The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christina Rees on 2016-04-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on how many occasions court cases have been listed in the same time slot as another case since 2010.
Mr Shailesh Vara
The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-05-18.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to ensure that NICE guidance is followed in the use of faecal microbiota transplants in the treatment of recurrent Clostridium difficile.
Lord Prior of Brampton
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has produced guidance on faecal microbiota transplant for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection under the interventional procedure programme. This programme makes recommendations about the safety of the procedures and how well they work. However the guidance does not constitute a direction to National Health Service trusts to provide the interventions. Decisions about whether to provide a treatment are taken locally.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Coffey on 2016-07-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to publish the implementation plan and monitoring framework for the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
Sarah Newton
While there are no plans to publish an additional plan or monitoring framework, the Government has several mechanisms overseeing implementation and monitoring of the Modern Slavery Act and Strategy. The Inter-Departmental Group for Modern Slavery, chaired by the Hoe Secretary, publishes an annual report on Government work to tackle modern slavery. The Modern Slavery Threat Group chaired by the National Policing Lead, oversees the operational response. And the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner will publish his first annual report about the UK’s response this Autumn.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2016-10-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many audiology services there are in England.
David Mowat
Comprehensive data on the number of audiology services in England is not collected.
NHS England has no current plans to introduce financial incentives for the achievement of Improving Quality in Physiological Services (IQIPS) accreditation.
As of 1 September, there are 39 organisations with IQIPS accreditation for audiology, covering 28 adult and 21 paediatric audiology services. If an organisation is accredited for both adult and paediatric audiology, United Kingdom Accreditation Service considers that one accreditation.
In Commissioning Services for People with Hearing Loss: A framework for clinical commissioning groups, published in July, NHS England strongly encourages clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to expect providers to have completed the IQIPS self-assessment tool and applied for accreditation with UKAS, and achieve accreditation within the duration of their contract. This is reflected in the model service specification for adults.
In the contract for Genomics Medicines Centres, Annex M requires National Health Service trusts nominated as Lead Organisations and Local Delivery Partners to be working towards diagnostic accreditation across all available schemes, including IQIPS.
NHS England is also working with the Care Quality Commission to agree the use of scientific and diagnostic schemes as an information source for inspection purposes, as set out in their latest strategy.
We currently have no plans to introduce mandatory accreditation of audiology services in England.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2015-11-02.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will support calls for the establishment of a full, international, independent investigation by the UN into claims of genocide against the Rohingya in Burma.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
These and other disturbing reports from Rakhine State make clear that the Rohingya are being persecuted and denied the most basic rights. We welcome the work of a highly effective UN Special Rapporteur on Burma, who has shone a spotlight on violations against the Rohingya in Rakhine. She has not characterised the treatment of the Rohingya as genocide, and neither did the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide in his 4 November Statement on Burma’s elections.
However, any judgement on whether genocide has occurred is a matter for international judicial decision, rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies. A UN investigation would require high level international support for which we assess there is little prospect of agreement at this stage. Our approach is to seek an end to all violations, irrespective of whether or not they fit the definition of specific international crimes. British Government Ministers take every appropriate opportunity, both publicly and in private, to press the Burmese authorities to take urgent steps to address the situation of the Rohingya. Most recently, the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), did so with the Burmese Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin in September in New York.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-12-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to incentivise the development of new drugs to treat TB.
Mr Nick Hurd
DFID has supported the development of new drug combinations to treat TB since 2005. Funding is provided to the TB Alliance, a product development partnership (PDP). PDPs bring together partners from the public, private and philanthropic sectors to develop new products in a way that de-links the cost of development from the final cost of product. The TB Alliance is currently testing a number of new drugs combinations to simplify and shorten TB treatment times and provide new treatment options for drug resistant TB.
In addition we committed in our manifesto to lead a major new global programme to accelerate the development of vaccines and drugs to eliminate the world’s deadliest infectious diseases. In November the Chancellor announced the new £1 billion Ross Fund which will deliver on this commitment. The Ross Fund will target infectious diseases including malaria and tuberculosis, supporting work to develop, test and deliver a range of new products (including vaccines, drugs and diagnostics) to help combat these diseases in developing countries.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-01-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of increasing the use of upland management schemes in areas susceptible to flooding as a method of flood prevention.
Rory Stewart
Land management change can have important benefits in reducing flood risk. We will encourage any measures that could help manage flood risk, for example management of our peat uplands and planting trees to slow the flow at the same time as providing wider environmental benefits within catchments. Flood risk management is also one of the targeting criteria for woodland creation funded through the new Countryside Stewardship scheme and the Forestry Commission also continues to undertake research into understanding what role woodlands can play in managing flood risk.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Brendan O’Hara on 2016-02-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the flight path of any flight in a fixed wing aircraft or helicopter of Defence Nuclear Materials has involved travel over the airspace of Scotland and its territorial seas in each of the last five years.
Penny Mordaunt
In the last five years, 23 flights carrying Defence Nuclear Materials (DNM) were undertaken. All flights were between the UK and the United States on fixed wing aircraft under the control of UK Armed Forces. No such flights passed over Scotland, or involved the use of helicopters.
I am withholding details of the physical state, mass and radiological quantity of DNM transported as disclosure would or would be likely to prejudice national security.
The transport of DNM is carried out to the highest standard in accordance with stringent safety regulations. In over 50 years of transporting DNM in the UK, there has never been an incident that has posed any radiation hazard to the public or to the environment.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-03-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many people applied to the Pubs Code Adjudicator vacancy; and how many such people were (a) longlisted and (b) shortlisted.
Anna Soubry
I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Harrow East on 10 March, Official Report, Vol 607, Col 428.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-04-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of improving metro services in the North East and extending such services into Easington constituency.
Andrew Jones
My Department is supporting Nexus in delivering an 11 year programme of works to renew and improve the Tyne and Wear Metro. This work is being funded with over £300 million of grant from DfT and includes refurbishment of the Metrocar fleet, modernisation of 60 stations, introduction of new ‘smart’ ticketing machines, barriers and technologies, and a new communications system. Nexus is also overhauling and maintaining structures such as bridges and tunnels, track and overhead power lines.
As part of the North East Devolution Deal, Nexus will be submitting a business case shortly that covers the replacement of the existing rolling stock and signalling as well as any proposals for expanding the Metro network.