Information on the number of adverse employment and support allowance sanction decisions broken down by the Summary International Classification of Diseases since January 2014 will shortly be published as part of a response to a Freedom of Information request here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dwp-statistical-foi-releases

I can confirm that the Department does hold monthly data detailing the reasons for sanctions in such cases.

Information on the number of adverse employment and support allowance sanction decisions broken down by the Summary International Classification of Diseases since January 2014 will shortly be published as part of a response to a Freedom of Information request here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dwp-statistical-foi-releases

I can confirm that the Department does hold monthly data detailing the reasons for sanctions in such cases.

DECC has taken the following steps to reduce mental health stigma and discrimination signing up to the Time to Change Pledge on 3^rd December 2013:

- signed the Department of Health’s Public Health Responsibility Deal pledge on mental health and wellbeing in December 2013

- produced a “Mental Health Toolkit” in December 2013 to support DECC managers and staff, allowing them to understand how a disability or long-term health condition might affect people in the workplace and providing practical information, advice and tools to help inform decision-making

- promoted the Time to Change “Time to Talk Day” initiative to DECC staff by publishing staff stories of their own and experiences of mental health as part of a departmental day of open discussion on the topic of mental health in February 2014

- arranged a “Mental Wellbeing Week” in May 2014 providing a week of activities aimed at raising awareness of mental health issues to DECC staff and to our wider colleagues across Whitehall

- arranged for Dementia Friends to provide presentations to DECC staff and colleagues across Whitehall in May and June 2014 to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and to ask for volunteers to become Dementia Friends

- supported the request from Una O’Brien for support of the Dementia Friends initiative across the Civil Service by encouraging all staff to complete the requisite online registration tool in June 2014

- wrote to all DECC staff in February 2014 encouraging them to support the Dementia Friends initiative by DECC is setting a departmental challenge - to create 50 Dementia Friends from our staff by March 2015

- published an article on the departmental intranet from a senior member of staff aimed at raising awareness of mental health and hidden disabilities in March 2015.

NHS England’s Specialised Commissioning Oversight Group has a remit to:

- provide assurance to NHS England that specialised commissioning strategic priorities are being met through operational delivery;

- drive the continuous improvement of standards and outcomes;

- reduce reduction of variation and inequalities for specialised commissioning; and

- provide assurance that there are robust systems and processes in place for the monitoring and assurance of Specialised Commissioning.

NHS England has advised that the current plans are to continue the group as established.

NHS England has advised that its Neuroscience Clinical Reference Group’s recommendation was to approve the clinical policy to support the routine commissioning of levodopa-carpidopa intestinal gel for advanced Parkinson’s disease and to go out to full public consultation.

The recommendation related to an in year commissioning decision.

NHS England has advised that the draft clinical policy for recommending the funding of Duodopa was presented and considered in 2014-15. Before this time, the commissioning responsibility for Duodopa rested with clinical commissioning groups.

NHS England has advised that, if a clinical policy is no longer considered required, for example, due to the publication of final technology appraisal guidance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, then the policy is removed from its website and NHS England teams and hospitals are made aware of this through internal communications.

NHS England notifies other relevant parties through its Clinical Reference Groups’ registered stakeholders.

NHS England has advised that minutes do exist for each meeting of the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group (CPAG).

NHS England has advised that they intend to routinely publish minutes and the agendas of CPAG meetings in the future, and are considering how to make available minutes of previous meetings.

In the absence of guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, it is for commissioners to make funding decisions on the basis of the evidence available.

NHS England has advised that it considers individual funding requests against published clinical policies.

The Directly Commissioned Services Committee has been disbanded as a governance committee within NHS England. The Specialised Services Oversight Group (SCOG) now makes the final decisions regarding Clinical Priorities Advisory Group (CPAG) recommendations. The average time between the Clinical Reference Group recommendation being made at CPAG and SCOG making a decision is two weeks.

Final decisions on commissioning policies are often subject to discussion between the Clinical Reference Group and CPAG. Recommendations from Clinical Reference Groups may be modified and re-proposed before a final decision.

NHS England has advised that it will be reviewing its policy on individual funding requests during 2015 and the timescale of this review will be determined in the coming weeks.

NHS England will consider how the policy will be reviewed and who will be involved.

NHS England advises that this information is not collected in a way that would allow for a break-down in the way requested.

The Government takes the enforcement of National Minimum Wage very seriously. Any worker who believes that they are being paid below the minimum wage should make a complaint to the Pay & Work Rights Helpline on 0800 917 2368. HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) review every complaint that is referred to them by the Pay and Work Rights Helpline. In addition, HMRC conducts risk-based enforcement activities in sectors or areas where there is a higher risk of workers not getting paid the legal minimum wage.

It is only possible to provide a breakdown of the figures by employment sector and gender from the year 2013/14, which is attached in the table below.

I regret that the information in my answer of 2 March 2015 was not provided in the format requested. I apologise for this oversight.

The information is shown in the table¹.

¹ Some organisations will be involved in more than one year.

Source: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence

NHS England has advised that decisions taken by screening panels are made in accordance with its interim commissioning policy on individual funding requests, which is available at:

www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/cp-03.pdf

Its individual funding request screening panels are skilled, experienced and trained in their role and NHS England does not consider that any decisions are made in error.

The information requested is not yet available.

The information requested is not yet available.

As a result of signing up to the Time to Change Pledge in February 2014, a Plan of Actions was compiled. The first action was to launch a Mental Wellbeing Network across HM Treasury. This network is made up of approximately 30 members of staff who are an important source to help raise awareness and improve staff’s understanding around mental health and help to rid the associated stigma.

Actions taken:

• We have published staff’s own life experiences about how they have coped with poor mental health and how this was dealt with by others.

• We have held workshops on mental wellbeing for staff and managers where they can ask questions and find out the help and support available for them to use.

• We have had 11 key members of staff trained in Mental Health First Aid.

• We have held a Mental Wellbeing Week which included members of staff talking about their own experiences, ways in which you can gain support, help and advice.

• Held ‘speed meetings’ on Time to Talk Day where staff were encouraged to spend 5 minutes talking to another person about their own experiences of mental health.

• Weekly lunchtime group walks to help mental and physical wellbeing

• Run a Time to Change health check on how staff in the Treasury view mental health and how it is dealt with and support available.

• Provided staff with stress information packs on Stress Awareness Day.

• Published guidance for staff on how to manage their own mental health and for managers on how to manage someone with poor mental health

• Publicised Mental Health eLearning available on the Civil Service Learning Portal

• We have reminded staff to complete the eLearning Stress Essentials which is mandatory for all staff to complete.

• We have given talks to Treasury Groups and leadership teams about mental health and how to manage stress.

• In addition, a key member of staff will regularly attend the Time to Change Organisational Peer Learning Events to share ideas and latest news on mental health.

  Following this work, we continue to work towards removing the mental health stigma and improve interest in mental wellbeing throughout HM Treasury.

Mental health problems are common - but nearly nine out of ten people who experience them say they face stigma and discrimination as a result. This year mental health has been a strategic focus for our workplace inclusion programme. This work was instigated in August 2013 with our signing both the ‘Time to Change’ and ‘See Me Scotland’ pledges to tackle stigma.

Throughout the year we have sustained momentum on this agenda through:

· The delivery of a series of strategic and targeted communications including the UN Day for People with Disabilities and the ‘Time to Talk’ day.

· Working with external partners to conduct an in-depth and impartial audit of our management practices where they relate to the mental health of our staff.

· Sharing our learning with other government departments.

Our work in this area will continue over the coming year as we implement the recommendations of the audit above.

The Home Secretary signed the Time to Change Pledge on 9 June 2014 showing her commitment to raising the profile of mental health issues in the workplace.

As part of the Home Department’s commitment, steps have included:

• The Home Office taking part in the Time to Talk day on 5 February 2015 with the aim of generating conversations about mental health. Staff were provided
with questions to stimulate conversations and literature about mental health.
• The Home Office taking a leading role in the development of the Mental Health Awareness e-learning produced for all civil servants.
• Support for the Home Office Disability Support Network’s four mental health awareness buddy networks which provide peer support and work to raise awareness of mental health issues.
• Break the Stigma, a programme of speakers to come into the department to raise awareness of mental health with the first being led by Sue Baker, the
Director of Time to Change.
• A steering group being established to lead implementation of our commitments to reduce mental health stigma and discrimination across the Department.