To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ Myalgic Encephalomyelitis service at the Royal Free Hospital has been instructed to return all CFS/ME patients to community mental health teams in Camden, Islington, Haringey and Enfield; whether the community teams have the resources to treat those patients; whether the...

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ Myalgic Encephalomyelitis service at the Royal Free Hospital has been instructed to return all CFS/ME patients to community mental health teams in Camden, Islington, Haringey and Enfield; whether the community teams have the resources to treat those patients; whether the...

To ask Her Majesty's Government why myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) is categorised as a non-organic disease; whether they plan to review that categorisation; and what are the treatments available to sufferers of ME.

To ask Her Majesty's Government why myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) is categorised as a non-organic disease; whether they plan to review that categorisation; and what are the treatments available to sufferers of ME.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people who have applied for employment and support allowance (ESA) with myalgic encephalopathy alone as their diagnosis have been refused ESA.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people who have applied for employment and support allowance (ESA) with myalgic encephalopathy alone as their diagnosis have been refused ESA.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department will consider the merits of inclusion of the therapeutic strategy of pacing as part of the treatment packages offered by specialist chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalopathy services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department will consider the merits of inclusion of the therapeutic strategy of pacing as part of the treatment packages offered by specialist chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalopathy services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent research his Department has evaluated on the causes of myalgic encephalomyelitis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent research his Department has evaluated on the causes of myalgic encephalomyelitis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 5 November 2009, Official Report, column 1165W, on chronic fatigue syndrome, what discussions his Department has had with myalgic encephalomyelitis charities and campaign groups on recognition of the condition as a notifiable disease.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 5 November 2009, Official Report, column 1165W, on chronic fatigue syndrome, what discussions his Department has had with myalgic encephalomyelitis charities and campaign groups on recognition of the condition as a notifiable disease.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether his Department plans to make myalgic encephalomyelitis a notifiable illness in schools;

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether his Department plans to make myalgic encephalomyelitis a notifiable illness in schools;

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding his Department allocated for biomedical research on the causes and treatment of myalgic encephalomyelitis in 2008-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding his Department allocated for biomedical research on the causes and treatment of myalgic encephalomyelitis in 2008-09.

(2) what recent discussions his Department has had with officials from myalgic encephalomyelitis charities and campaign groups on proposals to make myalgic encephalomyelitis a notifiable illness in schools.

(2) what recent discussions his Department has had with officials from myalgic encephalomyelitis charities and campaign groups on proposals to make myalgic encephalomyelitis a notifiable illness in schools.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are in receipt of benefits as a result of a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis; and what information her Department holds on the medical conditions of such benefit claimants.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are in receipt of benefits as a result of a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis; and what information her Department holds on the medical conditions of such benefit claimants.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 26 June 2009, Official Report, columns 1198-99W, on chronic fatigue syndrome, who the members of the panel of experts are; and how often it has (a) met and (b) reported on its findings.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 26 June 2009, Official Report, columns 1198-99W, on chronic fatigue syndrome, who the members of the panel of experts are; and how often it has (a) met and (b) reported on its findings.

(2) what recent representations he has received on the revision of treatment guidelines for myalgic encephalopathy issued to trusts by his Department.

(2) what recent representations he has received on the revision of treatment guidelines for myalgic encephalopathy issued to trusts by his Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what recent assessment he has made of his Department's guidelines for the treatment of myalgic encephalopathy compared to international best practice;

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what recent assessment he has made of his Department's guidelines for the treatment of myalgic encephalopathy compared to international best practice;

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the answer to the right hon. Member for Horsham of 21 April 2008, Official Report, column 1785W, on chronic fatigue syndrome: research, when the Medical Research Council plans to set up a panel of experts...

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the answer to the right hon. Member for Horsham of 21 April 2008, Official Report, column 1785W, on chronic fatigue syndrome: research, when the Medical Research Council plans to set up a panel of experts...

I hope to persuade the noble Lord, Lord Skelmersdale, and the noble Baroness, Lady Thomas, that it is not particularly appropriate. The exchange that we had the other day was not so much about sanctions but conditionality, and conditionality is not just about sanctions at the end of the process.

I hope to persuade the noble Lord, Lord Skelmersdale, and the noble Baroness, Lady Thomas, that it is not particularly appropriate. The exchange that we had the other day was not so much about sanctions but conditionality, and conditionality is not just about sanctions at the end of the process.

This may well be the shortest speech that I shall make in Committee, but this is an extremely good amendment. Having the word "individual" before "action plan" will give out an entirely different signal, which is very important. Would it cost the Government anything to do that? I support the...

This may well be the shortest speech that I shall make in Committee, but this is an extremely good amendment. Having the word "individual" before "action plan" will give out an entirely different signal, which is very important. Would it cost the Government anything to do that? I support the...

The phrase "holes and digging" sprang into my mind as the Minister went through his brief. The Minister has said that action plans will take into account personal circumstances. We are not going to have—again to use an expression used earlier by the noble Baroness, Lady Thomas—one size fits all....

The phrase "holes and digging" sprang into my mind as the Minister went through his brief. The Minister has said that action plans will take into account personal circumstances. We are not going to have—again to use an expression used earlier by the noble Baroness, Lady Thomas—one size fits all....

I apologise for detaining the Committee even for these five minutes, but I thought I should draw this particularly germane fact to the attention of the Minister rather more forcefully than just sending a copy of a letter, which I do moderately regularly on all sorts of subjects, as the...

I apologise for detaining the Committee even for these five minutes, but I thought I should draw this particularly germane fact to the attention of the Minister rather more forcefully than just sending a copy of a letter, which I do moderately regularly on all sorts of subjects, as the...

I understand that, but had I not been handed the letter, in only the past 10 minutes or so, I would not have dared to take this step. We are talking about directions in relation to childcare. It is true that we fully deployed the arguments on childcare during our...

I understand that, but had I not been handed the letter, in only the past 10 minutes or so, I would not have dared to take this step. We are talking about directions in relation to childcare. It is true that we fully deployed the arguments on childcare during our...

As the noble Baroness, Lady Meacher, said, we have ranged over this issue extensively. If the noble Lord will allow, I shall respond just very briefly to his reference to the letter. Obviously, without sight of the letter, it is difficult to provide any comprehensive comment on it and, in...

As the noble Baroness, Lady Meacher, said, we have ranged over this issue extensively. If the noble Lord will allow, I shall respond just very briefly to his reference to the letter. Obviously, without sight of the letter, it is difficult to provide any comprehensive comment on it and, in...