Parliamentary questions w/e 31 March 2017
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- Published: Tuesday, 04 April 2017 07:53
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Steve McCabe continued his questioning on ministers, this time from the Department of Communities and Local Government. In the Lords Lord O'Shaughnessy, replied to a question on child oral health. Finally Jeremy Hunt issued a statement on the DDRB report. The Commons is now in recess until after Easter, the Lords will sit for a further week.
Steve McCabe MP Labour, Birmingham, Selly Oak asked the Department for Communities and Local Government, in a follow up to a previous question, for what reasons the Department does not know what penalty may be applied to local authorities for not carrying out their public health responsibilities.
Replying minister Marcus Jones MP said if a local authority fails to comply with its statutory duties, it is for the electorate to hold their local authority to account, either through the ballot box or through judicial review. The Local Government Ombudsman can investigate complaints of maladministration in local authorities, and recommend redress for individuals. It is not for central government to apply a specific penalty.
In the House of Lords, Lord Condon, crossbench peer and former Metropolitan Police Commissioner asked what action the Government was taking to prevent tooth decay in children under the age of five, in the light of the increase in tooth extractions in England in the last ten years.
Minister Lord O'Shaughnessy, replied that Iimproving the oral health of young children is a Public Health England priority. PHE’s Child Oral Health Improvement Programme Board provides national system leadership for the delivery of the shared ambition that every child grows up free of tooth decay as part of getting the best start in life.
The two key actions to prevent tooth decay are reducing sugar consumption and getting fluoride onto teeth which can be by means of fluoride toothpaste, fluoride varnish and water fluoridation. PHE has published a number of toolkits to support local authorities in improving child oral health.
In addition the Government’s Childhood Obesity Plan contained proposals for a broad, structured sugar reduction programme to remove sugar from the categories of food that contribute the most to children’s sugar intakes. The Government also announced the Soft Drinks Industry Levy last year, which will apply from April 2018. To support families to reduce their sugar intake, PHE’s Change4Life launched the Be Food Smart campaign in January 2017, which encourages families to download the app which reveals the amount of sugar, saturated fat and salt in food and drink.
Jeremy Hunt MP, Secretary of State for Health issed a statement on the DDRB report:
We welcome the 45th report of the DDRB. The Government is pleased to accept its recommendations for a 1 per cent increase for 2017/18 to:
- the national salary scales for salaried doctors and dentists. This will be in addition to incremental pay for those that are eligible;
- the maximum and minimum of the salary range for salaried general medical practitioners;
- pay, net of expenses, for independent contractor general medical and dental practitioners;
- the general medical practitioners trainers’ grant;
- the flexible pay premia included in the new junior doctors’ contract; and
- the value of the awards for consultants – Clinical Excellence Awards, Discretionary Points and Commitment Awards.
The Government also accepts the DDRB’s recommendations that the supplement payable to general practice specialty registrars should remain at 45 per cent of basic salary for those on the existing UK-wide contract and that the rate for general medical practitioner appraisers should remain at £500.
The Government accepts the recommendations to report to the DDRB on doctors and dentists taking early retirement and reasons for this. The Government notes the recommendation for giving further consideration to pay targeting by specialty and geography.
The Government also notes the DDRB’s observation that there is at present insufficient evidence about aspects of our workforce of salaried general medical practitioners.
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