Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has had discussions with the (a) Department for Health and Social Care and (b) Department for Transport on providing financial support for young cancer patients (0-25) and their families travelling from Northern Ireland to receive treatment in England.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
This matter is devolved to the Northern Ireland Executive. Arrangements for financial support for young cancer patients and their families travelling from Northern Ireland to receive treatment in England is a matter for the Northern Ireland Department of Health and local Health and Social Care Trusts.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had discussions with (a) the Department for Health and Social Care, (b) the Northern Ireland Office, (c) the Scotland Office and (d) the Wales Office on providing financial support for (i) cancer patients aged up to 25 and (ii) their families undertaking cross-border travel within the UK to receive treatment.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Ministers from the Department for Transport have not engaged with the Department for Health and Social Care or the Territorial Offices listed on the two matters listed above.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing a fund for cancer patients aged up to 25 to cover the cost of travel to attend treatment (a) from the point of diagnosis, (b) throughout the duration of the cancer treatment and (c) without means testing.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring healthcare needs of local communities in England are met, including for children and young people with cancer. The National Health Service in England runs schemes to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests, when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional.
The NHS Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme provides financial assistance to patients who do not have a medical need for transport, but who require assistance with the costs of travelling to receive certain NHS services. The Department has not made a formal assessment of the effectiveness of the scheme in supporting with the cost of travel to cancer treatment, for people with cancer aged up to 25 years old, and their families. Additionally, there are currently no plans for the Department to make a formal assessment of the potential merits of implementing a fund for cancer patients aged up to 25 years old, to cover the cost of travel to attend treatment, without means testing.
The Department does not hold data on applications to the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme by cancer patients up to 25 years old, or families of a child with cancer, in the United Kingdom and from Northern Ireland, who travel to receive treatment in England.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has had discussions with the Secretaries of State for (a) Northern Ireland, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Transport on financial support for people aged up to 25 with cancer for cross-border travel within the UK to receive treatment.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring healthcare needs of local communities in England are met, including for children and young people with cancer. The National Health Service in England runs schemes to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests, when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional.
The NHS Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme provides financial assistance to patients who do not have a medical need for transport, but who require assistance with the costs of travelling to receive certain NHS services. The Department has not made a formal assessment of the effectiveness of the scheme in supporting with the cost of travel to cancer treatment, for people with cancer aged up to 25 years old, and their families. Additionally, there are currently no plans for the Department to make a formal assessment of the potential merits of implementing a fund for cancer patients aged up to 25 years old, to cover the cost of travel to attend treatment, without means testing.
The Department does not hold data on applications to the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme by cancer patients up to 25 years old, or families of a child with cancer, in the United Kingdom and from Northern Ireland, who travel to receive treatment in England.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data her Department holds on applications to the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme by (a) cancer patients up to 25 and (b) families of a child with cancer (i) in the UK and (ii) from Northern Ireland who travel to receive treatment in England.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring healthcare needs of local communities in England are met, including for children and young people with cancer. The National Health Service in England runs schemes to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests, when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional.
The NHS Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme provides financial assistance to patients who do not have a medical need for transport, but who require assistance with the costs of travelling to receive certain NHS services. The Department has not made a formal assessment of the effectiveness of the scheme in supporting with the cost of travel to cancer treatment, for people with cancer aged up to 25 years old, and their families. Additionally, there are currently no plans for the Department to make a formal assessment of the potential merits of implementing a fund for cancer patients aged up to 25 years old, to cover the cost of travel to attend treatment, without means testing.
The Department does not hold data on applications to the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme by cancer patients up to 25 years old, or families of a child with cancer, in the United Kingdom and from Northern Ireland, who travel to receive treatment in England.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the NHS Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme in supporting (a) people with cancer aged up to 25 and (b) their families with the cost of travel to cancer treatment.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring healthcare needs of local communities in England are met, including for children and young people with cancer. The National Health Service in England runs schemes to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests, when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional.
The NHS Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme provides financial assistance to patients who do not have a medical need for transport, but who require assistance with the costs of travelling to receive certain NHS services. The Department has not made a formal assessment of the effectiveness of the scheme in supporting with the cost of travel to cancer treatment, for people with cancer aged up to 25 years old, and their families. Additionally, there are currently no plans for the Department to make a formal assessment of the potential merits of implementing a fund for cancer patients aged up to 25 years old, to cover the cost of travel to attend treatment, without means testing.
The Department does not hold data on applications to the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme by cancer patients up to 25 years old, or families of a child with cancer, in the United Kingdom and from Northern Ireland, who travel to receive treatment in England.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing multi-academy trusts to be registered as charities rather than exempt charities.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
There are no current plans to review the charity status of academy trusts. All academy trusts are exempt charities under paragraph 8 of Schedule 3 to the Charities Act 2011. Exempt charities benefit from the same tax advantages as registered charities and have the same obligations to comply with tax and charity law.
Further information about how academy trusts operate as exempt charities can be found in the department’s advice on ‘exempt charities and the role of the Secretary of State as Principal Regulator’ on GOV.UK, which is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7b935aed915d4147621457/Academies_as_exempt_charities_FINAL3.pdf.
The department requires a high level of accountability and transparency of all academy trusts. Their status as companies, charities and public sector bodies means they are all subject to rigorous accountability systems.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she is taking steps to encourage charity involvement in setting up new schools.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The free schools programme was established to deliver choice, innovation and higher standards for parents by injecting fresh approaches and drawing in talent and expertise from a wide variety of groups and backgrounds. The department has delivered hundreds of new schools and provided thousands of good school places across the country.
The free schools programme continues to encourage innovation, as well as building the capacity of some of the countries’ strongest trusts to raise education standards. In the most recent mainstream wave, the department approved an innovative partnership between Eton College and Star Academies to deliver free schools in Dudley, Oldham and Teesside for pupils aged 16 to 19. These schools will help increase the numbers of disadvantaged students progressing to top universities. The department also approved a new BRIT School North in Bradford, which will be the first of its kind in the region. This school will provide career pathways for creative industries in the North of England and is supported by industry leaders.
The department has also committed to delivering a 16-19 mathematics school in every region, with eleven in total. Seven maths schools are already open with the remaining four schools approved to open in the future. These small schools, partnered with the most selective mathematics universities, will prepare some of the most mathematically able students for university and help to address shortages of highly skilled graduates in sectors which depend on science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
To open a free school, the provider must establish an academy trust, which is set up as an exempt charity. In the latest mainstream free school wave, the department invited all new providers, including charities, to apply to open a new school. Similarly, in the latest alternative provision free school wave, the department invited applications from partnerships, including charities, alongside academy trusts and local authorities.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to encourage innovation when setting up new schools.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The free schools programme was established to deliver choice, innovation and higher standards for parents by injecting fresh approaches and drawing in talent and expertise from a wide variety of groups and backgrounds. The department has delivered hundreds of new schools and provided thousands of good school places across the country.
The free schools programme continues to encourage innovation, as well as building the capacity of some of the countries’ strongest trusts to raise education standards. In the most recent mainstream wave, the department approved an innovative partnership between Eton College and Star Academies to deliver free schools in Dudley, Oldham and Teesside for pupils aged 16 to 19. These schools will help increase the numbers of disadvantaged students progressing to top universities. The department also approved a new BRIT School North in Bradford, which will be the first of its kind in the region. This school will provide career pathways for creative industries in the North of England and is supported by industry leaders.
The department has also committed to delivering a 16-19 mathematics school in every region, with eleven in total. Seven maths schools are already open with the remaining four schools approved to open in the future. These small schools, partnered with the most selective mathematics universities, will prepare some of the most mathematically able students for university and help to address shortages of highly skilled graduates in sectors which depend on science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
To open a free school, the provider must establish an academy trust, which is set up as an exempt charity. In the latest mainstream free school wave, the department invited all new providers, including charities, to apply to open a new school. Similarly, in the latest alternative provision free school wave, the department invited applications from partnerships, including charities, alongside academy trusts and local authorities.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her Department's policy is on whether multi-academy trusts must be an exempt charity, rather than a charity.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
All academy trusts are exempt charities under paragraph 8 of Schedule 3 to the Charities Act 2011.