Category: Speeches

  • Anna Turley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Anna Turley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anna Turley on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to promote awareness across NHS trusts in England of preventative measures to reduce the risk of atrial fibrillation-related strokes.

    Jane Ellison

    Public Health England’s (PHE) programme on ‘Stroke and vascular dementia prevention for people with atrial fibrillation’ works with key stakeholders to increase prioritisation for the prevention of atrial fibrillation related strokes.

    PHE’s National Cardiovascular Intelligence Network contributed to the development of atrial fibrillation intelligence packs to help commissioners to identify where improvements can be made to reduce the risk of stroke by improving the detection and treatment of atrial fibrillation.

    The NHS Health Checks best practice guidance recommends that a pulse check is carried out as part of the process of taking a blood pressure reading and those individuals who are found to have an irregular pulse rhythm should be referred to a general practitioner for further investigation.

    Recent research shows that, due to the NHS Health Check and appropriate clinical treatment, 2,500 people will have avoided a major cardiovascular event such as heart attack or stroke over the last five years.

  • Corri Wilson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Corri Wilson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Corri Wilson on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what progress has been made on introducing a Europe-wide groceries adjudicator.

    Anna Soubry

    On 29 January, the European Commission published its report on the existing regulatory and voluntary frameworks for tackling unfair trading practices in the food supply chain. The Commission concluded that there would be no added value in a specific harmonised regulatory approach at EU level at this stage.

    The Commission will continue to monitor the situation and, before the end of its mandate, it will re-assess its position on harmonised regulation.

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how his Department plans to increase the understanding and use of social value in the design of healthcare services.

    Alistair Burt

    The Department is reviewing its work with the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector and will consider how to enhance the understanding and use of the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 as part of this work. The Department also intends to develop guidance for procurers and non-procurers on how to make best use of the Act. In addition, the Sustainable Development Unit, funded by NHS England and Public Health England, has established a programme of work on social value which includes providing guidance to commissioners and embedding social value in the Sustainability and Transformation Planning process underway across the health and care system.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of people receiving jobseekers allowance were reported as having failed to turn up for job interviews in the last year.

    Priti Patel

    This information is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2016-05-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they are making in identifying the most geologically suitable site for the future storage of nuclear waste.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    The 2014 Implementing Geological Disposal White Paper set out three initial actions for Government and the developer (Radioactive Waste Management) to provide greater clarity on issues such as geology, development impacts and community representation.

    In April 2016 Radioactive Waste Management (RWM) published National Geological Screening Guidance which sets out how they intend to bring together, present and provide authoritative and existing information on UK geology relevant to the long term safety of a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF).

    RWM are applying this Guidance and have started gathering existing information on the UK’s geology which will help communities across England, Wales and Northern Ireland better understand their potential suitability to host a GDF. It will not, however, determine if a particular location, region or area can definitively host a GDF.

    Formal engagement between the developer and potential host communities will start in 2017 once the Government and RWM have delivered the initial actions, including the national geological screening outputs. Good progress is being made in the short term with a clear long term goal of delivering safe and secure final disposal of all our radioactive waste.

  • The Lord Bishop of Coventry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The Lord Bishop of Coventry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Coventry on 2016-07-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Bangladesh about human rights violations against Hindus and bringing to justice those responsible for the destruction of temples and other places of worship.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Our assessment is that the rise in extremist attacks has increased pressure on religious minorities, including Hindus, in Bangladesh.

    The former Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), most recently talked to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh about the importance of countering extremism in the margins of the G7 meeting in Japan on 27 May. The former Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), raised this with Foreign Minister Ali on 5 July. The British High Commissioner regularly discusses these issues with Bangladesh government ministers.

  • Nick Thomas-Symonds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Nick Thomas-Symonds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Thomas-Symonds on 2016-09-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of NHS England’s clinical policy prioritisation process for specialised services on the provision of treatment to patients in the devolved nations; and if he will make a statement.

    David Mowat

    As health is a devolved function, it is for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to make decisions about how they prioritise funding for specialised treatments. NHS England’s clinical policy prioritisation process relates solely to the direct commissioning responsibilities of NHS England and predominantly affects patients in England.

    However, NHS England works closely with the three devolved nations, particularly through the Rare Diseases Advisory Group (of which the three devolved nations are members), whose function is to provide advice to NHS England and the devolved nations on the commissioning of highly specialised services. The devolved nations are also observers on the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group, which advises NHS England on which specialised services should be prioritised for funding.

  • Tom Brake – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Tom Brake – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 16 November 2015 to Question 15947, on the Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committees, how long he expects the matter to be under consideration.

    Mark Lancaster

    I have considered this matter and will bring forward an amendment in the Armed Forces Bill to extend the remit of the Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committees.

  • Lord Wigley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Wigley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wigley on 2015-12-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to instruct the Office for National Statistics to require individuals to enter their full names in 2021 Census returns.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

  • Daniel Kawczynski – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Daniel Kawczynski – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost was to the public purse of the public inquiry into the death of Alexander Litvinenko; and what the average cost was to the public purse of inquiries into suspicious deaths undertaken by coroners over the last three years.

    Mr John Hayes

    The public inquiry into the death of Alexander Litvinenko publishes costs on its website https://www.litvinenkoinquiry.org/costs. As of 31st December 2015, the inquiry had spent £2.25m. Final figures are still being calculated.

    Coroners are a local service, funded independently of central government by local authorities. The total cost to the public of inquiries into suspicious deaths over the last three years is therefore not available.