Category: Speeches

  • Eilidh Whiteford – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Eilidh Whiteford – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Eilidh Whiteford on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of people in the social housing sector in Scotland will be affected by changes to the levels of housing benefit; and what the cost of such changes will be to the average household in Scotland.

    Justin Tomlinson

    This policy was introduced because in some areas, increases in social rents have outstripped the increase in private rents.

    The policy to cap social sector rents at the relevant Local Housing Allowance rate for the area from April 2018 only applies to a new tenancy or a tenancy that is renewed after April 2016. As such it isn’t possible to accurately estimate the proportion of those in receipt of Housing Benefit in the social sector that will be affected by this policy, as it relies on the choice of those taking out new tenancies.

    The Discretionary Housing Payment scheme will be available to Local Authorities to protect the vulnerable.

  • Bernard Jenkin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Bernard Jenkin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bernard Jenkin on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many staff in her Department are working on matters related to (a) European policy, (b) the future of Europe, (c) reform of the EU, (d) the renegotiation of the UK’s relationship with the EU, (e) the EU referendum and (f) the consequences of the EU referendum; how many full-time equivalent staff are working on such matters; what the (i) staff and (ii) other cost of such work is; what proportion of that work is undertaken by such staff on (A) communications, (B) strategy and (C) policy; whether her Department has established any specific unit or units to deal with those matters; to whom such (1) staff and (2) units report; whether her Department has issued guidelines to staff on those matters; and if she will make a statement.

    James Brokenshire

    The Government is fighting hard to fix the aspects of our EU membership that cause so much frustration in Britain – so we get a better deal for Britain and secure our future. Departments are appropriately resourced to support the Government’s priorities in Europe, including the renegotiation and referendum.

  • Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2016-01-29.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will publish (a) a risk analysis, (b) an assessment of the planned transfer of staff, (c) the timetable for TUPE transfers and (d) the date of commencement of consultation with relevant trade unions in relation to the replacement of the HMRC IT Aspire contract.

    Mr David Gauke

    Through the Aspire Replacement Programme, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has considered a wide range of risks that could impact the successful replacement of this contract. The Programme is part of the Government Major Projects Portfolio. The governance bodies for the Programme include senior representatives from across HMRC, Cabinet Office and HM Treasury, in addition to key external expertise from industry.

    Due to commercial confidentiality, HMRC is not in a position to give more details of its plans at this stage.

    HMRC has an ongoing two-way dialogue with relevant trades unions about all matters that affect the Department.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Sadiq Khan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police stations in London (a) had and (b) did not have custody nurses working in them in each year since 2010.

    Mike Penning

    The provision and commissioning of police custody nurses is the responsibility of individual Police and Crime Commissioners, and police custody nurse staffing and availability levels are an operational policing matter in conjunction with the custody healthcare service provider. Information on these issues is not held centrally by the Home Office.

  • Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne Main on 2016-03-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of how many inflammatory bowel disease services offer all people who are newly diagnosed a patient education session to help them understand their condition.

    Jane Ellison

    This information is not collected. The organisation of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) services is a local matter.

    IBD is the collective name used to describe ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. To support commissioners to deliver local services for people with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published the best practice guidance ‘Crohn’s Disease Management in Adults, Children and Young People’, in October 2012 and ‘Ulcerative Colitis Management in Adults, Children and Young People’ in June 2013.

    Both guidelines mention providing access to psychological support and the role it can play in patient care. In addition, patient education and patient information support are also highlighted as priorities for implementation. Commissioners should have regard to NICE guidance when delivering local services. The guidance can be found at the following links:

    https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/CG152/chapter/Key-priorities-for-implementation

    https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg166/chapter/Key-priorities-for-implementation

    “

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-04-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the open letter from the British Dental Association to the Chairman of the General Dental Council (GDC) of 1 April on the GDC’s spending on external legal advice, redundancy payments and related external PR services during the Professional Services Authority whistle-blowing inquiry, and what action they intend to take in the light of that assessment.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The General Dental Council (GDC) is an independent statutory body. Ministers take a keen interest in the performance of the GDC and its plans for improvement, particularly in light of the Professional Standards Authority’s (PSA) performance review and publication of its investigation into concerns raised by a whistleblower. A copy of the PSA’s report, A report on the investigation into the General Dental Council’s handling of a whistleblower’s disclosure about the Investigating Committee, is attached.

    The GDC is required under the Dentist Act 1984 to prepare a statement of accounts and for those accounts to be audited. These accounts would cover all expenditure including that during the PSA investigation. The statement of accounts and auditor’s report are then published and properly scrutinised, including being certified and reported on by the Controller and Auditor General and being laid before Parliament and the Scottish Parliament by the Privy Council.

    The Department has no plans to ask the National Audit Office to carry out a value for money examination of the GDC’s financial management.

  • Baroness Burt of Solihull – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Baroness Burt of Solihull – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Burt of Solihull on 2016-06-06.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many companies list separate pension schemes for senior management in addition to their primary employee pension scheme.

    Baroness Altmann

    The information requested is not collated centrally either by DWP or TPR and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-07-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential cost to (a) the aerospace industry, (b) the car manufacturing industry and (c) other manufacturing in the UK of not having access to the EU Single Market.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    There are a number of factors that the Government will need to consider when developing our strategy for negotiating our withdrawal from the European Union. The Department is working closely with businesses to understand their concerns and I will be working with colleagues across government to make sure we understand all of the potential risks and opportunities across the economy. This will continue to inform our approach as we seek to shape our future relationship with Europe.

  • George Howarth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    George Howarth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by George Howarth on 2016-10-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people in the Liverpool City Region are currently on a waiting list for elective surgery.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The number of patients reported at the end of August 2016 who were on a referral to treatment pathway and were waiting to start consultant-led treatment for each clinical commissioning group (CCG) within the Liverpool City region are shown in the table below. These patients will be at various points along the pathway including, for example, waiting for an outpatient appointment or a diagnostic test. It is therefore not possible to separately identify how many of these patients were waiting for elective surgery or for an outpatient hospital appointment.

    Referral to treatment waiting times for incomplete pathways August 2016

    CCG

    August 2016

    Halton CCG

    9,777

    Knowsley CCG

    10,673

    Liverpool CCG

    31,529

    South Sefton CCG

    11,052

    Southport and Formby CCG

    8,252

    St Helens CCG

    11,840

    Wirral CCG

    21,880

    Total

    105,003

    Source: Consultant-led referral to treatment waiting times, NHS England

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Andrew Gwynne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the value of stationery that has been (a) lost and (b) stolen from his Department in each of the last five fiscal years; and what the cost was of replacing such stationery.

    Justin Tomlinson

    This information is not available, as there is no central record kept of lost or stolen stationery.