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Category: Speeches

  • Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-07-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 15 October 2015 to Question 10706, and to the letter sent by Network Rail to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Yardley on 14 July 2016, what the expected timescale is for accessibility alterations for Stechford railway station.

    Paul Maynard

    Network Rail have completed the option selection process for the Access for All scheme at Stechford and are working on a detailed design for the project. The Network Rail sponsor for the project would be happy to meet the hon Member to discuss plans for improving access at the station.

  • Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the implications for its policies of the decision by the Department of Health to remove electrical socket inserts from all premises where NHS care is delivered; and whether her Department plans to issue similar guidance.

    Edward Timpson

    The Department for Education has never required the use of socket covers in schools. All socket outlets in teaching areas of schools are designed to BS1363 and have built in safety shutters.

    The Department of Health guidance followed recent advice from electrical engineers that in some circumstances socket covers can compromise the safe operation of socket outlets and advises against their use.

  • Douglas Chapman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Douglas Chapman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2015-10-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the current threat posed to UK undersea fibre optic cables from hostile forces.

    Penny Mordaunt

    We do not comment on intelligence matters or media speculation relating to these.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Gwynne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the (a) forecast reduction in cases of and deaths from infection by Group C meningococcal disease as a result of the introduction of the meningitis C vaccine to the UK schedule in 1999, (b) number of meningitis C vaccinations administered in each year since that programme began and (c) cost of delivering that programme in each year since 1999.

    Jane Ellison

    Deaths have fallen from 110 in 1998/99 to an annual average of 3 deaths over the last 10 years. Annual MenC cases and deaths have therefore been respectively 97% and 96% lower in the last 10 years than in the year before vaccination was available.

    Routine immunisation programmes with MenC containing vaccines have changed since 1999 and this has affected the ability to collect estimate annual numbers of doses administered for each vaccine offered but currently around 96% of infants receive MenC vaccine and 93% of one year olds receive their MenC-Hib booster in England by their second birthday. Coverage data are not routinely collected on the third dose in adolescence (currently MenACWY vaccine) which began in the 2013-2014 school year.

    The administrative costs for the MenC programme are included in the global sum payment to general practitioners (managed by NHS England) which covers the costs of providing essential and additional primary care services.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 15 December 2015 to Question 1958, what the total budget of the BIS Automotive sector team was in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

    Anna Soubry

    The total administrative budget associated with the BIS Automotive sector team for the last five financial years was £6,265,356. This is illustrated below:

    Financial Year Administrative Cost

    11/12 £1,393,614*^

    12/13 £1,187,636^

    13/14 £1,207,986^

    14/15 £1,256,570^

    15/16 £1,219,550^

    *Includes funding for the Advanced Manufacturing Showcasing team who were under the same administrative budget for these years.

    ^ Includes one FTE on loan to the Office for Low Emission Vehicles.

    The total budget to support Industrial R&D primarily for the Advanced Propulsion Centre and Driverless cars over the last 3 years* was:

    RDEL(Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit) – £79.327m

    CDEL (Capital Departmental Expenditure Limit) – £11m.

    RDEL CDEL

    13/14 £452,000 £0

    14/15 £26,000,000 £5,000,000

    15/16 £52,875,000 £6,000,000

    *There is no data available for 11/12 and 12/13

  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of the NHS’ budget is spent on research and campaigns on (a) gender-specific cancers and (b) fertility treatment.

    George Freeman

    National Health Service revenue expenditure was £110.6 million in 2014/15.

    The Department funds the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to provide a health research system in which the NHS supports outstanding individuals working in world-class facilities, conducting leading-edge research focused on the needs of patients and the public. Information on total NIHR spend on research on gender-specific cancers and on fertility treatment is not available. Spend on research funded directly by the NIHR is categorised by Health Research Classification System (HRCS) health categories including ‘cancer’ and ‘reproductive health and childbirth’. There are no HRCS health sub-categories, such as for gender-specific cancers or fertility treatment.

    NHS England has advised that information on campaigns spending by NHS organisations is not collected centrally.

    Public Health England (PHE) has run gender-specific campaigns on breast cancer in women over 70, ovarian cancer and prostate cancer in black men as part of Be Clear on Cancer. Information on media spending for these campaigns in each of the last three complete financial years is shown in the table.

    2012/13 £ million

    2013/14 £ million

    2014/15 £ million

    Breast 70+

    0.50

    1.48

    –

    Ovarian

    0.44

    0.57

    –

    Prostate

    –

    –

    0.07

    Source: PHE

    Notes:

    Figures are net plus agency fees and commissions (rounded to nearest £10,000). Figures exclude VAT and Central Office of Information fees.

    Media spend includes expenditure for advertising on Television, Radio, National Press, Regional Press, Out of Home (Outdoor), Cinema and Digital.

  • Matthew Pennycook – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Matthew Pennycook – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Pennycook on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will publish an updated set of Levy Control Framework projections.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Office for Budget Responsibility published updated Levy Control Framework (LCF) spend projections alongside the Spending Review on 25 November and we anticipate they will publish an update alongside the March budget. The Department will publish further details on the LCF projections in due course.

  • Baroness Masham of Ilton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Masham of Ilton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Masham of Ilton on 2016-03-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the ability of people living with HIV to experience continuity of HIV care across the numerous health services and providers that they access.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The National Health Service continues to offer world class Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) treatment services.

    In its role as the commissioner of specialised HIV care and treatment, NHS England has a service specification which emphasises the responsibility of commissioned providers to collaborate with other health, social care and third sector organisations as appropriate to help ensure the holistic needs of patients are met. This includes ensuring people living with HIV and other comorbidities have access and referral to appropriate services.

    The effectiveness of HIV treatment means that more people will live well with HIV in old age. As people living with HIV get older, they will require access to services for the other conditions they may experience. Good communication with their HIV provider is important and this is required in the service specification.

    In line with the Five Year Forward View, NHS England will continue to work closely with HIV organisations in order to inform its commissioning responsibilities with regard to specialised HIV care and treatment as well as ensuring primary and secondary health care services respond to the wider health needs of people living with HIV.

    The Government’s Improvement Framework for Sexual Health includes the ambition that “older people with diagnosed HIV can access the additional health and social care services they need”. A copy is attached.

  • Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of new nursery staff in (a) Burnley and (b) Lancashire who will be affected by the new requirements for staff taking a Level 3 in childcare.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    The requirements have been in effect since 2014 for individuals taking the level 3 Early Years Educator qualifications.

    The requirement for level 3 Early Years Educator staff to hold a GCSE Maths and English at grade C or above was introduced to make sure that new entrants to the workforce have the numeracy and literacy skills they need to operate in a level 3 role. Staff working in level 3 roles can have a range of responsibilities, all of which require them to be highly skilled and well-qualified. Level 3 staff are likely to work directly with children, and many will have additional responsibility as room leaders and some will lead and manage an entire childcare setting.

    The department holds national data on level 3 staff in the early years sector. We know excellent progress has been made over the past few years in which qualification levels have continued to rise. Between 2008 and 2013, the proportion of the 233,200 full day care staff with at least a level 3 qualification grew from 75% to 87%[1]. We are continuing to collect data on level 3 staff through the Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey this year, and will collect data from 2016 in the Early Years Census.

    We have been talking to childcare employers and training organisations about early years qualifications. We want to continue to work with the sector to understand the challenges faced, and find ways to tackle these whilst ensuring a quality workforce remains.

    [1] Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey 2013

  • Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2016-05-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of NHS blood donation services.

    Jane Ellison

    NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is operationally responsible for providing a safe and reliable supply of blood, blood products and expertise to hospitals in England. Each year, donors voluntarily give around 1.7 million units of blood to ensure that hospitals receive the 6,000 blood donations they need every day, to treat patients. There has not been a shortage of blood for many years.

    NHSBT recruits around 200,000 new donors each year to replace those who can no longer donate for reasons such as ill health, pregnancy or foreign travel.

    To meet an on-going overall drop in demand but a more complex need for specific blood groups, NHSBT is increasing donation from O negative blood donors, A negative platelet donors and donors from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities. To increase blood donation, NHSBT recently launched a BAME toolkit to be used by Members of Parliament seeking to increase blood and organ donors in their constituencies.

    The toolkit can be found at:

    https://www.dropbox.com/sh/i5d5f93ppiqys38/AAB_Q44nwfOiRFMYUx9qKlH8a?dl=0

    “