Asked by: Laura Trott (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the Government plans to publish its response to Sir Robert Francis QC’s Infected Blood Compensation Framework study.
Answered by Michael Ellis
I refer the Hon. member to the answer given to PQ 35990 on 18 July 2022.
Asked by: Laura Trott (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department will take to reduce the level of kidney cancer in the UK.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Approximately a quarter of kidney cancers are caused by obesity. To help people achieve and maintain a healthier weight, we have introduced regulations on out-of-home calorie labelling for out of home food sold in large businesses including restaurants, cafes and takeaways, which came into force on 6 April 2022. Further legislation on restrictions on the promotion and advertising of products high in fat, salt or sugar will come into effect in due course. Reformulation programmes also aim to make the food and drink available to consumers healthier.
A further 15 types of cancer, including kidney cancer, could be preventable by supporting smokers to quit tobacco use. Recent data shows one in four deaths from all cancers were estimated to be from smoking. An independent review of the Government’s aim for England to be smoke free by was published on the 9 June, which set out recommendations to support this ambition. We will consider the recommendations to inform the forthcoming health disparities white paper and a new Tobacco Control Plan.
Asked by: Laura Trott (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
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 take steps to support the development of NICE guidelines and a quality standard for kidney cancer.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
There are no current plans for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to develop a guideline or quality standard on kidney cancer. However, NICE has recommended a number of medicines for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma through its technology appraisal programme, which are now routinely available to National Health Service patients. NICE has also has made recommendations on the referral of people patients with possible symptoms of renal cancer for further investigation in its guideline on suspected cancer. Where a NICE guideline or quality standard does not exist, clinicians should take into account other sources of clinical guidance.
Asked by: Laura Trott (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what additional support he will provide to mental health support teams in response to increased pressures on CAMHS.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
In March 2021, we announced an additional £79 million to expand children’s mental health services in 2021/22. A portion of this funding will be used to accelerate the delivery of mental health support teams in schools and colleges to provide coverage of approximately 20 to 25% of pupils in England by 2022 and an estimated three million pupils or 35% by 2023. The funding will also accelerate the expansion of child and adolescent mental health services in the community, allowing an additional 22,500 children and young people to receive more specialist support.
Asked by: Laura Trott (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have held discussions with representatives of district councils on the development of county deals.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
District council representatives were invited to an online seminar held by the Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government on July 27 2021. Since then a series of meetings have taken place between local representatives, officials and ministers to understand areas’ proposals for county deals; district councils were welcome at these meetings. In discussions thus far, we have been pleased to see collaboration between county and district councils on devolution proposals to deliver better outcomes for their area. Further details on county deals will be set out in the forthcoming Levelling Up White Paper.
Asked by: Laura Trott (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking ahead of COP26 to promote the importance of traditional craft and building skills to help (a) adapt and (b) sympathetically retrofit historic buildings in response to climate change.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Traditional craft and building skills have an essential role in helping to adapt and sympathetically retrofit historic buildings in response to climate change.
We recognise that there is a skills shortage in this area. Historic England, Government’s Advisor on the Historic Environment is working with the Government and the heritage sector to address this issue by developing career pathways into the sector and supporting individuals at different stages in their careers, focussing particularly on apprenticeships and on the job training, such as those provided by the Hamish Ogston Heritage Building Skills programme.
Asked by: Laura Trott (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether lenders and insurers will be able to require leaseholders and building owners to seek cladding remediation in the event that a B1 or B2 rating has been given to a building under 18 metres.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
On 21 July, the Government issued a recommendation that EWS1 forms should not be required for buildings under 18 metres.
The announcement followed the new advice from fire safety experts which found that there is no evidence of systemic risk of fire in all blocks of flats.
The expert advice also stated that where EWS1 forms and assessments have already been completed for buildings below 18 metres, it is strongly recommended that these assessments are reviewed by competent professionals to ensure that the proposed solution is cost effective and proportionate.
The Government is continuing to engage with insurers and lenders to encourage them to take a proportionate approach to risk.
Asked by: Laura Trott (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether mortgage providers and buildings insurers have provided undertakings not to penalise leaseholders in apartment blocks under 18 metres with (a) higher mortgage costs, (b) higher fire insurance premiums or (c) refusals to provide fire cover.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
Ministers and policy officials have met senior representatives from the largest insurance companies, major lenders and industry bodies, and have encouraged the insurance and lending industries to take a proportionate approach to risk. We are continuing to work with insurers and lenders to restore confidence in building safety and return to proportionate premiums and products.
Asked by: Laura Trott (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the new fire risk assessments will be subject to a single regulatory standard; and whether leaseholders in apartment blocks under 18 metres will be informed as a result of those assessments in the event that remediation works are necessary.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
Article 9 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (the FSO) states that the responsible person (usually the building owner or landlord) must make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to which relevant persons are exposed for the purpose of identifying the general fire precautions they need to take to comply with the requirements and prohibitions imposed on them by the FSO. This requirement is not new, having been in place since the FSO came into force in 2006, and applies to all buildings regulated by the FSO.
The Fire Safety Act 2021 clarifies that the external walls (including cladding and balconies) and individual flat entrance doors for buildings containing two or more sets of domestic premises must be included in that assessment.
The Fire Safety Act will apply to all buildings containing two or more sets of domestic premises (multi-occupied residential buildings) so will include buildings under 18 metres.
Article 19 of the FSO states that the Responsible Person must provide employees with comprehensible and relevant information about relevant fire safety matters.
We are currently seeking to amend the FSO, via the Building Safety Bill, to extend this requirement to residents in buildings containing two or more sets of domestic premises. ‘Relevant fire safety matters’ includes the risks to residents of the domestic premises identified by the risk assessment and the preventive and protective measures.
Asked by: Laura Trott (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to update Infection, prevention and control guidance for hospitals in response to the easing of covid-19 lockdown restrictions on 19 July 2021; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of including in that guidance an exemption from requirements to wear a face covering for parents providing cot-side care to their babies on neonatal units.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
Health and care settings will continue to maintain appropriate infection prevention and control measures as necessary and this will be reviewed during the summer.
Guidance in National Health Service settings, including hospitals and primary and community care are undergoing further review to ensure that it is in line with service needs and as evidence becomes available, including in neonatal settings.