Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made a recent assessment of the effectiveness of the help us, help you campaign.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No recent assessment has been made. In 2020 NHS England launched the Help Us, Help You (HUHY) campaigns, a major public information campaign to persuade the public to seek urgent care and treatment when they needed it. The HUHY campaign strategy is designed to address the underlying barriers to cancer diagnosis, including multifaceted fears and a lack of body vigilance, along with the lack of knowledge of cancer symptoms, to encourage people to present earlier.
On 8 January 2024, NHS England relaunched the HUHY campaign for cancer, designed to increase earlier diagnosis of cancer by reducing barriers to seeking earlier help, as well as increasing body vigilance and knowledge of key red flag symptoms. This campaign addresses barriers to people coming forward with suspected signs of cancer in general, and is not specific to screening or cervical cancer.
We are seeing continued high levels of urgent cancer referrals, which suggests the HUHY campaigns continue to be effective. Over 12,000 urgent referrals were seen for suspected cancer per working day in February 2024, compared to approximately 9,000 in January 2020.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 15 November 2023 to Question 1306 on Energy: Prices, if she will make an (a) estimate of when the Supercharger proposals will be fully implemented and (b) an assessment of the potential impact of their full implementation on the international competitiveness of UK electricity costs.
Answered by Alan Mak - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade) (jointly with the Cabinet Office)
The government committed to implementing the Supercharger measures between April 2024 and April 2025. The 4 statutory instruments that enact the Supercharger came into force on 1 April and the first measure has been implemented. The second measure will be implemented from 1 October and the final measure will be implemented from April 2025.
Taken together, the government estimates that Government support on electricity prices for Energy Intensive Industries (EIIs) in the form of the British Industry Supercharger could be worth (on average) around £24-£31 Per MegaWatt Hour (MWh) for eligible businesses, closing the competitive gap with their international competitors.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Approximately, how much stamp duty was paid on the purchase of UK-based shares in each of the last two financial years.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
HM Revenue & Customs do not hold the information on the amount of stamp duty paid on the purchase of shares solely based in the UK.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made an estimate of changes in numbers of people reporting (a) physical and (b) mental health issues in the week following clock changes in March for British Summer Time in the last three years.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Department has not made an estimate of the number of people, or changes to the number of people, reporting physical or mental health issues following the clock changes.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much his Department received in Emissions Trading Scheme fees from (a) Belfast International, (b) Belfast City and (c) Londonderry airport in the financial year 2022/23.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Belfast International, Belfast City and Londonderry airports are not covered by the UK Emissions Trading Scheme and therefore do not contribute to Emission Trading Scheme revenue.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to expand the pilot No Interest Loan Scheme to Northern Ireland.
Answered by Bim Afolami - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government funded No Interest Loan Scheme (NILS) is being run by Fair4AllFinance, in conjunction with their partners. The pilot is designed to test the impact that NILS could have on addressing the needs of vulnerable consumers across the UK.
Fair4AllFinance have now rolled out the pilot in England, Scotland and Wales. Fair4AllFinance will continue to engage closely with stakeholders, including the Northern Ireland Executive, in an effort to deliver our shared ambition to launch a pilot site in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of how many pensioners will become eligible to pay income tax as a result of the increase in the state pension.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is committed to ensuring that older people are able to live with the dignity and respect they deserve. The Personal Allowance is currently set at a level high enough to ensure that those pensioners whose sole income is the full rate of the new State Pension or basic State Pension do not pay any income tax.
As with all aspects of the tax system, the Government keeps the Personal Allowance under review and any decisions on future changes will be taken by the Chancellor in the context of the wider public finances.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were charged with criminal offences as a result of Operation Gull in Northern Ireland in 2023.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)
In 2023, Home Office Criminal and Financial Investigation teams (CFI) charged 39 individuals with criminal offences as part of Operation Gull.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what advertising campaigns directed at local businesses have been undertaken by her Department's trade hub in Northern Ireland since 1 January 2024.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Engaging with businesses in Northern Ireland (NI) is a key priority for the Department for Business and Trade. The “Made in the UK, Sold to the World” campaign continues to raise awareness of export benefits and the free UK government support available to help businesses grow internationally.
This year, the department’s Northern Ireland team has promoted specific opportunities to NI businesses through the Australia and New Zealand Roadshow and the Food and Drink Export Council’s Peer-to-Peer event in Cookstown. Businesses are encouraged to use the department’s services like the UK Export Academy and provide peer support via our Export Champion programme.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
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 when data will be placed into the federated data platform for NHS trusts and integrated care systems.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Federated Data Platform will allow the National Health Service to make better use of data to improve outcomes for patients, including reducing waits and discharging people quicker from hospital.
45 organisations who participated in the NHS England pilot, broken down into 42 trusts, two integrated care boards, and the City Healthcare Partnership Community Interest Company, have begun to transition into the Federated Data Platform, in a sequence of waves scheduled between March and May 2024. NHS England aims for all trusts and integrated care boards who wish to use the platform to do so within the next three years.