Category: Speeches

  • Nick Clegg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Nick Clegg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Clegg on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidelines have been issued to GP practices on the safe ratio of patients to doctors in GP practices.

    Alistair Burt

    NHS England is statutorily accountable for ensuring that patients have access to a general practitioner (GP) practice. In the event of a practice closure, NHS England will assess the need for a replacement provider before dispersing a list when a GP surgery closes. A decision to disperse a list will be made on the basis that there is capacity in neighbouring practices to absorb the additional patient numbers.

    To assess GP service provision in an area, NHS England works with the Care Quality Commission and local clinical commissioning groups. The Primary Care Outcomes Framework is published nationally and is derived from data submitted by individual practices on service levels and outcomes alongside national patient survey data on patient satisfaction. In terms of overall strategy, the provision of primary care will be part of the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) which is published in each local authority area and reported through the local Health & Well-being Board. The JSNA will identify any gaps and risks in the provision of primary care to the local population which, in turn, will then inform commissioning strategies for that area.

    There is no national guidance on the ratio of patients to doctors in GP practices. In recent years, the development of the wider primary care teams (with nurses, healthcare assistants, pharmacists and therapists) means that a focus on the ratio of patients to doctors has less meaning than in previous years. The national workforce survey allows NHS England to benchmark individual practices in terms of the staffing to patient ratio.

  • Alison McGovern – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Alison McGovern – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison McGovern on 2016-03-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the proportion of local authorities that will exercise their right to levy the two per cent social care tax precept; and what assessment he has made of whether the revenue so raised will be sufficient to cover the funding gap for adult social care.

    Alistair Burt

    It is the decision of local councils whether to raise the adult social care precept in order to pay for adult social care in their local area. The precept gives local areas who are best placed to respond to local needs and pressures the flexibility to be able to do so. There will be a statistical release showing the number of councils taking up the precept on 30 March 2016.

    Additionally, from April 2017 the Spending Review makes available social care funds for local government, rising to £1.5 billion by 2019-20, to be included in the Better Care Fund (BCF). We have deliberately distributed the improved BCF in such a way that those councils with low council tax bases will benefit most.

    Taken together, the new precept and additional BCF contribution mean local government has access to the funding it needs to increase social care spending in real terms by the end of the Parliament.

  • Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when a Wire Strike Protection system will be fitted to the Puma helicopter; and when (a) Initial Gate and (b) Final Gate approval was granted for that project.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The Helicopter Safety Enhancements Programme has been coordinating provision of Wire Strike Protection Systems (WSPS) across the UK military helicopter fleet. Initial Gate approval was granted in August 2012 and Final Gate approval was granted in March 2013. The Puma Mk2 WSPS entered service in June 2015; fleet embodiment of WSPS continues and is expected to be complete by the second quarter of 2017.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-05-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Answer of 9 May 2016 to Question 36437, if he will publish a list of cultural events and organisations located (a) north of Leeds and (b) elsewhere directly funded by his Department, outside of funding for the Arts Councils in (i) the last three years and (ii) the next three years.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Northern Powerhouse is a priority for Government, and through projects like The Great Exhibition of the North, we will look to showcase the innovation and imagination of the region, give a real boost to local tourism, and provide an important creative legacy. The information you have requested is published annually in the Department’s report and accounts. It lists all cultural events and organisations throughout the country that are directly funded by the Department. In the last three years we have provided direct funding to a number of institutions, including the Royal Armouries, Leeds (£24.3 million), while the National Railway Museum in York receives annual funding via the Science Museums Group* who have distributed approximately £128 Million to their eight bodies between 2012/13 and 2014/15. Elsewhere in England the Government funds a number of cultural organisations directly, including the Peoples Museum in Manchester (£484,760 between 2012/13 and 2013/15) and National Museums Liverpool (£63.5 million between 2012/13 and 2014/15).​In addition, a number of the Department’s Arm’s Length Bodies such as the BFI, Tate,​and Heritage Lottery Fund have financed a number of cultural events and projects throughout England. The next three years’ funding will be published in future reports and will include current projects such as the Great Exhibition of the North​, Hull City of Culture 2017​ and the Factory in Manchester​; where the Government has announced £78 million of funding.

  • Ian Lavery – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Ian Lavery – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lavery on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when his Department plans to publish the business case relating to the tender of the CSIIP contract within Defence Business Services; and if he will make a statement.

    Mark Lancaster

    The Ministry of Defence has no plans to publish the business case relating to the future arrangements for Defence Business Services (DBS). Details of the any proposals will be shared with staff and other key stakeholders once a final decision concerning the way forward for DBS is made.

  • Yasmin Qureshi – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Yasmin Qureshi – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Yasmin Qureshi on 2016-09-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to written statement WS154 of 15 September 2016, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the 1 per cent reduction for supported housing on providers of that housing.

    Gavin Barwell

    The Government is committed to protecting the most vulnerable through our welfare reforms. That is why we have exempted supported housing from the Local Housing Allowance cap until 2019/20, from which point we will bring in a new funding model which will ensure that the sector continues to be funded at current levels, taking into account the effect of Government policy on social sector rents. We will apply the rent reduction to supported housing, with the exception of domestic violence refuges, with rents in these properties decreasing by 1% a year for 3 years, up to and including 2019/20.

    Our social rent reduction policy was based on the need to put welfare spending on a sustainable footing whilst protecting the most vulnerable. It is right that supported housing providers make the efficiency savings we are asking of the whole social housing sector, and that’s why the 1% rent reduction will apply to the majority of them. In exceptional circumstances, supported housing providers (as for general needs social sector providers affected by the policy) who feel that compliance with the social rent reduction policy would result in serious financial difficulty or jeopardise their financial viability, can apply for an exemption from the requirement.

  • Hannah Bardell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Hannah Bardell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hannah Bardell on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her policy is on accepting asylum claims from (a) Syrian refugees who have reached the UK travelling through other EU member states without claiming asylum in one of those states and (b) such refugees who reside with family members who have a right to reside in the UK.

    James Brokenshire

    Asylum seekers should not travel through safe countries illegally and then choose where to claim asylum.

    If we have evidence that a Syrian asylum seeker is the responsibility of another European country we can and will seek to return them there under the Dublin Regulation. Similarly, if we have evidence that the person claiming asylum in the UK has already been granted international protection by another European country we will also seek to remove them to the country that granted protection. When making a decision on whether to remove refugees under the Dublin Regulation full consideration is given to the right to family and private life under Article 8 of the ECHR.

    The Dublin Regulation does contain family unity provisions which may result in the responsible State being that where an asylum seeker’s close family members are legally present. The asylum seeker would, however, in the first instance need to make an asylum application in the country that they are in, in order for the provision to be considered.

  • Nigel Dodds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Nigel Dodds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2015-12-16.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many times and in which locations the British Irish council has met since 2010.

    Mr Oliver Letwin

    Details of all Summits and Ministerial Meetings of the British-Irish Council since 2010 can be found at: http://www.britishirishcouncil.org/

    “

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what plans his Department has to ensure that a privatised Green Investment Bank would be able to maximise the deployment of equity and debt from the European Fund for Structural Investment and other EU sources.

    Anna Soubry

    There is no reason why the Green Investment Bank (GIB) could not invest alongside the EFSI whether GIB is in public or private hands, as it seeks to gather the range of financing necessary to sponsor projects.

  • John Mann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    John Mann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mann on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unaccompanied children from each country of embarkation arrived at UK airports without being eligible for entry clearance in 2015.

    James Brokenshire

    This information is not held centrally.

    The UK Government takes child safeguarding extremely seriously. All Border Force officers have received training in keeping children safe and all operational processes involving children comply with requirements as set out in the Children and Young Persons Act.