Sorcha Eastwood MP: written questions 2024
88 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Blood Cancer: NursesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 12 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5807More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) blood cancer clinical nurses employed and (b) vacant blood cancer clinical nurse specialist posts there are in the NHS; and what assessment he has made of the potential merits of devel
Answer: Information on the number of blood cancer clinical nurse specialists employed in the National Health Service, and the number of vacant posts, is not held centrally.The NHS has been facing chronic workforce shortages for years, and we have to be honest tha...
Answered 8 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordBlood CancerDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 12 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5806More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to take steps with NHS England to develop (a) modelling of the blood cancer care workforce and (b) national standards for staffing and facilities.
Answer: Information on the number of blood cancer clinical nurse specialists employed in the National Health Service, and the number of vacant posts, is not held centrally.The NHS has been facing chronic workforce shortages for years, and we have to be honest tha...
Answered 8 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordMedical Equipment: StandardsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 12 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5794More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the report by Lord Darzi entitled Independent investigation of the NHS in England, published on 12 September 2024, what steps he plans to take to improve the quality of the NHS eq
Answer: Professor Lord Darzi highlights that the National Health Service has been starved of capital, with outdated scanners, too little automation, and that the NHS is failing to enter the digital era. The findings provide a diagnosis of the challenges facing th...
Answered 8 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordPublic Expenditure: Northern IrelandTreasuryTabled 12 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5793More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will fund an updated version of the report entitled Cost of Division: A benchmark of performance and expenditure, published by the Ulster University Economic Policy Centre in January 2016.
Answer: As part of the restoration of the Northern Ireland Executive (NIE) the UK Government and NIE agreed to add a 24% needs-based factor into the Barnett formula as it applies to the NIE from 2024-25. This is part of the financial package worth over £3.3 billi...
Answered 11 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordPublic Expenditure: Northern IrelandTreasuryTabled 12 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5792More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will conduct a comprehensive review of (a) relative need and (b) associated implications for the level of the fiscal floor for Northern Ireland required to ensure equivalent levels of service provision across
Answer: As part of the restoration of the Northern Ireland Executive (NIE) the UK Government and NIE agreed to add a 24% needs-based factor into the Barnett formula as it applies to the NIE from 2024-25. This is part of the financial package worth over £3.3 billi...
Answered 11 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordPublic Expenditure: Northern IrelandTreasuryTabled 12 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5791More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the fiscal floor for Northern Ireland.
Answer: As part of the restoration of the Northern Ireland Executive (NIE) the UK Government and NIE agreed to add a 24% needs-based factor into the Barnett formula as it applies to the NIE from 2024-25. This is part of the financial package worth over £3.3 billi...
Answered 11 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordInfected Blood InquiryCabinet OfficeTabled 12 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5782More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the representation of people with hepatitis B in the Infected Blood Inquiry.
Answer: The Inquiry is independent of Government and the conduct of the Inquiry is a matter for the Chair. Since it began, the Inquiry sat to hear evidence for 290 days from 374 witnesses, including people with hepatitis B. In total, the Inquiry has received 5,57...
Answered 10 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordInfected Blood Compensation SchemeCabinet OfficeTabled 12 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5781More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether people with hepatitis B are eligible to claim through the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme for financial loss due to (a) the inability to work full time and (b) not receiving regular support scheme pay
Answer: Anyone with an eligible Hepatitis B infection will be able to claim compensation calculated under five categories of award including a financial loss award. The financial loss award recognises the past and future financial losses suffered as a result of i...
Answered 10 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordInfected Blood Compensation SchemeCabinet OfficeTabled 12 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5780More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether people with hepatitis B who have not received (a) a lump sum and (b) regular payments from a support scheme will be entitled to an award under the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme.
Answer: People who received contaminated blood or blood products which resulted in a chronic Hepatitis B infection will be eligible to claim compensation under the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme. The estates of those who died from an acute Hepatitis B infecti...
Answered 10 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordPalforziaDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 11 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5502More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the NHS geographic availability is of Palforzia as of September 2024; and if he will publish a regional breakdown the number of people that received Palforzia on the NHS since 2022.
Answer: Palforzia is a peanut immunotherapy drug that helps reduce the severity of children's allergic reactions that may occur with exposure to peanuts. Data on the number and geographical location of children that have had access to Palforzia in England is not ...
Answered 8 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordMotor InsuranceTreasuryTabled 11 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5501More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will hold discussions with the Financial Conduct Authority on the comparative costs of car insurance in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) Great Britain.
Answer: Treasury Ministers and officials have regular meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors on an ongoing basis. The Government is determined that insurers should treat all customers fairly and insurance companies are req...
Answered 7 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordInsurance: Payment MethodsTreasuryTabled 11 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5500More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will hold discussions with the Financial Conduct Authority on the (a) comparative costs of paying (i) vehicle and (ii) household insurance (A) annually and (B) in monthly instalments and (b) impact of such co
Answer: Treasury Ministers and officials have regular meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors on an ongoing basis. The Government recognises that the ability to pay insurance premiums in instalments is an important tool for...
Answered 7 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordTerrorism: Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 30 Aug 2024AnsweredUIN 3406More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 30 July 2024 to Question 1169 on Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery, how many times he has requested a review of (a) a Troubles-related death und
Answer: To date, I have not requested a review of (a) a Troubles-related death under section 9(3) of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023, or of (b) harmful conduct under section 10(2) of that Act. This was also the case for my prede...
Answered 9 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordVisas: Families and GraduatesHome OfficeTabled 30 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 2612More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department issues on whether people living in the UK on a Graduate visa can start a Master’s degree while waiting for a decision in relation to their application for a Family visa.
Answer: The UK government website has guidance on all our immigration rules and criteria, including the requirements of the Student route and the study conditions of the Graduate route: Visas and immigration - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Answered 2 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordCredit: RegulationTreasuryTabled 25 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 1882More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to regulate buy-now-pay-later financial products.
Answer: Regulating Buy Now Pay Later products is crucial to protect people and deliver certainty for the sector. The government will be looking to work closely with all interested stakeholders and will set out its plans shortly.
Answered 31 Jul 2024
Original Parliament recordApprenticeship LevyDepartment for EducationTabled 25 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 1881More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has plans to review the apprenticeship levy.
Answer: Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.Meeting the skills needs of the next decade is central to delivering the government’s mission. To support business and boost opportunity, the department will transf...
Answered 2 Aug 2024
Original Parliament recordCommon Travel AreaHome OfficeTabled 23 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 1446More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill on (a) free movement within the Common Travel Area and (b) the land border.
Answer: The Common Travel Area (CTA) supports the long-standing principle of free movement for British and Irish citizens between the UK, Ireland and the Crown Dependencies (Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man) and has been recognised in law since the 1920s. In ...
Answered 30 Jul 2024
Original Parliament recordIndependent Commission for Reconciliation and Information RecoveryNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 22 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 1169More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make it his policy to publish monthly figures on the number of reviews opened by the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery following requests from (a) his Departme
Answer: The Commission is independent of Government. As such, it would not be appropriate for the Government to publish information about its operational activities. This is a matter for the commission, which is, I know, committed to openness in its work.
Answered 30 Jul 2024
Original Parliament recordPancreatic Enzyme Replacement TherapyDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 22 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 1163More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that (a) pancreatic cancer and (b) cystic fibrosis patients have access to Creon.
Answer: The Department has been working with suppliers to address current supply issues with pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT), including Creon, used in the treatment of cystic fibrosis and certain cancers, including pancreatic cancer. The supply issue...
Answered 26 Jul 2024
Original Parliament recordVisas: FamiliesHome OfficeTabled 19 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 847More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her policy is on whether social care workers should be able to bring their dependents to the UK on their visa.
Answer: The new Home Secretary will decide on the future of current Home Office policies in due course. Any changes will be announced to Parliament in the normal way.
Answered 29 Jul 2024
Original Parliament recordVisas: FamiliesHome OfficeTabled 19 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 846More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her policy is on changes to the level of the baseline minimum salary for family visas for spouses and partners.
Answer: The new Home Secretary will decide on the future of current Home Office policies in due course. Any changes will be announced to Parliament.
Answered 29 Jul 2024
Original Parliament recordVisas: Skilled WorkersHome OfficeTabled 19 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 845More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her policy is on changes to the level of the baseline minimum salary for Skilled Worker visas.
Answer: The new Home Secretary will decide on the future of current Home Office policies in due course. Any changes will be announced to Parliament in the normal way.
Answered 29 Jul 2024
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: Seasonal WorkersHome OfficeTabled 17 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 568More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the Seasonal Agricultural Workers scheme in Northern Ireland to include mushroom growers.
Answer: The Seasonal Worker visa allows workers to come to the UK for up to six months in any twelve month period to pick both edible and ornamental crops (e.g. fruit and flower picking). The list of eligible occupations covered by the route already includes mush...
Answered 24 Jul 2024
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: ChildrenDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 17 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 537More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department will continue the work of the Department’s Children in Hospital Stakeholder Group.
Answer: Supporting parents with care and compassion whilst they navigate some of the toughest moments a parent can face is something all in this house would believe in. We will consider the work done by the previous Government before making a decision on next ste...
Answered 26 Jul 2024
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: DisabilityDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 17 Jul 2024AnsweredUIN 536More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of allowing children and young people with cancer to apply for (a) Personal Independence Payment, (b) Disability Living Allowance and (c) other disab
Answer: Other than for those who are nearing the end of their life, the extra costs disability benefits, such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA), are assessed on the basis of the needs arising from a long-term health cond...
Answered 25 Jul 2024
Original Parliament record
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