Asked by: Dean Russell (Conservative - Watford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to provide support for people with (a) Corticobasal Degeneration and (b) Progressive Supranuclear Palsy.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
While the Department is not taking steps to ensure early diagnosis of Corticobasal Degeneration and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy specifically, the 2021 UK Rare Diseases Framework aims to improve the awareness of all rare diseases which includes these conditions. England’s second Rare Diseases Action Plan, published in February 2023, reports on progress made to help patients get a final diagnosis faster and outlines new actions such as commissioning research on how best to measure the diagnostic odyssey.
An individual with Corticobasal Degeneration and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy can be affected in many ways, therefore support available will depend on individual need. Patients with these conditions would typically be supported through the usual range of commissioned health and social care services, including neurology services. There is not a separately commissioned service for this diagnosis.
Asked by: Dean Russell (Conservative - Watford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure early diagnosis of Corticobasal Degeneration and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
While the Department is not taking steps to ensure early diagnosis of Corticobasal Degeneration and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy specifically, the 2021 UK Rare Diseases Framework aims to improve the awareness of all rare diseases which includes these conditions. England’s second Rare Diseases Action Plan, published in February 2023, reports on progress made to help patients get a final diagnosis faster and outlines new actions such as commissioning research on how best to measure the diagnostic odyssey.
An individual with Corticobasal Degeneration and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy can be affected in many ways, therefore support available will depend on individual need. Patients with these conditions would typically be supported through the usual range of commissioned health and social care services, including neurology services. There is not a separately commissioned service for this diagnosis.
Asked by: Dean Russell (Conservative - Watford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support is in place for people with psychosis.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
It is for individual integrated care boards to commission mental health services, including those for people with psychosis, in order to meet the needs of their local population.
We have introduced waiting times standards for early intervention in psychosis services and are expanding and transforming National Health Service mental health services, backed by additional investment of £2.3 billion a year by March 2024 to enable an extra 2 million people in England to access NHS funded mental health support.
Asked by: Dean Russell (Conservative - Watford)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to provide financial support for the hospitality sector.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government recognises that the hospitality sector is facing financial pressures.
The Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS) will provide all eligible UK businesses and other non-domestic energy users with a discount on high energy bills from 1 April 2023 until 31 March 2024.
The Government has also announced business rates support measures worth £13.6 billion over the next 5 years.
Asked by: Dean Russell (Conservative - Watford)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions she has had with (a) representatives and (b) trade bodies from the hospitality sector on potential challenges facing the hospitality sector.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We meet regularly with representatives and trade bodies from the hospitality sector and have convened a Hospitality Sector Council to deliver the 2021 Hospitality Strategy, with the aim of building the sector’s long-term resilience. A Delivery Report showing progress made was published in March. The Council is scheduled to meet next in July.
Asked by: Dean Russell (Conservative - Watford)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment his Department has made f the impact of the level of VAT on the hospitality sector.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Since the start of the pandemic, over £37 billion has been provided to the tourism, leisure and hospitality sectors in the form of grants, loans and tax breaks.
VAT is the UK's third largest tax forecast to raise £161 billion in 2023/2024, helping to fund key spending priorities such as important public services, including the NHS, education and defence. The previous VAT relief for tourism and hospitality cost over £8 billion and reintroducing it would come at a significant further cost.
While there are no plans to reduce the rate of VAT paid by hospitality businesses, the Government keeps all taxes under review.
Asked by: Dean Russell (Conservative - Watford)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent comparative assessment his Department has made of the impact of the level of VAT rates on the hospitality sector in (a) the UK and (b) the EU.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Since the start of the pandemic, over £37 billion has been provided to the tourism, leisure and hospitality sectors in the form of grants, loans and tax breaks.
At £85,000, the UK has a higher VAT registration threshold than any EU Member State and the second highest in the OECD, which keeps the majority of UK businesses out of VAT. VAT reliefs in the UK are among the highest in the OECD and mean that 45 per cent of economic activity is not subject to VAT.
Asked by: Dean Russell (Conservative - Watford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he is taking steps to support the Hidden Disabilities sunflower lanyard scheme.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
People with non-visible disabilities can experience difficulties or be disadvantaged in their ability to access services. Their difficulty can be exacerbated because service provider personnel are unaware of their disability and any different or additional needs they may have.
During the pandemic, the green Sunflower Lanyard scheme gained popularity to indicate an individual's non-visible disability in relation to mask exemption. The Sunflower Lanyard scheme is recognised by some retailers and transport authorities as an indication that a customer or passenger may need additional help because of a non-visible disability. Some individuals prefer to make their non-visible disability known to others by wearing a visible indication of their disability - the Sunflower Lanyard scheme is one such option.
However, this is a personal choice. It is not the Government's intent to promote any one voluntary scheme, nor to suggest that disabled people should feel that they have to make their disability known to others.
Asked by: Dean Russell (Conservative - Watford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department are taking to support people with (a) Huntington's Disease and (b) other complex neurological conditions.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Specialised elements of neurological care are provided through the 25 specialised neurological treatment centres across England. NHS England’s neuroscience transformation programme (NSTP) is developing several optimal pathways for neurology services, which includes Huntington's disease. The NSTP is also developing a new definition for ‘specialised’ neurology. The NSTP will provide integrated care systems with the tools, information and resources they will need to drive the transformation in their neurology services.
In addition, the neuropsychiatry service specification is in development, which will outline the multi-disciplinary approach to caring for patients with complex neurological conditions.
Asked by: Dean Russell (Conservative - Watford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress NHS England has made on developing a neuropsychiatry service specification.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Neuropsychiatry services fall within the remit of NHS England Specialised Services and are listed in the Prescribed Specialised Services Manual, Version 6 which was published on 22 March 2023.
The Neurology Clinical Reference Group (CRG) and its clinical members are currently scoping the breadth and nature of neuropsychiatry provision across England. It is expected that more detailed work will commence and be part of the Neurology CRG workplan in 2024/25.