Category: Speeches

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-03-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many and what proportion of officials of his Department took sick leave for reasons relating to stress in each of the last five years; and what proportion of total sick leave that leave was in each such year.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The number and proportion of staff (percentage of the FCO’s workforce for the relevant year) who took stress related absence for each of the last five years (1st January 2011 to 31st December 2015) is as follows:

    2011

    46 (0.79%)

    2012

    43 (0.89%)

    2013

    47 (0.99%)

    2014

    27 (0.59%)

    2015

    42 (0.97%)

    The proportion of stress related absence episodes against the total sick absence episodes for each of the last five years is as follows:

    2011

    1.96%

    2012

    2.12%

    2013

    2.41%

    2014

    1.51%

    2015

    2.15%
  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-04-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with international partners on aid access to Madaya in Syria.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The UK is part of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG). The ISSG Humanitarian Task Force meets on a weekly basis to push for increased access across Syria, in line with relevant Security Council Resolutions. We have been pushing hard through these discussions for humanitarian access to be granted to all besieged and hard to reach places in Syria, including Madaya. As a result, humanitarian convoys have reached 11 besieged areas, including Madaya – several inter-agency convoys have reached a total of 150,000 people in besieged areas. This is out of a total of 487,000 people in besieged areas.

    However, progress is too slow. More needs to be done to provide for all those in need in Syria. We are also deeply concerned by reports of civilian deaths in Madaya because their medical evacuations were blocked. We are pressing for an end to the removal of medical equipment from convoys by the regime, the evacuation of critical medical cases and regular access to healthcare for besieged populations.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-05-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department holds information on the number of boys receiving HPV vaccinations through private provision.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department does not hold information on the number of boys receiving human papillomavirus vaccinations through private provision.

  • Baroness Featherstone – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Baroness Featherstone – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Featherstone on 2016-07-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether in negotiating the UK’s exit from the EU they plan to seek for the UK to be included in any EU regulations on the security of gas supply in times of crisis, as set out in the European Commission’s Proposal for a Regulation concerning measures to safeguard the security of gas supply and repealing Regulation (EU) No 994/2010.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    While the UK remains a member of the EU the existing rules apply and new legislation that applies to the UK will be implemented.

    It will be for the new Prime Minister to decide on our future relationship with the EU, including on matters of energy.

  • John Mann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    John Mann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mann on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance she has issued to police forces on initiatives to stop the illegal trading of ivory.

    Brandon Lewis

    We have not issued specific guidance to the police on tackling the illegal trading of ivory. With the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, we fund the National Wildlife Crime Unit which provides intelligence and specialist assistance to assist all police forces in the United Kingdom to deal effectively with wildlife crime investigation, including cases that involve the illegal trading of ivory.

  • Diana Johnson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Diana Johnson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will bring forward proposals to add the (a) Surveillance Camera Commissioner and (b) Office of the Biometrics Commissioner to Schedule 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

    Matthew Hancock

    The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) already extends to over 100,000 public authorities. We constantly keep the list of bodies covered by the FOIA under review.

  • David Amess – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    David Amess – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2015-11-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to encourage the provision of take-home naloxone for at risk prisoners by health and justice lead area teams; and if he will make a statement.

    Jane Ellison

    The substance misuse element of the harm reduction strategy will align with national clinical guidance with regard to how naloxone and other medicines in the care pathway are considered for use, although specific medicines are unlikely to be named in the strategy.

    The commissioning of substance misuse treatment for prisoners is the responsibility of health and justice commissioning teams in ten of NHS England’s area teams, supported by a central health and justice team. The Government expects commissioners and providers of substance misuse services in prisons and in the community to work together closely in respect to prisoners being released from custody to ensure seamless transfers of care.

    Public Health England, the Department and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency have jointly published a factsheet[1] to explain October’s regulatory change with regard to naloxone and how the wider availability of naloxone affects relevant services. NHS England Area Teams will encourage providers to take account of this guidance.

    [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/widening-the-availability-of-naloxone/widening-the-availability-of-naloxone

    “

  • 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, how many full-time equivalent staff are employed by the Fit for Work service as case managers; and whether the Government plans to increase this number.

    Justin Tomlinson

    At 30th November 66.7 full-time equivalent staff are employed by the Fit for Work Service as case managers in England and Wales and 24.8 in Scotland. It is expected that numbers will increase in line with demand.

  • Chris Green – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Chris Green – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Green on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that jobcentres help younger jobseekers plan for the future.

    Priti Patel

    This Government is committed to ensuring all young people are either earning or learning. That is why we have launched Jobcentre Plus support for schools and from April 2017 we will ensure all young people are supported through our new Youth Obligation.

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

    Lord Luce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Luce on 2016-02-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the renewal of accreditation has been granted to the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence announced on 26 February 2016 that the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network has been re-accredited until 31 March 2020.