Category: Speeches

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many grants of what value were made by his Department for meningitis research programmes in each of the last five years.

    George Freeman

    Since 2011, the Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) has made the following awards through its research programmes and fellowship schemes for research relating to meningitis:

    – Impact of conjugate vaccination on population immunity to pneumococcal and meningococcal disease in England: immunosero-epidemiological analysis (£605,843; 2013-15); and

    – Improving the diagnosis of meningitis in adults in the United Kingdom (£415,242; 2013-16).

    In addition, the NIHR funds research relating to meningitis through:

    – the NIHR Clinical Research Network;

    – NIHR Biomedical Research Centres;

    – NIHR Clinical Research Facilities for Experimental Medicine; and

    – Health Protection Research Units.

    Since 2011, the Department’s Policy Research Programme has made the following award for research relating to meningitis:

    – Characterisation of meningococcal carriage isolates from UK MenCar4 study (£199,990; 2016-17).

  • David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2016-03-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of whether his target of implementing opt-out testing for blood-borne viruses in every adult prison in England by the end of financial year 2016-17 will be met.

    Ben Gummer

    The blood-borne virus (BBV) opt-out testing programme for people in prisons in England is a shared priority for Public Health England (PHE), NHS England and the National Offender Management Service. Programme implementation is overseen by a ‘tripartite’ Task-and-Finish Group which includes third sector and patient voice representation. The roll-out of the programme is informed by phased implementation and evaluation of ‘pathfinder prisons’ over three phases. Phase 1 began on 1 April 2014 and the formal evaluation was published on May 21 2015. Phase 2 pathfinder prisons began implementation from April 2015, with Phase 3 Pathfinders implementing from September 2015. BBV opt-out testing is not limited to only those prisons formally in the pathfinder programme.

    NHS England estimates that currently 60% of the adult prison estate in England are offering opt-out testing and are confident that the target of implementation in every adult prison in England will be achieved by the end of the financial year 2016-17.

  • – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by on 2016-04-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 21 April (HL Deb, col 762–4) on religiously motivated crime, whether they will provide details of which community groups the Home Secretary is engaging with in the community round tables”

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    In his speech on countering extremism in July 2015, the Prime Minister said that he wanted to hear directly from those in our society who are challenging extremism. The Community Engagement Forum is one of the ways we are doing this. The Forums provide a platform for a wide range of partners to share their experiences and learn from each other. Attendance at the Forums is fluid to ensure Ministers can hear from a wide range of partners from a variety of backgrounds.

    To date, the Community Engagement Forum has met on 13 October 2015, 19 November 2015 and 14 January 2016. A list of those that have attended is available in response to written parliamentary questions HL6419 and HC20784. Further community forums are planned for later this year. In addition, I myself have chaired round tables with different faith communities and leaders.

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of (a) salaries, (b) pension contributions and (c) indemnity costs and other associated costs of running a GP practice.

    Alistair Burt

    The Health and Social Care Information Centre publishes an annual report on general practitioner (GP) earnings and expenses. The most recent report was published in September 2015 and covered 2013/14.

    The report showed that the average income of a contractor GP working under a General Medical Services (GMS) contract, or a Personal Medical Services (PMS) contract in the United Kingdom in 2013/14 was £99,800. The average total expenses for GMS or PMS contractors in the UK in 2013/14 was £173,800.

    Source: GP Earnings and Expenses 2013/14, Health and Social Care Information Centre. Figures are rounded to the nearest £100.

  • Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what Ministerial oversight he plans to put in place of the implementation of the key findings and recommendations of the Citizens Advice Scotland Independent governance review, published on 27 July 2016.

    Margot James

    The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy takes its responsibility for managing public money seriously and was deeply concerned by the issues raised in the independent governance review. Citizens Advice Scotland has since committed to taking concrete steps to instil robust governance and financial controls.

    My Department has agreed to continue funding on the basis that these changes are made and will report to me regularly on progress.

    Citizens Advice Scotland provides a vital service to the people of Scotland, as well high-quality support to vulnerable consumers throughout Britain. My Department will keep working with the Scottish Government and the organisation to improve governance and help make sure this continues.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-10-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what (a) technical and (b) personnel support has been provided to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to investigate possible breaches of (i) targeting procedures, (ii) the rules of engagement and (iii) international humanitarian law on operations in Yemen in the last 12 months.

    Sir Michael Fallon

    It is important that all parties to the conflict in Yemen conduct thorough and conclusive investigations into all incidents where it is alleged that International Humanitarian Law (IHL) has been breached. We regularly raise the importance of compliance with IHL with the Saudi Arabian Government and other members of the military coalition.

    The UK has supported the development of the coalition Joint Incident Assessment Team (JIAT) and delivered two training sessions in Saudi Arabia on the process for investigating alleged IHL violations. We have not been directly involved in investigations undertaken by the JIAT.

  • Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans to publish the report of the Mental Health Taskforce commissioned by NHS England.

    Alistair Burt

    The report of the independent Mental Health Taskforce is due to be published by NHS England by the end of the calendar year.

  • Nicola Blackwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Nicola Blackwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicola Blackwood on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much of his Department’s funding allocated in the Spending Review 2015 will be for research and development expenditure up to 2020.

    Alistair Burt

    The Spending Review confirmed that the Government will invest more than £5 billion over the next five years in health research and development through the Department.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-01-08.

    To ask the Prime Minister, whether he plans that company ownership transparency in the UK’s Overseas Territories with financial centres be on the agenda for the forthcoming Anti-Corruption Summit.

    Mr David Cameron

    Transparency will be a vital part of the Anti-Corruption Summit we will host in London in May. We continue to lead the way on company transparency, and we continue to push this agenda with the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies, as well as our other international partners.

  • Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department and NHS England are taking to ensure that autism diagnosis waiting times for (a) children and (b) adults in Lincolnshire NHS Trust area meet NICE guidance.

    Alistair Burt

    NHS England advises that, from 1 April 2016, Lincolnshire West Clinical Commissioning Group will be commissioning an integrated diagnostic pathway for adults with autism spectrum disorder. Performance measures will include a target maximum 12-week waiting time, to ensure that National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines are met.

    A review of services for children is also planned as part of the Lincolnshire All Age Autism Strategy, which will include the development of a clearly defined integrated pathway for diagnostic assessment and post-diagnostic support for this age group.