Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the safety and food hygiene rules for the transport of smoked fish (a) within and (b) to the UK is governed by (i) UK or (ii) EU regulations.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
The longstanding rules governing the transport of food of animal origin, including smoked fish are provided by European Union food safety and hygiene regulations which apply directly to the United Kingdom. This legislation lays down effective and proportionate food safety and hygiene controls throughout the food chain, from primary production to sale or supply to the food consumer. In England, The Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 provides for the enforcement of certain provisions of EU food safety hygiene legislation. It also provides national law for certain elements including temperature control in retail establishments. Parallel legislation applies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of people in England subject to an order under the 1983 Mental Health Act (a) have a learning disability or autism and (b) only have a learning disability or autism and no other mental health condition.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The Government commissioned an independent review of the Mental Health Act 1983, which reported in December 2018. The review recommended that the Government should amend the Act's Code of Practice to clarify best practice when the Act is used for autistic people, learning disability or both and for Care and Treatment Reviews to be given statutory force in the Mental Health Act. The independent review also investigated the definition of learning disabilities and/or autism as a ‘mental disorder’ but did not come to a clear conclusion. The Government is currently considering all the review's recommendations and will publish a White Paper in response by the end of the year.
The statistical information requested is not collected centrally.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of orders for assessment and treatment under the 1983 Mental Health Act on patients with learning disabilities or autism.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The Government commissioned an independent review of the Mental Health Act 1983, which reported in December 2018. The review recommended that the Government should amend the Act's Code of Practice to clarify best practice when the Act is used for autistic people, learning disability or both and for Care and Treatment Reviews to be given statutory force in the Mental Health Act. The independent review also investigated the definition of learning disabilities and/or autism as a ‘mental disorder’ but did not come to a clear conclusion. The Government is currently considering all the review's recommendations and will publish a White Paper in response by the end of the year.
The statistical information requested is not collected centrally.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department will review the use of orders for assessment and treatment under the 1983 Mental Health Act in cases where the patient only has a learning disability or autism.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The Government commissioned an independent review of the Mental Health Act 1983, which reported in December 2018. The review recommended that the Government should amend the Act's Code of Practice to clarify best practice when the Act is used for autistic people, learning disability or both and for Care and Treatment Reviews to be given statutory force in the Mental Health Act. The independent review also investigated the definition of learning disabilities and/or autism as a ‘mental disorder’ but did not come to a clear conclusion. The Government is currently considering all the review's recommendations and will publish a White Paper in response by the end of the year.
The statistical information requested is not collected centrally.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding his Department has allocated for contingency plans in the event that the UK leaves the EU without an agreement.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
The Autumn Budget 2018 confirmed an additional £500 million of cross-Government funding for 2019/20, meaning the Government will have invested over £4 billion in preparing for European Union exit since 2016. The Department has been allocated £50 million, as set out in the Chief Secretary’s Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1205, laid before Parliament on 18 December 2018.
The Department is keeping the resources required to support preparations under constant review and together with the additional funding provided by HM Treasury, the Department may also prioritise funding from existing settlements to support necessary EU Exit preparations.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of the UK leaving the EU without a deal on supplies of (a) synthetic protein supplements and (b) prescription foods.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
As in preparation for 29 March and 12 April, our ‘no deal’ contingency plans for 31 October cover the National Health Service, social care and the independent sector and covers all medicines, medical devices and clinical consumables, supplies for clinical trials, vaccines and countermeasures, and organs and tissues for transplants.
Specialist nutritional products including prescription foods and synthetic protein supplements are an important part of patient care throughout the health and social care sector. In recognition of this we have made this a specific area of focus within our preparedness arrangements.
The Department has continued to work closely with the devolved administrations, industry trade bodies including the British Specialist Nutrition Association and suppliers, the NHS and other key stakeholders. Prior to 29 March, the Department analysed the supply chains of 12,300 medicines, close to half a million product lines of medical devices and clinical consumables, vaccines used in national and local programmes, and essential non-clinical goods on which the health and care system relies. These analyses and assessments have been updated where necessary and will continue to be refined while a ‘no deal’ European Union exit remains a possibility. This work has informed our plans.
We are asking suppliers to analyse their supply chains and to make alternative plans if they anticipate disruption, including rerouting to alternative ports or using airfreight where necessary. Our contingency measures aim to support industry-led measures and, where required, act as a ‘last resort’ to be used only when a supplier’s alternative arrangements encounter difficulties, to ensure uninterrupted supply.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the extent of regional disparities in support for people with Phenylketonuria.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
In England, services for patients with Phenylketonuria are provided via two routes, nationally commissioned through the National Health Service and through local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), for example for food supplements.
The Government and the NHS are dedicated to offering a consistent approach to treatment and provide the best local care for patients with both, rare and common diseases. Services commissioned locally through CCGs via sustainability and transformation partnerships (STPs) enable service coordination across wider footprints. In England, the NHS Long Term Plan set out the ambition for all STPs to evolve into integrated care systems (ICSs) by April 2021. ICSs are an ‘evolved’ form of a STP, making faster progress in integrating care across their area, bringing together organisations to provide more seamless care for patients.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff East)
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 (a) amount of revenue raised and (b) effect on public health of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has records of the amount of revenue raised through the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL).
The SDIL was introduced in April 2018 with money to the public purse accruing from this date. Monthly and annual receipts from SDIL are published in HMRC’s National Statistics publication, which can be accessed via the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmrc-tax-and-nics-receipts-for-the-uk
Public Health England has not made an assessment of the effect of the SDIL on public health. The National Diet and Nutrition Survey is used to monitor trends in consumption of sugary soft drinks and in sugar intakes. Data covering the period when the SDIL was introduced will become available in 2020. However, the survey cannot attribute changes in consumption to individual policies.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many contracts his Department has awarded to Serco since July 2013; and what the value is of those contracts.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The Department has had one contract with Serco since July 2013. The details are as follows:
Service - Healthy Start Vouchers
Start Date – 1 April 2014
End Date – 31 March 2020
Value - £14,576,200