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  • Ian Austin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ian Austin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect the four per cent year-in-year efficiency savings requirement has had on (a) staffing levels, (b) patient care and (c) waiting times in NHS trusts.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    The 2010 Spending Review protected health funding in real terms. However, in order to continue to meet rising demands from an ageing population while improving services, NHS Leaders estimated that up to £20 billion of efficiency savings would be required over the four years from 2011-12 to 2014-15.

    The NHS is on track to deliver these efficiency savings, having reported around £15 billion of efficiencies in the first three years, all of which are being reinvested into frontline care and have enabled the NHS to continue to meet rapidly rising demands whilst improving the quality of care.

    There are now over 17,200 more professionally qualified clinical staff since May 2010 including:

    – over 9,000 more doctors;

    – over 3,300 more nurses, midwives and health visitors.

    In contrast, the number of central administrative staff has fallen by over 20,200.

    The NHS is experiencing high demand for many services from a growing, ageing population with complex health needs. Performance against quality measures remains high. We have put in place robust year-round operational resilience planning and performance management, backed by additional funding, to help the NHS continue to perform against the access standards.

  • Naomi Long – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Naomi Long – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Naomi Long on 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether it remains her policy that the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry chaired by Sir Anthony Hart is the most appropriate place where all allegations surrounding Kincora should be examined.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    It remains my view that the Inquiry chaired by Sir Anthony Hart is the best forum to consider the allegations surrounding Kincora.

  • Naomi Long – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Naomi Long – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Naomi Long on 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if she will include Kincora Boys’ Home in the independent inquiry into historical child sex abuse, established by the Home Office, in order to allow potential witnesses not to be constrained by the Official Secrets Act.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    It remains my view that the inquiry chaired by Sir Anthony Hart is the best forum to consider the allegations surrounding Kincora.

    As you may be aware the Attorney General for England and Wales has written to the Chairman of the Inquiry and provided an undertaking in the usual format about the admissibility and use of evidence given by a witness who co-operates with the Inquiry. This undertaking covers any offences arising under the Official Secrets Act.

  • Cathy Jamieson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Cathy Jamieson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cathy Jamieson on 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the accommodation of young people from Scotland in secure units in England.

    Andrew Selous

    The Youth Justice Board (YJB) are responsible for placing young people under 18 years of age in custody in England and Wales, and make every effort to place them as close to home as possible. The appropriate placement of young people into the secure estate is undertaken on a case-by-case basis and is based upon a combination of factors unique to each young person entering custody.

    According to the most recent snapshot of data held by the National Offenders Management Service (NOMS), taken in September 2014, there was one young person ordinarily resident in Scotland being accommodated in an under-18 Young Offender Institution in England and Wales. Information about where this young person was held cannot be disclosed as this could possibly result in the identification of the offender, which could lead to a potential breach of the Data Protection Act.

    In snapshots taken each September between 2010 and 2013, there were no young people ordinarily resident in Scotland being accommodated in under-18s Young Offender Institutions in England and Wales. There is no data held for Secure Children’s Homes and Secure Training Centres.

    There have been no recent discussions between the Secretary of State and the Scottish Government on the accommodation of young people from Scotland in the youth secure estate in England.

  • Cathy Jamieson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Cathy Jamieson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cathy Jamieson on 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people ordinarily resident in Scotland have been accommodated in secure units in England in each of the last five years.

    Andrew Selous

    The following table shows the number of male and female prisoners held in prisons or young offender institutions, who have a reported home address in Scotland in each September since 2010.

    Number of male and female prisoners who have a reported home address in Scotland, in each September since 2010.

    2010

    2011

    2012

    2013

    2014

    95

    108

    98

    112

    111

    Information on offenders is provided by them on reception in prison and recorded on a central IT system. Reported addresses can include a home address, an address to which offenders intend to return on discharge or the address of their next of kin. No address has been reported and no court information is available for around 3% of all offenders and therefore these figures are excluded from the answer.

    Note: secure units are defined here as prisons and young offender institutions in England and Wales. Information on individuals held in secure training centres, secure children’s homes and in secure mental health units are not included in this answer.

  • Cathy Jamieson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Cathy Jamieson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cathy Jamieson on 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in which secure units young people ordinarily resident in Scotland have been accommodated in each of the last five years.

    Andrew Selous

    The Youth Justice Board (YJB) are responsible for placing young people under 18 years of age in custody in England and Wales, and make every effort to place them as close to home as possible. The appropriate placement of young people into the secure estate is undertaken on a case-by-case basis and is based upon a combination of factors unique to each young person entering custody.

    According to the most recent snapshot of data held by the National Offenders Management Service (NOMS), taken in September 2014, there was one young person ordinarily resident in Scotland being accommodated in an under-18 Young Offender Institution in England and Wales. Information about where this young person was held cannot be disclosed as this could possibly result in the identification of the offender, which could lead to a potential breach of the Data Protection Act.

    In snapshots taken each September between 2010 and 2013, there were no young people ordinarily resident in Scotland being accommodated in under-18s Young Offender Institutions in England and Wales. There is no data held for Secure Children’s Homes and Secure Training Centres.

    There have been no recent discussions between the Secretary of State and the Scottish Government on the accommodation of young people from Scotland in the youth secure estate in England.

  • Robert Flello – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Robert Flello – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will commission work to compare the cost and success of hard shoulder running on smart motorways with the Siemens eHighway.

    Mr John Hayes

    The Highways Agency is not considering undertaking work to compare the cost and success of hard-shoulder running on smart motorways with the Siemens eHighway. Smart motorways provide primarily congestion management for all vehicles whereas the Siemens eHighway focuses on freight traffic and the associated environmental benefits in terms of Nitrous Oxide and Carbon Dioxide reduction. Whilst costs could be compared the two approaches have significantly different objectives and outcomes.

  • Robert Flello – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Robert Flello – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will commission trials of the Siemens eHighway in the UK similar to those conducted in California.

    Mr John Hayes

    The Highways Agency is currently investigating the feasibility of inductive wireless power transfer technology that meets the needs of all vehicles. This is in alignment with the work defined as part of the Innovation funding in the Roads Investment Strategy. There are currently no plans to trial other technologies.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what limits are in place in relation to noise from (a) aircraft and (b) motor vehicles.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Civil aircraft using UK airports are subject to international noise certification standards. These are set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and applied at the time of manufacture. In addition some airports may have restrictions in place to limit noise, which will be set out in their Noise Action Plans.

    The limit in place in relation to noise for modern passenger cars is 74 decibels. For motorcycles it is between 75 and 80 decibels depending on the size of the machine. For large buses and coaches the limit is between 78 and 80 decibels. For small buses and light goods vehicles it is between 76 and 77 decibels and for heavy goods vehicles the limit is between 77 and 80 decibels. These figures are all measured using a microphone fixed 7.5 metres from the line along which the vehicle is travelling.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what examples his Department holds of best practice in respect of work carried out to reduce traffic noise for residents living alongside main roads.

    Mr John Hayes

    Best practice measures that can be used to reduce road noise for residents living alongside the strategic road network are set out in the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges HD213/11. Low noise surfacing can be installed on new roads or when replacing existing worn out surfaces. Noise mitigation can be incorporated into the design of new roads by routeing away from properties where practicable and using cuttings and other land forms to act as noise barriers. Noise barriers, made from a wide variety of materials are also used to reduce road noise.