Category: Speeches

  • John Mann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    John Mann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mann on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing prefabricated new accommodation for service personnel.

    Mark Lancaster

    The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has assessed the merits of providing pre-fabricated or modular constructed Single Living Accommodation (SLA). The advantages include simplicity and consistency of design, quality of manufacture in a controlled environment, speed of on-site construction and certainty in manufacturing cost.

    The MOD has used modular construction extensively in respect of around 12,000 bed spaces in its Single Living Accommodation Modernisation (SLAM) Project. These have proved to be of good quality and durable.

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to adopt a target encouraging the reclassification of medicines from (a) prescription only medicine to pharmacy medicine status, (b) pharmacy medicine to general sales list medicine status and (c) prescription only medicine to general sales list medicine status; and if he will make a statement.

    George Freeman

    The Government is committed to the continued reclassification of medicines from prescription only to pharmacy classification and from pharmacy to general sales list classification when it is safe to do so and there is a clear benefit to public health. This is an important part of empowering patients to manage their own care. The Government’s medicines regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, is at the forefront of moves to reclassify medicines to non-prescription and is recognised as a leader in Europe in this regard.

    Over the years reclassification has been facilitated by improving the regulatory environment for manufacturers to achieve successful reclassification of their products. Amendments to legislation were introduced in 2002 to reduce the legislative burden for reclassification; new guidance was published in 2012 to streamline the process; and in 2015 a United Kingdom platform was set up to maximise stakeholder engagement with the aim of encouraging further reclassification of medicines.

    Patient safety remains the prime consideration in any decision to make a medicine available without prescription.

    We are unable to calculate the total difference in cost to the public purse following these medicine reclassifications.

    The attached tables contain the information for each of the last 25 years on medicines reclassified from prescription only medicine (POM) to Pharmacy (P) medicine and P medicine to general sales list (GSL) medicine. There are no examples of medicines which have been reclassified from POM to GSL. Where relevant, brand names have been included in brackets.

    The lists represent the first reclassification either from POM to P or P to GSL of the product and further extensions such as wider indications, additional pack sizes or higher strengths have not been included.

    Not all products listed are currently available, for various reasons, including both commercial and regulatory.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-05-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, with reference to the Answer of 18 April 2016 to Question 32639, how she ensures that those most in need benefit from the Energy Company Obligation and Warm Home Discount; and whether she plans to change how households in fuel poverty are identified.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Currently, the Warm Home Discount and the Affordable Warmth Group under the Energy Company Obligation are targeted at low income households, using means-tested benefits as the basis for eligibility.

    In April this year, Government consulted on plans to enable data sharing between government departments, specified public authorities and energy suppliers with the specific purpose of identifying and targeting assistance at fuel poor households. If successful, these proposals would allow DECC to use government-held data to identify more accurately low income households with high energy costs. This capability could then be used under a future Warm Home Discount.

    There will be a reformed domestic supplier obligation (Energy Company Obligation) from April 2017, which will run for 5 years. It will upgrade the energy efficiency of homes and tackle the root cause of fuel poverty. Government will be consulting shortly on proposals for the 2017/18 scheme, including how households in fuel poverty would be identified.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-07-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to recruit specialist staff to facilitate the re-opening of the Antelope Centre in Southampton; by what date he plans for those staff to be recruited; and if he will make a statement.

    Alistair Burt

    These are matters for the National Health Service. NHS Improvement advises that the majority of patients requiring Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) care during the period of closure of the PICU at Antelope House will receive this at the Huntercombe unit in Roehampton, London.

    The Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, which provides services at Antelope House, is working with partners to provide PICU bed capacity on another site for an interim period of eight months by redistributing staff from the PICU to the hospital’s other two wards. NHS Improvement further advises that the recruitment focus will be on addressing the root causes of staffing issues.

    The Antelope House team has begun talking to patients, carers and family members to make sure they are fully aware of decisions that affect them.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Kerry McCarthy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-09-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will provide an update on the mission-led business review.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    The mission-led business review is in progress. We are reviewing the evidence gathered through the call for evidence and regional events and working with the advisory panel in order to publish findings in due course.

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2015-11-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take, if any, to help Britain’s aerospace and defence industry in the light of Rolls-Royce’s fifth profit warning in 21 months.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The Government is working with Britain’s aerospace and defence industry through the Aerospace Growth Partnership and the Defence Growth Partnership to remove barriers to growth, boost exports and grow high value jobs.As part of this work we are supporting the industry’s investment in technology, competitiveness and productivity, and skills, to help ensure the UK remains one of the world’s leading aerospace and defence nations

    At the Spending Review, the Government protected and extended spending on the Aerospace Technology Institute.

  • Tania Mathias – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Tania Mathias – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tania Mathias on 2015-12-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support will be available for long-term planning for cycling in the period between the closure of the Local Sustainable Transport Fund in April 2016 and the publication of the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy in summer 2016.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Following the recent Spending Review confirmation of this Government’s commitment to cycling and walking by committing to investing over £300million to 2020, I am considering in more detail future sustainable transport programmes. This includes the new ‘access’ fund, which is anticipated to build on the legacy of the Local Sustainable Transport Fund. The Government is also currently developing the first Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy and will be engaging with interested parties as this work progresses. I plan to publish further details shortly.

    At the same time, the Local Growth Fund already includes many ongoing cycling and other sustainable transport initiatives.

    This Government also remains committed to the principles of localism. Local authorities are well placed to decide their local priorities in relation to sustainable transport initiatives. Government resources allocated to local authorities, such as the local integrated transport block, can be flexibly distributed accordingly.

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many officials of his Department and at which grades are classified speakers of foreign languages for each such language spoken.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    Records from the last 5 years (up to the end of 2015) show that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has 505 officers with an Operational level (C1) exam pass across 33 different languages. This figure comprises 94 Senior Management Staff officers and 411 officers from the delegated grades.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of children and young people entering care complete the strengths and difficulties questionnaire to assess their wellbeing in (a) England and (b) Birmingham.

    Edward Timpson

    This Government is committed to supporting children in care and the unique challenges that they often face. That is why we’ve put in place a comprehensive package of support, including the introduction of the Pupil Premium Plus and compulsory Virtual School Heads to champion the attainment of children in care. We’ve also changed the rules so foster children can remain at home until 21 and have recognised long-term fostering as a placement in its own right, providing young people with greater stability as they prepare for independence and adult life.

    The Department collects Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) scores for children looked-after for at least 12 months. The data returned by local authorities are based on questionnaires completed by the child’s main carer. SDQs should inform a looked-after child’s annual health assessment.

    In England, 72% of 5-16 year olds, looked after for at least 12 months, have had an SDQ score submitted. In Birmingham, 85% of these children have had an SDQ score submitted. These figures are correct as of 31 March 2015. More information can be found in the Department’s Statistical First Release Children Looked After by Local Authorities in England at 31 March 2015[1].

    The SDQ is an internationally validated screening tool that provides information about the behavioural and emotional health of children. It has been part of the Department’s statistical collection for looked-after children since 2008. Where the SDQ score from the main carer suggests there may be a problem, the statutory guidance Promoting the health and wellbeing of looked-after children[2], which is issued jointly by the Department for Education and Department for Health, makes clear that consideration should be given to further assessment.

    The Department recently supported the research undertaken by the Rees Centre at the University of Oxford on The Educational Progress of Looked-After Children in England: Linking Care and Education Data[3]. This research demonstrates that having a high SDQ score was strongly predictive of poor GCSE outcomes. We are discussing the implications of this research with local authority Virtual School Heads.

    [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2014-to-2015

    [2] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-the-health-and-wellbeing-of-looked-after-children–2

    [3] http://reescentre.education.ox.ac.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/EducationalProgressLookedAfterChildrenOverviewReport_Nov2015.pdf

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  • Ben Howlett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Ben Howlett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether she plans to discuss progress on the Bonfield review with (a) the Bath and North East Somerset Energy at Home scheme and (b) other organisations which have participated in the Green Deal Communities Programme.

    Andrea Leadsom

    DECC and DCLG have commissioned Dr Peter Bonfield to undertake an Independent Review into Consumer Advice, Protection, Enforcement and Standards. In taking forward the Review, Dr Bonfield has invited a wide number of stakeholders, including Local Authorities and other local organisations to feed into the development of the recommendations.

    I would encourage all interested parties who have not yet done so to take this opportunity, as the recommendations begin to be finalised.