Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will publish details of his Department's bilateral expenditure that has directly targeted tackling HIV and AIDS in (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK remains a significant funder in the HIV response. In (i) 2021 and (ii) 2022 total bilateral expenditure for HIV and AIDS was (i) £5,831,984 and (ii) £10,035,256 respectively. Of this total Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office bilateral spend was (i) £4,548,553 and (ii) £9,916,750 for 2021 and 2022 respectively. This includes our funding to the Clinton Health Access Initiative to further improve access to essential HIV medicines and our funding to the Robert Carr Fund to support initiatives with grassroots organisations, including key populations, as part of the global HIV response.
Figures for 2023 are not yet available. They will be published in Autumn 2024.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to increase HPV vaccination uptake.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
National Health Service commissioned School Age Immunisation Service providers have robust catch-up plans in place for the adolescent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme based on population need, utilising opportunities from the move to one dose in September 2023.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) works closely with several charities to develop resources that can be used to raise awareness of HPV. The UKHSA also publishes annual statistics to support local NHS teams in developing plans to improve uptake and reduce inequalities for the HPV universal programme. These statistics are available at the following link:
NHS England has improved digital communications on vaccinations, including expanding the NHS app, and has improved access to the vaccine outside of schools through community clinics at convenient times and locations. The UKHSA also produces a number of HPV resources, which are available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hpv-vaccination-programme
Other materials are available on the UKHSA Health Publications website in a range of languages and accessible formats, which are available at the following link:
https://www.healthpublications.gov.uk/Home.html
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will provide an update on the status of the recruitment process for the Chief Executive of the MHRA.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is in the process of recruiting a Chair to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. The application and assessment process has concluded, and an announcement will be made when all required checks and approvals have been completed.
The process will run in accordance with the Civil Service Senior Appointments Protocol. A Civil Service Commissioner will chair this recruitment process in line with appointments of this level of seniority, and will consider the role of any incoming Chair in that process.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what role the incoming Chair of the MHRA will have in the recruitment process for the new Chief Executive.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is in the process of recruiting a Chair to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. The application and assessment process has concluded, and an announcement will be made when all required checks and approvals have been completed.
The process will run in accordance with the Civil Service Senior Appointments Protocol. A Civil Service Commissioner will chair this recruitment process in line with appointments of this level of seniority, and will consider the role of any incoming Chair in that process.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will provide an update on the status of the recruitment process for the Chair of the MHRA.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is in the process of recruiting a Chair to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. The application and assessment process has concluded, and an announcement will be made when all required checks and approvals have been completed.
The process will run in accordance with the Civil Service Senior Appointments Protocol. A Civil Service Commissioner will chair this recruitment process in line with appointments of this level of seniority, and will consider the role of any incoming Chair in that process.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when she plans to announce the new Chair of the MHRA.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is in the process of recruiting a Chair to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. The application and assessment process has concluded, and an announcement will be made when all required checks and approvals have been completed.
The process will run in accordance with the Civil Service Senior Appointments Protocol. A Civil Service Commissioner will chair this recruitment process in line with appointments of this level of seniority, and will consider the role of any incoming Chair in that process.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of clean air zones on levels of air pollution.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The latest air quality data was published in September 2023 as part of the 2022 National Compliance assessment, and is publicly available on the DEFRA UK Air website at the following link: Air Pollution in the UK report - Defra, UK. The 2022 Evaluation of Local NO2 Plans, published in February 2024, provides information regarding the impacts of clean air zones, and is publicly available on the DEFRA website at the following link: Evaluation of Local NO2 Plans - AQ0851 (defra.gov.uk)
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether it remains his policy to increase Defra host funding for catchment partnerships.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Last year we announced in the Plan for Water to increase funding for catchment groups, to deliver tailored long-term catchment action plans to improve all water bodies in England. This remains the government’s policy.
The around 100 Catchment Based Approach (CaBA) Partnerships across England are critical partners in delivering many of the Government’s goals in the Environment Improvement Plan, including clean and plentiful water. At present the government annually provides approximately £1.7m funding to Catchment Partnerships as well as the CaBa National Support Group to deliver water outcomes on the ground. We also provide additional funding to Catchment Partnerships through the Water Environment Improvement Fund to deliver projects on the ground.
Additionally, earlier this month Defra launched the Water Restoration Fund, to which eligible Catchment Partnerships may apply for funding for projects to restore and enhance the water environment, using environmental fines and penalties collected from water and sewerage companies.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to prevent patients from being discharged from hospital to no fixed abode.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is committed to promoting safe and timely discharge for people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness, to appropriate accommodation.
Between 2020 and 2022, the Department delivered £16 million to 17 local sites, to pilot Out of Hospital Care Models to people experiencing homelessness following a hospital stay. These models provide interim accommodation and support while a full assessment of individual needs is carried out. There are positive preliminary findings, with a final evaluation due imminently. We will share learning to encourage local areas to adopt similar models.
We have ensured that every acute hospital has access to a care transfer hub, to manage discharge for people with more complex needs.
Additionally, in January 2024 the Department published the guidance Discharging people at risk of or experiencing homelessness, to support staff involved in planning safe and supportive discharge of these patients from hospital. This guidance is available at the following link:
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the effectiveness of regulations on the quality of Marine Protected Areas.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a wide range of issues, and Cabinet discussions are considered confidential.