Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment he has made of the effect on identification of tuberculosis cases of the (a) WHO Global Tuberculosis Report published on 17 October 2019 and (b) Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria's Strategy 2017-2022.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Millions of tuberculosis cases continue to go undiagnosed and untreated each year – identifying these is essential to ending the tuberculosis epidemic, which killed 1.5 million people globally in 2018. We are pleased to note the improvement in the number of cases of tuberculosis identified as confirmed by the World Health Organisation Global Tuberculosis Report published on 17 October. 7 million people with tuberculosis were identified globally in 2018, including 600,000 more people than in 2017.
The Global Fund has played an important part in this improvement. A joint initiative between the Global Fund, the Stop TB Partnership and the World Health Organisation aims to accelerate progress in finding people with tuberculosis in 13 countries with the highest disease burden. In these countries, by the end of 2018, already more than 800,000 additional patients were found and treated, compared with the baseline of 2015.
The UK remains fully committed to achieving the targets set out in the World Health Organisation End Tuberculosis Strategy, recently pledging £1.4 billion to the Sixth Replenishment of the Global Fund.
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 9 May 2019 to Question 249189 on Regulator of Social Housing, how many respondents to the consultation on the Social Housing Green Paper in 2018 (a) supported and (b) rejected the proposal to consider removing the serious detriment test used to determine compliance with the Home Standard if it is a bar to a more proactive approach by the Regulator of Social Housing.
Answered by Esther McVey - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
We met over 500 residents and received over 1,000 responses to the Social Housing Green Paper consultation. We are currently considering the responses to the consultation and will publish the government's response in due course.
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the average length of time was for the Housing Ombudsman Service to determine case complaints in the first three months of 2019-20; and how many complaints were dealt with within the six month target during that period.
Answered by Esther McVey - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
In order to ensure that residents receive a fair and impartial service, the Housing Ombudsman carefully reviews all available evidence when investigating and determining cases within their formal remit.
Between April and June 2019-20, the Housing Ombudsman Service determined 502 cases with an average determination time of 6.8 months. The Housing Ombudsman Service does not have a specific target for the proportion of cases determined within six months. The target is an average to be achieved across the financial year reflecting that the Housing Ombudsman Service is a demand-led and the average case time will vary each month depending on the number of cases received, and the complexity of the peculiar case.
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to bring forward secondary legislation to implement mandatory electrical safety checks for the private rented sector.
Answered by Esther McVey - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
In July 2018, government committed to introducing mandatory five-yearly electrical safety inspections for electrical installations in privately rented properties. This will be achieved through secondary legislation, subject to parliamentary time. In the meantime, it remains best practice for landlords to ensure that the electrics in their properties are safe.
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to introduce mandatory electrical safety checks in the social rented sector in England.
Answered by Esther McVey - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
Government is committed to ensuring that everyone is safe, and feels safe, in their home.
We published our Green Paper, "A new deal for social housing", in August last year. It asked whether new safety measures in the private rented sector should apply to social housing, including the proposed mandatory requirement on private landlords to ensure electrical installations in their property are inspected every five years. We are currently considering the responses to the consultation and will publish our action plan for implementing social housing reform in due course.
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with (a) representatives of clinical commissioning groups and (b) families on increasing the uptake of childhood immunisation.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has assessed the potential effect on public health of allowing children who have not received the MMR vaccine to start primary school in September 2019.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to prevent children who have not received the MMR vaccine from attending school.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many applicants were interviewed for the post of Housing Ombudsman.
Answered by Esther McVey - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Department received 19 applications for the post of Housing Ombudsman; of which 5 were shortlisted for interview by the Advisory Assessment Panel.
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of invoices received by the NHS are paid within 30 days; and how many incur 29 per cent interest for late payment of more than 30 days.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Department does not centrally collect or hold performance payment data for the National Health Service. NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts are required to follow the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR 2015) which states contracting authorities must pay valid and undisputed invoices within 30 days.
NHS Improvement monitors Better Payments Practice Code performance data on a monthly basis. Page 47 of the Departmental annual report shows an improvement in the percentage of invoices paid within target from 77% (2017-18) to 79% (2018-19). The report is available at the following link:
The Department does not hold information on how many invoices incur the 29% late payment interest.