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  • Baroness Massey of Darwen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Massey of Darwen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Massey of Darwen on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether proposed changes to who can object to school admissions arrangements will have a disproportionate impact on parents from low income backgrounds.

    Lord Nash

    Our proposed changes are intended to ensure that the Adjudicator is able to focus on the concerns parents may have about the fairness of the admission arrangements of their local school. We do not want parents’ objections to be held up by the need to also consider objections referred by interest groups from outside the area.

    It will remain open for local authorities to object to the Adjudicator about schools’ admission arrangements as the champion of local parents. Preventing interest groups from submitting objections will not have a detrimental impact on lower income families.

    We will conduct a full public consultation in due course and will give careful consideration to all the views expressed in that consultation.

  • Baroness Northover – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Baroness Northover – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Northover on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Verma on 1 February (HL5238), what proportion of UK aid spending on water, sanitation and hygiene is targeted at the maintenance and upkeep of existing facilities.

    Baroness Verma

    Our WASH programmes take an integrated approach to both provision and maintenance of existing facilities, involving building national, local and community capacity and systems to ensure that services continue to function over time. In 2014, total UK bilateral ODA spending on water supply and sanitation was £181 million. UK aid expenditure is reported in Statistics on International Development report at table A6a which I have attached for your convenience.

    We do not collect data separately on the amount of funds allocated to installation of facilities and their subsequent maintenance. In most countries responsibility for financing operation and maintenance is passed to the community where services have been installed, after appropriate training has been provided.

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

    Lord Oates – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Oates on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the capacity of the Accident and Emergency department at Calderdale Royal Hospital to treat additional patients from the Huddersfield Royal Infirmary catchment area in the event that the proposed closure of the Accident and Emergency department at the Royal Infirmary goes ahead.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The reconfiguration of front line health services is a matter for the local National Health Service. Services should be tailored to meet the needs of the local population, and proposals for substantial service change must meet the four tests of reconfiguration which are: (i) support from GP commissioners; (ii) strengthened public and patient engagement; (iii) clarity on the clinical evidence base; and (iv) support for patient choice.

    All commissioners proposing reconfiguration must include an analysis of travelling times and distances in their Pre-Consultation Business Case.

    All service changes should be based on clear evidence that they will deliver better outcomes for patients. We expect the local NHS to undertake robust analysis of the impact of any proposed significant changes to services as part of the case for change.

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

    Lord Oates – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Oates on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of changes to the journey times for patients in the event that the Accident and Emergency department at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary is closed.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The reconfiguration of front line health services is a matter for the local National Health Service. Services should be tailored to meet the needs of the local population, and proposals for substantial service change must meet the four tests of reconfiguration which are: (i) support from GP commissioners; (ii) strengthened public and patient engagement; (iii) clarity on the clinical evidence base; and (iv) support for patient choice.

    All commissioners proposing reconfiguration must include an analysis of travelling times and distances in their Pre-Consultation Business Case.

    All service changes should be based on clear evidence that they will deliver better outcomes for patients. We expect the local NHS to undertake robust analysis of the impact of any proposed significant changes to services as part of the case for change.

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

    Lord Oates – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Oates on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on mortality rates arising from changes to journey times for patients if the proposed closure of Huddersfield Royal Infirmary’s Accident & Emergency department goes ahead.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The reconfiguration of front line health services is a matter for the local National Health Service. Services should be tailored to meet the needs of the local population, and proposals for substantial service change must meet the four tests of reconfiguration which are: (i) support from GP commissioners; (ii) strengthened public and patient engagement; (iii) clarity on the clinical evidence base; and (iv) support for patient choice.

    All commissioners proposing reconfiguration must include an analysis of travelling times and distances in their Pre-Consultation Business Case.

    All service changes should be based on clear evidence that they will deliver better outcomes for patients. We expect the local NHS to undertake robust analysis of the impact of any proposed significant changes to services as part of the case for change.

  • Baroness Randerson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Randerson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Randerson on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the collaborative commissioning arrangements for new hepatitis C medicines outlined in the report by NHS England Improving Value for Patients from Specialised Care, Commissioning Intentions 2016/2017 for Prescribed Specialist Services will include plans to ensure that the areas covered by Operational Delivery Networks and Clinical Commissioning Groups are coterminous.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    NHS England has been supporting Operational Delivery Networks (ODNs) to identify the clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) that are relevant to their geography.

    In many cases boundaries are co-terminous and this will assist in communications. Where this is not the case, this will mean that CCGs, ODNs, and NHS England commissioning hubs will work across a wider footprint to collaborate on relevant matters.

  • Baroness Randerson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Randerson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Randerson on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Lord Bates on 28 January (HL Deb, col 1408), when Cardiff Council last inspected Lynx House; whether a written report was produced; and whether asylum seekers were required to wear red wristbands at the time of that inspection.

    Lord Bates

    Cardiff Council Environmental Health officers conducted a routine check of food hygiene matters on 26th January 2016.

    Cardiff Council Housing Enforcement officers also inspected Lynx House premises on 2nd February 2016. We understand that a report will be produced and shared with both the accommodation provider and the Home Office in due course. Home Office can confirm that the requirement for asylum seekers accommodated in Lynx House to wear wristbands in order to access meals ended on 25 January.

  • Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of which national sporting events are listed for terrestrial broadcasting, and whether they plan to take steps to help expand that list to enable those who cannot afford or access cable or satellite television to view them.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    Our recently published Sports Strategy made clear that the Government doesn’t propose to reopen discussion on the Ofcom Code on Listed Events. It is for national governing bodies and other rights holders to strike the right balance between reaching a wide audience and generating revenue. However, we encourage as many national govering bodies and other rights holders as possible to sign up to the accessibility principle of the Sport and Recreation Alliance’s Voluntary Code of Conduct on the Broadcasting of Major Sporting Events.

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

    Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any future plans to make all secondary schools academies.

    Lord Nash

    The government’s ambition is for every school to have the opportunity to become an academy. Over 60 per cent of secondary schools have already become academies and we want to encourage more schools to do this. The Education and Adoption Bill, currently going through Parliament, will enable us to intervene more quickly to turn underperforming schools into academies.

  • Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have had any discussions with relevant bodies about National Museums Liverpool coming under the control of the combined authorities, and what assessment they have made, if any, of such a move.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    As part of the Liverpool City Region Devolution Agreement, the Department is engaging with Liverpool City Combined Authority and National Museums Liverpool to explore options around a sustainable and viable business model for National Museums Liverpool.