The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Efford on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many active medical practitioners are directly employed by Circle Holdings; how many of those practitioners provide musculoskeletal services in Greenwich; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Philip Dunne
The information requested is not centrally held.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-10-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the implications for its policies of the Extra Costs Commission, initiated by the disability charity Scope in July 2014.
Andrew Jones
The Government is committed to improving the rights of disabled people when accessing and using transport. Though Government cannot currently comment on the Law Commission’s proposals as it continues to scrutinise the report, we are implementing measures to improve the transport rights of disabled people. These include sections 165 and 167 of the Equality Act 2010, and a strengthening of Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Best Practice Guidance for local authorities, both of which are expected in 2017.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rehman Chishti on 2015-11-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Chief Executive of NHS England about perinatal mental health services; and what plans he has to improve such services.
Alistair Burt
My Rt. hon. Friend, the Secretary of State meets the Chief Executive of NHS England on a regular basis and discusses a wide range of issues, including improving access to mental health services.
The Government is committed to improving perinatal mental health services for women during pregnancy and the first postnatal year. In the March 2015 budget the Government announced £75 million over five years, £15 million per year, to support women with mental ill health in the perinatal period. NHS England is leading a work programme to ensure that this money is spent in the right way, at the right time and in the right places. This work is being carried out collaboratively with system partners, including the Department of Health and Public Health England, clinical experts and service users.
On the 10 November I met with representatives from NHS England and a small group of perinatal mental health experts to discuss improving perinatal mental health services.
Health Education England has a mandate commitment to ensure that trained specialist mental health staff are available to support mothers in every birthing unit by 2017. And a further mandate commitment requires Health Education England to work with the Royal Colleges to support perinatal mental health training being incorporated into the postgraduate training syllabus for doctors by 2017.
Over 600 perinatal mental health visitor champions have been trained who are supporting health visitors with the identification and management of anxiety, mild to moderate depression and other perinatal mental disorders and knowing when to refer on.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2015-12-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 30 November 2015 to Question 17695, how many studies have been completed under JSP507 in each year since 2005; what the title was of each such study; and if he will make a statement.
Mark Lancaster
This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate costs.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Poulter on 2016-01-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 14 December 2015 to Question 19268, what financial penalties and other mechanisms are available to ensure that all private rented sector landlords improve their properties to a minimum energy efficiency rating of E from April 2018.
Andrea Leadsom
The requirement on private rented sector landlords to improve their properties to a minimum energy efficiency rating of E from April 2018, subject to certain exemptions, will be enforced by individual local authorities. The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property)(England and Wales) Regulations 2015 empower local authorities to enforce the provisions, including the power to impose compliance and penalty notices. Authorities will be able fine landlords up to £5,000 per property if they fail to comply with a compliance notice relating to a breach.
Landlords who qualify for an exemption to meeting the minimum standard will be required to provide details to a centrally held register. Exemptions will be valid for a period of five years, after which time the landlord will once again need to try to improve the energy efficiency rating of the property. The register will be accessible to Local Authorities (and the general public) and will be audited by Local Authorities or DECC.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2016-02-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2016 to Question 23665, how many (a) Arabic speakers with an Operational level (C1) examination pass and (b) Mandarin/Cantonese speakers there were employed in his Department in each year since 2006.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
Records from the last five years show that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has 51 officers who have a current Operational Level (C1) Arabic pass and 44 officers with a C1 pass in Mandarin/ Cantonese. We only record current C1 passes, valid for five years after the date of the exam, and therefore do not have pre-2010 data.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the (a) policy and (b) other responsibilities are of each special adviser in his Department.
Justin Tomlinson
I refer the hon.Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my Rt.Hon. Friend Matthew Hancock, Question UIN 27946.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2016-03-22.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many applications for asylum from refugees in the Calais and Dunkirk camp they have accepted under the Dublin III Regulations.
Lord Keen of Elie
Whilst all asylum claims, including those accepted under Dublin III, are registered on the main immigration database the specifics of each case including the route of travel and possible stay in the camps in Calais and Dunkirk can only be ascertained by a manual check of the notes on the immigration database and a physical check of the paper file.
It will therefore not be possible to answer this question for reasons of disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-04-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he last had discussions with the Chief of the Defence Staff on the need to improve response times to complaints from serving officers; and what was agreed in that discussion.
Mark Lancaster
The Service Complaints Ombudsman’s annual report for 2015 was published on 25 April 2016. Whilst there are no recommendations in this year’s report, given the introduction of a reformed complaints system and a fundamentally new Ombudsman role, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is curently considering the report in detail to see what lessons there are for the complaints process or wider policies.
The aim of the reforms introduced on 1 January 2016 is to address long-standing concerns raised by the Service Complaints Commissioner that confidence in the system has been affected by complexity which has led to delay and by a lack of strong independent and effective oversight. Such a lack of confidence can in turn leave our personnel reluctant to raise issues and so have them resolved. The new process is streamlined, and Service personnel will now be able to approach the new Service Complaints Ombudsman if they are dissatisfied, which will make a real difference for individuals. The Ombudsman has significant new powers to hold the MOD to account for fair, effective and efficient complaints handllng. The Ombudsman comments in her report that she is hopeful that the new system will make a real impact on confidence levels. The MOD shares that view, and looks forward to the Ombudsman’s 2016 report for her assessment of whether the aims are being achieved.
It is important that all Service personnel know where to get information about how to make a service complaint, as well as about the role of the new Service Complaints Ombudsman and how to contact her. We will take further steps to communicate as widely as possible through appropriate channels the role of the new Ombudsman, particularly to junior personnel, which will supplement and support the visits undertaken and communication material produced by the Ombudsman.
Bullying, harassment and discrimination are not tolerated in the Armed Forces. Tackling such behaviour depends on our Service personnel having confidence that the complaints system will deal with their concerns appropriately and will treat them fairly. The Service Complaints Ombudsman will hold the MOD to account for how it handles complaints and how it treats its Service personnel under the complaints process. It is by raising complaints and approaching the Ombudsman if they are dissatisfied that complainants can ensure that the MOD is openly held to account. It is also through the Ombudsman’s recommendations that the MOD can identify where action needs to be taken to improve.
The finding by the Service Complaints Ombudsman that proportionately more women feel moved to make a Service complaint than their male colleagues is a concern. The Ombudsman goes on to commend the work that is being done by the Army in particular, where the issue is the most acute, to tackle this. The initiatives that she sets out in the report are continuing.
It is the responsibility of all those involved in the service complaints process to ensure complaints are handled effectively and efficiently. All complaints are to be dealt with promptly but fairly, regardless of the complainant’s rank or whether they are still serving. There have been no discussions with the Chief of the Defence Staff on the issues raised.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Edwards on 2016-06-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, with reference to the Answer of 8 March 2007 to Question 125573 and paragraph 1.21 of the National Audit Office’s report, HC360, 1995-96, what the reasons are for the difference in the figures given in those documents for the Government’s guarantee of the Mineworker’s Pension Scheme.
Andrea Leadsom
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Easington on 8 June 2016 to Question 38958:
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