Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the consultation entitled Public Sector Exit Payments: a new controls process for high exit payments, which closed on 17 October 2022, for what reason his Department has not yet responded to that consolation; and when he plans to respond.
Answered by Laura Trott - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Government is considering the responses to this consultation and will publish a response in due course.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of levels of public sector productivity in each financial year between 2018-19 and 2022-23; and what his planned timetable is for publication of the Public Service Productivity Review.
Answered by Laura Trott - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
ONS publish annual National Statistics on public service productivity up to 2020. The next annual statistic for 2021 will be published in March. ONS also publish estimates of annual public service productivity for 2021 and 2022. An experimental estimate for 2023 will come after the Spring Budget. This information is available online
There will be an update on the Public Sector Productivity Programme at Spring Budget.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many public sector exit payments were made in excess of £95,000 in the financial years ending 31 March (a) 2017, (b) 2018, (c) 2019, (d) 2020, (e) 2021, (f) 2022 and (g) 2023; and what the total cost was of those payments in each of those years.
Answered by Laura Trott - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
information on the number and costs of exit payments over £100,00 is published in the Whole of Government Accounts.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason covid-19 vaccines are only available through the NHS as of 31 January 2024.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Government is committed to protecting those most at risk from COVID-19 through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. Those eligible receive vaccination for free through the National Health Service. Whether and when a private market for COVID-19 vaccines emerges is a matter for private companies, and the Government has no formal role in this. However, the Government is supportive of the emergence of a private market for COVID-19 vaccines, to increase choice for consumers.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department takes to ensure no mRNA vaccines are (a) procured and (b) supplied in breach of a patent.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Government has signed contracts for the supply of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, under which suppliers are required to warrant that the receipt and use of their vaccines will not infringe on any intellectual property rights.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many claims to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme relating to covid-19 vaccines where causation has been established and where (a) the 60% disablement threshold has been met, (b) that threshold has not been met, have arisen as a result of (i) Vaccine-induced thrombocytopenia and thrombosis, (ii) Guillain-Barré syndrome and (iii) any other condition.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
As of 31 January 2024, of the 163 COVID-19 related applications to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme that have received an award, 69 cases were related to cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, 49 were related to Guillain-Barré syndrome and 45 cases were related to other medical conditions.
Of the 300 cases where causation was accepted but the individual did not meet the 60% threshold, 50 cases were related to cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, 63 were related to Guillain-Barré syndrome and 187 cases were related to other medical conditions.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many claims to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme relating to covid-19 vaccinations have been (a) received, (b) successful, (c) unsuccessful due to a failure to meet the 60% disability threshold, (d) rejected and (e) are still awaiting resolution.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
As of 31 January 2024, the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) has received 9172 COVID-19 related claims. Within these claims, 163 have received an award and 4421 have been rejected. Of these rejected claims: 300 claims were rejected for not meeting the 60% disability threshold; 339 claims were found invalid, either outside the scope of the VDPS or a duplicate claim; and 4249 claims are awaiting resolution.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of the claimants to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme for disability caused by the Covid-19 vaccinations received their first vaccine in (a) January to March 2021, (b) April to June 2021 and (c) July to September 2021.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
As of 5 January 2024, of the 8778 COVID-19 related applications to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme, 4658 applications or 53.06% related to a first vaccination received between January and March 2021; 2028 applications or 23.10% related to a first vaccination received between April and June 2021; and 516 applications or 5.88% related to a first vaccination received between July and September 2021.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) claims to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme for disability caused by the Covid-19 vaccines and (b) applications for mandatory reversals to such claims, have been outstanding for more than (i) 18 months, (ii) 12 months and (iii) six months.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
As of 5 January 2024, of the claims submitted to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme relating to COVID-19, 157 claims have been outstanding for more than 18 months; 341 claims have been outstanding for over 12 months and 1854 claims have been outstanding for over six months.
Of these claims, no mandatory reversals have been submitted that have been outstanding for over 18 months; 18 mandatory reversal applications have been outstanding for over 12 months, and 124 mandatory reversal applications have been outstanding for over six months.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the oral contribution in response to the question from the hon. Member for Ipswich of 6 December 2023, Official Report, column 373, when she plans to publish guidance on gender-questioning children.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
On 19 December 2023, the government published draft guidance for schools and colleges in England on gender questioning children. The consultation will remain open until 12 March 2024.
The draft guidance and the consultation document can be found here: https://consult.education.gov.uk/equalities-political-impartiality-anti-bullying-team/gender-questioning-children-proposed-guidance/.