Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Neath and Swansea East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when she plans to publish the next Social Fund Annual Report.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
The publication of the Social Fund Annual Report 2018/19 includes data that was initially published in the Social Fund Account 2018/19. Publication of the Social Fund Account 2018/19 on GOV.UK was delayed by queries from the National Audit Office and by last minute changes to Parliamentary recess dates. It was finally published on 11 February 2020.
The publication of the Social Fund Annual Report 2018/19 was subsequently delayed by urgent COVID-19 work, including the increase to the Funeral Expenses Payments additional costs limit from £700 to £1000, further changes to regulations as well as work with operations to improve the speed of processing.
We aim to publish the Social Fund Annual Report 2018/19 by October. We aim to publish the Social Fund Annual Report 2019/20 by the end of November.
Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North and Cottingham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 7 January 2014 to Question 181906 on monthly payments through the Skipton Fund Stage 2 to people who contracted Hepatitis C through NHS treatment, and Answer of 17 December 2014 to Question 218002 on monthly payments from MFET Ltd to people who contracted HIV through NHS treatment, whether people who meet the Hepatitis C Stage 1 and Hepatitis C Special Category Mechanism under the EIBSS eligibility criteria will receive annual payments for the rest of their lives.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
Since 1988, successive Governments have voluntarily provided ex-gratia financial and non-financial support for people affected by HIV and/or hepatitis C through historic treatment with National Health Service-supplied blood or blood products in the 1970s and 80s.
The England Infected Blood Support Scheme (EIBSS) was established in 2017. Devolved support schemes were also set up in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland. This model of support replaced that historically provided by the Alliance House organisations, which included the Skipton Fund.
EIBSS provides tiered non-discretionary annual payments to eligible infected beneficiaries, based on their type and stage of infection. The majority of beneficiaries opt for these payments to be split into monthly instalments.
We will consider any recommendations when the Infected Blood Inquiry reports, including any around financial support.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much revenue accrued to the public purse from payment of the Immigration Health Surcharge in the most recent year for which data is available.
Answered by Edward Argar
The latest figures available taken from page 137 of the Home Office Annual Reports 2018/19 state “other income” (expressed in £000s) of £251,220 for Core Department and Agencies and £46,707 for Core Department and Agencies (payable to Consolidated Fund) for 2018/19.
Data are available at the following link:
Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North and Cottingham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 16 April 2018 to Question 135010 on Sickle Cell Diseases, if he will provide updated estimates of the costs to the NHS of treating sickle cell anaemia in (a) England (b) each NHS England region and (c) each Clinical Commissioning Group area in each year since 2009-10.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
NHS England specialised commissioning only reports the costs of the National Health Service specialised commissioning services by region and hub for treating sickle cell disease, which includes sickle cell anaemia. This information is shown in the following table. The data is not broken down by clinical commissioning group (CCG) area. This information does not include non-specialised activity that CCGs may fund. Information was not collected prior to 2015/16 and information for 2018/19 is not currently available.
Costs of NHS specialised commissioning services by region and hub for treating sickle cell disease
Region | Hub | 2015/16 | 2016/17 | 2017/18 |
|
| £ million | £ million | £ million |
London |
| 29.9 | 31.0 | 44.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
Midlands and East | East of England | 1.6 | 1.7 | 3.3 |
| East Midlands | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.4 |
| West Midlands | 2.7 | 2.5 | 3.2 |
Midlands and East Total |
| 5.1 | 5.0 | 7.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
North | North East | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| North West | 2.8 | 2.3 | 2.3 |
| Yorkshire & Humber | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.9 |
North Total |
| 4.0 | 3.0 | 3.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
South | South East | 1.8 | 1.9 | 2.6 |
| South West | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.7 |
| Wessex | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.9 |
South Total |
| 2.5 | 2.5 | 4.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 41.6 | 41.5 | 60.4 |
Source: Costs extracted from the annual CCG exercise.
Between 2012/13 and 2018/19, approximately 117,000 patients were admitted to hospital with a primary diagnosis of sickle cell disease. Information for years prior to 2012/13 is not available. NHS England has advised that it is unable to separate expenditure between admitted patient care episodes and the overall costs provided in the table without incurring disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North and Cottingham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 8 December 2014 to Question 216527 on Sickle Cell Diseases, if he will provide updated estimates of the costs to NHS of admitted patient care episodes for sickle cell anaemia in (a) England, (b) each NHS England region and (c) each Clinical Commissioning Group area in each year since 2009-10.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
NHS England specialised commissioning only reports the costs of the National Health Service specialised commissioning services by region and hub for treating sickle cell disease, which includes sickle cell anaemia. This information is shown in the following table. The data is not broken down by clinical commissioning group (CCG) area. This information does not include non-specialised activity that CCGs may fund. Information was not collected prior to 2015/16 and information for 2018/19 is not currently available.
Costs of NHS specialised commissioning services by region and hub for treating sickle cell disease
Region | Hub | 2015/16 | 2016/17 | 2017/18 |
|
| £ million | £ million | £ million |
London |
| 29.9 | 31.0 | 44.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
Midlands and East | East of England | 1.6 | 1.7 | 3.3 |
| East Midlands | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.4 |
| West Midlands | 2.7 | 2.5 | 3.2 |
Midlands and East Total |
| 5.1 | 5.0 | 7.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
North | North East | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| North West | 2.8 | 2.3 | 2.3 |
| Yorkshire & Humber | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.9 |
North Total |
| 4.0 | 3.0 | 3.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
South | South East | 1.8 | 1.9 | 2.6 |
| South West | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.7 |
| Wessex | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.9 |
South Total |
| 2.5 | 2.5 | 4.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 41.6 | 41.5 | 60.4 |
Source: Costs extracted from the annual CCG exercise.
Between 2012/13 and 2018/19, approximately 117,000 patients were admitted to hospital with a primary diagnosis of sickle cell disease. Information for years prior to 2012/13 is not available. NHS England has advised that it is unable to separate expenditure between admitted patient care episodes and the overall costs provided in the table without incurring disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Baroness Smith of Basildon (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the sale of a local council's assets at below market value has to be reported to (1) the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and (2) the council’s auditors; and whether they would expect such sales to be included in a council’s annual accounts and report to residents.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
Public bodies should generally dispose of surplus land at the best possible price reasonably obtainable. However, the Government recognises that disposing of land at less than best consideration can sometimes create wider public benefits.
With regards to land held in the General Fund, a general consent issued under section 123 of the Local Government Act 1972 allows local authorities to dispose of land held for purposes other than housing or planning at an undervalue of less than £2 million without seeking a specific consent from the Secretary of State where they consider it will help secure improvement of the economic, social or environmental well-being of the area. Specific Secretary of State consent is required for disposals of such land at an undervalue of more than £2 million. Specific Secretary of State consent is required for disposals of land held for planning purposes regardless of the sale value.
There are also specific rules for housing land. Under section 24 and 25 of the Local Government Act 1988, we expect local authorities to apply to the Secretary of State to dispose of housing assets at less than best value.
It is a matter for local authorities to decide whether to include disposals in their annual accounts and reports to residents, and to make appropriate audit arrangements.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the average cost of a funeral in each year since 2003.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The Department for Work and Pensions does not produce estimates for the average cost of a funeral.
The average Funeral Expenses Payment (FEP) made in each year is published in the Social Fund Annual Report. Table 1 below provides the average FEP made in each year since 2003/04. Figures are rounded to the nearest £1.
Table 1: Average FEP award, 2003/04 – 2017/18
Year | Average FEP award |
2003/04 | £1,019 |
2004/05 | £1,051 |
2005/06 | £1,081 |
2006/07 | £1,117 |
2007/08 | £1,162 |
2008/09 | £1,194 |
2009/10 | £1,208 |
2010/11 | £1,217 |
2011/12 | £1,241 |
2012/13 | £1,225 |
2013/14 | £1,347 |
2014/15 | £1,375 |
2015/16 | £1,410 |
2016/17 | £1,427 |
2017/18 | £1,461 |
Source: Social Fund Annual Reports 2003/04 – 2016/17, Social Fund Policy Budget and Management Information System
Notes
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average Funeral Expenses Payment was in each year since 2003.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The Department for Work and Pensions does not produce estimates for the average cost of a funeral.
The average Funeral Expenses Payment (FEP) made in each year is published in the Social Fund Annual Report. Table 1 below provides the average FEP made in each year since 2003/04. Figures are rounded to the nearest £1.
Table 1: Average FEP award, 2003/04 – 2017/18
Year | Average FEP award |
2003/04 | £1,019 |
2004/05 | £1,051 |
2005/06 | £1,081 |
2006/07 | £1,117 |
2007/08 | £1,162 |
2008/09 | £1,194 |
2009/10 | £1,208 |
2010/11 | £1,217 |
2011/12 | £1,241 |
2012/13 | £1,225 |
2013/14 | £1,347 |
2014/15 | £1,375 |
2015/16 | £1,410 |
2016/17 | £1,427 |
2017/18 | £1,461 |
Source: Social Fund Annual Reports 2003/04 – 2016/17, Social Fund Policy Budget and Management Information System
Notes
Asked by: Lord Ouseley (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of concerns expressed by the NSPCC regarding the 60 per cent rise in reports of child neglect over the past five years.
Answered by Lord Nash
The Department’s children in need annual census demonstrates an increase between 2011-12 and 2015-16 of 27% in the number of Child Protection Plans at 31 March with the initial category of neglect as the form of abuse (from 18,220 to 23,150). Over the same period there was an increase of
19 per cent in the number of children in need at 31 March with the primary need of ‘abuse or neglect’ (from 168,270 to 199,720), although this cannot be disaggregated to identify neglect needs only. These figures are in the context of general increases of 17 per cent with regard to Child Protection Plans at 31 March and 7 per cent with regard to children in need at 31 March.
We recognise the great importance of identifying hidden abuse, including in the form of neglect, and continue to fund the NSPCC to deliver the Childline service, with £8 million invested to 2020. We have also delivered a major communications campaign, Together, we can tackle child abuse, to raise awareness and encourage the members of the public to raise concerns. Through our wide-ranging reforms to children’s social care, we are working to ensure all forms of abuse, including neglect, are identified early, with timely and proportionate assessments of individual needs, and the right services provided at the right time to keep children safe.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Pakistan is a signatory to the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights; whether they consider that the government of Pakistan is fulfilling its duties under Article 18 of that Declaration; what role British aid to Pakistan plays in promoting respect for diversity and difference; and whether they will reconsider their policy of making none of the British aid programme to Pakistan available for the promotion of Article 18 obligations.
Answered by Lord Bates
The UK Government remains firmly committed to promoting and protecting the right to freedom of religion or belief, as set out in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We are concerned about reports of abuses against religious minorities in Pakistan. The UK Government strongly condemns the persecution of all minorities, including the targeting of innocent people based on their beliefs. The UK’s concerns are reflected in the latest update to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s annual Human Rights Report, which is publicly available. The UK raises human rights issues and the rights of minorities on a regular basis at the highest levels in Pakistan and we ensure our development assistance targets poor women and men, regardless of race, religion, social background, or nationality. Although DFID does not fund programmes that directly promote Article 18, we do help to foster tolerance and social cohesion between different religious groups through our AAWAZ voice and accountability programme.