The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wes Streeting on 2016-01-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of open MRI scanners available to the NHS in each region.
Jane Ellison
We do not hold information centrally about the number of open magnetic resonance imaging scanners in each region and so no estimate has been made.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-02-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many organisations in receipt of grant funding awarded by her Department were found to have engaged in activity that influenced or attempted to influence Parliament, government, or the European Commission, or were found to have attempted to influence legislative or regulatory action in each of the last three years.
Andrea Leadsom
In line with government policy, DECC is introducing the new anti-lobbying clause mandated by the Cabinet Office. DECC has previously included a prohibition on use of the grant for activities of a political or exclusively religious nature, and DECC is not aware of any breaches of this condition, although no investigation has been carried out. Most DECC grants are awarded to cover specified costs incurred by the grant recipient in undertaking a particular project and are paid to reimburse those costs on receipt of satisfactory evidence that the relevant costs have been incurred.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Evans on 2016-03-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many children up to the age of four received the meningitis B vaccination in (a) Lancashire and (b) the UK in 2015.
Jane Ellison
The Meningitis B (MenB) immunisation for infants was introduced on 1 September 2015.
The vaccine is offered alongside other routine immunisations at two and four months of age, with a booster dose at 12-13 months. A limited one-off catch-up programme was also offered, targeting infants born in May and June 2015. Information on the number of children who received the meningitis B vaccination as part of National Health Service programme in 2015 is not yet available.
Coverage of vaccines offered in the routine childhood immunisation programme is usually evaluated at 12 months of age, however, in order to provide more timely information about the newly introduced MenB vaccine, a temporary sentinel surveillance programme was set up to extract monthly coverage data direct from general practice systems for children who had just reached six months of age in England. Preliminary vaccine coverage at six months of age for children born in May, June and July 2015 is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/vaccine-uptake.
It is anticipated that coverage for both doses of vaccine will increase when evaluated again when they are 12 months of age.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne Main on 2016-04-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many officials in his Department work in the referendum unit.
Mr David Lidington
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is appropriately resourced to support the Government’s priorities. It is not possible to identify a precise figure for full time equivalent staff working on the referendum because a range of staff are involved across various FCO departments – eg EU department, legal advisers, press office – and for some of whom the proportion of their time devoted to referendum issues varies day by day.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-05-26.
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what discussions she has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and (b) members of the Northern Ireland Executive about the prosecution of women in Northern Ireland under the Offences against the Person Act 1861.
Caroline Dinenage
The Government regularly discusses equalities issues with the Devolved Administrations, including the Northern Ireland Executive. We also raise important issues with territorial offices when necessary, having due regard to devolution arrangements.
As part of the Northern Ireland Devolution Settlement, prosecutions under the Offences against the Person Act 1861 are a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rosie Cooper on 2016-07-21.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what (a) consultation, (b) decision-making process and (c) timetable he plans for deciding the final rules for the Government’s Lifetime Individual Savings Accounts (ISA) scheme; and whether he plans to conduct a consultation on what life events in addition to the purchase of a first home will be eligible for penalty-free withdrawal of such investments before the age of 60.
Jane Ellison
Following the Budget, the Government has engaged with industry on the detailed design of the Lifetime ISA, including on penalty-free withdrawals.
The Queen’s Speech for the 2016-17 session announced the Government’s intention to legislate for the Lifetime ISA. The legislation which will enact this measure will be introduced to Parliament in due course.
The Government will continue to talk to industry and interested parties about the Lifetime ISA while the Bill is being considered by the House, leading up to its planned launch.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bob Stewart on 2016-10-07.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to introduce a sovereign wealth fund.
Simon Kirby
The government’s current priority is to reduce the deficit and start paying down national debt.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Marks of Henley-on-Thames on 2015-10-28.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the average processing time taken for cases in the Investigatory Powers Tribunal from the time a complaint or claim was submitted to the announcement of a ruling in each year from 2010 to 2014 inclusive.
Lord Bates
The numbers of new cases received by the independent Investigatory Powers Tribunal each year are published on the Tribunal’s website at: http://www.ipt-uk.com/section.aspx?pageid=5 .
The numbers of complaints and claims for the years 2010 to 2014 are as follows.
|
Year |
Human Rights Claims |
Complaints |
Both |
Total |
|
2010 |
49 |
40 |
75 |
164 |
|
2011 |
46 |
46 |
88 |
180 |
|
2012 |
37 |
52 |
79 |
168 |
|
2013 |
58 |
67 |
80 |
205 |
|
2014 |
58 |
60 |
97 |
215 |
The Investigatory Powers Tribunal does not collate the information about the average length of time from a complaint or claim being submitted to the announcement of a ruling. The cases received by the Investigatory Powers Tribunal vary in scope and complexity. Each case is considered on its own merits and receives appropriate legal scrutiny.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2015-11-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will publish a response to the Human Rights Watch report, The Blood of People Who Don’t Cooperate: Continuing Torture and Mistreatment of Detainees in Bahrain, published on 22 November 2015.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
We are considering the report carefully. The UK Government consistently and unreservedly condemns torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and it is a priority for us to combat it wherever and whenever it occurs. We are aware of ongoing allegations against Ministry of Interior personnel and we have expressed our concerns to the authorities. The Government of Bahrain has previously committed to consider ratifying the Optional Protocol of the Convention Against Torture. The UK strongly supports this and we have been working with the authorities to share best practice on torture prevention measures. We also continue to ask the Government of Bahrain to allow a visit of the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2015-12-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which high performing children’s services departments have provided assistance to other local authorities with such departments judged as inadequate since 2010.
Edward Timpson
Since 2010, Hampshire County Council, Essex County Council, Leeds City Council, and Achieving for Children (a social enterprise company created by Kingston and Richmond Councils to provide their children’s services) have all provided assistance, through formal arrangements brokered by the Department for Education, to local authorities that have been judged inadequate by Ofsted. A range of support has been provided by Councils outside of those arrangements.