Category: Speeches

  • Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Care Quality Commission report, British Pregnancy Advisory Service, BPAS-Richmond, Quality Report, published in November 2015, what steps his Department is taking to improve safety in abortion clinics.

    Jane Ellison

    The termination of pregnancies is a regulated activity. All providers of regulated activities must be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and must meet all of the relevant Regulations under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, including meeting the fundamental standards of quality and safety, which includes independent sector termination of pregnancy providers and managers. The CQC is responsible for monitoring and, where appropriate, inspecting providers in relation to their ongoing compliance with meeting those requirements. Independent sector providers are also required to comply with the Department’s Required Standard Operating Procedures which the CQC inspect against.

    The CQC has made a public commitment to undertake inspection of all independent providers of termination of pregnancy services using their new inspection approach and will continue to respond to risk as appropriate and take regulatory action as required.

    On the issue of whether the Department plans to issue guidance to abortion clinics on consultation on disposal arrangements following termination, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 11 April 2016 to Question 32357.

    We have no plans to issue guidance to abortion clinics on the administration of drugs. The administration of drugs is managed through the CQC’s fundamental standards and through inspection visits.

    “

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-05-20.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what procedures are in place to ensure that when a receiving parent has been advised by the Child Maintenance Service to contact HM Revenue and Customs to report possible tax evasion by a paying parent that possible evasion is investigated to ensure levels of child maintenance reflects full income.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) works closely with the Child Maintenance Service as well as other Government Departments to ensure that all allegations of tax evasion from members of the public are assessed, dealt with appropriately and a decision made on the most appropriate course of action.

    HMRC values the information they receive from the public and business community. Clamping down on those who try to cheat the system through evading taxes and over claiming benefits is a key priority for the Government and we are committed to ensuring the tax system operates fairly and efficiently.

    Any information received is passed on to HMRC’s Enforcement and Compliance teams. This can result in recovery of funds, education to help support compliance civil or criminal action depending on the severity of the evasion.

    More serious cases can result in prosecution action by HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service

  • Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2016-07-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reason his Department’s consultation on infected blood, published in January 2016, did not include proposals on provisions for widows or dependants of people whose blood has been infected; and if he will make it his policy to grant non means tested discretionary payments to widows and dependants of people who have died due to contaminated blood transfusions.

    Jane Ellison

    Currently, all bereaved family members can apply to one or more of the three scheme charities for discretionary support. However, only some bereaved partners/spouses receive regular financial support.

    The consultation on reforming the current payment schemes sought views on whether those bereaved partners/spouses who receive regular support would prefer a lump sum payment or continued access to a discretionary scheme.

    The consultation did not make any new proposals for dependants who do not receive regular financial support from the charities.

    Consultation responses have been analysed and the Government’s response to this consultation will be published soon.

  • Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grant Shapps on 2016-09-15.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to boost economic incentives for research and development in the aerospace industry.

    Mr David Gauke

    In recognition of the valuable contribution the aerospace industry makes to the UK economy, the Government is providing almost £2 billion for aerospace research and development, having extended support at Autumn Statement 2015 until 2025-26. This funding is matched by industry, and is helping drive world-class research in the UK. This sits alongside economy-wide R&D tax incentives, including R&D tax credits – which in 2014-15 supported £21.8 billion of R&D expenditure.

  • Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2015 to Question 11792, which grants made under section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1964 are awarded on a non-competed basis; and if he will ensure that all future section 64 grants are awarded on a competed basis.

    Alistair Burt

    Providing the requested information would involve analysis of each grant awarded and would therefore be at disproportionate cost. There is a range of different circumstances where it would not be appropriate or value for money to run a competed scheme.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2015-12-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps will be taken to ensure that individuals with learning disabilities have access to good quality healthcare, in the light of reports by Mencap that there are 1,200 avoidable deaths of people with a learning disability in the NHS annually.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Government’s response to the recommendations in the report of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry included a wide range of measures aimed at improving safety and quality as well as ensuring compassionate care for everyone who uses National Health Service services, including people with disabilities.

    NHS organisations should comply with existing legislation, frameworks and guidance aimed at ensuring they identify and meet the needs of people with learning disabilities in commissioning and delivering safe, high quality care to all individuals, groups and communities of their populations.

    From June 2016, the Department will publish independently assured, ratings of the quality of healthcare offered to people with learning disabilities in all clinical commissioning group areas, to highlight variations and to allow rapid action to be taken when improvement is needed.

    NHS England continues to work to improve access to good quality healthcare for people with learning disabilities, including:

    ‒ improving identification of people with learning disabilities in health care records to ensure that reasonable adjustments can be made, communication needs addressed and crisis plans developed;

    ‒ encouraging the use of health passports when people access services so that professionals and staff are aware of their needs;

    ‒ improving identification on cancer screening information systems;

    ‒ ensuring that people with learning disabilities are identified as a priority group to receive flu vaccinations;

    ‒ improving access to NHS 111, Accident and Emergency and other services; and

    ‒ increasing the number of people who are eligible getting an annual learning disability health check from their general practitioner.

    NHS England has also commissioned a learning disabilities Premature Mortality Review programme led by the University of Bristol from June 2015 to review and learn from deaths of people with a learning disability with the aim of improving services, care and support nationally.

    These initiatives will help to raise awareness and to tackle the inequalities experienced by those with learning disability, including where associated with Down’s syndrome.

    In addition, the Care Certificate, which was introduced in April 2015, is helping NHS service providers to ensure that their new healthcare assistants have the right fundamental skills and knowledge, including in communication and awareness of learning disability.

    Health Education England will work with healthcare providers to ensure that the continuing personal and professional development of staff continues beyond the end of formal training to enable staff to deliver safe and high quality healthcare and public health services both now and in the future.

  • Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many British servicemen are serving in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan.

    Penny Mordaunt

    As of 22 January 2016, there were 287 British Service personnel serving in Iraq as part of Operation SHADER. This includes UK training teams providing training to the Iraq Security Forces and Kurdish Security Forces and UK support to various Coalition headquarters. Routine movements and minor changes in requirements mean that this number will vary over time.

    For Afghanistan, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my noble Friend, the Minister of State in the House of Lords, the Rt Hon Earl Howe PC to the noble Lord, Lord Moonie, in the House of Lords to Question HL5150.

  • Holly Lynch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Holly Lynch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Holly Lynch on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will undertake a national review of the operation of admissions procedures and the School Admissions Code.

    Nick Gibb

    The Department for Education is intending to make changes to the School Admissions Code to improve the admissions system for parents and schools. This will be subject to a full public consultation to allow anyone with an interest to provide their views. It will also be subject to parliamentary scrutiny. Details of the consultation will be announced in due course.

  • John Mann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    John Mann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mann on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing prefabricated new accommodation for service personnel.

    Mark Lancaster

    The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has assessed the merits of providing pre-fabricated or modular constructed Single Living Accommodation (SLA). The advantages include simplicity and consistency of design, quality of manufacture in a controlled environment, speed of on-site construction and certainty in manufacturing cost.

    The MOD has used modular construction extensively in respect of around 12,000 bed spaces in its Single Living Accommodation Modernisation (SLAM) Project. These have proved to be of good quality and durable.

  • Graham Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Graham Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Jones on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how his Department plans to assist with the implementation of new refractive surgery standards being drawn up by the Royal College of Ophthalmologists.

    Alistair Burt

    Refractive eye surgery is regulated through providers being registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and doctors carrying out the surgery must be registered with the General Medical Council.

    Once the Royal College of Ophthalmologists refractive surgery standards are published, the General Medical Council would expect a doctor to be aware of them. When carrying out inspections and assessments of services, the CQC would also expect a provider to be following best practice guidance, which would include the standards published by the Royal College of Ophthalmologists.

    These processes are well established and so the Department would not have a direct role in assisting in the implementation of the refractive surgery standards. However, the Department will maintain an interest in the consultation and the work of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists in this area.