Category: Speeches

Lord Addington – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Addington on 2016-02-24.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many times since 2006 government-commissioned reports have recommended that more teacher training is necessary in the field of special educational needs to satisfy the duty to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs.

Lord Nash

All initial teacher training (ITT) courses must ensure that trainee teachers can meet the teachers’ standards at the appropriate level. This includes having a clear understanding of the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs (SEN). Teachers must also be able to adapt teaching to the needs of all pupils and have an understanding of the factors that can inhibit learning and how to overcome them.

An independent review of ITT, carried out by Sir Andrew Carter, and published in January 2015, found that there is considerable variability in ITT course content across the system, and cites SEN among areas where there are gaps in a range of courses.

In response to the Carter Review, the Government has commissioned an independent working group made up of expert representatives from the sector, including an SEN specialist, to develop a framework of core ITT content. The group is expected to report to Ministers in spring 2016.

Further guidance on teacher’s standards is available on GOV.UK.

01/01/2023
Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-03-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March to Questions 30367, on vocational guidance, whether he plans that Jobcentre Plus or the Careers and Enterprise company will contact those schools.

Priti Patel

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 March 2016 to question UIN 32032.

01/01/2023
Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-04-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress has been made on improving the processes used by the police in relaying the overseas convictions of offenders to prosecutors in court.

James Brokenshire

No figures are held centrally to show the proportion of cases in which previous overseas conviction records of arrested foreign nationals were checked by the police. However, the UK is rolling out nationally a semi-automated process so that when an arrest record is created in a custody suite, an overseas criminal conviction request is prompted. The aim is to ensure that in all cases overseas criminal convictions will be obtained when a foreign national is arrested in the UK.

In the last three years (2013/14, 2014/15 and 2015/16) 39,028, 60,226, and 95,156 requests respectively, were made by the police to EU Member States for previous convictions of foreign nationals under the European Criminal Records Information System (ECRIS), an increase of over 140% in that time. In those same years, 19,018, 34,549 and 38,890 requests respectively were made by the police to countries outside the EU for previous convictions of foreign nationals, an increase of over 100% in that time.

No figures are held on the numbers of overseas criminal records which are subsequently passed on to the courts. However, to increase the amount of overseas criminal conviction information available to the courts, the Digital First programme, led by the National Police Chiefs Council, is working to improve the information on Digital Case Files to prompt police to ensure that overseas criminal convictions are obtained and passed on to the courts to inform criminal proceedings and sentencing.

01/01/2023
Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-06-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what change there was in the amount the EU Commission proposed to make available in structural funds to Wales for the period 2014 to 2020 from the period 2007 to 2013; what steps his Department took to limit such a change; and if he will estimate the amount of such funding made available to Wales after 2020.

Alun Cairns

I refer my hon Friend to the letter signed by the then Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills, Vince Cable MP, on ‘European Regional Development Fund and European Social Fund: UK allocations 2014-2020’.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/307492/bis-14-772-uk-allocations-eu-structural-funds-2014-2020-letter.pdf

The post-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework has not been proposed.

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01/01/2023
Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many former Ministers have claimed expenses from the public purse after leaving office.

Ben Gummer

The Public Duties Cost Allowance is to assist former Prime Ministers with the costs of continuing to fulfil duties associated with their previous position in public life. A copy of the policy and guidance on the allowance is in the Library of the House. The costs are a reimbursement of incurred expenses for necessary office costs and secretarial costs arising from their special position in public life. The allowance is not paid to support private or parliamentary duties. Civil servants are not entitled to claim this allowance.

Current recipients of the allowance are published in the Cabinet Office Annual Reports and Accounts. Previous recipients have included Lady Thatcher; the current recipients who are former Prime Ministers are Sir John Major, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. I also refer the Hon. Member to my answers to him of 9 September 2016 to (UIN 44045, 44048, 44049, 44053, 44054, 44055, 44056).

The Public Duties Cost Allowance rate is currently set at a limit of £115,000 per annum. When originally introduced, the Government stated that it would be the equivalent in amount to the Parliamentary Office Costs Allowance. I would note that that allowance is now known as the Parliamentary Staffing Allowance, determined by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority and that is currently set at the rate of £148,500 per annum.”

01/01/2023

Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2015-11-05.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which regulations his Office introduced as a result of EU legislation in (a) 2013, (b) 2014 and (c) 2015 to date; which regulations his Office expects to implement as a result of EU legislation in (i) 2016 and (ii) 2017; and what estimate he has made of the cost of each such regulation to the (A) public purse and (B) private sector.

Matthew Hancock

No regulations were introduced by the Cabinet Office as a result of EU legislation in 2013 and 2014.

So far in 2015 the Cabinet Office has introduced the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 which have estimated net annual savings of £3.6 Billion. No further regulations arising from EU legislation are planned for introduction in 2015.

Looking ahead to 2016 two regulations are expected to be implemented by the Cabinet Office as a result of EU legislation. These are the Utilities Contract Regulations and Concessions Contract Regulations.

Details of all the estimated costs to the Public Purse and Private Sector are provided in the table below:

Year	Title of Regulation	Cost to Business	Cost to Public Purse
2013	None
2014	None
2015	Public Contracts Regulations 2015	£3.6Billion saving
2016	Utilities Contract Regulations	£0.14M	£0.09M
	Concessions Contract Regulations	£0.3M	£0.85
2017	None

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01/01/2023

Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-11-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many RAF fast jets were (a) operational and (b) being repaired in each month in each of the last five years.

Mr Philip Dunne

The information is not available in the format requested. The number of aircraft available varies day-to-day according to normal fleet management activities.

01/01/2023
Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-01-12.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Dunlop on 27 November (HL3723), 8 December (HL4130) and 23 December 2015 (HL4429), why they have not answered specifically about how parity of esteem applies to security personnel, as requested.

Lord Dunlop

As I have made clear in previous answers on this subject the UK Government is committed to affording due respect and parity of esteem to all the people in Northern Ireland as underpinned by the 1998 Belfast Agreement, and in accordance with the obligations on the Government to promote equality and prevent discrimination across the United Kingdom.

01/01/2023
David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2016-02-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to improve cervical screening rates among black and minority ethnic women.

Jane Ellison

NHS England closely monitors the coverage rates for cervical screening in all age groups and is committed to improving coverage and reducing variation between all groups including black and minority ethnic women, women with learning disabilities and women from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Local NHS England commissioners analyse coverage rates within their area and work with general practices to improve coverage by sharing best practice. For example, commissioners in London have developed a screening coverage strategy and delivery plan, including:

― Increased public awareness and engagement with screening programmes across all communities;

― increased engagement with primary care and improved reliability of data; and

― working with screening providers to optimise coverage.

In addition to this:

― A primary care cancer screening best practice guide has been developed jointly with the transforming cancer services team, clinical commissioning groups and local authority public health representatives;

― linking with Cancer Research UK facilitators and Macmillan Cancer Support general practitioners to support best practice for screening in general practice; and

― imperial College is conducting a randomised controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of texting non-responders on improving coverage.

NHS England is working in partnership with Cancer Research UK and Macmillan Cancer Support on the ACE (Accelerate, Coordinate, Evaluate) Programme aiming to generate knowledge about effective approaches to achieve earlier diagnosis. A number of ACE test sites are evaluating approaches to increase screening rates in a range of groups, including black and ethnic minority women, women with learning disabilities and women from disadvantaged backgrounds.

To explore the potential to increase rates of cervical screening in young women, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme has commissioned a £1 million study to determine which interventions are effective at increasing screening uptake amongst women aged 25 who are receiving their first invitation from the NHS Cervical Screening Programme. The study began in November 2011 and reports can be expected later in 2016.

In addition, the Department of Health Behavioural Insight team has undertaken a trial to investigate the use of behavioural insights to optimise the content of the invitation letter for cervical screening. Results are due in summer 2016.

A routine human papillomavirus vaccination programme has been available in England since 2008, and offers immunisation to girls aged 12-14 years. It is expected that the vaccine will reduce the already low rates of cervical cancer in these young women and allow them to be protected for years to come.

01/01/2023
Lord Clement-Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Clement-Jones on 2016-02-24.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the ability of NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to introduce the new Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) process from 1 April and manage the transition from the old CDF in relation to (1) timelines for the publication of Standard Operating Procedures and methodology changes, (2) the number of staff working on NICE appraisals, (3) the number of Appraisal Committee meetings required, and (4) external input required from Economic Reference Groups, clinicians, patient organisations, and manufacturers.

Lord Prior of Brampton

NHS England’s Board agreed, on 25 February 2016, a way forward which will see the proposed new arrangements for the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) going live on 1 July 2016.

We expect both NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to work together to ensure that both organisations have the necessary capability and capacity to implement these proposals.

The NICE Board will be considering the implications of NHS England’s decision at its meeting on 16 March 2015.

The Accelerated Access Review is actively engaging with NHS England to ensure alignment between the work of the review on speeding up access for NHS patients to innovative and cost effective new medicines and the CDF.

01/01/2023