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  • Lord Aberdare – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Aberdare – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Aberdare on 2016-09-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the finding of the recent British Red Cross research report Are prehospital deaths from trauma and accidental injury preventable? that up to 59 per cent of pre-hospital deaths from injury could have been prevented with basic first aid, what steps they are taking to ensure that all young people have the opportunity to learn life-saving skills at school.

    Lord Nash

    We want to provide all young people with a curriculum that prepares them for success in adult life. High-quality personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) teaching has a vital role to play in this, helping young people understand the world around them, building resilience and helping them to make good choices and stay safe.

    The national ‎curriculum sets the expectation that pupils study PSHE education in maintained schools, and academies are encouraged to teach it as part of a broad and balanced curriculum.

    Schools and teachers should decide what to teach based on their pupils’ needs, and taking account of pupil and parent views, when planning health education as part of PSHE.

    Where schools decide to teach first aid they are free to draw on expert advice and resources for teaching, as provided by organisations such as the British Red Cross, when planning their curriculum.

  • Lord Aberdare – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Aberdare – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Aberdare on 2016-09-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the finding of the recent British Red Cross research report Are prehospital deaths from trauma and accidental injury preventable? that up to 59 per cent of pre-hospital deaths from injury could have been prevented with basic first aid, what they are doing to ensure that first aid education features within public health strategies.

    Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen

    The Government recognises that the timely application of first aid can help minimise the impact of injuries, as well as health conditions such as heart attacks and strokes, and contribute to avoiding preventable deaths.

    The NHS Choices website contains information for the public on first aid responses to various injuries and health incidents including burns, bleeding, choking, drowning, fractures, heart attacks, strokes and poisoning; the possible symptoms to note; how to respond to them; and how to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation. A copy of the relevant NHS Choices web page is attached.

    In addition, the Government is making available another £1 million to make public access defibrillators and coronary pulmonary resuscitation training more widely available in communities across England. This builds on last year’s funding of £1 million, which provided almost 700 more publicly accessible defibrillators in communities across England and increased the numbers of people trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

    The national Act Fast campaign also aims to raise awareness of the symptoms of stroke, teach people what to look out for in themselves and others, and encourage those who notice the symptoms to call 999. Since Act Fast launched in 2009, it is estimated that an additional 47,000 people reached hospital within the vital three-hour window and over 5,000 fewer people became disabled as a result of a stroke.

    Local authorities in England have the lead responsibility for identifying and meeting needs for local interventions to improve the health of their populations, including steps to reduce preventable deaths.

  • Lord Aberdare – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Aberdare – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Aberdare on 2016-09-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the finding of the recent British Red Cross research report Are prehospital deaths from trauma and accidental injury preventable? that up to 59 per cent of pre-hospital deaths from injury, many of them occurring on UK’s roads, could have been prevented with basic first aid, whether they are considering making attendance at a first aid course mandatory in order to acquire a driving licence in the UK.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    There are no plans to make attendance at a first aid course mandatory to acquire a driving licence. It would restrict people’s mobility and access to jobs and education that a driving licence often unlocks.

    Driver’s knowledge of first aid is already tested as part of the driver theory test and many professional drivers take first aid training. The Department is providing support for a not-for-profit training programme for drivers in administering first aid.

  • Lord Collins of Highbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Collins of Highbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Collins of Highbury on 2016-09-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much funding has been allocated from the Magna Carta fund for projects related to freedom of religion or belief.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    In 2016/17, the Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy is funding seven projects, with a total value of £670,037, that directly relate to strengthening freedom of religion or belief (FORB). This represents an 18% increase in funding from 2015/16, when the fund supported freedom of religion or belief projects worth £550,016. Freedom of religion or belief remains a core strand of the Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy. Many of the Fund’s other projects also indirectly support the creation of more tolerant societies, through strengthening representation of minority groups, supporting freedom of expression and promoting just and fair rules-based systems of government.

    The seven FORB projects this year promote positive FORB outcomes through different methods and strategies, from attempting to working with NGOs to lobby for the removal of laws which discriminate on religious grounds, to more upstream interventions which seek to change public opinion and promote a culture which is more accepting of religious diversity. A good example of a hybrid of these methods is a project this year working with teachers across the MENA region to develop a school curriculum that supports freedom of religion and belief. This project promotes a more progressive education curriculum, and ensures the next generation of students have a greater awareness of the important right to freedom of religion or belief.

  • Lord Empey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Empey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Empey on 2016-09-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have received proposals from the Northern Ireland Executive for the establishment of an Enterprise Zone in Northern Ireland, and if so, where such a zone would be located.

    Lord Young of Cookham

    The establishment of an enterprise zone in Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive.

    In the 2013 economic pact between the UK government and the Northern Ireland Executive, ‘Building a Prosperous and United Community’, we agreed to consider designating a range of sites within any Northern Ireland Enterprise Zone as designated areas for Enhanced Capital Allowances, should the Executive propose them.

    This year, we delivered the necessary legislation to provide for Enhanced Capital Allowances in the Executive’s pilot Coleraine Enterprise Zone.

  • Lord Empey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Empey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Empey on 2016-09-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they received their most recent communication from the Northern Ireland Executive concerning the establishment of an Enterprise Zone in Northern Ireland.

    Lord Young of Cookham

    The establishment of an enterprise zone in Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive.

    In the 2013 economic pact between the UK government and the Northern Ireland Executive, ‘Building a Prosperous and United Community’, we agreed to consider designating a range of sites within any Northern Ireland Enterprise Zone as designated areas for Enhanced Capital Allowances, should the Executive propose them.

    This year, we delivered the necessary legislation to provide for Enhanced Capital Allowances in the Executive’s pilot Coleraine Enterprise Zone.

  • Lord Mawhinney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Mawhinney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mawhinney on 2016-09-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many provider NHS trusts achieved an improvement in operating efficiency of four per cent or more without aggravating their debt position in the last financial year.

    Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen

    There is no nationally agreed metric for operating efficiency. However, an annual efficiency requirement is built into the tariff uplift calculation that is used by commissioners in their contract negotiation with providers. In 2015-16 this efficiency requirement was 3.5% over 2014-15. Therefore, we can assume that organisations are delivering this efficiency if they improve their financial position based on these efficiency adjusted prices.

    In February 2016, the Department published Lord Carter’s Operational productivity and performance in English NHS acute hospitals: Unwarranted variations report, a review of efficiency in hospitals which provided details of how operational savings can be achieved. A copy of the report is attached. This programme, along with ‎additional funding provided by the government, will help reduce deficits in this year and bring the sector back into financial balance in future years.

    The National Health Service will receive additional funding of £10 billion per year by the end of the current Spending Review period, with £3.8 billion provided in 2016-17 alone. From this £3.8 billion, we have created a £2.1 billion Sustainability and Transformation Fund that will help providers move to a sustainable financial footing.

    NHS Improvement’s 2016-17 quarter 1 performance report confirmed that things are improving in this year, with lower levels of deficit, fewer trusts reporting a deficit and savings on agency staff.

  • Lord Mawhinney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Lord Mawhinney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mawhinney on 2016-09-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they envisage any form of public consultation before they decide their negotiating position, once Article 50 has been invoked, on those relationships with Ireland that fall outside EU competence.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    The Department for Exiting the EU will be conducting the UK’s negotiations to leave the European Union in support of the Prime Minister. We will be working closely with Parliament, devolved administrations, and a wide range of other interested parties.

    Our relationship with Ireland is unique and we have already engaged extensively with Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The Prime Minister and the Taoiseach met in London on 26 July and the Secretary of State for Exiting the EU visited both Belfast and Dublin in early September to engage with government and business stakeholders.

    We look forward to working closely with the Irish Government and other key stakeholders as we develop our approach, and to make the most of the opportunities for both countries.

  • Biography information for Lord Mawhinney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Biography information for Lord Mawhinney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Lord Mawhinney on 2016-09-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what timeframe is envisaged by the ministerial use of the word shortly” when Parliament seeks to determine when a decision will be (1) taken

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The Government remains fully committed to delivering the important infrastructure projects it has set out, including delivering runway capacity on the timetable set out by Sir Howard Davies.

    In the coming weeks the Government will carefully consider all of the evidence and should be in a position to announce a preferred scheme in the autumn.

  • Lord Bruce of Bennachie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Bruce of Bennachie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bruce of Bennachie on 2016-09-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what specific support they provide to deaf children in developing countries.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    People with disabilities are the largest minority group globally. An estimated one billion people have a disability globally, 80% of whom live in developing countries. People with disabilities are often the poorest in their community and many face considerable levels of stigma, discrimination and persecution.

    DFID follows a ‘twin-track’ approach to disability inclusion. This means we aim to attach priority to disability in all our policies and programmes as well as supporting disability-targeted programmes.

    Over the last two years, DFID has strengthened our capacity to work on disability inclusion, including by appointing a director-level champion, employing three full-time staff to work solely on disability, and developing a group of Internal Disability Expert Advisers from across our organisation.

    DFID’s efforts to date have included:

    • Furnishing schools with equipment and training teachers so children with disabilities can get a quality education.
    • Providing grants to local Disabled People Organisations, allowing people with disabilities to come together and lobby governments on the issues which affect them.
    • Collecting data on disability so we can fully understand the scale of impact and how best to support those people it affects.

    For example, two projects in the UK’s flagship Girls Education Challenge are exclusively focused on addressing the issue that girls with disabilities are less likely to access education. Specific interventions include provision of assistive devices and scholastic materials for girls with hearing impairments and improvement of teacher skills to enable them to communicate in sign language, which has encouraged parents to enrol their children in schools.