The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-02-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many staff in her Department and its non-departmental public bodies receive (a) home to work travel allowance, (b) a car allowance and (c) subsidised health insurance.
Mr Nick Hurd
DFID, and related non-departmental public bodies, do not offer home to work travel allowance, car allowance or subsidised health insurance to staff
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-03-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of his Department’s (a) Senior Civil Servants and (b) core policy civil servants are based in London.
Justin Tomlinson
Within the Department for Work and Pensions – 112 (51%) of Senior Civil Servants and 627 (68%) of core policy civil servants are based in London. 84,761 staff were in post within the department on 29 February 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town on 2016-04-13.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will give details of progress made by the Alcohol Network of the Public Health Responsibility Deal, including (1) reports on its last meeting, (2) plans for future meetings, and (3) an analysis of the fulfilment made of pledges provided by contributors.
Lord Prior of Brampton
The action notes and papers from the last alcohol network group meeting, which took place on 5 November 2014 are attached. There are no current plans for any of the Responsibility Deal networks to meet, but the Department continues to engage with key stakeholders in each of these sectors as part of its routine policy activity.
On alcohol, 1.3 billion units of alcohol were removed from the market through improving consumer choice of lower alcohol products, exceeding the target two years ahead of schedule. 101 companies pledged to have 80% of their bottles and cans of alcoholic drinks displaying unit content, the previous Chief Medical Officer’s lower-risk guidelines and a warning about drinking when pregnant by the end of 2013. An independent report (2014) found that 79.3% of labels provided all these three elements correctly, with 92.8% providing correct pregnancy information. The pledge was considered to be met.
On food, around 75% of the retail market and 65% of major high street restaurants and contract caterers have committed to reduce salt. This includes all the major supermarkets, many big manufacturing brands, restaurant chains and contract caterers. 43 companies, including major retailers, fast food and pubs and caterers, as well as the makers of household-name brands are taking a range of actions to help us to consume fewer calories, including through reducing the sugar content of sugar sweetened beverages. 45 major out of home businesses are currently displaying calories on their menus to help consumers make informed choices when eating outside the home, and account for approximately a quarter of all out of home meals served. 23 businesses agreed to adopt the voluntary United Kingdom front of pack nutrient labelling scheme accounting for two thirds of the market for pre-packed foods and drinks.
Employees in a wide range of companies are seeing their health and well-being taken more seriously as more and more organisations (over 500) signed up to the health at work pledges. The focus was on making occupational health more about prevention, as well as looking at improving the management of people with chronic health conditions, the workplace environment, healthier canteen food, encouraging more active travel and helping staff to give up smoking. Over 80 construction firms signed up to the health at work pledges representing over 250,000 employees. Construction is the UK’s largest industry employing 2 million workers, 6% of the entire workforce. It is also the unhealthiest industry. Construction workers are at least 100 times more likely to die from a disease caused or made worse by their work than they are to die from a fatal accident. These diseases are all preventable. This was the first sector-specific health at work pledge.
Working behind the scenes and reaching into the heart of communities, many businesses and organisations – around 300 – made pledges to help get more people, of all ages and backgrounds, more active. Through the physical activity workplace pledge, we estimate 1.5 million more people are now supported to be more active than before in their workplaces.
On 11 March 2016 the Department let all partners know that they will not need formally to report on the progress of the pledges that they have signed up to by submitting their annual updates this year. The Department has not separately analysed the annual reports submitted by partners to date.
This Government has renewed priorities and it is considering how best to work with partners and other stakeholders to deliver those. This includes tackling childhood obesity and wider work on diabetes and prevention.
The Department will keep all partners informed of any developments on the Responsibility Deal whilst the Government is considering how it should best work with industry to deliver its new priorities. In the meantime, the Government expects that all partners will want to continue to work towards the commitments they have already made and welcomes the fact that many organisations have continued to announce significant new commitments.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-05-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research his Department has conducted on the level of compliance with NICE guidelines on fertility treatment by each clinical commissioning group in England in the last three years.
Jane Ellison
The Government has not made an assessment of the annual cost to the National Health Service of high risk pregnancies caused by patients going abroad for in vitro fertilisation (IVF).
Multiple births are the single biggest risk to the health and welfare of children born following fertility treatment and present significant health risks to mothers and babies. Over recent years, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has worked to drive down multiple birth rates whilst maintaining consistent treatment success rates.
To minimise the risk of multiple pregnancies, there has been a growing trend for IVF providers to only transfer one embryo, even when more are available, in patients who have a good chance of successful treatment. Elective single embryo transfer is the most effective way of reducing multiple pregnancies. The HFEA has advised that most clinics have shown significant progress in reducing multiple births without compromising pregnancy rates. In 2008 nearly one in four IVF births resulted in a multiple birth but now, with a concerted multiple births reduction policy, this number is one in six.
Although progress has been made, this number is still higher than the rate in conceptions that do not involve assisted reproduction treatment. The overall goal is to reduce multiple births to one in ten.
The level of provision of infertility treatment, as for all health services they commission, is decided by local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and will take into account the needs of the population overall. The CCG’s decisions are underpinned by clinical insight and knowledge of local healthcare needs. As such, provision of services will vary in response to local needs.
Information about CCGs approach to commissioning or compliance with the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence guidelines regarding IVF services is not collected centrally.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Farrelly on 2016-07-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to review advertising regulations for reduced-harm tobacco products to take account of the potential of those products to help people quit smoking.
Jane Ellison
For the first time, from May 2016, cessation information to signpost consumers to quitting support has become mandatory on tobacco products. The Government’s advice remains that the best thing a smoker can do is to quit and quit for good. Any smokers wanting to quit, with or without the help of products available on the market, are four times more likely to stop smoking and quit for good with the personalised support offered by local stop smoking services.
The National Centre for Stop Smoking Services has issued guidance on offering advice to those wanting to use e-cigarettes as part of their quit attempts and encouraged local stop smoking services to be open to their use.
The Government recognises that some people have found e-cigarettes helpful in quitting smoking and that they are considerably less harmful than continuing to smoke. The forthcoming tobacco control plan will consider the role of e-cigarettes and other harm reduction products in further reducing the prevalence of smoking in England.
The Department has no current plans to review the restrictions on advertising for tobacco products.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-10-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Government plans to continue to participate in the European Training Foundation after the UK leaves the EU.
Joseph Johnson
The UK will continue to participate in the European Training Foundation until we leave the EU. Future participation after we leave the EU is a matter for the forthcoming negotiations.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2015-11-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when his Department will provide a definition of the term vulnerable group for the purposes of the Welfare Reform and Work Bill; and with whom his Department will consult on that definition.
Priti Patel
Our reforms aim to ensure that work always pays more than a life on benefits; that the system is fair to those who pay for it, as well as those who benefit from it; and that support is focused on the most vulnerable which is why we are protecting pensioner benefits and payments for the additional costs of care and disability.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wes Streeting on 2015-12-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much (a) NHS England, (b) Public Health England, (c) Monitor and (d) the Care Quality Commission has spent on overseas visits since 2012-13; and what the date, destination and purpose was of each such visit.
Jane Ellison
Using information from central travel systems the Arm’s Length Bodies have advised their costs for the years specified. Costs for 2015-2016 will be available after the end of the financial year.
(a) NHS England
Since 2012-13 NHS England has spent £167,492.78 on overseas travel. See attached spreadsheet for a breakdown of the costs including date, destination and purpose of visit. A summary table of annual costs is included here.
Cost of overseas travel 2012/13 – 2015/16 – NHS England
|
Financial Year |
Total Spend |
|
2012 -2013 |
– |
|
2013 – 2014 |
£97,389.30 |
|
2014 – 2015 |
£70,103.48 |
|
Total |
£167,492.78 |
(b)Public Health England
Since 2012-13 Public Health England has spent £2,991,553.00 20 on overseas travel. See attached table for a breakdown of destination and type of cost. Detail of individual trips can only be supplied at disproportionate cost. PHE is the lead for the UK on International Health Regulations, which extends to playing its part in protecting the UK from international health hazards, most obviously from communicable diseases. PHE’s expert scientific and medical staff are routinely deployed across the world, for example: to respond to public health incidents of international concern, such as with the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN). A summary table of annual costs is included here.
Cost of overseas travel 2012/13 – 2015/16 – Public Health England
|
Financial Year |
Total Spend |
|
2012 -2013 |
– |
|
2013 – 2014 |
£1,565,958 |
|
2014 – 2015 |
£1,425,595 |
|
Total |
£2,991,553.00 |
(c) Monitor
Since 2012-13 Monitor has spent £9,552.96 on overseas travel. See attached table for a breakdown of the costs including the date, destination and purpose of visit. A summary table of annual costs is included here.
Cost of overseas travel 2012/13 – 2015/16 – Monitor°
|
Financial Year |
Total Spend |
|
2012 -2013 |
£994.39 |
|
2013 – 2014 |
£3,833.07 |
|
2014 – 2015 |
£4,725.50 |
|
Total |
£9,552.96 |
°Figures include central travel bookings, expenses and credit cards
(d) Care Quality Commission
Since 2012-13 CQC has spent £16,548.32 on overseas travel. CQC have advised that they do not collect the level of data asked for and to collate it would incur disproportionate cost. They have provided a table of year on year costs of overseas travel.
Cost of overseas travel 2012/13 – 2015/16 – Care Quality Commission°
|
Financial Year |
Total Spend |
|
2012 -2013 |
£3,136.73 |
|
2013 – 2014 |
£5,067.78 |
|
2014 – 2015 |
£8,343.81 |
|
Total |
£16,548.32 |
°Figures include flights and travel expenses
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wes Streeting on 2016-01-22.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which constituencies he has visited in an official capacity since 7 May 2015; when each such visit took place; and what the purpose was of each such visit.
Harriett Baldwin
The Chancellor has visited constituencies all across the UK on official tour days since 7 May 2015. Please refer to the transparency data published on gov.uk for further information.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Coffey on 2016-02-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average time between (a) offence commission and charge, (b) charge and first court appearance and (c) first court appearance to sentencing or acquittal was for all completed sexual offences cases where the victim was (i) a minor and (ii) an adult in each year since 2013.
Mike Penning
Our courts system is in need of urgent reform, which is why we have committed to building a justice system that is swifter and more certain.
We are investing £700 million over the next five years to create a more effective service. We will utilise modern technology to meet the needs of everyone who uses our services.
MOJ do not hold figures on dates of sentencing or acquittals and have instead provided the time from first listing to completion.
The age of a victim is only known where specified as part of the wording of an offence in statute. Figures for sexual offences cases where the victim was a minor are based on cases where the victim was known to be a minor, and figures where the victim was an adult include cases where the age of the victim was not known.
Data included in the attached tables.
Table 1 – the average duration from offence to charge, from charge to first listing, and from first listing to completion for sexual offences cases in Greater Manchester LCJB and in England and Wales, for cases completing in 2013, 2014 and January to September 2015.
Table 2 – the average duration (days) between offence to charge, charge to first listing, and first listing to completion for sexual offence cases completed in England and Wales where the victim was a minor or an adult, 2013 to Q1-Q3 2015.
Table 3 – the average durations for sexual offences cases in England and Wales. These are an update of Tables 5.1 and 5.2 in the ‘Overview of Sexual Offending in England and Wales’ publication. Figures are for the last 12 months available, from October 2014 to September 2015.