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1006783

	registered interest
	date	14/11/2018
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Public Sector: Innovation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	What steps he is taking to encourage technological innovation in tackling social challenges and delivering public services.
	tabling member constituency	Hitchin and Harpenden
	tabling member printed	Bim Afolami
	uin	907585
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/11/2018 answer text <p>I am determined that government harnesses the power of technology to deliver better public services.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>That’s why we are developing an Innovation Strategy for public services to be published next Spring and why I spoke at the GovTech Summit in Paris earlier this week.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>And in October, the latest round of the GovTech innovation fund opened. Ten challenges have already been selected for funding.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hertsmere answering member printed Oliver Dowden question first answered 14/11/2018 17:47:33 answering member 4441 label Biography information for Oliver Dowden
	tabling member	4639 label Biography information for Bim Afolami

964861

	registered interest
	date	03/09/2018
	answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
	answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
	hansard heading	Gender Dysphoria: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for NHS under-18s gender dysphoria clinics.
	tabling member constituency	Hitchin and Harpenden
	tabling member printed	Bim Afolami
	uin	169768
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/09/2018 answer text <p>NHS England has publicly acknowledged that the waiting time for under-18s accessing gender identity services is unacceptably long. NHS England increased funding for this service by around £2 million per year from 2016/17 but waiting times have continued to increase due mainly to an unprecedented increase in demand for these services in recent years, to an extent that there is not sufficient capacity in the current service.</p><p> </p><p>In 2018, NHS England established a Programme Board for Gender Identity Services. Its terms of reference state that the Board’s main objective is to make recommendations for the future delivery and configuration of specialised services for adults, young people and children, with a view to achieving the optimal models of care that are characterised by timely and equitable access to the range of available interventions; consistent delivery models and excellent care and excellent patient experience.</p><p> </p><p>The role of the Board is to coordinate ‘demand and capacity’ planning that will inform the future delivery of specialised services and resource allocation for adult services and young people’s services; and that will inform an approach to commissioning that seeks to ensure the sustainability of the national service.</p><p> </p><p>NHS England is currently working with the providers of the services, and other significant stakeholders, to develop proposals for the future commissioning and delivery of these services from 2019/20.</p> answering member constituency North East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Stephen Barclay question first answered 11/09/2018 13:30:24 answering member 4095 label Biography information for Steve Barclay
	tabling member	4639 label Biography information for Bim Afolami

919923

	registered interest
	date	08/06/2018
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Schools: Expenditure
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding his Department has allocated to (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in (i) England and (ii) Hitchin and Harpenden constituency in each year between 2005 and 2017.
	tabling member constituency	Hitchin and Harpenden
	tabling member printed	Bim Afolami
	uin	151446
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2018 answer text <p>Information on revenue funding by constituency is not held centrally and funding is not allocated separately for primary and secondary pupils. However, the below table shows the revenue and funding for schools in Hertfordshire and England since 2005.</p><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4"><p><strong>Revenue amounts allocated for primary and secondary education for each financial year from 2005 to 2017 for Hertfordshire local authority and England.</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><p><strong>Funding for Schools 2005-17 £ millions</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Financial Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Hertfordshire</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>England</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2005-06</p></td><td><p>634.1</p></td><td><p>30,685.4</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2006-07</p></td><td><p>635.0</p></td><td><p>30,638.3</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2007-08</p></td><td><p>673.2</p></td><td><p>32,353.2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2008-09</p></td><td><p>704.7</p></td><td><p>33,476.5</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2009-10</p></td><td><p>740.2</p></td><td><p>34,710.2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010-11</p></td><td><p>781.1</p></td><td><p>36,506.5</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011-12</p></td><td><p>790.9</p></td><td><p>37,169.9</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012-13</p></td><td><p>807.1</p></td><td><p>38,037.7</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013-14</p></td><td><p>864.6</p></td><td><p>40,861.3</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014-15</p></td><td><p>895.9</p></td><td><p>42,465.9</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015-16</p></td><td><p>926.2</p></td><td><p>43,964.9</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016-17</p></td><td><p>938.8</p></td><td><p>44,413.0</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p>This table does not include capital funding, which is not available by local areas prior to 2011-12. The Department’s total capital budget for education nationally from 2011-12 to 2016-17 was over £29 billion.</p><p> </p><p>Hertfordshire local authority directly received over £340 million of core capital allocations from the Department between financial years 2011-12 to 2016-17. These figures do not include funding to academies, sixth-form colleges and multi academy trusts within the area.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 18/06/2018 15:32:14 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	4639 label Biography information for Bim Afolami

917086

	registered interest
	date	04/06/2018
	answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
	answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
	hansard heading	Pharmacy: Health Services
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government is taking to implement the recommendations of the independent review of community pharmacy clinical services commissioned by the NHS.
	tabling member constituency	Hitchin and Harpenden
	tabling member printed	Bim Afolami
	uin	149705
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/06/2018 answer text <p>The implementation of the National Health Service Five Year Forward View has taken into account the findings of the Murray Review. NHS England has seen progress in a number of areas to implement the recommendations. For example the Pharmacy Integration Fund has supported a pilot in the North East of referral from NHS 111 to community pharmacies for minor illness and the national ‘stay well campaign’ continues to highlight the role of community pharmacy in this area. We are aware of locally commissioned schemes addressing hypertension. The Pharmacy Integration Fund is also supporting the roll out of clinical pharmacists in general practice and in care homes with additional training to award independent prescriber status.</p> answering member constituency Winchester answering member printed Steve Brine question first answered 12/06/2018 14:03:29 answering member 4067 label Biography information for Steve Brine
	tabling member	4639 label Biography information for Bim Afolami

917087

	registered interest
	date	04/06/2018
	answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
	answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
	hansard heading	Pharmacy: Health Services
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department has taken to roll-out a minor ailments scheme through community pharmacies as recommended by the independent review of community pharmacy clinical services.
	tabling member constituency	Hitchin and Harpenden
	tabling member printed	Bim Afolami
	uin	149706
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/06/2018 answer text <p>Minor ailment services are currently commissioned locally by the National Health Service according to need. However a national minor illness scheme is in development, building on a pilot digital minor illness referral service (DMIRS) that commenced last year in the North East. This scheme provides direct referrals from NHS 111 to community pharmacy. Three further DMIRS pilots, supported by the Pharmacy Integration Fund, are due to be launched by early autumn 2018, in Devon, London (in a phased approach), and East Midlands. The areas will be adopting the same model used in the North East with some minor adaptations dependent on the local NHS 111 case mix. An evaluation will inform any next steps for the project.</p> answering member constituency Winchester answering member printed Steve Brine question first answered 12/06/2018 14:00:38 answering member 4067 label Biography information for Steve Brine
	tabling member	4639 label Biography information for Bim Afolami

917088

	registered interest
	date	04/06/2018
	answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
	answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
	hansard heading	Pharmacy: Scotland
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the merits of community pharmacist supplementary and independent prescribing clinics in Scotland for England.
	tabling member constituency	Hitchin and Harpenden
	tabling member printed	Bim Afolami
	uin	149707
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/06/2018 answer text <p>The Scottish Government will shortly be conducting a review of community pharmacy supplementary and independent prescribing clinics. The Department will consider carefully the findings of this review.</p><p> </p><p>In England, the Pharmacy Integration Fund is being used to support the employment of pharmacists, who are able to prescribe and access the full clinical record within integrated urgent care, general practice and care homes. These pharmacists are well placed to work alongside the wider medical team to optimise the use of medicines and improve clinical effectiveness.</p> answering member constituency Winchester answering member printed Steve Brine question first answered 12/06/2018 14:04:45 answering member 4067 label Biography information for Steve Brine
	tabling member	4639 label Biography information for Bim Afolami

917089

	registered interest
	date	04/06/2018
	answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
	answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
	hansard heading	Pharmacy: Health Services
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the merits of proposals to permit community pharmacists to identify and manage uncomplicated cases of hypertension as part of the forthcoming community pharmacy funding negotiations.
	tabling member constituency	Hitchin and Harpenden
	tabling member printed	Bim Afolami
	uin	149708
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/06/2018 answer text <p>Ministers recognise the value and skillset of community pharmacists and their teams with several programmes of work, supported by the Pharmacy Integration Fund, already investigating how we can better utilize their knowledge and expertise in a wide range of primary care settings. The Department is unable to comment on the specifics of the forthcoming negotiations. However any suggested amendments to services delivered under the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework, brought forward by the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee, will be discussed and considered carefully.</p> answering member constituency Winchester answering member printed Steve Brine question first answered 12/06/2018 14:01:56 answering member 4067 label Biography information for Steve Brine
	tabling member	4639 label Biography information for Bim Afolami

915032

	registered interest
	date	01/06/2018
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	Govia Thameslink Railway
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the reasons for the driver shortages on train services to Hitchin in the first week of the new Govia Thameslink timetable.
	tabling member constituency	Hitchin and Harpenden
	tabling member printed	Bim Afolami
	uin	149032
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/06/2018 answer text <p>The unacceptable level of service since the start of the new timetable is not due to Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) not having enough drivers. The significant delay in Network Rail agreeing the timetable has directly impacted on GTR’s ability to re-work train crew schedules and deliver driver training on new routes and on new trains and this has impacted on the delivery of the new timetable. To make space on the network for hundreds of extra services, the timing of all services had to be changed and all of these new journeys needed to be individually approved by Network Rail to ensure the national rail network runs safely and smoothly. Unfortunately, as a result of the sheer number of changes required, the process took longer than anticipated, approvals for service changes were delayed and some timetable requests were changed. This meant the operator had much less time to prepare than it needed – leading to a shortage of drivers trained on the right routes.</p><p> </p><p>We are assessing whether GTR met their contractual obligations in the planning and delivery of this timetable change, and whether these issues could have been reasonably foreseen and different action taken to prevent the high levels of disruption passengers are experiencing. The assessment will cover whether GTR had sufficient resources and skills to deliver the new timetable, if drivers could have been trained in a faster and more effective way, and examine the contingency and risk management arrangements in place. If it is found that GTR are materially in breach of their contractual obligations, we will take the appropriate enforcement action against them.</p><p> </p><p>Passengers on GTR are facing totally unsatisfactory levels of service and it is the Department’s number one priority to restore reliability to an acceptable level as soon as possible. We are in regular discussions with Network Rail and GTR and have reiterated this to them. The rail industry has collectively failed to deliver for passengers and has rightly issued a joint apology.</p><p> </p><p>When this new timetable is fully introduced it will deliver hundreds more services up and down the country as part of the biggest modernisation of the railway since Victorian times, following the huge growth we have seen in passenger numbers.</p> answering member constituency Orpington answering member printed Joseph Johnson grouped question UIN 149033 149034 question first answered 11/06/2018 16:33:29 answering member 4039 label Biography information for Lord Johnson of Marylebone
	tabling member	4639 label Biography information for Bim Afolami

915035

	registered interest
	date	01/06/2018
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	Govia Thameslink Railway
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the efficacy of the Govia Thameslink franchise in relation to the changes to the timetable on the rail network.
	tabling member constituency	Hitchin and Harpenden
	tabling member printed	Bim Afolami
	uin	149033
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/06/2018 answer text <p>The unacceptable level of service since the start of the new timetable is not due to Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) not having enough drivers. The significant delay in Network Rail agreeing the timetable has directly impacted on GTR’s ability to re-work train crew schedules and deliver driver training on new routes and on new trains and this has impacted on the delivery of the new timetable. To make space on the network for hundreds of extra services, the timing of all services had to be changed and all of these new journeys needed to be individually approved by Network Rail to ensure the national rail network runs safely and smoothly. Unfortunately, as a result of the sheer number of changes required, the process took longer than anticipated, approvals for service changes were delayed and some timetable requests were changed. This meant the operator had much less time to prepare than it needed – leading to a shortage of drivers trained on the right routes.</p><p> </p><p>We are assessing whether GTR met their contractual obligations in the planning and delivery of this timetable change, and whether these issues could have been reasonably foreseen and different action taken to prevent the high levels of disruption passengers are experiencing. The assessment will cover whether GTR had sufficient resources and skills to deliver the new timetable, if drivers could have been trained in a faster and more effective way, and examine the contingency and risk management arrangements in place. If it is found that GTR are materially in breach of their contractual obligations, we will take the appropriate enforcement action against them.</p><p> </p><p>Passengers on GTR are facing totally unsatisfactory levels of service and it is the Department’s number one priority to restore reliability to an acceptable level as soon as possible. We are in regular discussions with Network Rail and GTR and have reiterated this to them. The rail industry has collectively failed to deliver for passengers and has rightly issued a joint apology.</p><p> </p><p>When this new timetable is fully introduced it will deliver hundreds more services up and down the country as part of the biggest modernisation of the railway since Victorian times, following the huge growth we have seen in passenger numbers.</p> answering member constituency Orpington answering member printed Joseph Johnson grouped question UIN 149032 149034 question first answered 11/06/2018 16:33:29 answering member 4039 label Biography information for Lord Johnson of Marylebone
	tabling member	4639 label Biography information for Bim Afolami

915037

	registered interest
	date	01/06/2018
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	Railways: Timetables
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the introduction of the new Govia Thameslink timetable.
	tabling member constituency	Hitchin and Harpenden
	tabling member printed	Bim Afolami
	uin	149034
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/06/2018 answer text <p>The unacceptable level of service since the start of the new timetable is not due to Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) not having enough drivers. The significant delay in Network Rail agreeing the timetable has directly impacted on GTR’s ability to re-work train crew schedules and deliver driver training on new routes and on new trains and this has impacted on the delivery of the new timetable. To make space on the network for hundreds of extra services, the timing of all services had to be changed and all of these new journeys needed to be individually approved by Network Rail to ensure the national rail network runs safely and smoothly. Unfortunately, as a result of the sheer number of changes required, the process took longer than anticipated, approvals for service changes were delayed and some timetable requests were changed. This meant the operator had much less time to prepare than it needed – leading to a shortage of drivers trained on the right routes.</p><p> </p><p>We are assessing whether GTR met their contractual obligations in the planning and delivery of this timetable change, and whether these issues could have been reasonably foreseen and different action taken to prevent the high levels of disruption passengers are experiencing. The assessment will cover whether GTR had sufficient resources and skills to deliver the new timetable, if drivers could have been trained in a faster and more effective way, and examine the contingency and risk management arrangements in place. If it is found that GTR are materially in breach of their contractual obligations, we will take the appropriate enforcement action against them.</p><p> </p><p>Passengers on GTR are facing totally unsatisfactory levels of service and it is the Department’s number one priority to restore reliability to an acceptable level as soon as possible. We are in regular discussions with Network Rail and GTR and have reiterated this to them. The rail industry has collectively failed to deliver for passengers and has rightly issued a joint apology.</p><p> </p><p>When this new timetable is fully introduced it will deliver hundreds more services up and down the country as part of the biggest modernisation of the railway since Victorian times, following the huge growth we have seen in passenger numbers.</p> answering member constituency Orpington answering member printed Joseph Johnson grouped question UIN 149032 149033 question first answered 11/06/2018 16:33:29 answering member 4039 label Biography information for Lord Johnson of Marylebone
	tabling member	4639 label Biography information for Bim Afolami