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101055

	registered interest
	date	27/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Small Businesses: Non-domestic Rates
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many small firms and shops have benefited from reductions in business rates in (a) England and (b) Crawley constituency.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	212013
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2014 answer text <p>We have introduced a £1 billion business rate support package for 2014-15 including:</p><p>– a 2% cap in the Retail Price Index increase in the small business rates multiplier;</p><p>– a retail discount of £1,000 for around 300,000 shops, pubs and restaurants with rateable values below £50,000;</p><p>– a 12 month extension of small business rate relief doubling, benefitting over half a million businesses;</p><p>– a 50 per cent discount for new occupants of long-term vacant shops, and;</p><p>– allowing ratepayers to pay bills over 12 instalments.</p><p> </p><p>The Department does not collect data on a constituency basis, but the Crawley constituency lies entirely within the Crawley Borough Council boundary. Table 1 (attached) shows, where available, the estimated number of properties that will benefit from each of the reliefs introduced or extended in 2014-15 within Crawley Borough Council, as well as the amount of relief awarded. Table 2 (attached) provides the same data, but for England as a whole.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 05/11/2014 17:34:35 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins attachment 1 file name 212013 Smith - Table 1 and 2.docx title Table 1 and 2 - Business Rates
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

101056

	registered interest
	date	27/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Help to Buy Scheme
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the take-up of the Help to Buy has been in (a) England and (b) Crawley constituency.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	212014
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>This Government is committed to supporting people’s aspirations to own their own home.</p><p> </p><p>Statistics for Help to Buy sales by constituency are published for Help to Buy: Equity Loan, but not for Help to Buy: Mortgage Guarantee and Help to Buy: NewBuy. These, together with statistics on the number of Help to Buy sales at local authority and postcode level are published on the Open Data Communities portal for Help to Buy: Mortgage Guarantee and Help to Buy: Equity Loan. This is available on the following link: <a href="http://opendatacommunities.org/def/concept/folders/themes/housing-market" target="_blank">http://opendatacommunities.org/def/concept/folders/themes/housing-market</a></p><p> </p><p>Statistics on Help to Buy: NewBuy sales at local authority level are published on the Department’s website, available on the following link: <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/collections/help-to-buy-equity-loan-and-newbuy-statistics" target="_blank">http://www.gov.uk/government/collections/help-to-buy-equity-loan-and-newbuy-statistics</a></p><p> </p><p>The number of Help to Buy: Equity Loan sales in the Crawley constituency (to 30 September 2014) is 49. The table below breaks down the total Help to Buy: Mortgage Guarantee, Help to Buy: Equity Loan and Help to Buy: NewBuy sales in England and the Crawley local authority area:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td><p>Mortgage Guarantee (to 30 June 2014)</p></td><td><p>Equity Loan (to 30 September 2014)</p></td><td><p>NewBuy (to 30 September 2014)</p></td><td><p><strong>TOTAL</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>England</p></td><td><p>15,091</p></td><td><p>33,911</p></td><td><p>5,518</p></td><td><p>54,520</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Crawley local authority</p></td><td><p>38</p></td><td><p>51</p></td><td><p>5</p></td><td><p>94</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br>Data at constituency level is only available for the Help to Buy: Equity Loan Scheme.</p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 03/11/2014 17:14:18 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

105961

	registered interest
	date	03/11/2014
	answering body	Department of Health
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health
	answering dept sort name	Health
	hansard heading	Bowel Cancer: Screening
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the results of pilots of flexible sigmoidoscopy screening for bowel cancer; and what plans he has for a nationwide rollout of such screening.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	212890
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/11/2014 answer text <p>A randomised controlled trial funded by Cancer Research UK, the Medical Research Council and National Health Service Research and Development took place in 14 United Kingdom and six Italian centres, and evaluated screening for bowel cancer using a single Bowel Scope Screening (flexible sigmoidoscopy) between 55 and 64 years of age, removing small polyps by Bowel Scope Screening and providing full colonoscopy for &quot;high risk&quot; polyps. The study concluded that Bowel Scope Screening is a safe and practical test and, when offered only once between ages 55 and 64 years, confers a substantial and long lasting benefit. The UK National Screening Committee reviewed the evidence, and in April 2011 concluded that screening for bowel cancer using Bowel Scope Screening meets the United Kingdom National Screening Committee criteria for a screening test. In England its implementation will be managed by National Health Service Cancer Screening Programmes.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As at 31 March 2014, 36.6% of Bowel Scope Screening centres in England were operational, exceeding the commitment of 30%<sup>1</sup>. As set out in the third annual report of <em>Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer</em> (December 2013), NHS England will work with Public Health England to help deliver the involvement of screening centres sufficient to meet the 60% commitment by March 2015 and to support preparatory steps in other screening centres to implement by the end of 2016.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As at the end of October 2014, 20,603 examinations had taken place. 919 people had gone on to have a colonoscopy with 20 cancers being detected. A further 365 people have had an advanced adenoma found and removed.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><p>[1] <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/latest-bowel-cancer-screening-technique-reaps-benefits" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/latest-bowel-cancer-screening-technique-reaps-benefits</a></p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Battersea answering member printed Jane Ellison question first answered 10/11/2014 17:54:15 answering member 3918 label Biography information for Jane Ellison
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

155900

	registered interest
	date	17/11/2014
	answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept id	16
	answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	hansard heading	British Indian Ocean Territory
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has received from hon. Members on the forthcoming KPMG study into resettlement of the Chagos Islands.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	214425
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/11/2014 answer text <p>Since work on the study began in January 2014, FCO Ministers and Parliamentarians, most notably the Chagos All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) as well as the hon. Gentleman, have continued to discuss its progress and timescales for the subsequent policy review by Ministers. We are aware of specific representations from my hon friend the Member for Islington North (Jeremy Corbyn), Chair of the Chagos APPG, who has written four times to FCO Ministers, including the Foreign Secretary, about the policy review of resettlement of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) and right of return of the former islanders (Chagossians). In addition, my honourable friend himself has tabled three Parliamentary Questions (PQs), and my hon friend the Member for Romford (Andrew Rosindell MP) has tabled one PQ on the resettlement feasibility study. The study is nearing completion and its draft final report will be circulated very shortly to allow for further consultation before it is finalised and published in the New Year.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 21/11/2014 14:14:53 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

155948

	registered interest
	date	17/11/2014
	answering body	Department of Health
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health
	answering dept sort name	Health
	hansard heading	Prescription Drugs
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to encourage flexibility in the licensing process for potential new treatments for rare conditions.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	214491
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/11/2014 answer text <p>Most new medicines for rare conditions are licensed by the European Commission.</p><p> </p><p>The European Union offers a range of incentives to encourage the development of these medicines in order to address unmet clinical need. These incentives include a period of 10 years market exclusivity, the provision of Protocol Assistance (scientific advice specifically tailored for orphan medicinal products) and fee reductions and waivers for regulatory procedures.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Through the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the United Kingdom takes an active role in the decision making process at the European Medicines Agency’s Committee on Orphan Medicinal Products, ensuring applications for Orphan Drug designation of potential drug candidates for rare diseases are appropriately recognised, encouraging companies to develop their products further and recommending use of existing flexibilities such as conditional authorisation, authorisation under exceptional circumstances and accelerated assessment. The UK is actively involved in the European Medicines Agency’s adaptive licensing pilot that is exploring further use of these flexibilities. The MHRA has an Innovation Office that can offer advice and assistance to developers of drugs for rare diseases, including on the use of flexibilities.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><p>In addition, in the UK, the Early Access to Medicines Scheme aims to give patients with life threatening or seriously debilitating conditions access to medicines that do not yet have a marketing authorisation when there is a clear unmet medical need.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We are also commissioning an external review of the pathways for the development, assessment, and adoption of innovative medicines and medical technology. This review will consider how to speed up access for NHS patients to cost-effective new diagnostics, medicines and devices.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Mid Norfolk answering member printed George Freeman question first answered 24/11/2014 17:23:13 answering member 4020 label Biography information for George Freeman
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

155953

	registered interest
	date	17/11/2014
	answering body	Department of Health
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health
	answering dept sort name	Health
	hansard heading	Drugs: Licensing
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will set targets and goals for speeding up the use of off-patent drugs outside their licensed indications, where evidence supports that use.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	214424
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/11/2014 answer text <p>We have no plans to set such targets or goals.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Off-patent drugs are those whose patent period has expired and they are widely used in the National Health Service now. Drugs can also be prescribed ‘off-label’ outside of their licensed indication(s) to individual patients where doctors consider it is clinically appropriate to do so. Prescribing decisions are rightly a matter for clinicians in discussion with their patients.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We are in the process of setting up a round-table discussion with key stakeholders, including NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to explore opportunities for supporting appropriate use of off-label drugs outside their licensed indications where the evidence supports this.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Mid Norfolk answering member printed George Freeman question first answered 24/11/2014 17:35:43 answering member 4020 label Biography information for George Freeman
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

155982

	registered interest
	date	17/11/2014
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Radicalism
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what projects her Department is sponsoring to tackle radicalisation leading to violent extremism in (a) Crawley and (b) nationally.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	214426
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/11/2014 answer text <p>The Home Office provides support to local authority for Prevent activity based on an assessment of risk, to ensure that they understand the threat of extremism and are equipped to deal with it effectively. We currently fund 30 priority areas, plus an additional 14 areas which receive Home Office support for Prevent initiatives, but do not have a funded Prevent co-ordinator as in priority areas. Crawley is one of the additional areas. <br><br>Since June 2011 the Home Office has funded over 180 Prevent local authority projects. These include activity on education, internet safety, and families – all projects now address the risk of travel to Syria and Iraq in different ways. £40 million has been allocated for Prevent spending in 2014/15.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Old Bexley and Sidcup answering member printed James Brokenshire question first answered 27/11/2014 16:45:02 answering member 1530 label Biography information for James Brokenshire
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

45022

	registered interest
	date	25/03/2014
	answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept id	63
	answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what (a) direct and (b) indirect bilateral funding arrangements his Department has with governmental or non-governmental projects and bodies in Argentina.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	193646
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/04/2014 answer text <p>The Department does not at present provide bilateral funding to Argentina.</p> answering member constituency Bexhill and Battle answering member printed Gregory Barker question first answered 01/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1389 label Biography information for Lord Barker of Battle
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

48108

	registered interest
	date	09/04/2014
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will establish an Aircraft Noise Ombudsman; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	196176
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><p>The Government is currently considering the recommendations made by the Airports Commission, including the recommendation to create an independent noise authority. The Government will respond to the Interim Report as soon as possible.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Scarborough and Whitby answering member printed Mr Robert Goodwill question first answered 28/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

57632

	registered interest
	date	04/06/2014
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Animal Experiments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what scientific purposes she has licensed procedures on animals that were likely to cause severe suffering since 2010; and what steps the Government is taking to reduce the number of animals experiencing severe suffering in scientific procedures.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	198600
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The information asked for is not held centrally and could only be obtained at <br>disproportionate cost.<br><br>The Government only authorises procedures on animals after rigorous checks. <br>Under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 there is a statutory <br>requirement for scrutiny by, in the first instance, the Animal Welfare Ethical <br>Review Body at the Establishment where the work will be performed, and then an <br>assessment is made by the Home Office Inspectorate. In addition, projects are <br>referred to the Animals in Science Committee for scrutiny where they propose <br>the use of non-human primates in severe protocols and other projects that ministers <br>consider require further consideration. <br><br>One of the key factors in the assessment of licence applications is the <br>harm-benefit analysis, which has been part of our assessment process since <br>1986. The parameters considered in this analysis are described in Appendix I of <br>the Operational Guidance to the 1986 Act. A harm-benefit analysis determines <br>whether the proposed harms to the animals are justified by the likely benefits to be <br>delivered from the project. Inspectors give advice on minimising harms during <br>their assessment of project licence applications. Licensees have a legal <br>responsibility to ensure that work is undertaken on animals in the least severe <br>manner possible whilst delivering their scientific objectives. This year we <br>are undertaking a review of the harm-benefit analysis process, with advice from <br>the Animals in Science Committee, to determine if there are further refinements <br>we can make to the process.<br><br>I am committed to working to reduce the number of animals used in scientific <br>procedures. The Coalition Commitment delivery plan &quot;Working to reduce the use <br>of animals in research&quot; was published in February 2014. In particular, the Home <br>Office Inspectorate is working with the Royal Society for the Prevention of <br>Cruelty to Animals on methods of refinement of the most severe models to avoid <br>or reduce animal suffering. This has included careful consideration of models <br>of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, seizures, rheumatoid arthritis <br>and sepsis. Inspectors are actively promulgating the recommendations from each <br>of these reports.<br><br>In addition, the Home Office has published advisory notes on recording and <br>reporting actual severity, as required by the transposed European Directive <br>from 2013. From data collected we will provide clarity on the burden of harm <br>and, over time, should give an indication of the effectiveness of refinement <br>methods, particularly for the most severe procedures.<br><br>It is imporant to note that procedures classified as severe represent only a <br>small percentage of total procedures.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Lewes answering member printed Norman Baker question first answered 10/06/2014 12:51:22 answering member 28 label Biography information for Norman Baker
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith