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1521780

	registered interest
	date	13/10/2022
	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	NHS: Drugs
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many medicine by presentations included within the Voluntary Patient Access Scheme have had NHS List Price increase approved by their Department since 1 January 2020; and what was the average percentage increase for any such increases.
	tabling member constituency	Harlow
	tabling member printed	Robert Halfon
	uin	62789
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2022 answer text <p>Between 1 January 2020 and 14 October 2022, members of the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access have received approval for an increase to the National Health Service list price for 35 medicines, for 120 presentations. The majority of price increases have been concentrated in specific market segments particularly impacted by global cost increases in the active pharmaceutical ingredient.</p><p>Price increase requests are assessed in line with Scheme’s rules, which ensure companies cannot make excess profits by setting a return on sales target of 6% for standard price increase requests.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 03/11/2022 13:28:21 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon

1521782

	registered interest
	date	13/10/2022
	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	NHS: Drugs
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans her Department has to carry out an impact assessment on the effect of an increased voluntary scheme for branded medicine rate to a projected 23.7 per cent in 2023 upon the supply of medicines to the NHS.
	tabling member constituency	Harlow
	tabling member printed	Robert Halfon
	uin	62790
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/11/2022 answer text <p>The Department has no plans to carry out an impact assessment on the 2023 payment percentage. The Department’s standard practice is to set the payment percentage based on measured sales. The payment percentage projected for 2023 is in line with Department projections shared with industry when the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access (VPAS) was agreed.</p><p>We have seen no evidence that increased VPAS payments have or will impact on the supply of medicines to the National Health Service. Where payment rates may put pressure on the profitability of individual products, there are provisions in the scheme for companies to apply for a price increase.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 01/11/2022 12:16:12 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon

1521788

	registered interest
	date	13/10/2022
	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	NHS: Drugs
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason her Department included branded (a) generic and (b) biosimilar medicines that delivered savings to the NHS within the current voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing and access scheme.
	tabling member constituency	Harlow
	tabling member printed	Robert Halfon
	uin	62792
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/11/2022 answer text <p>Medicines which are required to be prescribed by brand name, including some branded generics and biosimilars, are not interchangeable. Therefore, competitive forces will not act in the same way as for generic medicines and price regulation is justified. The inclusion of these medicines in the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access was agreed with industry in 2019.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 01/11/2022 12:23:25 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon

1186318

	registered interest
	date	18/03/2020
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Food Banks: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions she has had with supermarket chains and suppliers on ensuring that the foodbanks can meet the increased demand as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
	tabling member constituency	Harlow
	tabling member printed	Robert Halfon
	uin	31483
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2020 answer text <p>Food banks are independent charitable organisations and, as such, are best placed to decide on the most appropriate arrangements for supporting people who use them. As both the Prime Minister and the Chancellor have made clear, the Government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID 19 and we have been clear in our intention that no one should be penalised for doing the right thing. These are rapidly developing circumstances, we continue to keep the situation under review and will keep Parliament updated accordingly.</p><p> </p><p>I also refer the honourable member to the response given by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in response to an oral question made on 19 March:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2020-03-19/debates/EBB8F3D7-F9F4-4C5C-B913-86FD27851B5D/VulnerablePeopleFoodSupplies" target="_blank">https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2020-03-19/debates/EBB8F3D7-F9F4-4C5C-B913-86FD27851B5D/VulnerablePeopleFoodSupplies</a>”</p><p /><p>[Additionally announcements were made at the Prime Minister’s daily briefings on 21 and 22 March in relation to food supply]</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 23/03/2020 18:29:01 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon

1340418

	registered interest
	date	28/06/2021
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Children: Disadvantaged
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	What recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education on support for vulnerable children.
	tabling member constituency	Harlow
	tabling member printed	Robert Halfon
	uin	901865
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/06/2021 answer text <p>The Secretary of State frequently meets with counterparts across Government to discuss a range of issues, including how we can support families and vulnerable children, so we can deliver on our clear manifesto commitment to reduce child poverty.</p><p>Just last week, we announced the extension of the Covid Local Support Grant to 30<sup>th</sup> September, with a further £160 million of support to be delivered across England and primarily targeted at vulnerable families with children.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 28/06/2021 15:35:01 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon

1357973

	registered interest
	date	23/09/2021
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Education: Equality
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to help ensure equal accessibility in education for children from all backgrounds.
	tabling member constituency	Harlow
	tabling member printed	Robert Halfon
	uin	53873
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/10/2021 answer text <p>Our ambition is for every child, no matter what challenges they face, to have access to a world-class education that sets them up for life.</p><p>The government places mandatory requirements on school admission authorities through the School Admissions Code. Its purpose is to ensure that all school places for maintained schools and academies are allocated and offered in an open and fair way. The School Admissions Code requires that admission arrangements do not unfairly disadvantage children from a particular social group. On 1 September 2021, the department introduced a new School Admissions Code which aims to improve the in-year admission of vulnerable children and help reduce to a minimum any time spent out of school.</p><p>Looked after and previously looked after children are among the most vulnerable in our society and so all schools are required to give highest priority in their admissions criteria to them. The School Admissions Code also gives admission authorities the freedom to choose to prioritise children eligible for the pupil premium or who have a social or medical need, according to their local circumstances.</p><p>Where a pupil is identified as having special educational needs, schools should take action to remove barriers to learning and put effective special educational provision in place. Schools also have a legal duty to produce an accessibility plan that sets out how, over time, they are going to increase access to the curriculum for disabled pupils, improve the physical environment of the school to increase access for disabled pupils, and make written information more accessible to disabled pupils by providing information in a range of different ways.</p><p>The department is investing £300 million in the 2021-22 financial year to support local authorities to deliver new places and improve existing provision for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities or who require alternative provision. It is for local authorities to determine how to best use this funding to address their local priorities, such as investment in accessibility to improve or broaden access to existing provision.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 21/10/2021 08:25:11 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon

1388598

	registered interest
	date	16/12/2021
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Free School Meals
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many pupils were in receipt of free school meals in the 12 months from June (a) 2011 and (b) 2021.
	tabling member constituency	Harlow
	tabling member printed	Robert Halfon
	uin	94335
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/01/2022 answer text <p>The department does not hold monthly pupil data of who is in receipt of free school meals. The answer provided is based off the annual School Census. In 2011, 1,246,435 children were eligible for free school meals, 16.8% of the school population. In 2021, 1,737,600 were eligible for free school meals, 20.8% of the school population.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 05/01/2022 18:00:19 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon

1403625

	registered interest
	date	17/01/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Pupil Exclusions: Autism
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to tackle the practice of informal exclusions of autistic children in educational settings.
	tabling member constituency	Harlow
	tabling member printed	Robert Halfon
	uin	105479
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/01/2022 answer text <p>By their very nature, informal exclusions of any child are unlawful. This is why we already make clear in the suspension and permanent exclusion guidance that ‘informal’ or ‘unofficial’ suspensions, such as sending pupils home ‘to cool off’, are unlawful, regardless of whether they occur with the agreement of parents or carers. Further information of this guidance can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-exclusion/changes-to-the-school-exclusion-process-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-exclusion/changes-to-the-school-exclusion-process-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak</a>.</p><p>Any suspension of a pupil, even for short periods of time, must be in line with the relevant legislation and recorded as a suspension. The department is also clear that off rolling is unacceptable in any form and continues to work with Ofsted to identify and tackle it. The forthcoming special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) Review will also set out proposals for improving support for children with SEND in mainstream, which will look to ensure they get the right support in the right place at the right time.</p><p>All schools are required to have a behaviour policy which must be lawful, proportionate and reasonable. An initial intervention to address underlying causes of disruptive behaviour should include an assessment of whether appropriate provision is in place to support any special educational needs, including autism, or disability that a pupil may have. The department will be setting this out clearly in the consultation on the revised ‘behaviour in schools’ guidance and the ‘suspension and permanent exclusion’ guidance which will be published shortly. These will equip headteachers to create calm, orderly, safe, and supportive school environments where all pupils can thrive and reach their potential in safety and dignity and where exclusions are only ever used lawfully, and when absolutely necessary as a last resort.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 105480 question first answered 24/01/2022 17:46:23 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon

1403626

	registered interest
	date	17/01/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Autism and Special Educational Needs
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to help ensure that the ongoing work in his Department on behaviour management reflects the needs of autistic children and children with special educational needs.
	tabling member constituency	Harlow
	tabling member printed	Robert Halfon
	uin	105480
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/01/2022 answer text <p>By their very nature, informal exclusions of any child are unlawful. This is why we already make clear in the suspension and permanent exclusion guidance that ‘informal’ or ‘unofficial’ suspensions, such as sending pupils home ‘to cool off’, are unlawful, regardless of whether they occur with the agreement of parents or carers. Further information of this guidance can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-exclusion/changes-to-the-school-exclusion-process-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-exclusion/changes-to-the-school-exclusion-process-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak</a>.</p><p>Any suspension of a pupil, even for short periods of time, must be in line with the relevant legislation and recorded as a suspension. The department is also clear that off rolling is unacceptable in any form and continues to work with Ofsted to identify and tackle it. The forthcoming special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) Review will also set out proposals for improving support for children with SEND in mainstream, which will look to ensure they get the right support in the right place at the right time.</p><p>All schools are required to have a behaviour policy which must be lawful, proportionate and reasonable. An initial intervention to address underlying causes of disruptive behaviour should include an assessment of whether appropriate provision is in place to support any special educational needs, including autism, or disability that a pupil may have. The department will be setting this out clearly in the consultation on the revised ‘behaviour in schools’ guidance and the ‘suspension and permanent exclusion’ guidance which will be published shortly. These will equip headteachers to create calm, orderly, safe, and supportive school environments where all pupils can thrive and reach their potential in safety and dignity and where exclusions are only ever used lawfully, and when absolutely necessary as a last resort.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 105479 question first answered 24/01/2022 17:46:23 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon

1403627

	registered interest
	date	17/01/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Education and Mental Health Services: Autism
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to support the (a) learning and (b) mental health of autistic children and young people.
	tabling member constituency	Harlow
	tabling member printed	Robert Halfon
	uin	105481
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/01/2022 answer text <p>The department wants every autistic young person to reach their potential and feel heard at every stage of their life. That is why, in its first year alone, the department is investing £74 million into our cross-government National Autism Strategy to promote a straightforward route to diagnosis, the correct support, increasing understanding and improving access to a quality education and social care.</p><p>£600,000 of this funding has gone toward the department’s contract with the Autism Education Trust (AET) for the 2021/22 financial year. The department has funded the AET since 2011 to deliver autism awareness training to education staff in early years, schools and further education colleges. It has so far reached more than 305,000 people across the country. This includes not only teachers and teaching assistants, but also support staff such as receptionists, dining hall staff and caretakers, encouraging a 'whole school' approach to supporting autistic pupils.</p><p>The mental health of all students, including autistic children and young people, is a priority for this department. During Mental Health Awareness week in May 2021, we announced more than £17 million to improve mental health and wellbeing support in schools and colleges.</p><p>This is in addition to the £79 million to boost children and young people’s mental health support we announced in March 2021. This includes increasing the number of Mental Health Support Teams in schools and colleges to cover approximately 35% of pupils in England by 2023.</p><p>In addition to our existing commitments, the department is also determined to ensure that the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system works more effectively for those children who need extra support, including autistic children. That is why we are completing the SEND Review, to improve outcomes and build a sustainable SEND system where there is clear accountability.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 24/01/2022 17:52:20 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon