Category: Speeches

  • Lord Freyberg – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Freyberg – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Freyberg on 2015-11-30.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the average turnaround time for cancer genetic tests relating to (1) breast cancer, (2) lung cancer, (3) colorectal cancer, and (4) melanoma, measured from biopsy to a discussion of the results with the patient, in (a) tertiary care centres, (b) secondary care centres with in-house testing, and (c) secondary care centres with third-party testing.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    NHS England has not, to date, undertaken a direct comparison of the English and French health systems in respect of genetic testing practice for cancer.

    NHS England does not hold data on the percentage of stage 2b, or higher, cancer patients in secondary and tertiary centres who were genetically tested. Detailed information on the clinical circumstances, or reasons, for referral for genetic testing for individual patients is not currently collated on a national basis.

    NHS England does not consider business cases from individual National Health Service trusts in relation to the adoption of new genetic tests. Instead, NHS England considers national clinical commissioning policy proposals on the eligibility of a particular test, or treatments to be made available in the presence of particular genetic markers. These are considered and where agreed, funded consistently across England for services falling within NHS England’s direct commissioning responsibilities.

    Examples include the separate policies (published in July 2015) confirming eligibility for Ivacaftor for the treatment of cystic fibrosis in the presence of certain gene mutations, and confirming eligibility for testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations, respectively. Copies of the policies are attached.

    In addition, the UK Genetic Testing Network currently presents new genetic testing proposals to NHS England for funding consideration based on the conclusions of their assurance programme. These are considered, alongside other new policy proposals, as part of the annual funding prioritisation process, where there is a net annual investment to be made to support their adoption.

    Information on the average turnaround time for cancer genetic tests is not currently collated, or analysed, nationally. However, NHS England will be undertaking a procurement exercise in the coming months to support the strengthened provision of genetic testing across England. This includes more consistent reporting of activity and other performance indicators, including the timeliness of reporting on receipt on referrals. The supporting national service specification, setting out the standards required of commissioned providers, has been the subject of a recent public consultation.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-01-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure former aircraft carrier personnel do not become deskilled before the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers come into active service.

    Penny Mordaunt

    Comprehensive training programmes, including embedding personnel with the US and French Navies, ensure that skills are retained and developed in support of the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers coming into service.

  • Lord Fearn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord Fearn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Fearn on 2016-02-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what support has been given to the British Olympic team during the years 2014 and 2015.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    UK Sport’s investments in sports are made on a quadrennial rather than yearly basis, with all investment decisions and levels reviewed annually.

    In the current 2013-17 Rio Olympic and Paralympic cycle, UK Sport are investing around £350 million in the Summer Olympic and Paralympic sports, and a further £31 million in the Winter Olympic and Paralympic sports, targeting success in PyeongChang 2018 and Tokyo 2022.

  • Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what official domestic visits he has made since May 2015; and what the purpose of each such visit was.

    Greg Clark

    I have carried out a wide range of domestic visits since May 2015. Transparency data is recorded on the Department’s website.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many staff currently work at the marine offices in (a) Tyne, (b) Plymouth, (c) Beverley, (d) Orpington, (e) Harwich and (f) Norwich; and how many unfilled vacancies exist at each such location.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The table below shows the current level of staffing (Headcount and Full-Time Equivalent (FTE)), current full complement and vacancies at each of the six locations listed:

    Marine Office

    Full Complement (FTE)

    Current Headcount

    Current (FTE)

    Vacancies (FTE)

    a

    Tyne (includes Ensign Unit)

    23.60

    18

    15.90

    7.7

    b

    Plymouth

    8.27

    9

    6.94

    1.33

    c

    Beverley

    19

    16

    14.66

    4.34

    d

    Orpington

    12

    11

    10

    2

    e

    Harwich

    4

    3

    3

    1

    f

    Norwich

    5

    5

    5

    0

    “

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent discussions he has had with the Sentencing Council on the offence of refusing carriage to an assistance dog.

    Dominic Raab

    It is an offence under section 168 of the Equalities Act 2010 to refuse to take an assistance dog in a taxi or private hire vehicle. The maximum penalty is up to £1,000. Sentencing is a matter for the independent courts. There is no evidence that courts are finding their sentencing powers insufficient. The Sentencing Council considers the case for guidelines on the basis of a number of factors, including where data suggests there may be inconsistency in sentencing.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-06-07.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to launch the next Lloyds Bank share offer; and what incentives he plans to include in that offer to encourage small shareholders to retain shares that they purchase.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The government is committed to launching a retail sale of Lloyds Banking Group shares and to fully returning its stake to the private sector in 2016-17.

    Those applying to invest less than £1,000 will be prioritised. Members of the public will be offered a discount on the market price and, to encourage long term share ownership, investors who hold their shares for more than a year will be entitled to bonus shares.

  • Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-09-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what innovation start-up grants are available for charities that undertake water sanitation projects.

    James Wharton

    The Department for International Development offers a wide range of funding opportunities and grants for charities and not-for-profit organisations interested in delivering poverty reduction-related activities, including water and sanitation projects.

    These include UK Aid Direct, which is an adaptive, demand-led, fund designed to support small and medium sized national and international Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to reduce poverty through service delivery, livelihoods and security and justice; and the Global Innovation Fund which has been established to support innovators to develop, test and scale-up innovations with the potential to have transformational social impact on the millions of people living on less than $5 a day. A complete list of funding opportunities can be found on DFID’s website at: https://www.gov.uk/international-development-funding.

    “

  • Lord Mawhinney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Mawhinney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mawhinney on 2016-10-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what financial resources they transferred to local authorities in 2015–16 which were designated to be spent on the provision of public health services; and what is their estimate of how much was spent on the provision of such services.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    The public health grant is provided to give local authorities the funding needed to discharge their public heath responsibilities. The total allocation for 2015-16 was £2.80 billion. All details of this grant and the allocations which were made can be found at – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ring-fenced-public-health-grants-to-local-authorities-2013-14-and-2014-15.

    “

  • Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-11-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on how many occasions between 1 June 2013 and 31 May 2014 Plaistow Jobcentre paid from the Flexible Support Fund for a jobseeker’s two month Zone 1-4 Transport for London Travelcard.

    Priti Patel

    The information is not collated centrally as to specific purchases on Flexible Support Fund and would require detailed analysis of transaction reports within London and Greater London. To provide this information could only be done so at disproportionate cost.