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Category: Speeches

  • Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will carry out an assessment of the effect of changes in funding for community pharmacies on patient safety.

    Alistair Burt

    The community pharmacy proposals for 2016/17 and beyond, on which we are consulting, are being considered in respect to the public sector equality duty, the family test and relevant duties of the Secretary of State under the National Health Service Act 2006. The latter includes the duty as to improvement in quality of services, such as the safety of services.

    At this stage we would note that all pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacies are regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council, which protects, promotes and maintains the health, safety and wellbeing of members of the public by upholding standards and public trust in pharmacy. Also, under NHS pharmaceutical services, community pharmacies are required to meet clinical governance requirements, which encourage continuing quality improvement, including through risk management.

    An impact assessment will be completed to inform final decisions and published in due course.

  • Kelvin Hopkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Kelvin Hopkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-03-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will make it a condition of energy firms’ licences that the staff of those firms’ entire retail operation are directly employed in the UK.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The management of energy companies’ retail operations, including the location of its staff, is a commercial matter for the individual companies.

  • Richard Graham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Richard Graham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Graham on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to encourage businesses to take on apprentices.

    Nick Boles

    Later this month, we will launch a communications campaign that will promote the benefits of apprenticeships to employers.

    From next April, the apprenticeship levy will put funding in the hands of employers and encourage them to take on more apprentices.

    We are also supporting smaller businesses taking on young apprentices through the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers; and removed the requirement for employers to pay National Insurance contributions for apprentices aged under 25.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department has issued to parents on recommended amounts of sleep for children.

    Jane Ellison

    NHS Choices provides guidance for parents on the amounts of sleep for children at different ages as well as advice and support for parents and children about sleep hygiene. There is no national guidance on evidence-based recommended sleep duration for children because of the significant variation between children and the focus of advice to parents is on good bedtime routines and how to prevent and respond to common sleep problems.

    The Start4Life Information Service for Parents includes advice on how to ease babies into good sleeping habits and dealing with common sleep problems. Content for the service is regularly updated and Public Health England (PHE) will continue to address the issue of sleep in children under five via the Start4Life Information Service for Parents.

    PHE has also developed specific advice resources on sleep issues for children and young people with the Royal College of Psychiatrists in the MindEd programme.

  • Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department has taken to prepare for the UK to leave the EU since 23 June 2016; and what further such steps his Department plans to take in the remainder of 2016.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The Department is working closely with all interested stakeholders to ensure their views are properly captured. I am working with colleagues across government to make sure we understand all of the potential risks and opportunities across the economy.

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-10-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effect of the changes to the Early Years Educator apprenticeship standard introduced in August 2014.

    Robert Halfon

    The Early Years Educator apprenticeship standard at Level 3 remains in development and so has not yet been published for use by the sector. Therefore, it is not possible to make any assessment of its effect at this point.

    The Department continues to work closely with the Early Years Trailblazer to develop apprenticeship standards for key roles in the sector.

  • Craig Mackinlay – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Craig Mackinlay – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Mackinlay on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners who were living in countries where their pensions were frozen have moved back to the UK in each year since 2009.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The requested information is within the table below. This shows the numbers of pensioners who had been overseas and receiving a non-uprated pension who have returned to the UK during the year and were no longer having their pension non-uprated:

    Year Numbers previously overseas resident with non-uprated pension who lived in the UK one year later
    2009 2,000
    2010 3,000
    2011 3,000
    2012 3,000
    2013 2,000
    2014 2,000

    Source:
    DWP 100% WPLS

    Notes:
    1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 1,000.
    2. The period referenced in the table is from 1st March to the following last day in February.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Greg Mulholland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of disability hate crime offences committed in each of the last five years.

    Mike Penning

    The Home Office has collected disability hate crime data from the police since 2011/12.

    In 2011/12, the police recorded 1,748 disability hate crime offences, 1,911 in 2012/13, 2,006 in 2013/14, and 2,508 in 2014/15.

    As stated by the Office for National Statistics, action taken by police forces to improve their compliance with the National Crime Recording Standard has led to improved recording of crime over the last year, especially for violence against the person offences. Together with a greater awareness of disability hate crime, and improved willingness of victims to come forward, this is likely to be a factor in the increase in disability hate crimes recorded by the police.

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

    Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cheryl Gillan on 2016-01-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that communities and environmental mitigation is allocated sufficient funding in Phase 2 of High Speed 2.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    In the 2015 Spending Review, the Government restated the long-term funding envelope for the HS2 programme at £55.7bn in 2015 prices. This envelope includes funding for Phase Two with contingency. We intend to deliver the most cost effective design for HS2 and ensure that the best value is achieved. We have a regime in place for delivering HS2 and managing costs which will ensure there is sufficient funding for community and environmental mitigation.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what risk assessment he has conducted on the proposed rollout of wifi in NHS buildings.

    George Freeman

    Free wi-fi throughout National Health Service premises is an independent recommendation from Baroness Lane Fox to the National Information Board.

    As part of the implementation of Baroness Lane Fox’s recommendations, NHS England will be carrying out a more comprehensive review of current provision, benefits and barriers to wi-fi throughout the NHS estate. This will include assessment of any risks.