Category: Speeches

Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-04-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much has been allocated to the community pharmacy contractual framework in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt

Since the community pharmacy contractual framework was introduced in 2005, the usual practice has been to set one year funding settlements for community pharmacy. As previously announced, the funding for community pharmacy for 2016/17 is £2.63 billion. Discussions are being held with the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee, which represents pharmacy owners.

We cannot comment further on future funding at this time.

01/01/2023
Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne Main on 2016-05-23.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether it is his Department’s policy to provide additional funding to local authorities for providing public services for nationals of other EU member states who remain in the UK for less than one year; and if he will make a statement.

Harriett Baldwin

‘Additional funding’ has been interpreted to mean welfare expenditure. There is no policy of additional welfare expenditure for nationals of other EU member states who remain in the UK for less than one year.

If the UK votes to remain in the EU, the Prime Minister’s February deal will take effect. Included in the deal is the ‘Emergency Brake’, a mechanism to exclude recently-arrived EEA workers from access to full UK in-work benefits for 4 years. Initially the Brake will involve complete exclusion for in work benefits. The deal also confirmed that in future the UK will not have to pay any means-tested unemployment benefits to EU nationals who come to the UK as job seekers.

01/01/2023
Helen Hayes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2016-07-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much Public Health England plans to spend on HIV prevention in 2016-17; and what interventions will be provided with that budget.

Nicola Blackwood

In 2016/17, Public Health England’s (PHE) allocation for the national HIV Prevention and Sexual Health Promotion programme is £2.5 million and these monies will be invested in five different workstreams.

A total of £1.2 million has been allocated to the national HIV prevention programme for most at-risk populations (MARPs) which will deliver, on behalf of PHE, a range of activities in system leadership, social marketing, amplification of local HIV prevention and monitoring and evaluation that aim to reduce HIV incidence in MARPs. This contract has been re-tendered and retained by HIV Prevention England, a consortium led by Terrence Higgins Trust.

A total of £0.6 million has been allocated for the 2016/17 HIV Prevention Innovation fund which will support voluntary sector organisations, supported by their local authority, to deliver local projects that offer new and innovative ways of delivering HIV prevention in groups at high risk of HIV.

A total of £0.2 million has been allocated as PHE’s contribution to the national HIV self-sampling service jointly commissioned with over 80 local authorities.

A total of £0.25 million for the Sexual Health and Reproductive Health Information contract was re-tendered and successfully retained by FPA (formerly Family Planning Association) who will deliver, on behalf of PHE, a range of information products to enable people to make healthy, safe and sustainable sexual and reproductive health choices.

A total of £0.25 million has been allocated for monitoring and evaluation of the HIV Prevention and Sexual Health Promotion programme.

PHE staff are also involved in supporting HIV prevention in England through data analysis and reporting, public health system leadership and management of programme activities at both national and local levels.

01/01/2023
Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what research his Department has undertaken on the effects on road safety of adopting harsher sentencing for those who break the law by dangerous driving, speeding or driving whilst under the influence of alcohol.

Andrew Jones

I published the Road Safety Statement in December 2015 which sets out the measures Government is taking to improve road safety including the reduction of road traffic offences. Our award-winning THINK! campaigns have also been running throughout the year to educate drivers on the risk and consequences of a number of different type of offences. The Department is in regular contact with a range of organisations and their reports, such as the ‘RAC Report on Motoring 2016’, are provided to the Department. The Department often includes research evidence in its impact assessments, for example the Elvik ‘dose response’ model, which shows that rigorous enforcement increases the deterrent effect on offending. The Government continues to keep road safety and road traffic offences under review.

01/01/2023

Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-11-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many trains on the (a) Brighton and (b) East Grinstead line have been cancelled due to a lack of driver in each of the last six months.

Claire Perry

The operator is not required to supply this information to the Department. We have such figures at the franchise level, but not to the level of disaggregation required. Therefore we can provide the following:

	Cancellation Due to:-
15/16	GTR – Driver	GTR – Rolling stock	GTR – Other	Network Rail responsible	Other TOC responsible	Trains Planned
Period 1 ending 2 May*	941	468	337	2385	305	91581
Period 2 ending 30 May	725	462	333	1615	122	90926
Period 3 ending 27 Jun	1118	582	254	1574	93	91445
Period 4 ending 25 Jul	1291	775	375	1826	79	91867
Period 5 ending 22 Aug	1551	787	402	1582	76	92103
Period 6 ending 19 Sep	1741	535	489	1098	75	91303
Period 7 ending 17 Oct	1139	944	394	1537	74	91338

* The figure for period 1 was ‘normalised’ to a 28-day period as it was actually four days longer than usual to take into account the start of the financial year

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01/01/2023

Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-01-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to planned changes to the housing benefit cap announced in the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, what assessment he has made of the effect of that cap on (a) domestic violence refuges and (b) other supported accommodation.

Justin Tomlinson

The introduction of Local Housing Allowance limits to social sector tenants in receipt of Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit will only apply from April 2018 where new tenancies have been taken out or renewed after April 2016.

The Department is working on the exact policy design details for tenants in supported accommodation which includes domestic violence refuges.

01/01/2023
Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-01-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether any person or body has sought disclosure of documents relevant to the decision to target Reyaad Khan by drone strike in Syria on 21 August 2015 for purposes related to the inquiry by the Intelligence and Security Committee into that matter.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) gave to the hon. Member for Blaydon (Mr. Anderson) on Monday 25 January 2016, UIN23433.

01/01/2023
Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-02-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what meetings (a) he and (b) Ministers of his Department have had with (i) arms manufacturers, (ii) tobacco manufacturers and (iii) representatives of the Israeli embassy since the period covered in the Cabinet Office’s most recent ministerial gifts, hospitality, travel and meetings data release.

Michael Fallon

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Cabinet Office Minister (Matthew Hancock) to her Question 27634 on 26 February 2016.

01/01/2023
Maria Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2016-03-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to provide assistance to public libraries to address digital exclusion.

Mr Edward Vaizey

DCMS is engaging with national Digital Engagement partners to help users of public libraries get online and to tackle digital exclusion. Thanks to Government funding, over 99% of public libraries in England will provide free access to Wi-Fi from March 2016. BT and Barclays have worked together to provide free Wi-Fi in 100 libraries and community centres in deprived areas across England; and Lloyds Banking Group and Halifax Community Bank have piloted a scheme to match local branch staff with libraries to deliver basic digital skills training to adults in the UK. Tackling digital exclusion is also one of the priorities of the Leadership for Libraries Taskforce, established in 2015 by DCMS and the Local Government Association. The Taskforce has been working in partnership with the Tinder Foundation on new approaches through libraries to build digital skills in socially excluded, hard to reach groups and address digital exclusion.

01/01/2023
Jack Dromey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jack Dromey on 2016-04-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential effect on the ratio of firearms instructors to police officers of the Government’s policy to train an extra 1,500 firearms officers by April 2018.

Mr John Hayes

At the Spending Review in December 2015, the Chancellor announced a major investment of £143 million to uplift armed policing capacity to respond more quickly and effectively to a marauding firearms attack.

The police have been working to allocate that spending to ensure maximum effect and are arranging for sufficient instructors and training places to be in place.

01/01/2023