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  • Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether his Department is providing support to former employees of City Link to find new employment.

    Matthew Hancock

    Job Centre Plus’ Rapid Response Service is available to any paid employee, at the discretion of the Jobcentre District, who has lost their job or had their contract terminated as a result of workforce management measures.

    This means that employees employed directly by City Link and those sub-contracted to them will be considered for Rapid Response Service support to help them move into new jobs. The service is delivered locally with partners and is tailored to the individual’s needs. It can include some or all of the following elements:

    o Information advice and guidance

    o Help with job searches including CV writing, interview skills, where to find jobs and how to apply for them

    o Help to identify transferable skills and skills gaps (linked to the local labour market)

    o Training to update skills, learn new ones and gain industry recognised certification that will improve employability

    o Help to overcome barriers to attending training or securing a job or self-employment such as child care costs, necessary tools, work clothes, travel costs etc.

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of recent changes to residency requirements for free access to the NHS on UK citizens working as missionaries overseas.

    Jane Ellison

    Entitlement to free National Health Service hospital treatment is based on ‘ordinary residence’ in the United Kingdom, which means, broadly, living here on a lawful and properly settled basis for the time being, whether of long or short duration. The Immigration Act 2014, Section 39, revises the ordinary residence test so that non-European Economic Area (EEA) migrants subject to immigration control cannot be considered ordinarily resident in the UK unless they also have the immigration status of indefinite leave to remain. It is expected that Section 39 will be commenced this spring. UK and EEA nationals, including those working as missionaries overseas, will not be affected by this revision.

  • Oliver Colvile – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Oliver Colvile – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Colvile on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to improve signalling on the railway between (a) Exeter and Plymouth and (b) Reading and Exeter; and what assessment he has made of the potential effect of improved signalling on those routes.

    Claire Perry

    Signal failures are one of the biggest causes of delays on the network. For that reason, Network Rail has an extensive programme underway to improve both the standard and reliability of signalling across the national network.

    The Western Route is gradually benefitting from transfer of signalling to a single control centre in Didcot, and this process will eventually encompass the entire route, including those stretches mentioned by my Hon Friend. This will allow a faster and better coordinated response to delays across the route.

    My Hon Friend will also be aware of the very large investment which is being made by Network Rail, Cornwall Council and others into the Totnes-Penzance resignalling scheme, which will radically improve the train flow and reliability. It will do this by allowing bidirectional running on the line, meaning that maintenance and disruption can be managed vastly more effectively.

    Further details of Network Rail’s plans can be found at the links below. These documents also provide information on the benefits of improved signalling:

    http://www.networkrail.co.uk/publications/strategic-business-plan-for cp5/

    http://www.networkrail.co.uk/publications/delivery-plans/control-period-5/cp5-delivery-plan/

  • Oliver Colvile – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Oliver Colvile – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Colvile on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people in Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport constituency have been diagnosed with chest infections in 2014.

    Jane Ellison

    There is no national system currently for collecting data relating to diagnoses of chest infections specifically. However, we are able to provide the latest data on patients admitted to hospital with two of the infections that are relevant, namely upper respiratory tract infections and lower respiratory tract infections. These are provided in the table below. The data do not include infections treated by general practitioner practices.

    In terms of information on chest infections in Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport, data collections systems do not exist to provide the requested data at constituency level.

    Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) for England. Inpatient Statistics 2012/13 for England.

    Summary code

    Primary diagnosis and description

    Finished consultant episodes

    J00-J06

    Acute upper respiratory infections

    138,673

    J20-J22

    Other acute lower respiratory infections

    192,271

    Source: Health and Social Care Information Centre. HES.

    Note:

    A “finished consultant episode” is an inpatient or day case episode where the patient has completed a period of care under a consultant and is either transferred to another consultant or discharged.

  • Oliver Colvile – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Oliver Colvile – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Colvile on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have been diagnosed with chest infections in 2014.

    Jane Ellison

    There is no national system currently for collecting data relating to diagnoses of chest infections specifically. However, we are able to provide the latest data on patients admitted to hospital with two of the infections that are relevant, namely upper respiratory tract infections and lower respiratory tract infections. These are provided in the table below. The data do not include infections treated by general practitioner practices.

    In terms of information on chest infections in Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport, data collections systems do not exist to provide the requested data at constituency level.

    Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) for England. Inpatient Statistics 2012/13 for England.

    Summary code

    Primary diagnosis and description

    Finished consultant episodes

    J00-J06

    Acute upper respiratory infections

    138,673

    J20-J22

    Other acute lower respiratory infections

    192,271

    Source: Health and Social Care Information Centre. HES.

    Note:

    A “finished consultant episode” is an inpatient or day case episode where the patient has completed a period of care under a consultant and is either transferred to another consultant or discharged.

  • Oliver Colvile – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Oliver Colvile – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Colvile on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to increase capacity on the railway between Exeter and Plymouth.

    Claire Perry

    Future rail proposals are being developed with local stakeholders the department and Network Rail, this group will be deliver a local plan for rail investment covering the next 10-20 years. The first step in this process is a meeting of interested parties which is being organised by the South West Peninsular Group, and is due to take place early February. This meeting will work through what is required to provide the South West with greater accessibility and to examine wider issues surrounding connectivity to and within the South West Peninsula.

  • Ann McKechin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Ann McKechin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann McKechin on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effects of fracking on rural communities; and if she will make a statement.

    Dan Rogerson

    Shale gas exploitation has the potential to benefit rural communities. It will create jobs in the industry and supply chain. Communities will also benefit locally from a share of the revenues and from additional business rates. The Department of Energy and Climate Change lead on the economic benefits of shale gas. Any potential impacts, including those on the local environment, are fully considered through the rigorous permitting and planning processes.

  • Miss Anne McIntosh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Miss Anne McIntosh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Miss Anne McIntosh on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Greek counterpart on elections in that country in January 2015; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Lidington

    Neither the Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) nor I have discussed the Greek elections with our counterparts in Greece. It is for the Greek people to decide on their government. We look forward to working with the Government of Greece after the elections and maintaining the excellent relations that we enjoy between our two countries, including in the context of our cooperation as members of NATO and the EU.

  • Mary Creagh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Mary Creagh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Creagh on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what budget was allocated by her Department to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in each financial year from 2009-10; and what budget is allocated to the ILO for 2015-16.

    Justine Greening

    Information on previous budget allocations is available at http://devtracker.dfid.gov.uk/. 2015-16 allocations remain subject to ministerial approval.

  • Mary Creagh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Mary Creagh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Creagh on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what budget was allocated by her Department to the Global Small and Medium Enterprise Financial Initiative in each financial year from 2009-10; and what budget is allocated to that organisation for 2015-16.

    Justine Greening

    Information on previous budget allocations is available at http://devtracker.dfid.gov.uk/. 2015-16 allocations remain subject to ministerial approval.