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Written Question
Doctors: Working Hours
Friday 5th July 2019

Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate he has made of the proportion of doctors who have taken on additional responsibilities within their working hours as a result of gaps in staff rotas.

Answered by Stephen Hammond

There has been no recent estimate made by the Government because work schedules for junior doctors and job planning for consultants and specialty doctors are a matter for individual hospital trusts.


Written Question
Pensions: Public Sector
Monday 1st July 2019

Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government has taken to implement its response to the Indexation and equalisation of the Guaranteed Minimum Pension in public service pension schemes consultation for people reaching state pension age after December 2018.

Answered by Elizabeth Truss

The Government has implemented the commitment made in the January 2018 GMP equalisation and indexation consultation response to continue to index the total public service pension, including the GMP, for public servants who reach State Pension age on or after 6 December 2018 and before 6 April 2021.


Written Question
Suicide: Males
Monday 1st July 2019

Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of adult male suicides.

Answered by Jackie Doyle-Price

The Government is committed to reducing suicides across society and we published the first cross-Government suicide prevention workplan in January 2019, which sets out an ambitious programme for suicide prevention across national and local government.

The National Suicide Prevention Strategy highlights men, and especially middle-aged and young men, as a hard-to-reach, high-risk group and that is why the Government is investing £25 million to support local suicide prevention plans and is testing a range of approaches to reaching men in local communities.

We also recently announced up to £600,000 to support local authorities to further improve their plans, including sharing best practice in targeting high risk groups such as men.


Written Question
Suicide: Ethnic Groups and Immigrants
Monday 1st July 2019

Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the suicide risk among (a) immigrants and (b) each ethnic minority group.

Answered by Jackie Doyle-Price

Ethnicity and immigration status is not recorded at the time of death registration so this information is not available.


Written Question
Immigrants: Suicide
Monday 1st July 2019

Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what information his Department holds on immigrants who have died by suicide within the first three years of moving to the UK.

Answered by Kevin Foster

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.


Written Question
Cataracts: Surgery
Monday 1st July 2019

Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information the Department holds on the number of NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups that follow the NICE 2017 guideline, NG77, on cataract surgery.

Answered by Seema Kennedy

The Department holds no information on the number of clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) which follow the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) 2017 guideline, NG77.

NICE clinical guidelines are based on a thorough assessment of the available evidence and are developed through engagement with stakeholders. They represent best practice and CCGs are expected to take them fully into account when planning and commissioning high-quality services healthcare services that meet the needs of their local population, including cataract surgery.

NHS England is responsible for holding CCGs to account to ensure they are commissioning services that meet the needs of their local populations.


Written Question
Cataracts: Surgery
Monday 1st July 2019

Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to promote best practice across Clinical Commissioning Groups on the NICE 2017 guideline, NG77, on cataract surgery.

Answered by Seema Kennedy

The Department holds no information on the number of clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) which follow the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) 2017 guideline, NG77.

NICE clinical guidelines are based on a thorough assessment of the available evidence and are developed through engagement with stakeholders. They represent best practice and CCGs are expected to take them fully into account when planning and commissioning high-quality services healthcare services that meet the needs of their local population, including cataract surgery.

NHS England is responsible for holding CCGs to account to ensure they are commissioning services that meet the needs of their local populations.


Written Question
Air Pollution: Schools
Wednesday 26th June 2019

Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on improving air quality around schools.

Answered by Thérèse Coffey

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Ministers across Government Departments about air pollution and how to reduce it.

No estimate has been made by the Government. Local authorities are best placed to target action to improve local air quality, and are required to review and assess local air quality and to take action where there are high levels of air pollution. They have discretionary powers to restrict car access to schools and enforce anti-idling laws outside schools. In March this year Public Health England published the report Review of interventions to improve outdoor air quality and public health. This recommended that local authorities, as part of their local Review of interventions to improve outdoor air quality and public health consider a range of interventions to reduce air pollution in the vicinity of schools and reduce children’s exposure accordingly.

The Government’s Air Quality Grant Programme provides funding to local authorities for projects in local communities to tackle air pollution and reduce emissions which may include action targeting schools. The Government has awarded over £60 million in funding since the air quality grant started in 1997, including £3 million in 2018/19.

The following air quality grant award money has been allocated specifically to improve air quality around schools since 2017:

2016/17

  • London Borough of Islington Local school focused awareness and engagement campaign (£50,000).
  • Sheffield City Council Air Aware communications campaign (engaging local GPs, community groups and schools) (£50,000)

2017/18

  • Blaby District Council Schools and SMEs behavioural change and action plan (£59,000).
  • Canterbury City Council Awareness campaign in schools and community on transport and domestic burning stoves (£33,354).
  • East Sussex County Council (with West Sussex, Brighton, Chichester, Horsham, Adur, Crawley, Mid Sussex, Worthing, Lewes) Action plan for schools and businesses in AQMAs (£105,900).
  • Spelthorne Borough Council (Surrey Air Alliance) Awareness campaign in schools across the county (£145,188).

2018/19

  • Colchester Borough Council Engagement and awareness project throughout the transport network to promote air quality awareness and transport choices in schools (£249,100)
  • Hertsmere Borough Council Cleaner Air 4 Hertsmere Schools awareness project to influence travel behaviour (£37,500).
  • Islington London Borough Council NO2 indoor study in school to test sensor performance and efficiency of filter systems (£20,000)
  • Slough Borough Council Testing of Vaisla sensors around schools to monitor AQ and use data to promote behaviour change (£99,125).

Written Question
Air Pollution: Schools
Wednesday 26th June 2019

Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of schoolchildren exposed to high levels of air pollution in 2019.

Answered by Thérèse Coffey

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Ministers across Government Departments about air pollution and how to reduce it.

No estimate has been made by the Government. Local authorities are best placed to target action to improve local air quality, and are required to review and assess local air quality and to take action where there are high levels of air pollution. They have discretionary powers to restrict car access to schools and enforce anti-idling laws outside schools. In March this year Public Health England published the report Review of interventions to improve outdoor air quality and public health. This recommended that local authorities, as part of their local Review of interventions to improve outdoor air quality and public health consider a range of interventions to reduce air pollution in the vicinity of schools and reduce children’s exposure accordingly.

The Government’s Air Quality Grant Programme provides funding to local authorities for projects in local communities to tackle air pollution and reduce emissions which may include action targeting schools. The Government has awarded over £60 million in funding since the air quality grant started in 1997, including £3 million in 2018/19.

The following air quality grant award money has been allocated specifically to improve air quality around schools since 2017:

2016/17

  • London Borough of Islington Local school focused awareness and engagement campaign (£50,000).
  • Sheffield City Council Air Aware communications campaign (engaging local GPs, community groups and schools) (£50,000)

2017/18

  • Blaby District Council Schools and SMEs behavioural change and action plan (£59,000).
  • Canterbury City Council Awareness campaign in schools and community on transport and domestic burning stoves (£33,354).
  • East Sussex County Council (with West Sussex, Brighton, Chichester, Horsham, Adur, Crawley, Mid Sussex, Worthing, Lewes) Action plan for schools and businesses in AQMAs (£105,900).
  • Spelthorne Borough Council (Surrey Air Alliance) Awareness campaign in schools across the county (£145,188).

2018/19

  • Colchester Borough Council Engagement and awareness project throughout the transport network to promote air quality awareness and transport choices in schools (£249,100)
  • Hertsmere Borough Council Cleaner Air 4 Hertsmere Schools awareness project to influence travel behaviour (£37,500).
  • Islington London Borough Council NO2 indoor study in school to test sensor performance and efficiency of filter systems (£20,000)
  • Slough Borough Council Testing of Vaisla sensors around schools to monitor AQ and use data to promote behaviour change (£99,125).

Written Question
Air Pollution: Schools
Wednesday 26th June 2019

Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of the air quality grant programme has been allocated to improve air quality around schools since 2017.

Answered by Thérèse Coffey

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Ministers across Government Departments about air pollution and how to reduce it.

No estimate has been made by the Government. Local authorities are best placed to target action to improve local air quality, and are required to review and assess local air quality and to take action where there are high levels of air pollution. They have discretionary powers to restrict car access to schools and enforce anti-idling laws outside schools. In March this year Public Health England published the report Review of interventions to improve outdoor air quality and public health. This recommended that local authorities, as part of their local Review of interventions to improve outdoor air quality and public health consider a range of interventions to reduce air pollution in the vicinity of schools and reduce children’s exposure accordingly.

The Government’s Air Quality Grant Programme provides funding to local authorities for projects in local communities to tackle air pollution and reduce emissions which may include action targeting schools. The Government has awarded over £60 million in funding since the air quality grant started in 1997, including £3 million in 2018/19.

The following air quality grant award money has been allocated specifically to improve air quality around schools since 2017:

2016/17

  • London Borough of Islington Local school focused awareness and engagement campaign (£50,000).
  • Sheffield City Council Air Aware communications campaign (engaging local GPs, community groups and schools) (£50,000)

2017/18

  • Blaby District Council Schools and SMEs behavioural change and action plan (£59,000).
  • Canterbury City Council Awareness campaign in schools and community on transport and domestic burning stoves (£33,354).
  • East Sussex County Council (with West Sussex, Brighton, Chichester, Horsham, Adur, Crawley, Mid Sussex, Worthing, Lewes) Action plan for schools and businesses in AQMAs (£105,900).
  • Spelthorne Borough Council (Surrey Air Alliance) Awareness campaign in schools across the county (£145,188).

2018/19

  • Colchester Borough Council Engagement and awareness project throughout the transport network to promote air quality awareness and transport choices in schools (£249,100)
  • Hertsmere Borough Council Cleaner Air 4 Hertsmere Schools awareness project to influence travel behaviour (£37,500).
  • Islington London Borough Council NO2 indoor study in school to test sensor performance and efficiency of filter systems (£20,000)
  • Slough Borough Council Testing of Vaisla sensors around schools to monitor AQ and use data to promote behaviour change (£99,125).