Ministers and senior officials from the Department for Exiting the European Union continue to have regular engagement with the EU Member States, and each of the European Free Trade Association States.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4091", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Robin Walker"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Worcester"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Robin Walker"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-03-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-03-05T09:15:57.763Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "203"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Exiting the European Union "} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Exiting the European Union "} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-02-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Brexit"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many meetings have taken place between Government Ministers and their counterparts in other European Economic Area countries since the beginning of the process for the UK leaving the EU.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4465", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ronnie Cowan"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Inverclyde"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Ronnie Cowan"} ], "uin" : "128578"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/843830", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/843830/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Experienced senior hospital doctors and general practitioners who decide to become members of the NHS Pension Scheme (NHSPS) benefit from one of the best available defined benefit occupational pension schemes giving them a very good retirement income. Work done by the Government Actuary\u2019s Department has concluded that the NHSPS remains good value and the \u201cscheme pays\u201d facility offers an efficient mechanism for meeting any tax liabilities.1<\/sup><\/p> The annual and lifetime allowances are important fiscal measures to ensure income tax relief on pension contributions is fair and sustainable. In context of the 1995 final salary section of the NHS Pension Scheme, clinicians who use up the full £40,000 annual allowance would see their annual pension increase by around £2,500. Clinicians who reach the £1 million lifetime allowance limit can expect an annual pension of around £44,000 payable at age 60 and increasing with inflation, plus a tax free lump sum of £132,000. Pensions of this size provide substantial financial security in retirement.<\/p> <\/p> Note:<\/p> <\/p> 1<\/sup>This work considered the length of time a member subject to the annual allowance would need to receive pension in retirement to recover both their own contributions to the NHSPS and the annual allowance tax charge for the year in question. Although the exact period depends on a number of factors including level of pay, section of membership, age at retirement, amount of tax free cash selected at retirement and the means of paying the AA tax charge (scheme pays or in cash) in most cases the period is less than half the expected life expectancy in retirement.<\/p> <\/strong><\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4095", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Steve Barclay"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North East Cambridgeshire"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Stephen Barclay"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-02-27", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-02-27T17:34:11.487Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-02-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Doctors: Pensions"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of removing or reducing the NHS pension annual allowance or increasing its limits to improve the retention of experienced senior hospital doctors and GPs.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4465", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ronnie Cowan"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Inverclyde"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Ronnie Cowan"}
], "uin" : "128268"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/843844", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/843844/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Government is concerned about the impact of long term use of prescription opioids. The Department has commissioned Public Health England to undertake an evidence review to better understand the scope of the problem of prescribed drug dependence.<\/p> <\/p> The review will bring together the best available evidence on prevalence and prescribing; the nature and likely causes of dependence or discontinuation syndrome among some people who continue to take these medicines; and effective prevention and treatment responses for each condition they are prescribed for.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4067", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Steve Brine"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Winchester"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Steve Brine"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-02-27", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-02-27T16:52:06.757Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-02-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Prescription Drugs"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of people who overdose on prescription opioids.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4465", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ronnie Cowan"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Inverclyde"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Ronnie Cowan"}
], "uin" : "128090"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/843904", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/843904/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "