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To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the Government will refund penalty charges for people who subsequently were given a medical exemption certificate.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the Government will refund penalty charges for people who subsequently were given a medical exemption certificate.
It is important that those who should pay prescription charges do so. However we recognise that some people with an underlying medical entitlement to exemption are not clear about the requirement to hold a valid exemption certificate. We have therefore introduced a new process whereby if someone has made a claim for medical (or maternity) exemption, and there is no evidence they hold an exemption certificate, they will still receive a penalty charge, but this can be cancelled if they submit a valid application for a medical (or maternity) exemption certificate within 60 days of the receipt of the penalty charge notice.
Health devolution will allow decision makers to prioritise health inequalities in Manchester, but does my right hon. Friend agree that health professionals in the NHS need to be involved in the detailed discussions to make sure that we get the best deal for patients in our local NHS?
Health devolution will allow decision makers to prioritise health inequalities in Manchester, but does my right hon. Friend agree that health professionals in the NHS need to be involved in the detailed discussions to make sure that we get the best deal for patients in our local NHS?
Yes, of course. Any change in something as complex and important as the NHS in any part of the country needs to be done with the fullest possible participation of the health professionals who will be delivering that change. I regularly encounter—I am sure that my hon. Friend has found the same—health professionals who complain about the straitjacket of decision making from Whitehall and who will welcome the idea that more decisions can be taken locally to suit the health needs of local communities.
That this House welcomes the campaign to rename Leningrad Square in Wythenshawe after Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQ) computer and Enigma code breaker, Alan Turing; notes that Manchester is currently twinned with St Petersburg, formerly Leningrad, the birthplace of Russia's appalling anti-gay laws which ban homosexual propaganda; further notes that Baby, the first modern computer, was born in Manchester thanks to Alan Turing's work at the University of Manchester; regrets that Turing was arrested by City of Manchester police in 1952 for homosexuality and was punished with chemical castration; further welcomes the posthumous Royal Pardon in 2013 and the campaign to achieve it; believes that Manchester's city leaders should stop honouring a city and country where LGBTQ people are so appallingly discriminated against; further regrets that too many LGBTQ people still suffer discrimination in the UK and abroad; recognises that renaming a landmark square after a gay Manchester hero would show solidarity to everyone fighting for equality in Manchester, Russia and around the world and that it would also help the fight to pardon the thousands of other gay men who were convicted of offences relating to their sexuality; and calls on Manchester City Council to back the campaign to rename the square in time for the 31 March anniversary of Alan Turing's conviction.
That this House welcomes the campaign to rename Leningrad Square in Wythenshawe after Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQ) computer and Enigma code breaker, Alan Turing; notes that Manchester is currently twinned with St Petersburg, formerly Leningrad, the birthplace of Russia's appalling anti-gay laws which ban homosexual propaganda; further...
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that the need for a medical exemption certificate has been effectively communicated to sufferers of diabetes by the NHS Business Service Authority and pharmacies.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that the need for a medical exemption certificate has been effectively communicated to sufferers of diabetes by the NHS Business Service Authority and pharmacies.
Information about the prescription charge exemption arrangements, including the requirement to hold valid exemption certificate to claim a medical exemption, is included on NHS Choices. Long-standing arrangements are also in place to make available to general practitioner (GP) practices leaflets to put on display for patients containing details about the exemption rules and requirements. The declaration on the prescription form that patients are required to sign to claim a medical exemption from the charge also makes clear the requirement for a certificate.
Additionally, in October 2014 as part of the centralisation of the prescription exemption checking process within the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA), the NHSBSA sent all English pharmacies and GP practices a supply of posters and booklets entitled ‘Claiming free prescriptions?’ to make available to patients. The poster warns patients of the consequences of claiming free prescriptions incorrectly and directs them to the booklet for more information on eligibility, which states that medical exemption certificates are valid for five years. The poster and booklet are also published on the NHSBSA website:
http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/PrescriptionServices/4666.aspx.
The NHSBSA is currently planning further communications work to build on this initial activity.
Previous TV deals with the Premier League have not resulted in comparable increases in funding for the grass roots and football family. Does the Secretary of State accept that the only way of guaranteeing future funding is for this Parliament to legislate to ensure that 5% of Premier League revenue goes to the grass-roots and football family?
Previous TV deals with the Premier League have not resulted in comparable increases in funding for the grass roots and football family. Does the Secretary of State accept that the only way of guaranteeing future funding is for this Parliament to legislate to ensure that 5% of Premier League revenue goes to the grass-roots and football family?
I do not accept that there is a need for legislation. What there is a need for is a continued and active dialogue between Government and the Premier League to make sure that its investment in grass-roots football continues. As I said, given the recent news that the Premier League had of a windfall, we should encourage it to do more.
Q13
.
Mr John Leech (Manchester, Withington) (LD):
Does the Prime Minister agree with me that, hot on the heels of devolving powers on transport and housing, the welcome announcement that Manchester will take control of its £6 billion NHS budget shows the coalition’s commitment to local decision-making for Manchester, in stark contrast to the Labour Government that oversaw the closure of Withington hospital from Whitehall?
Q13
.
Mr John Leech (Manchester, Withington) (LD):
Does the Prime Minister agree with me that, hot on the heels of devolving powers on transport and housing, the welcome announcement that Manchester will take control of its £6 billion NHS budget shows the coalition’s commitment to local decision-making for Manchester, in stark contrast to the Labour Government that oversaw the closure of Withington hospital from Whitehall?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right to say that this is an important breakthrough. It has been made possible by our reforms. It will help to bring the NHS and social care together. The shadow Health Secretary, who presumably knew absolutely nothing about this, does not understand that eight Labour authorities in Greater Manchester have been talking to us and working with us about how to make this a reality. What a contrast: people working together to improve the NHS, instead of trying to weaponise it across the Dispatch Box.
If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 25 February.
If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 25 February.
That this House applauds the work undertaken by the Kids Count Charity and associated bodies in raising awareness about issues affecting young people's lives; recognises that the charity gives children and young people a voice to determine and influence their own future; welcomes the publication Youth Crime: Bringing the voice of the street to the House, which is a unique piece of youth-led and community research drawing attention to the serious issue of knife crime among young people; commends the fact that this research draws on grass-roots initiatives and evidence collated over a two-year period; and calls on the Government to consider carefully the matters raised therein.
That this House applauds the work undertaken by the Kids Count Charity and associated bodies in raising awareness about issues affecting young people's lives; recognises that the charity gives children and young people a voice to determine and influence their own future; welcomes the publication Youth Crime: Bringing the voice...
That this House notes that the Manchester United Automatic Cup Scheme obliges season ticket holders to buy tickets for home cup ties; further notes that the punishment for not doing so is a stadium ban for the next Premier League home game, even though such games have already been paid for; further notes that tickets for the FA Cup replay against league two Cambridge United on 3 February 2015 ranged from £31 to £53 for adults and that the date for this tie was only confirmed eight days before the match; recognises that this additional cost at such late notice is a financial burden on fans who may be unable or not wish to attend the game; further recognises that the enforcement of a one-game stadium ban upon supporters who do not wish to or cannot afford to attend an extra mid-week match is an unnecessary and callous punishment; further notes that the voluntary cup schemes offered by other clubs both provide season ticket holders with flexibility in match attendance and enable non-regular attendees to see football in their place; condemns the policy of any football club forcing season ticket holders to sign up to compulsory ticket purchases for cup ties; and calls on Manchester United FC to remove this clause from its terms and conditions and replace it with a Voluntary Cup Scheme.
That this House notes that the Manchester United Automatic Cup Scheme obliges season ticket holders to buy tickets for home cup ties; further notes that the punishment for not doing so is a stadium ban for the next Premier League home game, even though such games have already been paid...
One of the so-called improvements to our immigration system is the decision to require asylum seekers, including those from China, to make fresh submissions in person at Liverpool. Would the Minister care to dispute the comments of Dave Smith of the Boaz Trust, who rightly says that it appears to be pure discrimination and a cynical attempt to deter people from putting in fresh submissions?
One of the so-called improvements to our immigration system is the decision to require asylum seekers, including those from China, to make fresh submissions in person at Liverpool. Would the Minister care to dispute the comments of Dave Smith of the Boaz Trust, who rightly says that it appears to be pure discrimination and a cynical attempt to deter people from putting in fresh submissions?
I rebut that entirely. The proposal is about bringing into line arrangements that were already in place in relation to pre-2007 asylum applications. We have a specialist centre—a specialist unit—in Liverpool and it is ensuring that those further submissions are considered appropriately and effectively.
What has been the cost in wasted court time, particularly in family proceedings where people have not been properly prepared for their proceedings, as a result of cuts to legal aid?
What has been the cost in wasted court time, particularly in family proceedings where people have not been properly prepared for their proceedings, as a result of cuts to legal aid?
So far, there has been an increase in the number of litigants in person. Of course, we have always had litigants in person in our courts. We continue to monitor the situation closely. The Minister of State, my right hon. Friend the Member for Bermondsey and Old Southwark (Simon Hughes), is working hard to look at additional ways of smoothing the processes that people have available to represent themselves. None the less, progress in our courts has so far continued pretty well.
Why is no help available to get people with mental health problems back on to employment and support allowance, when they have voluntarily come off ESA and gone on to jobseeker’s allowance, wrongly believing that they were fit to work, only to be sanctioned for failing to comply with their jobseeker’s agreement because of their mental illness?
Why is no help available to get people with mental health problems back on to employment and support allowance, when they have voluntarily come off ESA and gone on to jobseeker’s allowance, wrongly believing that they were fit to work, only to be sanctioned for failing to comply with their jobseeker’s agreement because of their mental illness?
One of the things that our work coaches in the jobcentre are able to do is flex the claimant commitment people make according to the claimant’s health condition. What should happen in such cases is that, if the individual remains on JSA, their work coach can alter the conditions to deal with that. If the hon. Gentleman has specific examples where that has not happened, I would be delighted if he wrote to me so that we can look into those cases.
That this House notes that the Great Irish Famine resulted in the deaths of one million people and the emigration of up to two million more, reducing Ireland's population by a quarter; recognises that these events have had an indelible impact upon Ireland, with the country's population still lower today than in 1845; further notes that Channel 4 is planning to create a comedy series called Hungry, about the Great Irish Famine; further notes with concern that the intended tone of this sitcom is to be similar to the Shameless comedy series, set in Ireland during the famine; believes that a tragedy of this magnitude represents inappropriate subject matter for such a sitcom; and calls on Channel 4 to reconsider its decision to produce this insensitive and potentially highly offensive comedy programme.
That this House notes that the Great Irish Famine resulted in the deaths of one million people and the emigration of up to two million more, reducing Ireland's population by a quarter; recognises that these events have had an indelible impact upon Ireland, with the country's population still lower today...
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the controversial Glazer family takeover at Manchester United—against the wishes of the vast majority of United fans. This saddled the club with vast debts to pay for the takeover. Does the Minister agree that football clubs and their supporters should be better protected from these predatory takeovers that can threaten the long-term viability of many of our football clubs?
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the controversial Glazer family takeover at Manchester United—against the wishes of the vast majority of United fans. This saddled the club with vast debts to pay for the takeover. Does the Minister agree that football clubs and their supporters should be better protected from these predatory takeovers that can threaten the long-term viability of many of our football clubs?
The hon. Gentleman makes an important point, and responsible club ownership is important to all of us. The football authorities take it very seriously, and I am pleased that the owners and directors test has been strengthened. Following two debates here late last year, I asked the football authorities if there was a way of tightening this important test.
That this House congratulates Barbara Roberts, the founder of the Withington Hedgehog Care Trust, on being awarded a BEM in the New Year Honours List for services to the rescue and rehabilitation of hedgehogs; notes that this honour was earned after decades of selfless work to protect the UK's hedgehogs; further notes that since founding the Trust in 2002 Barbara has invested vast amounts of her own time and money into this endeavour; recognises these selfless actions as being incredibly deserving of the award; further notes that Britain's hedgehog population has been declining as fast as that of the tiger worldwide, making her work of vital importance; and hopes that Barbara and the other volunteers at the Trust will continue their valuable work for many years to come.
That this House congratulates Barbara Roberts, the founder of the Withington Hedgehog Care Trust, on being awarded a BEM in the New Year Honours List for services to the rescue and rehabilitation of hedgehogs; notes that this honour was earned after decades of selfless work to protect the UK's hedgehogs;...
What estimate he made of the potential savings to the public purse that would arise from implementation of the under-occupancy penalty; and what estimate he has made of the amount saved to date by that implementation.
What estimate he made of the potential savings to the public purse that would arise from implementation of the under-occupancy penalty; and what estimate he has made of the amount saved to date by that implementation.
Before our reforms, the taxpayer had been paying for 820,000 spare rooms. To date, the policy has saved about £830 million from the housing benefit bill, and the estimated savings remain the same: approximately £500 million a year in 2013-14 and 2014-15. Those figures have been ratified by the Office for Budget Responsibility.
How many people have been forced to move from social housing into more expensive private rented accommodation, where the housing benefit bill has actually risen, and how much has it cost the Department?
How many people have been forced to move from social housing into more expensive private rented accommodation, where the housing benefit bill has actually risen, and how much has it cost the Department?
Each local authority is dealing with this matter differently. We have given a huge amount of support, through the discretionary housing payments,
so some will move, some will not, and some have had their rents dealt with and have stayed in place. We have trebled the support to £345 million, and more than 392,000 DHP awards were made last year. As I said, each authority is doing it differently. For example, Sheffield city council is using DHPs to pay removal costs and provide decorating, while Southwark and Islington councils are paying additional incentives through mutual exchanging with overcrowded households. They are all doing different things, but they are basically getting it right. We were warned that arrears would rise, but actually housing association arrears are lower than they were last year.
I welcome my right hon. Friend’s decision to award an additional £300,000 to Burnage academy for boys, reflecting an increase of nearly 100 extra pupils in-year. May I urge him, however, to bring forward a change to the funding formula to ensure that schools that suffer from dramatic changes in numbers in-year do not have to keep coming begging to the Government?
I welcome my right hon. Friend’s decision to award an additional £300,000 to Burnage academy for boys, reflecting an increase of nearly 100 extra pupils in-year. May I urge him, however, to bring forward a change to the funding formula to ensure that schools that suffer from dramatic changes in numbers in-year do not have to keep coming begging to the Government?
I congratulate my hon. Friend on the very strong case he made for this school at the end of last week. As a consequence, this morning we approved popular growth funding of almost £300,000 for the school. It is particularly important to award such funding where the change in pupil numbers is due to popular growth changes, and I will look more widely at the points he raises.
Does the Secretary of State agree with the hon. Member for North West Leicestershire (Andrew Bridgen) who said last week that £2.80 or so a week for the BBC
“is tremendous value, but only if you watch it.”
Given that over 96% of people access the BBC every week, does that not show what good value the licence fee is?
Does the Secretary of State agree with the hon. Member for North West Leicestershire (Andrew Bridgen) who said last week that £2.80 or so a week for the BBC
“is tremendous value, but only if you watch it.”
Given that over 96% of people access the BBC every week, does that not show what good value the licence fee is?
Like my hon. Friend, I am very proud of the BBC. It is well respected not just at home, but abroad, and rightly so. However, we have to recognise that there have been serious changes in technology over the past decade, and when the charter review takes place, all issues should be looked at, including those raised by colleagues.
I was going to ask exactly the same question as the hon. Member for Kettering (Mr Hollobone). Will the Minister name and shame all local authorities that are failing to provide discretionary housing benefit for people who are being penalised as a result of their disability?
I was going to ask exactly the same question as the hon. Member for Kettering (Mr Hollobone). Will the Minister name and shame all local authorities that are failing to provide discretionary housing benefit for people who are being penalised as a result of their disability?
We do have records of the amount of money that the Government make available to local authorities. In the interests of transparency, I will put in the Library details of the money made available by the Government and the extent to which local authorities take up that generous allocation of funding.