Asked by: Tony Cunningham (Labour - Workington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how the Government's approach to negotiating a cost-effective price for the meningococcal B vaccine Bexsero takes account of fluctuations in disease levels characteristic of that virus and the recent emergence of another strain of meningitis which may be treated using Bexsero.
Answered by Jane Ellison
The independent cost-effectiveness analysis of the use of the meningococcal B vaccine, Bexsero took account of the incidence and case fatality rates of all meningococcal disease, including meningococcal W in England during the period 2005-06 to 2011-12. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) considered that these data gave a reasonable range. JCVI are the independent experts responsible for advising the Government on immunisations following due consideration of the evidence on the burden of disease, vaccine safety and efficacy and cost effectiveness.
Further information is available in Christensen H, Trotter CL, Hickman M, Edmunds WJ. Re‑evaluating cost effectiveness of universal meningitis vaccination (Bexsero) in England: modelling study. BMJ 2014; 349: g5725.
Asked by: Tony Cunningham (Labour - Workington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which post in his Department is responsible for leading negotiations on setting a cost-effective price for the meningococcal B vaccine Bexsero; and when the next meeting to continue those negotiations is scheduled.
Answered by Jane Ellison
The Department’s Director General for Innovation, Growth and Technology is leading negotiations with the manufacturer for the supply of the meningococcal B vaccine, Bexsero. The most recent negotiating meeting took place on 8 December 2014 and, following subsequent technical discussions, the next such meeting will take place shortly.
Asked by: Tony Cunningham (Labour - Workington)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many of the responses to his Department's consultation on Local Welfare Provision 2015 to 2019 expressed a preference for each of options 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Answered by Kris Hopkins
The Government received more than 5,000 responses to the consultation which are being considered, alongside the review by Department for Work and Pensions into existing provision. The Government will make a decision based on this analysis in time for the provisional local government finance settlement due shortly.
Asked by: Tony Cunningham (Labour - Workington)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proportion of her Department’s funding is spent on providing adequate housing; and how much such funding is available to be spent in Sierra Leone.
Answered by Baroness Featherstone
We do not collect the information in the form requested however DFID promotes affordable housing centrally through the Community-Led Infrastructure Finance Facility (CLIFF) that works across 14 countries in Africa and Asia. By December 2015, CLIFF will have constructed 28,000 new core housing units and improved access to water and sanitation services for up to 445,000 people. CLIFF does not currently work in Sierra Leone.
Asked by: Tony Cunningham (Labour - Workington)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when his Department received the business case for the meningococcal B vaccine; and when he expects to make a decision whether or not to approve the business case.
Answered by Danny Alexander
On 21 March 2014, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommended that there should be a national Meningococcal B immunisation programme for infants, if the vaccine, Bexsero ®, could be purchased at a cost-effective price. The Treasury is working closely with the Department of Health on this business case. The Government would like to secure the vaccine from the supplier at the cost-effective price recommended by the JCVI.
Asked by: Tony Cunningham (Labour - Workington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the approval of his Department's business case for the meningococcal B vaccine.
Answered by Jane Ellison
Senior officials in the Department and Her Majesty's Treasury have discussed the business case for meningococcal B immunisation.
Asked by: Tony Cunningham (Labour - Workington)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for what reasons legal aid funding in relation to the case of the constituent of the hon. Member for Workington, Gary Tomlinson, Claim Number OWH0080, Cert number JBIRQK61BB77/A/E/1, was withdrawn.
Answered by Shailesh Vara
The receipt of legal aid is considered to be personal data and the Department has obligations under the Data Protection Act 1998 which would prevent it from disclosing this type of information. Furthermore, the Legal Aid Agency is further prohibited by statute from disclosing information relating to the provision of legal aid in individual cases (under section 34 of the LASPO Act 2012, section 20 of the Access to Justice Act 1999, and before this under section 38 of the Legal Aid Act 1988).