Asked by: Heidi Allen (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect on animal welfare of it not being a mandatory requirement for a local authority to have an animal welfare inspector with responsibility for enforcement of Animal Welfare Act 2006; and what representations his Department has received in the last 12 months from (a) the Home Office and (b) police forces on the costs of taking steps to protect animal welfare where a local authority animal welfare inspector is not in place.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Anyone is able to take out a prosecution under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and it is on this basis that the RSPCA investigate calls and prosecute hundreds of people each year for offences under the Act. Local authorities also have enabling powers under the Act and make decisions on their approach to the Act based on local needs and resource priorities and the arrangements that work best for them, working as necessary in partnership with others where helpful. Defra is in regular discussion with the police and Home Office on animal welfare issues and we have received no specific representations from them in the last 12 months on the costs to them of protecting animal welfare where a local authority animal welfare inspector is not in place.
Asked by: Heidi Allen (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on climate change of hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants; and what plans he has to improve arrangements for the (a) management, (b) recycling and (c) disposal of such refrigerants.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The Government estimates that hydrofluorocarbon emissions from refrigeration and air conditioning made up around 2.5% of all UK greenhouse gas emissions in 2017, when gases are compared using their global warming potentials (GWPs). The UK greenhouse gas inventory uses the GWPs for individual hydrofluorocarbons from table 2.14 of Volume One (the Physical Science Basis) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Assessment Report 4, as agreed by decision 9/CP.2 of the Conference of Parties.
The UK was one of the earliest countries to ratify the 2016 Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol relating to hydrofluorocarbons and regulations are already in place regarding the phase down of their usage as well as controls on their management, disposal and recycling. A review is expected in 2022.
Asked by: Heidi Allen (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on the (a) negotiations for NHS access to and (b) appraisal of Ocrelizumab as a treatment for primary progressive MS.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing authoritative, evidence-based guidance for the National Health Service on whether drugs and other treatments represent an effective use of NHS resources.
NICE is currently developing technology appraisal guidance on the use of ocrelizumab for treating primary progressive multiple sclerosis, with final guidance expected in June 2019. NHS England and Roche have now reached a commercial agreement and on 9 May NICE published final draft guidance which recommended ocrelizumab within its marketing authorisation, as an option for treating early primary progressive multiple sclerosis with imaging features characteristic of inflammatory activity in adults. Ocrelizumab will now be routinely available for eligible adults.
Asked by: Heidi Allen (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2019 to Question 209299 on Lead: Ammunition, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his polices of the European Chemicals Agency report on regulation of the use of lead ammunition; and whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to restrict or ban the use of lead ammunition.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The Government is aware of the European Chemicals Agency report on the regulation of the use of lead ammunition. The European Union Regulation on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation & Restriction of Chemicals (EU REACH) committee is considering this report and will shortly make recommendations to the European Commission about the current regulation on the use of lead in gunshot over wetlands.
We will review our position once we have seen proposals from EU REACH.
Asked by: Heidi Allen (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in reference to research published by the MS Society in March 2019, whether her Department has plans to undertake a review the effect of the introduction of the 20-metre rule for personal independence payment on costs to other Departments.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The enhanced rate of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Mobility component was always intended to be for those "unable" or "virtually unable" to walk.
We believe the current PIP assessment criteria, including the 20 metres distance, are the best way of identifying those whose physical mobility is most limited.
Senior Officials are in contact with the MS Society and will be meeting them in the coming weeks to discuss the latest research.
Asked by: Heidi Allen (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the number of disabled people who have had to leave work as a result of receiving lower rates of support from personal independence payment in comparison to disability living allowance.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
No such estimate has been made. Personal Independence Payment (PIP) can be paid to disabled people irrespective of their employment status and, as such, no details of an individual’s employment status are gathered during the course of their claim or award.
PIP is a more modern, dynamic and fairer benefit than its predecessor, Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and focuses support on those experiencing the greatest barriers to living independently. 31% of people claiming PIP receive the highest level of support, compared to 15% of DLA’s working-age claimants and 39% of reassessment claimants are getting a higher award on PIP compared to when they were on DLA.
People with a health condition or disability, who require additional support getting to and from work, can apply for an Access to Work grant.
Asked by: Heidi Allen (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
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 support Care Commissioning Groups that experience a disproportionate level of population growth.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
NHS England is responsible for decisions on the weighted capitation formula used to allocate resources between clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). This process is independent of Government. NHS England take advice from the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA), a group of academics and other experts.
ACRA has recommended a new approach to health inequalities which was reflected in the CCG allocations published on 10 January 2019.
Population figures for all programme allocations are based on general practitioner registered list sizes, as they have been since 2013-14. Increases for future years are based on the Office for National Statistics estimates of population trends for resident populations, which is the only consistent and robust national data set available to use for this purpose.
Full details of the CCG allocations announcements for 2019-20 to 2023-24 can be found at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/allocations/
Asked by: Heidi Allen (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS Long Term Plan, published in January 2019, when the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation plans to start its review of the inequalities adjustment to the funding formulae.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
NHS England is responsible for decisions on the weighted capitation formula used to allocate resources between clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). This process is independent of Government. NHS England take advice from the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA), a group of academics and other experts.
ACRA has recommended a new approach to health inequalities which was reflected in the CCG allocations published on 10 January 2019.
Population figures for all programme allocations are based on general practitioner registered list sizes, as they have been since 2013-14. Increases for future years are based on the Office for National Statistics estimates of population trends for resident populations, which is the only consistent and robust national data set available to use for this purpose.
Full details of the CCG allocations announcements for 2019-20 to 2023-24 can be found at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/allocations/
Asked by: Heidi Allen (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the Person Based Resource Allocation formula on reducing health inequality in (a) Cambridgeshire and (b) other high-growth areas.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
NHS England is responsible for decisions on the weighted capitation formula used to allocate resources between clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). This process is independent of Government. NHS England take advice from the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA), a group of academics and other experts.
ACRA has recommended a new approach to health inequalities which was reflected in the CCG allocations published on 10 January 2019.
Population figures for all programme allocations are based on general practitioner registered list sizes, as they have been since 2013-14. Increases for future years are based on the Office for National Statistics estimates of population trends for resident populations, which is the only consistent and robust national data set available to use for this purpose.
Full details of the CCG allocations announcements for 2019-20 to 2023-24 can be found at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/allocations/
Asked by: Heidi Allen (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans his Department has to mark the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings this year.
Answered by Michael Ellis
I refer the Hon member to the answer to written question 224816, answered on 28th February.