Asked by: Michael Fallon (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that (a) party manifestos, (b) voter registration information and (c) polling booths are made accessible to people with learning disabilities during the parliamentary general election.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The Government, through the Cabinet Office chaired Accessibility of Elections Working Group, has taken a number of steps to remove barriers that people with a learning disability face in registering to vote and voting at elections. These include:
(a) Facilitating direct engagement between the Royal Mencap Society and political parties through the Westminster Parliamentary Parties Panel on the benefits and timings of producing Easy Read versions of party manifestos, to assist people with a learning disability to make an informed decision when voting at elections.
(b) Introducing on the Register to Vote homepage an ‘Easy Read’ guide produced in partnership with the Royal Mencap Society, to enable people with learning difficulties to apply online without difficulty.
(c) Improving training materials for polling station staff, including the Electoral Commission and the Royal Mencap Society producing videos setting out the voting experience of people with a learning disability at the polling station. A disabled voter can be assisted to vote in the polling booth to mark their ballot paper by the presiding officer or their companion.
Asked by: Michael Fallon (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans the Government has to review the eligibility criteria for NHS patient transport.
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: Michael Fallon (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 has included the drug Dornase Alfa in the priority stockpiling list in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Department is doing everything appropriate to prepare for leaving the European Union. We want to reassure patients that our plans should ensure the uninterrupted supply of medicines and medical products, including dornase alfa, once we have left the EU.
The Department, as part of our EU exit preparations, is implementing a multi-layered approach to mitigate potential disruption to supply, which consists of stockpiling where possible, securing freight capacity, changing or clarifying regulatory requirements, procuring additional warehousing, working closely with industry to improve trader readiness and putting in place the National Supply Disruption Response to manage potential shortages. Further details can be found at the following link:
All prescription only medicines and pharmacy medicines imported from or via the EU/European Economic Area are within scope of the continuity of supply programme. All suppliers of these medicines, including suppliers of dornase alfa, have been asked to stockpile medicines and make other preparations as set out in our communications to suppliers.
Asked by: Michael Fallon (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has for future funding of the Adoption Support Fund; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
We are currently finalising the department’s spending plans for 2020-21 and the Adoption Support Fund is being considered as part of this work. In March 2019, ahead of budgets being finalised, we put in place transitional funding for families whose recommended packages of support ran into 2020-21 so they could continue to access therapy for up to 9 months at a time. Funding for the Adoption Support Fund beyond 2021 will be considered as part of the full Spending Review planned in 2020.
Asked by: Michael Fallon (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to (a) raise awareness and (b) decrease the number of misdiagnoses of Lipoedema.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The National Health Service website provides information for patients and the public on a wide range of conditions, including lipoedema.
To support clinicians in identifying and treating lipoedema, in May 2014, the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) worked in partnership with the charity Lipoedema UK to develop and publish an e-learning module for GPs on the diagnosis and management of lipoedema. The module was endorsed by the Royal College of Nursing and updated in 2018.
In May 2017 Wounds UK, an organisation that provides guidance, education and training in wound and skin management, published best practice guidance on diagnosing and treating lipoedema. The guidance can be found at the following link:
www.lipoedema.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/WUK_Lipoedema-BPS_Web.pdf
Asked by: Michael Fallon (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential increase in HGV traffic at the port of Dover in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
DfT, alongside other government departments, continues to keep no deal planning assumptions up to date, including those relating to HGV traffic around the port of Dover. Planning assumptions have been shared with relevant stakeholders, such as the Kent Resilience Forum.
Our assessment considers the extent to which new border processes, and the readiness of businesses to comply with these, could constrain flow on crossings from the port of Dover and the Channel Tunnel to France, and the implications for queueing HGV traffic approaching the port and Channel Tunnel terminal.
Asked by: Michael Fallon (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to review the affordability of the Dart Charge.
Answered by George Freeman
The Department for Transport has no plans to review the affordability of the Dart Charge. The current charges for the Dartford-Thurrock Crossing were set in 2014, following an impact assessment, which took account of benefits and disadvantages to business and personal users, prior to a public consultation. The charges exist to manage demand and congestion at the Crossing
The charge levels and concessions available take account of local people’s need to use the Crossing. Residents of the Boroughs of Dartford and Thurrock can pay £10 for 50 crossings, plus 20p for each additional crossing or £20 a year for unlimited use. Disabled users who are exempt from vehicle tax are also exempt from paying the Dart Charge, if they are using the same vehicle. Any Crossing user can set up an account that will allow automatic payment for each trip and a prepaid account also offers users a discount of up to 20 per cent.
Asked by: Michael Fallon (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to safeguard the electoral process in respect of postal voting.
Answered by Kevin Foster
Electoral Fraud is unacceptable on any level. We have processes in place to defend against electoral fraud and there is ongoing work with electoral administrators and Royal Mail to implement these. In response to the Pickles report on electoral fraud, the Government accepted recommendations to strengthen the postal vote system and, in line with our manifesto commitment, we are working to reform postal voting to ensure our elections are secure.
Cabinet Office coordinates cross-Government work to protect and secure our democratic processes and ensure those involved in delivering our elections receive cyber, physical and personnel security advice from experts at the National Cyber Security Centre and the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure.
Asked by: Michael Fallon (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that pupils with acquired brain injuries are fully supported in mainstream education.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Teachers must be able to adapt teaching to the needs of all their pupils. Teachers must also have an understanding of the factors that can inhibit learning and how best to overcome them.
The 2015 Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Code of Practice sets out high expectations of schools and colleges about how they identify and meet the needs of pupils with SEND. It covers both those who have Education, Health and Care plans with more complex needs and the much larger group of pupils whose needs can be met without a statutory plan, that is, those on SEND support.
Asked by: Michael Fallon (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his policies of the March 2019 UK Onshore Oil and Gas report entitled Home grown UK shale gas: a bigger opportunity; and whether he has made an estimate of the date on which the UK will become a net exporter of gas.
Answered by Claire Perry
The Government is supportive of developing the shale gas industry in the UK in a safe and sustainable way. It is not yet known how much of the UK shale gas resource will ultimately be recoverable, or what rates of extraction, deliverability or reliability could be assumed if shale sources are found to be viable. Therefore the likely impact on UK natural gas imports and exports is not yet known.
The Government will continue to work with responsible companies prepared to invest in this industry as they proceed with the exploration process, to test the size and value of the potential reserves. We monitor the progress of the shale gas industry and will revise our estimates, as appropriate, as the industry develops.