Category: Speeches

  • Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2016-02-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many mother and baby beds are available in mental health units or hospitals in (a) Nottinghamshire and (b) the East Midlands region.

    Alistair Burt

    We are advised by NHS England that there are seven mother and baby beds in mental health units for Nottinghamshire and a total of 13 in the East Midlands, provided as follows: Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Perinatal (seven beds), and Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Mother and Baby Unit (six beds).

  • Andrew Bridgen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    Andrew Bridgen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Bridgen on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment he has made of the financial accountability of government in Wales.

    Guto Bebb

    In order to become truly accountable to the people of Wales it is vital that the Welsh Government takes more responsibility for raising, through taxation, the money that it spends.

    We will, as part of the Wales Bill, remove the requirement for a referendum before the devolution of powers to vary the rates of income tax in Wales.

  • Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of (a) male and (b) female offenders were found guilty in (i) magistrates’ courts and (ii) Crown courts for each category of offence in the latest year for which figures are available.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The number of offenders found guilty at magistrates’ courts and in the Crown Courts, by offence category and sex, in England and Wales, in 2014 (the latest available), is available on the Ministry of Justice website at the below link, from which the percentage of male and female offender can be calculated.

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2014

    “

  • Sarah Wollaston – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Sarah Wollaston – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Wollaston on 2016-06-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what mechanisms he plans to put in place to ensure ministers receive impartial nursing advice after the proposed closure of the Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions policy unit in his Department.

    Ben Gummer

    The Department leads the health and care system in England, working closely with a range of organisations on whose expertise it draws, including the nursing and midwifery expertise in NHS England and Public Health England. The Department’s approach to ensuring that nurses are consulted about future policies is to flexibly access professional advice from a wide range of sources, including arms-length bodies, regulators, stakeholders and professional bodies.

    The Department’s policy teams will establish new networks and relationships with stakeholders and partners and collaborate with the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) to ensure systems are in place to secure advice when developing evidence based policy. These changes do not affect the role of the CNO, who as CNO of the Department already advises, and will continue to advise all Ministers and the Department on the range of nursing and midwifery issues.

    The Department is changing the way it works to deliver its essential work for the Government while achieving efficiency savings. All of the changes we are making through the resulting DH2020 programme are being done transparently and communicated to staff.


  • Lord Patten – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    Lord Patten – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patten on 2016-09-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the implications for inward investment in Turkey by UK companies and financial institutions of the attempted coup of 15 July.

    Lord Price

    The attempted coup of 15 July came as a surprise to everyone including UK investors in Turkey. The democratically elected government remains in power. Its policies, relating to international investors, remain the same or have been improved, with the aim of encouraging more foreign direct investment. UK investors were quick to confirm their intention to maintain or enhance their investments. We have consulted widely with the UK investor community, their message is clear; they are in Turkey for the long term and do not believe the events of 15 July have altered the economic fundamentals or the business case for continuing to invest in the market.

  • Catherine McKinnell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Catherine McKinnell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department plans to evaluate formally the National Stroke Strategy before the end of 2017.

    David Mowat

    The National Stroke Strategy remains valid and implementation of it continues. There are, therefore, no current plans to renew it. Action is being taken to ensure the progress made on stroke continues. This includes:

    – ongoing work in virtually all parts of the country to organise acute stroke care to ensure that all stroke patients, regardless of where they live or what time of the day or week they have their stroke, have access to high quality specialist care;

    – publication of the Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Outcomes Strategy in 2013, which includes many stroke specific strategic ambitions;

    – a CVD expert forum, hosted by NHS England, to coordinate delivery of the work which was initiated in the CVD Outcomes Strategy; and

    – NHS England’s National Clinical Director for Stroke works with the Strategic Clinical Networks, clinical commissioning groups, voluntary agencies and individual providers to support better commissioning and provision of stroke care.

    More generally, the NHS Five Year Forward View recognises that quality of care, including stroke care, can be variable and that patients’ needs are changing and new treatment options are emerging. The Five Year Forward View sets out high level objectives to address these issues.

    There are no current plans for a formal evaluation of the National Stroke Strategy. However there is a continuous evaluation of the quality of stroke care via the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme (SSNAP). This measures most of the key indicators defined as important in the strategy and findings are freely available on the SSNAP website at:

    https://www.strokeaudit.org/

    “

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 6 November 2015 to Question 13387, what information her Department holds on the number of sites approved for fracking in England and Wales; what the location is of each such site; and if she will make a statement.

    Andrea Leadsom

    There are currently no sites approved for fracking in England and Wales. Any operator would need a Petroleum Exploration and Development Licence (PEDL) in place before commencing hydrocarbon operations. A PEDL does not, in and of itself, allow an operator to commence hydrocarbon operations. Rather, they grant exclusivity to licensees within a defined area. All operations would also require local planning permission,Environment Agency permits, Health and Safety Executive scrutiny, Oil and Gas Authority consent and access agreement(s) with relevant landowner(s).

    The Infrastructure Act 2015 introduced a range of further requirements that must be met before an operator can carry out hydraulic fracturing in a responsible, sustainable and safe manner. A hydraulic fracturing consent will not be issued unless my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State is satisfied that the conditions are met. The Secretary of State must also be satisfied that it is appropriate to issue the consent.

  • 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 2015-12-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 30 November to Question 17518, what steps he plans to take to increase the course completion rate for people who are referred to the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme.

    Alistair Burt

    We are working closely with NHS England on all issues related to the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme, which includes reducing dropout rates. The Department is currently in conversation with NHS England to determine the causes of dropouts.

    The table in answer to Question 17518 includes all referrals who did not finish a course of treatment, this would include those that drop out but also includes those who do not complete treatment for other reasons including those who were not suitable for IAPT treatment, those who are moved or referred elsewhere and those that declined the offer of treatment.

  • Margaret Ferrier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Margaret Ferrier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ferrier on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the conclusions of the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s assessment of the neoniocotinoid imidacloprid, published on 6 January 2016.

    George Eustice

    The United States Environmental Protection Agency has published a “Preliminary Pollinator Assessment to Support the Registration Review of Imidacloprid”. The Agency aims to produce the final assessment at the end of 2016. The preliminary assessment indicates a risk to honey bees from uses of imidacloprid on cotton and some uses on citrus. Risks from use on a number of other crops were low and a shortage of data meant that the risks from use on other crops were uncertain.

    The US assessment cannot be read across to the UK situation as there are many differences in the crops, methods of applying the pesticide and environmental conditions.

    The European Food Safety Authority has begun a scientific evaluation of the risk to bees from imidacloprid, as well as two other neonicotinoids (clothianidin and thiamethoxam). The UK will participate fully in that review.

  • John Healey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    John Healey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Healey on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when his Department’s decisions on the successful bids for the Trusted Partner Pilot Programme were communicated to bidders.

    Priti Patel

    The intention is to deliver 26 Trusted Partner pilot sites. In total we received just over 200 valid applications; 16 landlords have already commenced the pilot and work is in train to confirm the final 10.

    We plan to let key stakeholders know once all landlords have been confirmed.

    Tenants in accommodation such as supported or sheltered housing are not subject to the Alternative Payment Arrangement process.