Category: Speeches

  • James Cartlidge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    James Cartlidge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Cartlidge on 2016-06-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress her Department has made on creating a £10 million fund for small schools to secure expert support and advice on converting to academy status.

    Edward Timpson

    This Government recognises the particular challenges facing small and rural schools and is committed to supporting them. We have announced a package of measures to guarantee the continued success of these schools, including £10 million to secure expert support and advice. Details on how this will be administered, and further information, will be available in due course.

  • Clive Efford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Clive Efford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Efford on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assurances he has received from Greenwich Clinical Commissioning Group that the £12 million saving promised by Circle Holdings plc as part of its successful bid for the contract to provide musculoskeletal services will not affect the quality of services to patients; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The procurement of local health services by means of competitive tendering is a matter for the local National Health Service.

    We are advised that NHS Greenwich Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) undertook a review of the provision of musculoskeletal (MSK) services in the area in 2014, involving local general practitioners (GPs), secondary care clinicians, other MSK clinicians and patient groups. The CCG took account of this exercise in confirming its commissioning intentions for an integrated MSK service pathway. The CCG subsequently held a GP clinical commissioner-led provider engagement event on 2 March 2016 to seek feedback on the clinical service specification and the proposed contractual model.

    We understand that, as part of the procurement process, the MSK Programme Board was fully apprised of the Our Healthier South East London initiative, the predecessor to the Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) in respect of elective orthopaedic centres.

    We are advised that the Invitation to Tender (ITT) developed as part of the procurement exercise explicitly stated the aspirations of these two initiatives, in addition to the proposed implementation timeline. When submitting their bids, all prospective providers were required to confirm their understanding and acceptance of the planned new model of in-patient care. Patient choice continues to apply with regard to both this local procurement and the South East London STP proposals on elective care centres.

    We understand that the ITT issued to potential service providers, was divided into sections, with each section allocated a weighting. The financial weighting was designed to ensure that the selection of the preferred provider was driven by clinical quality scores whilst remaining within the CCG’s published financial envelope. The detailed clinical service specification will be used to hold the provider to account within the format of the NHS national standard contract.

    Health Ministers have not received any representations from local health practitioners in Greenwich with regard to the provision of MSK services in the area.

  • Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grant Shapps on 2016-10-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much private funding has been secured for the High Speed 2 project from major corporate beneficiaries to date.

    Andrew Jones

    No private funding contributions have been secured for HS2 to date.

  • Stuart McDonald – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Stuart McDonald – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart McDonald on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will take steps to ensure that funding is available to maintain work opportunities for researchers in the early stages of their careers.

    Joseph Johnson

    The Government recognises the importance of sustaining a vibrant research community across the UK. A key criterion for allocating the £4.6billion per year of research funding is “maintaining a substantial flow of new researchers and high level skills”. Research Councils support 10,000 researchers many of whom are in early research careers, as well as Doctoral Training Centres. National Academies also support early-career researchers with the potential to become leaders in their chosen fields.

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-12-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many civil servants in her Department are in the redeployment pool.

    Nick Gibb

    There are nine civil servants in the redeployment pool.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-01-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to establish a commission to examine the issue of hunting foxes with dogs before bringing forward proposals for a vote in the House on that issue.

    Rory Stewart

    The Government has no plans to establish a commission to examine the issue of hunting foxes with dogs. However, the Government continues to stand by its manifesto commitment to give Parliament the opportunity to repeal the Hunting Act on a free vote, with a government bill in government time.

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

    David Crausby – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress his Department has made on improving access to specialist psychology support for people with muscle-wasting conditions.

    Jane Ellison

    With regards to the National Health Service in Scotland, as healthcare is a devolved issue, the Department cannot comment.

    NHS England commissions specialised neurological services at a national level, including those with muscle-wasting conditions. The neurosciences service specification sets out what designated specialised providers must have in place to offer evidence-based, safe and effective care. Patients should have access to a multidisciplinary team (MDT) to assess, diagnose and provide support. The MDT will include neuromuscular consultants, neuromuscular physiotherapists, psychologists, specialist nurses, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists and other health professionals.

    The specification further sets out that neuromuscular clinics need to identify those at risk of respiratory problems and refer for specialist respiratory assessment and monitoring.

    The specification can be found at the following link:

    www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/d04-neurosci-spec-neuro.pdf

    A separate specification covers services for children.

    www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/e09-paedi-neurology.pdf

    “

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-02-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the illustrative rota number 15 for junior doctors published by NHS Employers on 18 February 2016, for what reasons that rota requires junior doctors to work on consecutive weekends; whether rota 15 has been updated since its original publication; and whether the illustrative rotas will provide for more junior doctors to be on duty at weekends than there are at present.

    Ben Gummer

    Only a small number of junior doctors currently work one weekend in two and NHS Employers agreed with the British Medical Association (BMA) that they would work together to move towards no junior doctor working more than one weekend in three as part of an agreed future contract review process. No junior doctor will be required to work consecutive weekends. The illustrative rota concerned has been adjusted to reflect this. However, the BMA said in negotiation that doctors working very frequent weekends would prefer the flexibility to group weekends of work together in order to group weekends off. This will be possible by agreement under the new contract.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate his Department has made of the claims relating to national minimum wage have fallen under section 2 of the Deduction from Wages (Limitation) Regulations 2014 since their entry into force.

    Nick Boles

    No estimate has been made of the number of National Minimum Wage claims falling under section 2 of the Deduction from Wages (Limitation) Regulations 2014 since they came into force.

    The Regulations introduced a two year limit on claims for unlawful deductions made to an Employment Tribunal, including claims for the National Minimum Wage. Alternative options remain for workers who are concerned that they have been underpaid the National Minimum Wage over a longer time period. This includes making a complaint to HMRC, who can investigate and issue a Notice of Underpayment on the worker’s behalf, going back up to six years. Claims can also be brought to the county court for breach of contract, where arrears can be claimed going back six years (five years in Scotland).

  • Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cheryl Gillan on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the observations from the Minister for Children and Families of 1 February 2016, Official Report, volume 605, column 8P, when the consultation on mandatory reporting of child abuse will commence.

    Edward Timpson

    The Government will launch its consultation on mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect in due course. The consultation will run for the full twelve weeks. The Government will carefully consider the need for any further statutory measures in the light of responses.