Asked by: Chris Stephens (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the additional staff required by his Department in the event that the UK leaves the EU (a) with and (b) without a deal.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
Delivering the deal negotiated with the European Union remains the Government’s top priority. This has not changed. However, the Government must prepare for every eventuality.
Given the interactions between EU exit work and the Department’s other priorities, it is not possible to provide an accurate break-down of the additional staff required in the event of deal and no-deal exit scenarios specifically.
The resources available are under constant review and the Department is equipping itself with the resources it needs to deliver a smooth and orderly exit from the EU.
Asked by: Chris Stephens (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many staff were employed in his Department on (a) 20 December 2018 and (b) 23 June 2016.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
On 20 December 2018 the Department employed 1,589 civil servants. On 23 June 2016 the Department employed 1,974 civil servants.
Civil servants are defined as employees, fixed term appointments and loans into the Department. These figures do not include agency workers, contractors and consultants.
Asked by: Chris Stephens (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many equality impact assessments have been carried out in the last three years on public service reforms which impact on (a) departmental staff and (b) members of the public; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by David Mowat
The number of equality impact assessments in each of the last three years is contained in the following links:
- Equality analysis published in 2016:
- Equality analysis published in 2015:
- Equality analysis published in 2014:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/401180/DH_equalities_2015_acc.pdf (see page 18)
Asked by: Chris Stephens (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether HC2 certificates provided to asylum seekers being supported under section 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 are automatically renewed.
Answered by David Mowat
Where UK Visas and Immigration make an assessment that asylum seekers qualify for support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, they issue HC2 certificates, conferring entitlement to Help with Health Costs via the NHS Low Income Scheme, which are valid for six months. If the asylum seeker continues to be supported at the time the certificate expires, they will be entitled to a replacement HC2.
Asylum seekers who are not supported by UK Visas and Immigration can apply to the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) for a HC2 certificate. Those who were, but are no longer, supported by UK Visas and Immigration can also apply to the NHSBSA for a replacement shortly before their certificate expires.
We do not have information on the average time that it takes UK Visas and Immigration to issue HC2 certificates to asylum seekers, or the number of claims from asylum seekers currently awaiting processing by UK Visas and Immigration. For the NHSBSA, the average time (from the period April to October 2016) for the NHSBSA to process an application to the NHS Low Income Scheme and issue a certificate, including for applications from asylum seekers, is nine days. The oldest claim currently awaiting assessment was received 14 days ago (as at 3 November). We do not hold information on the number of claims from asylum seekers awaiting processing by the NHSBSA.
Asked by: Chris Stephens (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average time taken is for issuing HC2 forms to asylum seekers; and how many such forms are currently awaiting processing.
Answered by David Mowat
Where UK Visas and Immigration make an assessment that asylum seekers qualify for support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, they issue HC2 certificates, conferring entitlement to Help with Health Costs via the NHS Low Income Scheme, which are valid for six months. If the asylum seeker continues to be supported at the time the certificate expires, they will be entitled to a replacement HC2.
Asylum seekers who are not supported by UK Visas and Immigration can apply to the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) for a HC2 certificate. Those who were, but are no longer, supported by UK Visas and Immigration can also apply to the NHSBSA for a replacement shortly before their certificate expires.
We do not have information on the average time that it takes UK Visas and Immigration to issue HC2 certificates to asylum seekers, or the number of claims from asylum seekers currently awaiting processing by UK Visas and Immigration. For the NHSBSA, the average time (from the period April to October 2016) for the NHSBSA to process an application to the NHS Low Income Scheme and issue a certificate, including for applications from asylum seekers, is nine days. The oldest claim currently awaiting assessment was received 14 days ago (as at 3 November). We do not hold information on the number of claims from asylum seekers awaiting processing by the NHSBSA.
Asked by: Chris Stephens (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what meetings his Department has had with representatives of (a) the Taxpayers' Alliance, (b) the Confederation of British Industry, (c) the Institute of Economic Affairs, (d) the Adam Smith Institute, (e) the Freedom Association, (f) the Politics and Economics Research Trust and (g) the Midlands Industrial Council in the last 12 months.
Answered by Jane Ellison
The information is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Chris Stephens (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the relationship between poverty in childhood and (a) ill-health and (b) use in adulthood of the NHS.
Answered by Jane Ellison
We want all children to have the healthiest start possible in life, and particularly the poorest children. We have strengthened support for mothers, babies and children by increasing the number of Health Visitors and more than doubling the number of places on the Family Nurse Partnership programme. Health is now a theme of the new Troubled Families Programme, to improve the physical and mental health of the adults and children in these families.
Asked by: Chris Stephens (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department has had with support groups and other charitable organisations on the issue of contaminated blood.
Answered by Jane Ellison
Departmental officials meet regularly with the Caxton Foundation, Skipton Trust, McFarlane Trust and the Eileen Trust and with the Hepatitis C Trust from time to time to discuss hepatitis C related matters. Officials also held an introductory meeting with the Chief Executive of the Haemophilia Society earlier this year.
Asked by: Chris Stephens (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his Department's timetable is for the spending of the sum of £25 million allocated for dealing with the issue of contaminated blood.
Answered by Jane Ellison
We expect to announce our plans for that money in light of a public consultation into potential scheme reform, and once we have an understanding of how a new scheme might be structured. We do not intend to use this money for the administrative costs that might be associated with closing down the existing schemes.
Asked by: Chris Stephens (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Statement of 20 July 2015, Official Report, column 1221, on contaminated blood, what discussions his Department has had with the Scottish Government on the issue of contaminated blood.
Answered by Jane Ellison
The four United Kingdom health departments have been working closely together on this matter; officials in the Department of Health in England have had regular contact with their counterparts in the three devolved administrations and will continue to do so. In addition this matter was one of the subjects discussed in a recent call I had with Scottish Health Ministers.
The Scottish Government is undertaking its own consultation into scheme reform with patient groups within Scotland, and we look forward to being able to see the results of this activity. When we launch our own consultation later this year, we will continue to work with the Scottish government.