Nick Thomas-Symonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many employment and support allowance claimants with (a) Parkinson's disease, (b) rheumatoid arthritis, (c) motor neurone disease, (d) multiple sclerosis and (e) cystic fibrosis have been (i) placed in the support group, (ii) placed in the work-related activity group and (iii) found fit for work since 2008; and if he will make a statement.
Nick Thomas-Symonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with which organisations and individuals (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have discussed the availability of repurposed off-patent drugs on the NHS since 12 February 2014.
Nick Thomas-Symonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the outcome was of the stakeholder roundtable discussion on off-patent drugs convened by his Department on 11 February 2015.
Nick Thomas-Symonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department has taken to act upon the outcomes of the stakeholder roundtable discussion it convened on 11 February 2015 on access to off-patent drugs.
Nick Thomas-Symonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress has been made in implementing non-legislative measures to provide routine access on the NHS to off-patent drugs that have been proven to be clinically effective for new indications.
Nick Thomas-Symonds: Next month, my hometown of Blaenavon in my constituency will host the UK UNESCO world heritage youth summit. Will the Leader of the House congratulate Blaenavon on that, and find time for a debate in this House on how best we can build on our use of all the wonderful world heritage sites across the UK?
Nick Thomas-Symonds: rose—
Nick Thomas-Symonds: I declare an interest as a proud member of the Unite union, and I draw attention to my relevant declaration in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests and I am a member of the trade union and Unite groups for Members of Parliament. A fundamental principle is at stake in this Bill, which is the ability of working people to combine in the trade union movement for their collective...
Nick Thomas-Symonds: My hon. Friend is right to say that the Government have failed to take into account the views and positions of the devolved parts of the United Kingdom—and that is not all that they have failed to take into account. Striking is not a first resort, it is a last resort, but unfortunately the Bill is based on that misconception. My father was on strike when I was born, in the steel strike of...
Nick Thomas-Symonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to raise awareness of support groups to people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Nick Thomas-Symonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to raise public awareness of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Nick Thomas-Symonds: Does the hon. Gentleman agree that the collecting of data at transplantation centres is very important and so is the sharing of it if we are to make progress? There should be greater emphasis on that, and it should be properly resourced.
Nick Thomas-Symonds: Next month Blaenavon world heritage site in my constituency will host the UNESCO world heritage youth summit. Will the Minister congratulate Blaenavon on that, and agree how important it is that we showcase our world heritage sites in Wales to the world?
Nick Thomas-Symonds: It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Roger. On the passing of the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2010, which, like the clause, had declaratory effect, the then shadow Chancellor, who is now the Chancellor of the Exchequer, said that it was “vacuous and irrelevant”. Is the Minister as surprised as I am about the Chancellor’s U-turn on declaratory legislation?
Nick Thomas-Symonds: On that point, the Chancellor of the Exchequer made much in the last Parliament of a distinction between those who are in work and those who are not. By this attack on those who are in work, does he not find himself on the wrong side of his own dividing line?
Nick Thomas-Symonds: I am sure that, like me, the Minister has read the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s report on the Budget proposals. It finds that, over the course of this Parliament, a single parent working full time on the national minimum wage will end up being worse off as a result of this Budget. Is what is being introduced really a national living wage?
Nick Thomas-Symonds: Can the Minister tell me what percentage of properties in the UK will benefit from these inheritance tax changes? What percentage of those properties are outside London and the south-east?
Nick Thomas-Symonds: Prior to coming to the House, I practised law in this area of law. It seems to me that clause 9 essentially seeks to increase the nil-rate band up to £1 million to include family homes. That is the stated aim. I know that the Minister is a fan of simplicity in the tax system, so I am puzzled as to why it takes an additional 400 lines in the Bill to do that, which in turn creates even greater...
Nick Thomas-Symonds: It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir David, and to appear opposite the Minister. We have crossed swords before, and I look forward to doing so again. I commend the hon. Member for Blackpool North and Cleveleys (Paul Maynard) on raising such an important issue: the chance to hold a dignified funeral in our society. I also commend the speakers who have contributed to this...
Nick Thomas-Symonds: Does the Attorney General accept that the continuing uncertainty as to whether the UK will remain a signatory to the ECHR is itself damaging? Given that the proposal for a British Bill of Rights has been around in the Conservative party for a considerable time, why cannot the Attorney General be certain and tell us whether the UK will remain a signatory to the ECHR or not?