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  • Sarah Teather – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Sarah Teather – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Teather on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will hold an inquiry into trends in the number of deaths of individuals detained in immigration detention.

    James Brokenshire

    Any death in immigration detention is a tragic event and each death is subject
    to independent investigation, as appropriate, by the police, the Coroner and
    the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman.

    Any recommendations made by the investigating authorities are thoroughly
    examined to see how they can be used to help prevent further tragedies across
    the detention estate and action plans are drawn up to monitor their
    implementation.

    For example, firm written reminders were issued to all suppliers on the
    requirements of the current Detention Services Order on use of handcuffs, which
    was followed up by a workshop on their appropriate use and the importance of
    proper risk assessments. Recommendations relevant to medical care for detainees
    have been shared with NHS England to inform their commissioning of healthcare
    services from 1 September 2014.

  • John Healey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    John Healey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Healey on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential effects of removing dedicated funding for local welfare assistance; and if he will review the current local welfare assistance arrangements introduced in 2013 before any such change is made.

    Steve Webb

    In the next spending round period, from April 2015, central government will continue to provide support to local authorities through general funds, as part of the coalition Government’s commitment to reducing ring-fencing and ending top-down Whitehall control.

    It was always the intention that 2014-15 would be the last year of separate funding for local welfare provision from the Department for Work and Pensions. Councils will continue to provide support to those in their community who face financial difficulties or who find themselves in unavoidable circumstances.

    In contrast to a centralised grant system that was poorly targeted, councils can now choose how to best support local welfare needs within their areas. As this is an administrative change only no assessment has been made of the effects. However we are carrying out a review of the current arrangements, working with the Local Government Association and the Department for Communities and Local Government. Once completed it is our intention to place a copy of the findings in the House Library.

  • David Amess – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    David Amess – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent assessment he has made of the operation of (a) section 1 and (b) section 2 of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000; what recent representations he has received on the operation of this Act; and what responses he gave to such representations.

    Gregory Barker

    The Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000 has been amended through the Energy Act 2013. In line with the provisions of the amended Act, the Government will lay draft Regulations in Parliament setting out a new fuel poverty objective for England. Once the new objective has been made in Regulations, we will publish a strategy for meeting that objective.

    Both my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change and I receive representations and meet with stakeholders regularly to discuss a range of issues relating to fuel poverty. For example, we attend meetings of the Fuel Poverty Advisory Group when possible, most recently in April 2014.

  • David Amess – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    David Amess – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent discussions (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department have had with their counterparts in HM Treasury on the operation of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000; and if he will make a statement.

    Gregory Barker

    My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, ministers and officials have regular contact with counterparts from other Government Departments, including HM Treasury, on a range of issues, including fuel poverty.

  • David Amess – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    David Amess – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many human embryos have been (a) created for the purposes of experimentation and (b) created for the purposes of extermination and subsequently destroyed in each year since 1991.

    Jane Ellison

    The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has advised that it does not have a central repository of data on the number of embryos experimented on, nor the number of embryos created for research. However, it does hold data on the number of embryos stored for research, and the total number from 1 August 1991 to 30 June 2012 is 6,149.

    Embryos used in a research project must be allowed to perish as it is unlawful to use them in treatment services.

  • David Amess – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    David Amess – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which Directorate in his Department produced guidance on the provision of non-judgemental counselling; which Directorate has policy responsibility for implementation of this guidance; and if he will make a statement.

    Jane Ellison

    Departmental officials have made a number of visits and have had informal discussions with a number of counselling providers which included pro-life and pro-choice organisations; these are listed below.

    Organisations visited or with which contact was made:

    – Brook Advisory Centre, Brixton

    – British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), Richmond

    – Care Confidential, Alternatives Trust, Newham

    – City Pregnancy Counselling and Psychotherapy Service, Islington

    – Homerton NHS Trust, Hackney

    – Hull Sexual and Reproductive Health Care Partnership

    – Life Care Centre, Walsall

    – Marie Stopes International, Brixton and Bristol

    – Norwich Contraception and Sexual Health Clinic

    – Plymouth Community Healthcare

    The Government produced guidance on the provision of non-judgemental abortion counselling in A Framework for Sexual Health Improvement in England (March 2013). The Framework was produced by the sexual health policy team in the Public Health Directorate.

    The Sexual Health Policy team is made up of the following staff at each grade:

    1 Senior Civil Servant (who also manages policy areas other than sexual health)

    1 Grade 6

    2 Grade 7

    1 Senior Executive Officer

    1 Higher Executive Officer (.7 whole time equivalent)

    1 Executive Officer

  • David Amess – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    David Amess – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what (a) formal and (b) informal discussions officials had with (i) pro-life organisations, (ii) the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, (iii) Marie Stopes International and (iv) pro-choice organisations before the publication of guidance on the provision of non-judgemental counselling; and if he will make a statement.

    Jane Ellison

    Departmental officials have made a number of visits and have had informal discussions with a number of counselling providers which included pro-life and pro-choice organisations; these are listed below.

    Organisations visited or with which contact was made:

    – Brook Advisory Centre, Brixton

    – British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), Richmond

    – Care Confidential, Alternatives Trust, Newham

    – City Pregnancy Counselling and Psychotherapy Service, Islington

    – Homerton NHS Trust, Hackney

    – Hull Sexual and Reproductive Health Care Partnership

    – Life Care Centre, Walsall

    – Marie Stopes International, Brixton and Bristol

    – Norwich Contraception and Sexual Health Clinic

    – Plymouth Community Healthcare

    The Government produced guidance on the provision of non-judgemental abortion counselling in A Framework for Sexual Health Improvement in England (March 2013). The Framework was produced by the sexual health policy team in the Public Health Directorate.

    The Sexual Health Policy team is made up of the following staff at each grade:

    1 Senior Civil Servant (who also manages policy areas other than sexual health)

    1 Grade 6

    2 Grade 7

    1 Senior Executive Officer

    1 Higher Executive Officer (.7 whole time equivalent)

    1 Executive Officer

  • David Amess – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    David Amess – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how he plans to mark the 70th anniversary of Raoul Wallenberg’s arrival in Hungary; what recent discussions he has had with the government of (a) Sweden and (b) Hungary on this anniversary; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Lidington

    The Government is committed to ensuring that the UK continues to play a leading international role in Holocaust education, remembrance and research. This includes recalling and paying tribute to the bravery, and often sacrifices, of individuals such as Raoul Wallenberg – which includes a monument of him outside our Embassy in Budapest. There are no current plans to mark the anniversary of his arrival in Budapest, nor have there been specific discussions with the Swedish or Hungarian governments on the anniversary. However, we remain committed including in our role as current chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, to working with the Hungarian government to help them strengthen international co-operation to ensure that the lessons of the Holocaust are never forgotten. Hungary is currently observing a Holocaust Memorial Year, concluding a programme of remembrance which began in 2012 with a commemoration of Raoul Wallenberg.

  • David Amess – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    David Amess – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) males and (b) females of what age group and in which police force area found guilty of an offence under section 14(3) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 opted to attend a driving safety course paid for by the offender that includes instruction on the benefits of wearing seat belts in lieu of a fine in the last 12 months for which information is available.

    Jeremy Wright

    The Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database holds information on defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced for criminal offences in England and Wales. However, not all offences are individually reported within the centrally held data. Data for offences under Section 14 (3) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 are reported as part of a miscellaneous group of offences, and it is not possible to separately identify prosecutions for these specific offences from other offences under the Act. Nor does centrally held data indicate the number of offenders who opted to attend a driving safety course. This information may be held by the individual courts in England and Wales and as such it can only be obtained at disproportionate cost

  • David Amess – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    David Amess – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been (a) prosecuted for and (b) convicted of failure to return a completed abortion notification form in each of the last five years.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database holds information on defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced for criminal offences in England and Wales. However, not all offences are individually reported within the centrally held data. It is not possible to separately identify from this centrally held information convictions resulting from failure to return a completed abortion notification form. This information may be held by the individual courts in England and Wales and as such it can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.