Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the implications for her Department's policies of the University of Manchester's article entitled Reforming UK fertility legislation: the effects of online DNA testing, published on 27 November.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Government asked the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) in 2021 to undertake a review and public engagement about priorities for modernising the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act. HFEA published its report on 14 November 2023, which is available at the following link:
While the Department has made no assessment, HFEA’s report makes references to the points raised in the University of Manchester's article, noting the rapidly developing field of genetic testing, including direct to consumer testing, and includes proposals about access to donor information. The Government is considering the issues raised in the report and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
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 launch a consultation on the disclosure of industry payments to the healthcare sector.
Answered by Will Quince
The Department is developing a UK-wide public consultation on the disclosure of industry payments to the healthcare sector. The consultation will seek views on the possible introduction of regulations through new secondary legislation, as well as views on alternative options to regulations. We anticipate this will launch by autumn 2023.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh 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 covid-19 vaccines procured by the UK Government have reached their expiry date without being used as of 13 June 2022.
Answered by Maggie Throup
As of 13 June 2022, 929,040 doses or 11,613 packs of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine have reached the expiry date without being used. This accounts for 1.62% of the total AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine volume procured by the Government and held by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for storage and distribution. No other COVID-19 vaccine has expired whilst under the ownership of the UKHSA.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh 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 immigration health surcharge on (a) the financial circumstances of non-EU migrants and their families working on the frontline of the NHS during the coronavirus outbreak and (b) staff retention in the NHS after the outbreak has ended.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Department has made no such assessment.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, from which budget in his Department the increase in funding for the England Infected Blood Support Scheme has been allocated.
Answered by Jackie Doyle-Price
The Department undertakes a comprehensive annual planning exercise each year to allocate resources. The increase in infected blood payments was factored into this exercise for 2019/20 and scope was found to ensure that the costs can be met.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant the Answer of 26 November 2018 to Question 194124 on Blood: Contamination, what plans he has to increase the level of financial support provide to people affected by infected blood and blood products; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jackie Doyle-Price
The England Infected Blood Support Scheme (EIBSS), administered by NHS Business Services Authority, was launched on 1 November 2017 following two public consultations in 2016 and 2017. These consultations sought views on the proposed reforms to the EIBSS and the new special appeals mechanisms for those with chronic hepatitis C infection. Over the period of the current spending review, the launch of the EIBSS was part of the Government’s commitment, in January 2016, to provide an extra £125 million to support people affected by infected blood and blood products.
The Infected Blood Inquiry, announced in July 2017, has included examination of the support provided to people affected by infected blood in its terms of reference. The Department continues to follow the Inquiry closely and will careful consider any views from the Inquiry on where further improvements to the EIBSS could be made.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which fruitless payments in excess of £30,000 his Department has made by (a) recipient of each such payment, (b) purpose of each such payment, (c) value of each such payment and (d) reason that payment was classified as fruitless in the 2017-18 financial year to date.
Answered by Philip Dunne
No fruitless payments in excess of £30,000 have been made in 2017-18 financial year to date.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of establishing a scheme for UK citizens who cannot get private health insurance in the event that UK citizens cease to have access to a European Health Insurance Card after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by David Mowat
While the people of the United Kingdom have voted to leave the European Union, until exit negotiations are concluded, the UK remains a full member of the European Union and all the rights and obligations of EU membership remain in force, including the rights associated with medical treatment abroad.
Nothing has yet been decided on the future of British citizen medical treatment abroad. Government officials are considering the positions and options available to us with the aim of achieving the best outcome for British citizens in the UK and abroad.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to paragraph 2.1(5) of the Principles for maintaining continuity of care when moving across borders within the United Kingdom, published in March 2015, what mechanism would be used to resolve or arbitrate on a disagreement between local authorities relating to the moving of an adult's care package from one UK country to another.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The “Principles for maintaining continuity of care when moving across borders within the United Kingdom” provide a framework for local authorities to support adults with care and support who move between countries in the United Kingdom without having their care interrupted.
Adhering to the principles should reduce the potential for disagreement, however, where disagreements do arise, the Department and the Devolved Administrations would expect the parties to act reasonably and to make full efforts to resolve the dispute between themselves through constructive dialogue, cooperation and communication, including the timely sharing of information, and focussing on the well-being of the adult. The timely and effective resolution of disputes is in the interest of all parties, not least, the adult in question.
It is not possible to be definitive about which authority a cross-border continuity of care matter should be pursued with because it will depend on the facts and the nature of the issue. The adult may wish to approach their own local authority in the first instance. However where an issue raised with an authority falls within the remit of the other, the principle that the authorities should work together and share information should apply.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Principles for maintaining continuity of care when moving across borders within the United Kingdom, published in March 2015, whether an adult with a care package who needs to raise a cross-border moving issue should raise that issue with the local authority they are leaving or the one they are moving to.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The “Principles for maintaining continuity of care when moving across borders within the United Kingdom” provide a framework for local authorities to support adults with care and support who move between countries in the United Kingdom without having their care interrupted.
Adhering to the principles should reduce the potential for disagreement, however, where disagreements do arise, the Department and the Devolved Administrations would expect the parties to act reasonably and to make full efforts to resolve the dispute between themselves through constructive dialogue, cooperation and communication, including the timely sharing of information, and focussing on the well-being of the adult. The timely and effective resolution of disputes is in the interest of all parties, not least, the adult in question.
It is not possible to be definitive about which authority a cross-border continuity of care matter should be pursued with because it will depend on the facts and the nature of the issue. The adult may wish to approach their own local authority in the first instance. However where an issue raised with an authority falls within the remit of the other, the principle that the authorities should work together and share information should apply.