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  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with representatives from Govia on its plan to reduce the number of revenue protection staff working on the London Midland line; what reasons he has been given by Govia for those reductions.

    Stephen Hammond

    Govia have made us aware of their staffing restructuring plans and the reasoning behind them. They have also provided assurances that these plans will not prevent them from fulfilling their obligations in meeting the requirements of the Franchise Agreement.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the existing contractual obligations to share ticket revenue with other train operating companies through the Operational Research Computerised Allocation of Tickets to Services system in the current franchise agreement between his Department and Govia for passenger rail services on the London Midland line.

    Stephen Hammond

    The Operational Research Computerised Allocation of Tickets to Services (ORCATS) is owned by Rail Settlement Plan Ltd, a company administered by the Association of Train Operating Companies and wholly-owned by the Train Operating Companies collectively. It is one of the means of allocating revenue. Under the Ticketing Settlement Agreement, ORCATS is the default allocation method used in respect of any ticket type and flow. However, it is not mandatory, and Train Operating Companies are free to agree a non-ORCATS allocation in respect of particular ticket types and/or flows if they think that the ORCATS model will not produce a fair estimate of true passenger behaviour.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will assess the potential effect on gateline staffing levels at (a) Birmingham New Street, (b) Coventry and (c) all stations on the London Midland line of London Midland’s proposals to reduce the number of revenue protection staff.

    Stephen Hammond

    Staffing levels and to which role staff are allocated are matters for the train operator, as long as they continue to deliver the services that meet the requirements of the Franchise Agreement.

  • Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Fuller on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the annual cost of maintaining existing pension provisions for firefighters (a) who have achieved 20 years of service and are within 10 years of normal retirement age and (b) who have achieved 20 years of service.

    Brandon Lewis

    No assessment has been made of the annual cost of maintaining existing pension provisions for firefighters who have achieved 20 years of service. However, the Government Actuary’s Department have previously approximated that, ignoring the effects of any tapered protection, to alter the transitional protections to only apply to firefighters who, as at 1 April 2012, were aged at least 40 and had 20 or more years pensionable service would increase the capital cost of the 1992 scheme protections by around £50 million.

    Any firefighter who is within 10 years of their current Normal Pension Age, as at 1 April 2012, will remain in their existing pension scheme irrespective of length of service. A greater proportion of firefighters are protected than for any other large public service workforce.

  • Ian Murray – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Ian Murray – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when he plans to publish the Government’s framework for action on corporate responsibility.

    Jenny Willott

    The intention to publish a framework for action on corporate responsibility was set out in the call for views on corporate responsibility (CR) which ran during 2013. The response to the call for views was published on 28 March 2014 and this notes that the voluntary, evolving and diverse nature of CR means success relies on a business led approach. We received 152 views from a wide range of stakeholders and, where relevant, these will inform future Government action.

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2014-06-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of sex education in schools for life in the 21st century.

    Lord Nash

    Sex and relationship education (SRE) is compulsory in maintained secondary schools, and academies are expected to provide SRE as part of a broad and balanced curriculum. When teaching SRE, all schools must have regard to the Secretary of State’s statutory guidance.

    Schools are encouraged to develop their SRE practice with the support of specialist organisations and expert professionals who are best placed to provide schools with up-to-date materials and advice on changing technologies that fit within the framework of our sex and relationship education guidance. ‘Sex and relationships education (SRE) for the 21st century’, recently published by the PSHE Association, the Sex Education Forum, and Brook addresses changes in technology and legislation since 2000.

    We believe that headteachers and their staff are best-placed to decide what resources, including help from outside organisations, are needed to support excellent teaching of SRE. We have recently extended the grant funding to the PSHE Association until 2015 and we have commissioned them to develop a set of exemplar case studies of high quality teaching on key issues in PSHE and SRE.

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2014-06-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the resources and support available to teachers to help equip students for adult life.

    Lord Nash

    The national curriculum is just one element in the education of every child that provides pupils with an introduction to the essential knowledge that they need to be educated citizens. It provides an outline of core knowledge around which teachers can develop exciting and stimulating lessons to promote the development of pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills as part of the wider school curriculum.

    Programmes of study for citizenship, which is statutory at key stages 3 and 4, include a clear focus on democracy, government and how laws are upheld and made. For the first time, they include a requirement for pupils to be taught to manage their money well and make sound financial decisions. Citizenship education helps to prepare pupils to play a full and active part in society. In addition, personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education is a non-statutory subject that equips pupils with the knowledge and skills to make safe and informed decisions and to prepare for adult life.

  • Lord Walton of Detchant – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Walton of Detchant – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Walton of Detchant on 2014-06-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the proposals for value-based assessments published by the National Institute for Healthand Care Excellence on 22 March 2014 on patients’ access to new cancer medicines.

    Earl Howe

    A consultation on the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) proposals for value assessment is ongoing and no decisions have yet been made about any potential changes to NICE’s methods of technology appraisal.

    The consultation will close on 20 June and we would encourage all those with an interest, including patients, clinicians, the National Health Service, industry, researchers and academic experts, to make their views known as part of this process.

  • Lord Walton of Detchant – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Walton of Detchant – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Walton of Detchant on 2014-06-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what effect the new proposals for value-based assessments published by the National Institute for Healthand Care Excellence on 22 March 2014 have had on the availability of treatments to patients with (1) those forms of cancer which are more frequent in older people, and (2) rare types of cancer.

    Earl Howe

    A consultation on the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) proposals for value assessment is ongoing and no decisions have yet been made about any potential changes to NICE’s methods of technology appraisal.

    The consultation will close on 20 June and we would encourage all those with an interest, including patients, clinicians, the National Health Service, industry, researchers and academic experts, to make their views known as part of this process.

  • Lord Walton of Detchant – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Walton of Detchant – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Walton of Detchant on 2014-06-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the uptake of innovative anti-coagulant medicines in the management of venous thromboembolism in the National Health Service.

    Earl Howe

    Decisions on the prescribing of medicines are a matter for clinicians in discussion with their patients.

    Dabigatran (Pradaxa), apixaban (Eliquis) and rivaroxaban (Xarelto) are recommended in National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) technology appraisal guidance for use in reducing the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE)after hip or knee replacement surgery. Rivaroxaban is also recommended as a treatment option for adults with deep vein thrombosis and in the prevention of recurrent deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. National Health Service commissioners are legally required by regulations to fund those treatments recommended by NICE in its technology appraisal guidance.

    NHS England has advised that it is working with the Health & Social Care Information Centre as part of the National VTE Prevention Programme to analyse the uptake of medicines in this area.

    The Health and Social Care Information Centre’s report on the Use of NICE appraised medicines in the NHS in England 2012, published on 21 January 2014, includes information on the usage of dabigatran etexilate, apixaban and rivaroxaban for prevention of venous thromboembolism after hip or knee replacement surgery in secondary care.

    The report showed an increase in mean usage over time during 2010-2012 and an increase in the total use of the drugs over time, which had accelerated in 2012. The report is available at:

    www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/PUB13413/use-nice-app-med-nhs-exp-stat-eng-12-rep.pdf