Category: Speeches

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

    Lord Dholakia – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Dholakia on 2016-01-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what health and social support is in place upon their release for individuals who are diagnosed with blood-borne virus while in prison or a secure institution.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    NHS England, Public Health England (PHE) and the National Offender Management Service in their National Partnership Agreement have committed to support continuity of care for patients on transfer from custody to the community. This includes people diagnosed with blood-borne viruses (BBVs). The needs of such individuals will vary depending on the infection and whether they are receiving or need to receive treatment as well as the nature of the treatment itself.

    Ensuring patients leaving prison are registered with a general practitioner (GP) in the community is a key component of ensuring ongoing primary and specialist care. GPs are provided with a care summary record when the patient is discharged from prison. Patients are further supported by probation services, including Community Rehabilitation Companies who begin work ‘through the gate’ to support people leaving prisons in accessing accommodation, employment, welfare payments and education.

    PHE, the National Offender Management Service and NHS England published their Second National Partnership Agreement published in 2015. The scope of work described in the agreement includes “continuity of care through the prison gate into the community". A copy of the report has been attached.

  • Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 2016-02-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what national resources are available to track and apprehend gangs selling illegally imported puppies to buyers across the UK.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    We are aware that some unscrupulous individuals are illegally importing pet animals with the intention of selling them on arrival in the UK. The Government takes the issue seriously and we are committed to working with relevant agencies and other non-government organisations to tackle this illegal trade. National resources engaged in this work include the transport companies (or their agents) who ensure compliance with the pet travel scheme, staff at the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) who monitor and regulate the import of animals, and Local Authorities who enforce legislation where illegally imported pets are discovered. The APHA actively shares intelligence it gathers relating to abuse of the pet travel rules with Local Authorities and other EU Member States. This enables further investigation and follow up action to take place. Defra and the APHA have also provided practical support to multi-agency collaborative enforcement action. For example, in April last year, we assisted with the ageing of young puppies during ‘Operation Bloodhound’, which resulted in several penalty notices and cautions being issued.

    The illegal trade is ultimately driven by demand for cheap, pedigree puppies. The Government has published guidance to outline steps that prospective pet owners should take to avoid buying an illegally imported pet. The Government is currently consulting on a number of proposals to update the laws on the breeding and selling of dogs. The proposals include requiring anyone who breeds more than two litters of puppies a year to be licensed. An exemption from local authority licencing is proposed where a business is regulated by a body accredited by the UK Accreditation Service to certify, at a minimum, the legally-required welfare licence conditions. The consultation ends on 12 March.

    Defra recognises the problems that can arise from the on-line advertising of pets for sale. In recent years, the Department has been working closely with and supporting the Pet Advertising Advisory Group (PAAG) – which is a grouping of animal welfare charities, veterinary experts, animal keeping interests and the pet industry. Working with PAAG, we have been able to encourage six of the main on-line pet advertising sites to adopt minimum standards for adverts and to remove those that do not meet the standards. With PAAG’s help and the cooperation of six key on-line sites, over 130,000 inappropriate adverts for animals were removed over a 12-month period in 2014/15. We continue to work with PAAG to encourage more on-line sites to sign up to the minimum standards.

  • Henry Bellingham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Henry Bellingham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Henry Bellingham on 2016-03-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what expenses were claimed by the five most senior people at the Environment Agency during the last financial year.

    George Eustice

    The expenses claimed by the five most senior people at the Environment Agency in the last financial year can be found at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/environment-agency-executive-directors-and-board-members-expenses

    “

  • Rebecca Pow – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Rebecca Pow – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Pow on 2016-04-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to incorporate a strategy on encouraging (a) public green spaces, (b) front gardens and (c) other private green spaces into the National Pollinator Strategy.

    George Eustice

    Protecting our pollinators is a priority for this Government. They are an essential part of our environment and play a crucial role in food production.

    Our National Pollinator Strategy sets out comprehensive measures to support pollinators and identifies actions for everyone, be they land managers, councils, or window-box gardeners, to do their bit.

    The “Bees’ Needs” campaign (www.beesneeds.org.uk) is included in the Strategy and explains what action can be taken to provide food, shelter and nest sites for pollinators. It contains a series of information sheets providing practical advice to local authorities, businesses and gardeners about managing urban or industrial green spaces and gardens for bees and other pollinators.

  • Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-05-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the Active Movement programme implemented by Public Health Berkshire; and if she will roll that programme out to other parts of the country.

    Edward Timpson

    We want all pupils to be healthy and active and we welcome schemes such as Active Movement, which encourage pupils to participate more in physical activity. However, there are currently no plans to assess or roll out the Active Movement programme to all schools. This Government gives schools the freedom to choose how to use the primary PE and sport premium to improve their PE and sport provision. PE remains a compulsory subject at all four key stages in the national curriculum. The national curriculum sets out the expectation that pupils should be physically active for sustained periods of time.

    Through the primary PE and sport premium, the Government has provided over £450 million of ring-fenced funding to primary schools to improve PE and sport[1]. As announced in the 2016 Budget, revenue from the soft drinks industry levy will be used to double the primary PE and sport premium to £320 million a year from September 2017, enabling them to further improve the quality and breadth of PE and sport they offer.

    This is part of a wider government commitment to cut obesity rates; linking in to work across Whitehall, including DCMS’ recent Sports Strategy and DH’s forthcoming Childhood Obesity Strategy (expected to be launched in summer 2016).

    [1] Across the academic years 2013/14 to 2015/16.

  • Lord Faulkner of Worcester – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord Faulkner of Worcester – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Faulkner of Worcester on 2016-07-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the Premier League and the Football League about meeting disabled access guidelines at football grounds.

    Lord Ashton of Hyde

    Both the Minister for Disabled People and the Minister for Sport have had discussions and corresponded with both the Premier League and the Football League about improving accessibility at football stadia. The Minister for Sport is meeting the Premier League soon to discuss a range of topics including accessibility and progress with their work plan.

  • Imran Hussain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Imran Hussain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of the changes outlined in the Reforming Healthcare Education Funding consultation on the take-up of Graduate Entry Midwifery Pre-Registration Programme courses.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    We expect this reform to enable universities to provide up to 10,000 additional training places to study pre-registration nursing, midwifery and the allied health subjects.

    The Government response to the consultation acknowledged the risk that if funding was not available to prospective pre-registration postgraduate healthcare applicants, student numbers, and therefore workforce supply, could fall. As a transitional arrangement until a longer term solution can be found the Government set out it will, for the cohort starting in 2017/18 and for a capped number of students, provide a bursary for tuition and maintenance to meet the full costs of the course for postgraduate students, including those on midwifery programmes.

    There are currently near record numbers of nurses and midwives in post in the National Health Service in England. The latest available figures from June 2016 show a total headcount of 25,832 midwives in post.

    As at 31 March 2016 there were 6,350 midwives in training of which 471 are on the short 18 month course.

  • Liz McInnes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Liz McInnes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz McInnes on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he has considered referring the junior doctors’ contract dispute to ACAS.

    Ben Gummer

    My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State is not ruling out conciliation – however, we believe it is still possible to have meaningful talks. We have already sought independent views on contract reform – having asked the independent Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists Remuneration (DDRB) for recommendations which formed the basis of our offer, an offer which the British Medical Association have so far refused to talk about. Both the BMA and the Government gave evidence to the DDRB. We continue to urge the BMA to come back round the table, and there are no preconditions to any talks, though of course the Government reserves the right to make changes to contracts if no progress is made on the issues preventing a truly 7 day NHS. That was promised in the manifesto and endorsed by the British people at the last election.

    The DDRB made 23 recommendations and proposed that these should be the basis for national level negotiations between the BMA and NHS Employers, which the Government accepted. The DDRB’s report was published in July this year.

    The BMA has refused to accept these independent recommendations as the basis for negotiations. The Government continues to urge the BMA to return to talks and to work in partnership with NHS Employers to agree a new contract that works for junior doctors and patients.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons the Government has ended the (a) Mandatory Work Activity scheme and (b) Community Work Placements element of the Help to Work scheme.

    Priti Patel

    The economy and labour market have improved since the introduction of our employment programmes. Long-term unemployment has fallen by 35% since 2010 to 509,000, the lowest level in six years. The support we provide to claimants needs to reflect recent labour market changes and the needs of claimants. That is why there will be an increase in funding and new contracted provision to help people with disability and health conditions and the very long-term unemployed return to and remain in work.

    The Mandatory Work Activity and Community Work Placement contracts come to an end in March 2016. We always intended to review the contracts at this time. We will provide support to the long-term unemployed through a strengthened JobCentre Plus offer for those out of work for 12-24 months, and for anyone still unemployed after 2 years we will refer them to contracted provision for further support.

    This approach builds on our best evidence of what works to support claimants back into work, and gets a good deal for the taxpayer.

  • Lord Campbell-Savours – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Campbell-Savours – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Campbell-Savours on 2016-01-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have received evidence of VAT fraud in the London souvenir and gift trade, and if so, what action they have taken to combat it.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) receive a variety of data and intelligence from numerous sources. Everything from bulk data from third parties to information provided by individuals through the Tax and Customs Evasion Hotlines.

    Clamping down on those who try to cheat the system through evading taxes and over claiming benefits is a key priority for HMRC, and they are committed to ensuring the tax system operates fairly and efficiently. All the information HMRC receive is risk-assessed and a decision made on the most appropriate course of action.

    Data and intelligence received could include information relating to the London souvenir and gift trade. However, there is strict law of confidentiality covering all the work for which HMRC are responsible. The relevant law is Section 18 of the Commissioners for Revenue & Customs Act 2005, which strictly limits the circumstances under which they disclose information they hold and any action taken. This prohibits HMRC from giving specific details of any information received regarding any sector.