UKPOL.CO.UK

Category: Speeches

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-03-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy that new academies should not join under-performing multi-academy trusts.

    Edward Timpson

    Regional Schools Commissioners (RSC) are supporting the development of high-performing multi-academy trusts (MATs). MATs will play a crucial role in the future school system, enabling academies to realise a wide range of benefits and providing the formal structure in which high-performing schools can support under-performing schools to improve.

    RSCs are responsible for approving new academies and intervening in underperforming academies and free schools in their area. In assessing schools proposals for becoming academies, RSCs will ensure schools joining existing trusts are matched to the right MATs, according to their need, the trust’s capacity and how together they will secure long term success. New academies will be matched with MATs who are able to evidence good or better performance and capacity for sustained improvement.

    With MATs taking on an increasingly important role, it is important that parents and the wider system can access information on how well they are leading their schools. Therefore, as we outlined in the recent White Paper, Education Excellence Everywhere, we will launch new accountability measures for MATs, publishing MAT performance tables in addition to the continued publication of, and focus on, inspection and performance data at individual school level.

  • Owen Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Owen Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to paragraph 10 of the explanatory memorandum to the Universal Credit (Work Allowance) Amendment Regulations 2015, if he will publish the calculations used to estimate savings arising from the introduction of those regulations.

    Priti Patel

    The savings were estimated using DWP’s and HMRC’s models of the tax and benefit system. Extracting the full details of the calculations carried out within the models would only be possible at disproportionate cost.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-07-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to improve (a) expertise and (b) facilities in primary care to strengthen (i) detection of early liver disease and (ii) treatment for liver disease.

    David Mowat

    I understand that the British Liver Trust is working in partnership with the Royal College of General Practitioners on a three year programme to make liver disease a clinical priority for primary care. This is aimed at improving awareness and understanding of liver disease as well as treatment amongst those working in primary care.

    Public Health England is currently developing a framework to tackle liver disease. This will include the action that needs to be taken across the health and care system, including in primary care, to prevent and better manage liver disease.

  • Brendan O’Hara – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Brendan O’Hara – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Brendan O’Hara on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the oral contribution by the Secretary of State for Defence, of 18 January 2016, Official Report, column 1118 on how many occasions the Government has considered evidence from (a) non-governmental organisations, (b) Airwars, (c) White Helmets and (d) other organisations working in Syria on the collection of data on civilian (i) casualties and (ii) injuries in Syria from 2016 to date; and on how many occasions the Government has considered such evidence as credible.

    Mike Penning

    The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has reviewed four batches of information collated by Airwars in relation to possible civilian casualties in Syria and Iraq, where they wished to establish whether RAF aircraft might have been involved. There was no credible evidence that RAF aircraft were responsible in any of these incidents. MOD officials have also met Airwars to outline the process used by the UK to assess the outcome of RAF airstrikes.

    All RAF airstrikes are subject to an assessment of their outcome. Whilst there can be no guarantees in a complex air campaign like this one, our airstrikes are planned meticulously with the objective of minimising the risk of causing civilian casualties.The MOD continues to be prepared to consider credible evidence on this issue from any source.

  • Douglas Carswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Douglas Carswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect of changes to stop and search guidelines on the level of knife crime in (a) north east Essex and (b) other areas with a higher than average incidence of such crime.

    Mike Penning

    No assessment has been made of the effect on knife crime or other offences of the amendment to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 Code of Practice A which makes clear what ‘reasonable grounds for suspicion’ are and that officers would be subject to conduct or performance procedures as a result of misusing the power. The changes came into force on 19 March 2015. More generally, statistical evidence does not suggest a clear relationship between changes in the use of stop and search and knife crime. The Home Office continues to monitor levels of knife crime but the latest figures show that nationally it is 17% lower than in June 2010, and although it has seen a slight rise of 4% in the last year (to June 2015) it remains close to its lowest level since data was first collected.

  • Lord Marlesford – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Marlesford – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Marlesford on 2015-11-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the direct read-only access to the Police National Computer (PNC) available to the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) is controlled so as to ensure that an SSPCA employee using the access is not able to read the information on the PNC which that person is not specifically allowed to see.

    Lord Bates

    Access to Police National Computer data is only provided where there is a lawful and justifiable reason. Permitted reasons include: protecting life and property; preserving order; preventing the commission of offences; bringing offenders to justice; any duty or responsibility arising from common or statute law and counter-terrorism.

    Users are only given access to the PNC data they are specifically authorised to see. Access is controlled by software features on the PNC controlling transaction types to which users have authorised access. All PNC transactions are audited, and usage is subject to independent audit by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC).

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

    Lord Warner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Warner on 2015-11-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 23 November (HL3565), in discharging their oversight function, about which care homes the Care Quality Commission has alerted local authorities during 2015 that a provider was likely to fail financially and their services cease.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care providers in England. The CQC has advised that it has not issued any notifications to local authorities under the Market Oversight Scheme to date.

  • David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of demand for clinical trial capacity at UK muscle centres; and if he will make a statement.

    George Freeman

    The United Kingdom is a world–leader in neuromuscular research, bringing a combination of excellent translational science, well-defined patient cohorts and a sophisticated and successful clinical research system. These attributes make the UK an outstanding location for the global life sciences industry to undertake clinical trials and collaborate with leading clinical scientists.

    The National Health Service and the Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) are working collaboratively to support the increasing number of clinical trials in neuromuscular disease.

    The current pipeline of neuromuscular studies for 2016 includes four phase I studies, six phase II studies, three phase III studies and one phase IV study.

    Currently, the most intensive trials are supported in Great Ormond Street Hospital, London and in the John Walton Neuromuscular Centre in Newcastle, where NIHR supports dedicated clinical research facilities alongside the Medical Research Council funded muscle research centres. These centres supported colleagues at Alder Hey Hospital, Liverpool, to collaborate in a recent study supported by the NIHR Alder Hey Clinical Research Facility.

    Building on these successes, the NIHR is using its Clinical Research Network and Biomedical Research Centres to increase capacity and expertise at existing sites and prepare other muscle centres to be able to support the pipeline of studies. Additionally, NIHR leaders have engaged with patient organisations for neuromuscular disease and presented innovative models to enable charities to partner the NHS in developing more capacity in existing and new sites.

  • Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Church Commissioners

    Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Church Commissioners

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England is taking to ensure that its buildings are open for wider community use.

    Mrs Caroline Spelman

    The Church of England’s Cathedral and Church Buildings Division developed the open and sustainable churches initiative five years ago, and now 80% of churches provide a function beyond purely worship, with 54% of Anglican parishes running at least one organised activity to address social or community need. Churches are being used as citizen’s advice bureau, post offices, shops, night shelters and food banks. Two recent examples of local projects where the Church has opening its buildings for the wider community in the Lincoln Diocese include:

    St Peter & Paul Church, Algarkirk has been successful in getting through the first stage of HLF funding for a project to host a local heritage center, explaining the history of the area including an oral history project and fascinating details about this Grade I medieval church. The Parish Church has a collection of Victorian stained glass of national quality and furnishings by J.G. Grace who also furnished the Houses of Parliament.

    All Saints Church, Winterton is a Grade 1 Medieval church which has been restored with new community facilities installed to make it more accessible with the help of HLF and other grants.

  • Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans there are for (a) Transport for the North, (b) Transport for Greater Manchester and (c) Transport for London to take over from Network Rail the management or ownership of railway stations.

    Claire Perry

    The Department for Transport is working with Network Rail and other parties to explore new models for station management and ownership with the goal to bring improvements for both passengers and the communities they serve.

    Any decisions on such potential future options will take account of the ‎recommendations of Nicola Shaw’s report into the longer term shape and financing of Network Rail, and the government would expect any proposals to demonstrate improvements for passengers and value for money for the taxpayer.