NHS England has a number of direct commissioning responsibilities, including for a range of prescribed specialised services for which national commissioning policies and service specifications are developed and published.

The majority of other NHS services fall within the commissioning responsibilities of clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and for these services it is for CCGs to determine commissioning policies and service requirements on a local basis.

It is important that the respective commissioning approaches fit together in a way that provides clinically and cost effective and cohesive care for patients and for that reason NHS England is supporting a range of collaborative commissioning approaches between its specialised commissioning teams, clinical advisors and CCGs.

National service specifications and clinical commissioning policies will still apply for those specialised services that will be collaboratively commissioned with CCGs.

NHS England has advised that it is currently developing interim proposals to allow selected patients with cirrhosis to have early access to some of the new drugs that are expected to be available to treat hepatitis C later in 2015. NHS England aims to have these interim policies in place by the first half of 2015.

These will provide access to treatment in advance of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s final technology appraisal guidance on these products which is expected to be published shortly.

NHS England has advised that it is currently developing interim proposals to allow selected patients with cirrhosis to have early access to some of the new drugs that are expected to be available to treat hepatitis C later in 2015. NHS England aims to have these interim policies in place by the first half of 2015.

These will provide access to treatment in advance of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s final technology appraisal guidance on these products which is expected to be published shortly.

We have chosen to exempt small and medium businesses (with fewer than 250 employees) from the plastic bag charge to avoid placing an administrative burden on start-up and growing businesses at a time when we are supporting growth in the economy.

Large companies make up the major proportion of the country’s retail market. For example, the relatively small number of retail companies in the UK with more than 500 employees employ 65% of people working in retail and have 69% of annual retail business turnover.

We have no plans to remove the exemption for small and medium businesses, although those businesses are able to charge on a voluntary basis.

Statistics on house building starts and completions by tenure in each local authority district, including Cornwall, are published in the Department's live tables 253 (annual) and 253a (quarterly), which are available at the following link:
http://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-house-building

A more complete account of additional affordable housing including new build and acquisitions is provided for each local authority area in England and is published in the Department’s live table 1008, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-affordable-housing-supply

These statistics are not available by parliamentary constituency.

Whilst this Government is committed to helping reduce energy bills for all consumers, we acknowledge the challenges faced by off-gas grid consumers, in particular due to higher costs of heating fuel.

In November we held the Fourth Ministerial Roundtable on heating oil and LPG, bringing together industry, consumer groups and MPs to discuss issues affecting off-gas grid customers. We co-ordinate and support the industry’s “Buy Oil Early” campaign, so people stock up at good times for price and quick delivery. In December the Autumn Statement allocated £25m to DECC for funding the installation of central heating in off-gas grid households that currently do not have such a system.

The launch of the domestic Renewable Heat Incentive last year gives off-gas grid households a real choice of heating for the first time, by providing payments to offset the extra cost of installing renewable heating technologies compared to the replacement of their existing system.

Energy efficiency is often the best way to reduce both heating and electricity bills. The Green Deal Home Improvement Fund offers grants to all householders for energy efficiency improvements to their home, such as insulation, whilst our amendments to the ECO Affordable Warmth scheme provide stronger incentives for energy suppliers to install energy efficiency measures in off-gas grid homes.

More widely the Warm Home Discount, worth £140 this year, will go to more than two million low income and vulnerable households, including many off the gas grid.

The total value of the Pool Re fund was £5.504 billion as at 30 September 2014.

The government has provided a guarantee to Pool Re since it was established in 1993. Last year Pool Re and HM Treasury agreed a package of reforms that provides for fair and proportionate compensation for taxpayers for the continued provision of the guarantee. These reforms will see HM Treasury’s fee increased from 10% of Pool Re’s annual premium income to 50% - an increase that we estimate will raise an additional £120m per annum. In addition, the reforms will see Pool Re make a distribution to its members and the government based on any annual surplus that it makes. Whilst the occurrence and level of that surplus are subject to inherent uncertainty, based on Pool Re’s recent results we estimate that this will see insurers who reinsure terrorism insurance risk with Pool Re and the government each receive an additional payment of approximately £55 million per annum.

The changes took effect from 1 January 2015. In total, we estimate that these changes will raise an additional £50m for the Exchequer in 2014/15, and £175m per year thereafter, compared to the previous agreement.

The total value of the Pool Re fund was £5.504 billion as at 30 September 2014.

The government has provided a guarantee to Pool Re since it was established in 1993. Last year Pool Re and HM Treasury agreed a package of reforms that provides for fair and proportionate compensation for taxpayers for the continued provision of the guarantee. These reforms will see HM Treasury’s fee increased from 10% of Pool Re’s annual premium income to 50% - an increase that we estimate will raise an additional £120m per annum. In addition, the reforms will see Pool Re make a distribution to its members and the government based on any annual surplus that it makes. Whilst the occurrence and level of that surplus are subject to inherent uncertainty, based on Pool Re’s recent results we estimate that this will see insurers who reinsure terrorism insurance risk with Pool Re and the government each receive an additional payment of approximately £55 million per annum.

The changes took effect from 1 January 2015. In total, we estimate that these changes will raise an additional £50m for the Exchequer in 2014/15, and £175m per year thereafter, compared to the previous agreement.

The total value of the Pool Re fund was £5.504 billion as at 30 September 2014.

The government has provided a guarantee to Pool Re since it was established in 1993. Last year Pool Re and HM Treasury agreed a package of reforms that provides for fair and proportionate compensation for taxpayers for the continued provision of the guarantee. These reforms will see HM Treasury’s fee increased from 10% of Pool Re’s annual premium income to 50% - an increase that we estimate will raise an additional £120m per annum. In addition, the reforms will see Pool Re make a distribution to its members and the government based on any annual surplus that it makes. Whilst the occurrence and level of that surplus are subject to inherent uncertainty, based on Pool Re’s recent results we estimate that this will see insurers who reinsure terrorism insurance risk with Pool Re and the government each receive an additional payment of approximately £55 million per annum.

The changes took effect from 1 January 2015. In total, we estimate that these changes will raise an additional £50m for the Exchequer in 2014/15, and £175m per year thereafter, compared to the previous agreement.

The following table provides the headcount number and percentage of all regular teachers[1] in service in primary schools in each constituency in the South West with a degree in a science subject in November 2013. This is the latest information available.

Source: School Workforce Census

[1] Includes qualified and unqualified teachers.

[2] Includes teachers with a first or higher science degree but excluding those with a science PGCE where no record of a science degree exists and those with a BEd in sciences.

[3] Those recorded with a qualification in any subject, (the total in the sample from which the rate is calculated).

[4] The range within which we can be 95% confident that the true value exists.

Fuel prices are primarily driven by the underlying price of crude oil, though are also influenced by a range of other supply and demand factors, including refining capacity, stock levels, distribution costs, retail margins and seasonal demand variations.

It is vital that the sharp fall in oil and gas prices are passed on to families at petrol pumps, through utility bills and air fares.

We will closely monitor whether companies are passing on the benefits to customers of falling oil and gas prices.

The Growth Deal agreed with Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership last summer will see almost £49 million invested in Cornwall & Isles of Scilly. The deal will see a range of transport and infrastructure investments in the area, including £2 million to the Newquay Growth Area improving access to Newquay Airport and opening up employment and housing sites.

The Royal Navy has no such record of any fouling by abandoned fishing gear; therefore the Royal Navy has no record of a ship being unable to complete its tasking due to fouling by fishing gear in the last two years.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency operates two small vessels in Scotland. Neither has been fouled by abandoned or lost fishing gear in the last two years.

Since NHS England took on responsibility for specialised commissioning in April 2013, the specialised services Clinical Reference Groups have developed all clinical policies for specialised services. These clinical policies have all passed through the NHS England governance committees process, which is outlined in the answer I gave to the hon. Member on 3 November 2014 to Question 212409.

Clinical policies are developed by the appropriate service specific clinical reference group and reviewed by the Clinical Prioritisation Advisory Group (CPAG). CPAG then makes a recommendation whether to commission the service or treatment in question. CPAG recommendations are ratified by the Specialised Commissioning Oversight Group (SCOG).

The length of time to produce a clinical commissioning policy is variable depending on the complexity of the subject area. The timeline is typically between 6-9 months but can be shorter.

SCOG has operational oversight of specialised commissioning and has delegated authority to make decisions on the recommendations made by CPAG, which provides advice to NHS England about any decision-making that defines access to clinical services. The Directly Commissioned Services Committee, a sub-committee of the NHS England Board, oversees the delivery of directly commissioned services within the overall strategy set by NHS England. The SCOG reports to this committee.

The new reporting requirements came into place at the start of 2014 and the data for this year is due to be published as part of the Government’s UK Strategic Export Controls Annual Report 2015. We plan to commence a review of this initiative in early 2015.

The Government understands the importance of having a growing but stable finance sector. Since the financial crisis the Government has, domestically and with EU and international partners, implemented an unprecedented range of regulatory reforms to improve the safety and resilience of the financial sector. The Government will continue to promote long-term and sustainable growth domestically and with EU and international partners, including in the finance sector. In addition, the Government will continue efforts through the Financial Services Trade and Investment Board, a strategic body chaired by HM Treasury, to attract inward investment, promote external trade and encourage the growth of the UK’s financial services sector.

The information requested on ESA is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Statistics on the time taken to process Personal Independence Payment cases are intended for future publication. The Department's analysts are currently considering what information will be included in the release. The release will be pre-announced in line with UK Statistics Authority protocols.