment in the UK. The fund has received a large number of high-quality applications and we expect to announce the grant recipients shortly. In addition, the UK has supported several other life sciences manufacturing investments including through a grant of up to £15.9m to chemical producer Croda to increase the UK’s capacity to manufacture lipid nanoparticles for mRNA vaccines at their site in Leek, and up to £12.3m to support Smith&Nephew’s new Advanced Wound Management manufacturing and R&D site near Hull. The Government continues to work with the life sciences industry to support manufacturing investments in the UK.
Asked by: Chris Green (Conservative - Bolton West)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much revenue was raised for the Exchequer by the sale of the Vaccines Manufacturing Innovation Centre; and whether those funds will be reinvested into life sciences manufacturing capabilities in the UK.
Answered by George Freeman
The Vaccine Taskforce granted funding to VMIC Ltd to support development of the Vaccine Manufacturing and Innovation Centre, a vaccine research and manufacturing facility in Harwell.
In late 2021, VMIC UK Ltd's Board of Directors made the decision to sell the facility through a competitive process. In April 2022, the facility was sold to Catalent. VMIC Ltd subsequently entered a voluntary liquidation.
The courts appointed liquidators to act on behalf of creditors and this process is under way. It is not possible to comment on the question of revenue raised while the liquidation process is ongoing.