The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emma Reynolds on 2016-03-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits for the UK economy of the completion of a EU internal energy market.
Amber Rudd
My Department assesses that the completion of the EU internal energy market would put downward pressure on energy bills; encourage efficient investment in the UK energy sector; and enhance energy security.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Winnick on 2016-04-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, for what reasons his Department did not answer Question 32050 from the hon. Member for Walsall North, tabled on 11 April 2016, or the letter sent to him on 17 February 2016; and if he will give an explanation why a written question for a named day was not replied to on time.
Mr Marcus Jones
A written question for a named day was not replied to on time as a result of a clerical error within the departmental parliamentary team. A reply to the hon Member’s letter of 17 February has been sent.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Menzies on 2016-05-18.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which British Overseas Territories and Crown dependencies were invited to the UK Anti-Corruption Summit on 12 May 2016.
Matthew Hancock
Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Jersey, Isle of Man and Gibraltar were invited to the Anti-Corruption Summit.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Callum McCaig on 2016-06-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether commercially sensitive information provided to the Oil and Gas Authority and MER UK parties is subject to requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Andrea Leadsom
All information held by public authorities, including the Oil and Gas Authority, is subject to requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIRs). Commercially sensitive information that is confidential in nature, or which could prejudice a commercial interest if released, can be withheld under certain circumstances under the provisions of the Act or the EIRs.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Tracey on 2016-09-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will issue guidance on whether local authorities with significant student populations in their areas should identify the student population separately for the purpose of calculating the full objectively assessed need for housing in their areas in preparation of Local Plans and in estimating the five-year supply of land for housing.
Gavin Barwell
The National Planning Policy Framework asks local authorities to assess their full housing needs and identify the scale and mix of housing and the range of tenures that the local population is likely to need over the plan period. Our planning guidance sets out a clear methodology for assessing development needs for housing and is clear that local authorities should plan for sufficient student accommodation in their area, including through engaging with universities and other higher educational establishments. It is for local authorities to establish a robust housing evidence base to justify their proposed approach.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to monitor and control eye surgery.
Alistair Burt
There are currently no plans to bring forward new legislative proposals for regulating refractive laser eye surgery.
Providers of laser eye surgery are required to register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), as this is a regulated activity. All providers of regulated activities under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 must be registered with the CQC and meet the new fundamental standards of safety and quality that came onto force on 1 April this year. The CQC has a range of enforcement actions that it can take if providers do not meet the fundamental standards.
Doctors performing laser eye surgery in the United Kingdom must also be registered with the General Medical Council (GMC). All registered doctors are expected to be familiar with the GMC’s publication Good medical practice and supporting guidance, which describes what is expected of them. This document makes clear that medical doctors must recognise and work within the limits of their competence
Further work is underway to improve the delivery, safety and standards for patient information regarding these procedures and this is being led by the Royal College of Ophthalmologists.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-12-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans the NHS has to make use of (a) information technology and (b) informatics to improve the delivery of healthcare.
George Freeman
The Government’s policy for using information technology to improve the delivery of healthcare and transform outcomes for patients and citizens was set out in the National Information Board Framework for Action: Personalised Heath and Care 2020, published in November 2014. The document is available from:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personalised-health-and-care-2020
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-01-20.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action is being taken, both by them internationally and through voluntary agencies, to prevent refugees now in transit through south-eastern Europe from dying of cold; and whether they consider that action is sufficient.
Baroness Verma
The UK is providing £46 million of humanitarian support to address the needs of refugees and other irregular migrants transiting through Europe and the Balkans. This support is enabling host governments and international organisations including the Red Cross, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the International Organisation for Migration, and non-governmental organisations to provide basic care, assistance, protection, and information to people on the move, with a particular focus on children and the most vulnerable. Of this, £30.5 million is specifically targeted at meeting needs during the Winter. This includes 178,000 warm blankets, 1,700 ‘winterised’ tents to shelter people from the cold weather, warm clothing, hot food, medicines and medical support where low temperatures mean more people will get sick.
DFID continually reviews humanitarian needs and has deployed experts to countries along the route to assess conditions first-hand. Their assessment is that UK support is appropriate and well targeted, although they remain concerned by the conditions being experienced by already vulnerable people, particularly those who become stranded. DFID will keep the humanitarian situation under review and adapt the UK’s response to emerging needs.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Ellman on 2016-02-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the extent of funding from Iran for (a) Hezbollah and (b) Hamas; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
We continue to have serious concerns about Iran’s support for Hamas and the military wing of Hezbollah, which reportedly includes the provision of financial resources and training as well as the supply of military equipment. We call on Iran to end such support, which directly undermines the prospects for lasting peace in the region, and to abide by all relevant UN obligations.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Yasmin Qureshi on 2016-03-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether soldiers from Burma Army military operations command 2 (MOC-2) light infantry battalion (LIB) 9 or Burma Army Battalion 330 have received any form of training funded by the UK Government.
Penny Mordaunt
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 11 January 2016 to Question 21564, which stated that we do not provide combat training to the Burmese Army. We do however provide educational training, as well as English Language Training. We have no information to indicate that participants on these educational courses were Burmese Army soldiers from Burma Army military operations command 2 (MOC-2) light infantry battalion (LIB) 9 or Burma Army Battalion 330.