Category: Speeches

  • Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what equality impact assessment his Department has carried out on its proposals to reform the junior doctor contract.

    Ben Gummer

    NHS Employers will conduct a full impact assessment once the final proposals are developed.

    Individual employers are also obliged under equalities legislation to ensure all their staff receive equal pay for work of equal value, which the new contract proposals will support by linking pay increases to responsibility.

  • Lord West of Spithead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord West of Spithead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2015-11-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the first UK-owned P8 Maritime Patrol aircraft will be flying operationally.

    Earl Howe

    Under current plans, we anticipate that the Boeing P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft will enter service in the UK in financial year 2019-20. Exact dates are yet to be agreed between the Department and the US Department of Defense.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of when Tolvaptan will be available through the NHS to treat autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

    George Freeman

    Tolvaptan (Jinarc) became available through the National Health Service following its launch in the United Kingdom in June 2015.

    In October, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published technology appraisal guidance recommending tolvaptan as a treatment for autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease where certain conditions are met.

    NHS commissioners are legally required to fund drugs and treatments recommended by NICE technology appraisals within three months of the NICE technology appraisal guidance being published.

  • Owen Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Owen Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information his Department holds on the number of times a universal credit claimant has been paid housing benefit and housing costs at the same time resulting in an overpayment of housing benefit.

    Priti Patel

    The information could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.

  • Michael Dugher – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Michael Dugher – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Dugher on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many heavy rail vehicles built before 1999 have not been refurbished to comply with (a) RVAR 10 and (b) PRM TSI regulations; and what proportion of the national heavy rail fleet meets those requirements.

    Claire Perry

    The total heavy rail fleet comprises 12,610 vehicles. Of these vehicles, 7,903 are either built or refurbished to be compliant with the applicable accessibility standards. This is 62.7% of the fleet. The equivalent proportion as at March 2010 was 45 per cent.

    Within those figures there are 6336 vehicles built pre-1999 in service. Of that figure, to date 1,628 vehicles have been refurbished to meet accessibility standards. We expect all the remaining vehicles to be made compliant, or replaced, by 2020. Some of the pre-1999 fleet will be replaced shortly under new rolling stock programmes such as IEP, and others, such as Pacers will no longer be in service by the 2020 accessibility compliance deadline.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-03-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 1.89 of the Budget 2016, whether nursery schools are included in the plans to convert all schools to academies; how she expects the changes announced in the Budget 2016 to affect nursery schools; and if she will make a statement.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    The expectation that all schools should become academies by 2020, set out in the 2016 Budget, did not include the early years. The government has already announced an ambitious plan to transform early years provision so that working families can receive 30 hours free childcare.

    The consultation on the National Funding Formula for schools sets out the government’s plans for replacing the arbitrary and unfair system for allocating primary and secondary school funding with a fairer system. Later this year, we will consult on proposals for a fairer funding system for all of the early years.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House of Lords

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House of Lords

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Leader of the House whether time will be made in the Parliamentary timetable for a full debate on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Human Rights and Democracy Report 2015.

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    My Noble Friend the Government Chief Whip does not expect to be able to facilitate a full debate on the report before the end of this session, but from the start of the new session, the usual mechanisms – which include balloted debates, Thursday debates, and questions for short debate – will be available to secure a debate on the Report.

  • Lord Bradshaw – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Bradshaw – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bradshaw on 2016-06-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the conclusion by the Office of Road and Rail that it will be possible, by 2021, to run 7.5 long distance trains per hour on the East Coast Main Line (ECML) in an operationally robust timetable, in the light of the eight interventions to improve the ECML identified in the 2011 Initial Industry Plan by Network Rail at a cost of £500 million, and the later announcement of funding of £240 million.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The Government understands from work carried out by Network Rail that under the current plans for enhancement works on the route, 7.5 high speed paths would be available from 2021, although the detailed implications for the timetable and train performance have yet to be examined.

  • Deidre Brock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Deidre Brock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Deidre Brock on 2016-07-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether the Government plans to devolve the areas of law and policy on fishing formerly dealt with by the EU to Scotland’s Government and Parliament after the UK leaves the EU.

    David Mundell

    While the United Kingdom remains a member of the European Union, the current arrangements for fisheries remain in place.

    Preparations for our negotiations to leave the EU will include looking at future approaches to fisheries management and the UK Government will fully involve the Scottish Government in this process.

  • Dame Caroline Spelman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Dame Caroline Spelman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dame Caroline Spelman on 2016-10-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions the Chemotherapy Clinical Reference Group has had on the use of bisphosphonates for the indication of preventing secondary breast cancer since July 2015.

    Nicola Blackwood

    NHS England has advised that the Chemotherapy Clinical Reference Group (CRG) discussed the use of bisphosphonates for the indication of preventing secondary breast cancer during a meeting held in September 2015. It was raised in the context of guidance being developed by the Breast Cancer Clinical Reference Group and whether, through the Chemotherapy CRG, NHS England could implement any policy to support the use of these drugs. It was confirmed that these drugs would need to be commissioned by clinical commissioning groups.