The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-02-05.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what criteria and pay grades his Department uses to decide on pay rises for political aides and special advisors.
Matthew Hancock
All public servants, including special advisers, are subject to an overall 1% pay remit.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Murrison on 2016-03-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will request that English Heritage flies the Union Flag over national monuments in its custody in place of its own house flag on each day of the week.
David Evennett
There is not an intention to request changes to the English Heritage Trust’s flag flying protocol. Where English Heritage Trust sites, particularly those with military or royal connections, have more than one flagpole, the flag flying policy states that the Union Flag should be flown daily.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Scriven on 2016-03-23.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 23 March (HL6926), on what date the Department of Health was informed that NHS England was going to introduce a sugar tax in NHS premises by 2020.
Lord Prior of Brampton
We have a range of conversations about key issues at Ministerial and official level with NHS England. NHS England is independent and the decision on a sugar levy on the National Health Service estate is a matter for them operationally. We are interested to see the results of their consultation on a sugar levy.
The announcement of a soft drinks industry levy by the Chancellor in the Budget is the first step in our comprehensive Childhood Obesity Strategy, which will be launched in the summer, and gives companies strong incentives to reformulate their products.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-05-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 4 May 2016 to Question 35959, if he will publish the Government Social Research Code.
Justin Tomlinson
The Government Social Research code is publicly available online: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20150922160821/http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/networks/gsr/gsr-code
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christina Rees on 2016-06-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to improve awareness of available legal advice for the general public.
Mr Shailesh Vara
The legal profession in England and Wales is independent from government. We want to see an innovative and competitive market that provides people with affordable legal services that they want and need, with regulation that supports the public and consumer interest.
We welcome the Law Society’s survey and will take account of the findings as part of the development of legal services policy.
The legal services regulators have a duty to promote the regulatory objectives set out in the Legal Services Act 2007, including improving access to justice and increasing public understanding of the citizen’s legal rights and duties. The regulators have established the “Legal Choices” website, which provides people with information to help them in deciding whether and how to seek legal advice and the available services they might choose from. The Advicenow website, established by Law for Life, provides information on rights and the law.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Freyberg on 2016-09-05.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 25 July (HL1340), what date has been agreed by NICE for a full technology appraisal of lenvatinib.
Lord Prior of Brampton
Ministers asked the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to develop technology appraisal guidance on the use of lenvatinb for the treatment of thyroid cancer on 22 July 2016. NICE plans to develop guidance on lenvatinib and sorafenib through the same technology appraisal and currently expects to publish draft guidance in October 2017.
In the absence of NICE guidance, it is for commissioners to make funding decisions based on the available evidence and on the patient’s individual clinical circumstances.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-10-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many times his Department did not select or treated as ineligible a contractor under article 23 of the Defence and Security Public Contract Regulations 2011 since 2011.
Harriett Baldwin
The Ministry of Defence is not aware of any instances where it has not selected, or treated as ineligible, a contractor under article 23 of the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-11-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what action the Government is taking to support the Angolan government in building capacity to support civil society and freedom of expression.
James Duddridge
We and EU partners have established a human rights dialogue with the Angolan government under the EU-Angola “Joint Way Forward”, which includes support to civil society and promoting freedom of expression. We are also funding work to build human rights capacity in the diamond producing areas of the Lundas and funding training on legal awareness.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2015-12-08.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of and outcomes achieved by (a) Connaught Fund investors and (b) other investors who have sought payment from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme when their independent financial adviser has declared a default on an award of compensation by the Financial Ombudsman’s Service; and if he will publish that assessment.
Harriett Baldwin
Her Majesty’s Treasury does not keep records of cases of investors who have sought compensation from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.
The Honourable Member should contact the Financial Services Compensation Scheme directly with inquiries relating to compensation claims.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barbara Keeley on 2016-01-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many and what proportion of GP surgeries offer extended opening hours.
Alistair Burt
We are committed to transforming general practice, and ensuring general practitioner (GP) services are available seven days a week by 2020. Of the total 7,875 GP surgeries in England, over 2,500 practices are involved in the Prime Minister’s GP Access Fund and are currently offering improved access, including extended hours, to around 17 million patients according to the latest figures.
Additionally, the Extended Hours Directed Enhanced Service (DES), in place since 2008/09, is a way that GP practices are incentivised to offer extended access through the contract. 5,875 practices received a payment for 2014/15, totalling £83.984 million. Practices providing this DES could also be taking part in the GP Access Fund. Key requirements include the provision of additional clinical sessions (routine appointments including emergency appointments), provided outside of core contracted hours, in keeping with patient preference.