Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of means-tested exemptions from Clean Air Zone fees for people on low incomes.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Responsibility for road charging measures such as Clean Air Zones (CAZ) lie with Local Authorities. The local authority is responsible for the measures they introduce to address air quality in their local area as well as whether to provide exemptions that address issues such as the need to upgrade vehicles and support for those on Low incomes.
Government has allocated £883m under the NO2 Programme to help Local Authorities tackle NO2 exceedances as well as set up the Clean Air Fund to mitigate the impact of air quality measures, including Clean Air Zones, on those residents and businesses most affected. To date, more than £402m of support from the Clean Air Fund has been allocated to Local Authorities in areas with NO2 exceedances.
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Health and Safety Executive has plans to update its guidance on workplace transmission of blood borne viruses.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), is the regulator of workplace health and safety and publishes guidance aimed to assist employers in controlling workplace risks, including those from blood-borne viruses where this is relevant to their work activities.
HSE’s approach to developing guidance is led by intelligence to ensure it remains appropriate. Whilst there is no evidence to suggest changes to workplace risks, HSE is currently working with experts from scientific advisory committees to review the guidance and will update it as necessary in due course.
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what her planned timetable is for laying secondary legislation that enables people living with an undetectable viral load of HIV to access fertility treatment.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We intend to lay secondary legislation in Spring 2024 to update the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act, which will allow gamete donation for people with HIV, who have an undetectable viral load.
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking steps to allow people living with HIV to compete in boxing professionally.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
National Governing Bodies are responsible for the regulation of their sports, and are independent of Government.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport will continue to engage with the boxing authorities to discuss a range of issues relating to participation in sport, including participation by people living with HIV.
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she is taking steps to (a) reduce the time taken to diagnose, (b) improve treatment options for managing the symptoms of and (c) support research on a potential cure for Sjögren's syndrome.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
To reduce the time taken to diagnose conditions such as Sjögren's syndrome, NHS England has published a delivery plan for recovering access to primary care. As part of this plan, the National Health Service will deliver on the commitment of 26,000 more direct patient care staff, and 50 million more general practice (GP) appointments by March 2024.
GPs, rheumatologists, and other specialists can prescribe a range of topical and symptomatic therapies for patients with Sjögren's syndrome on the NHS, for example to help with symptoms of oral and ocular dryness. Rheumatologists may also prescribe immunosuppressive medications, if warranted, as part of standard NHS prescribing. There is also a range of off-the-shelf products such as mouthwashes and toothpastes, and dry eye therapies, some of which may be available through prescription, or purchased independently.
If new treatments for managing the symptoms of Sjögren's syndrome do become available, this is something that can be reviewed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. NHS England has previously reviewed the evidence for using rituximab in the treatment of Sjögren's syndrome and concluded that there was not enough evidence to support the use of this treatment.
The National Institute for Care Excellence has published a Clinical Knowledge Summary on dry eye disease, which includes Sjögren's syndrome. Clinical knowledge summaries are evidence-based summaries designed to support healthcare professionals in primary care in the United Kingdom. The Department funds research on Sjögren's syndrome through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), including through the UK Musculoskeletal Translational Research Collaboration. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including Sjögren's syndrome.
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will take steps to ensure that people switching to heat pumps are not financially disadvantaged.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government increased Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) grant available for air source heat pumps (ASHP) by 50%. The £7,500 grant is available for both ASHP and ground source heat pumps, making it one of the most generous grant schemes of its kind in Europe. This is in addition to the 0% rate of VAT on the installation of heat pumps which is in place till March 2027.
BUS is part of a wider programme of measures supporting the deployment of heat pumps including the Home Upgrade Grant, Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund and Energy Company Obligation Scheme.
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of off-label prescriptions of Victoza, Luraglutide, for the purpose of weight loss from private healthcare providers on the level of supply of that drug for type 2 diabetes.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
While the position has improved, there continues to be a global supply issue with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA), including Victoza (liraglutide). We have issued updated guidance to healthcare professionals in the form of a National Patient Safety Alert on 3 January 2024, on how to manage patients requiring these medicines.
Our guidance is clear that GLP-1 RAs that are solely licensed to treat type 2 diabetes should only be used for that purpose and should not be routinely prescribed for weight loss. The General Pharmaceutical Council, General Medical Council, Health and Care Professions Council, Nursing and Midwifery Council and Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland have also issued a joint statement stressing the importance of health and care professionals meeting regulatory standards in relation to these medicines.
We know how distressing and frustrating medicine supply issues can be, and the Department will continue to help ensure that these critical medicines reach diabetes patients. If any patient is concerned about their treatment, they should discuss this with their clinician at the earliest opportunity.
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what protocols her Department has in place on the dispensing of medication to prisoners who are HIV positive.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
HIV medication is initiated by a specialist in specialist services, and prison healthcare and pharmacy teams liaise with them to ensure continuity of care. A shared care agreement would be put in place to ensure continuity of care and appropriate monitoring. Any medication listed under the National Health Service high cost commissioning list is accessed via specialist commissioning routes, and delivered directly to the healthcare team at the prison. Any medication not listed as high cost will be dispensed in the usual way, via the healthcare dispensing services.
Healthcare teams within prisons ensure the appropriate monitoring is in place, and that there is ongoing continuity in medication throughout the patient’s stay at the prison. Protocols are in place to ensure that medications will transfer with the patient either on release or when being transferred to another prison establishment.
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make a comparative assessment of (a) the current number of employees and (b) the projected job growth by 2030,within the (i) oil and gas industry and (ii) renewable energy industry in the North Sea.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The oil and gas sector currently supports around 200,000 jobs. Research by Robert Gordon University predicts that the workforce may decline by 2030 as production from the North Sea declines, the scale of which depends on future commercial decisions.
The Offshore Wind Industry Council estimates that the total UK offshore wind workforce was 32,257 in 2022, and forecasts that the UK offshore wind industry could support over 100,000 jobs by 2030.
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the potential impact on development in the Maghreb of the breakdown of the ceasefire in Western Sahara.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Officials regularly discuss and consult on Western Sahara and the impact on the region with international partners, MINURSO (United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara), the UN, NGOs, and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), up to and including at Ambassadorial level. We strongly support the work of Staffan de Mistura, Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General, and will continue to encourage constructive engagement with the political process and monitor progress.