Category: Speeches

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that cancer communities are targeted towards all age groups and people with learning disabilities.

    Jane Ellison

    We understand the hon. Member is referring to cancer communications.

    Public Health England (PHE) runs a number of Be Clear on Cancer (BCoC) campaigns to encourage symptom recognition and earlier general practitioner (GP) presentation. The campaigns have been running since early 2011 and have covered a number of cancers nationally and regionally. Incidence increases with age for most cancers and BCoC targets men and women over 50, especially those from lower socioeconomic groups, as there is evidence that these individuals are more likely to delay seeing their GP. Although BCoC campaigns target people over 50, they do reach a much wider age group because of national media campaign activity.

    Specialist organisations are consulted on campaign development to ensure that communications are accessible and inclusive. These have included Mencap, the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities, and EasyHealth, specifically targeting people with learning disabilities and using their networks to share information effectively. In addition, campaign materials are produced in alternative formats, including easy read. Disability and carer organisations are sent tailored briefing sheets and toolkits to ensure their members are aware of campaign messages and the availability of alternative formats. Following each campaign, PHE seeks feedback from the disability and carer organisations it has worked with to evaluate the success of the engagement and ensure improvements are made where possible.

    Locally, there are also a number of good examples where the National Health Service is tailoring its communications to ensure they are accessible to all groups, including those with learning disabilities. NHS England is exploring how these can be taken forward and built on at a national level. For example, easy read versions of cancer screening leaflets are available for people with learning disabilities.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which Ministers of his Department attended events to celebrate Chanukah in (a) 2014 and (b) 2015.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    My hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, (Baroness Williams of Trafford) attended Chanukah reception at No. 10 in 2015. The former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Communities andLocal Government, the former hon. Member for Bristol West (Stephen Williams) attended the Deputy Prime Minister’s Chanukah reception on 18 December 2014 at Admiralty House.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make representations to the French government to ensure that the removal of 2,000 refugees from the Calais refugee camp into government-built shelters is co-ordinated with NGOs and volunteers; and that those refugees are (a) well-informed, (b) safely moved, (c) able to retain their possessions and (d) have their human rights respected.

    James Brokenshire

    The UK Government recognises the exceptional pressures on the French Government and its citizens caused by the migrant situation in the Calais region. Both Governments are clear that the right course of action is, as far as possible, to move migrants away from Calais and for genuine refugees, to be offered protection within the French asylum system. This is why the UK has committed to providing £3.6 million (or €5 million) per year for two years to help provide support and facilities elsewhere in France.

    The UK is in regular contact with France on all matters related to Calais and the migrant situation. However, operational decisions relating to the management of the camps are the responsibility of the French Government.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-02-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost to the public purse was of the rationalisation of his Department’s offices in London.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department has undertaken a number of refurbishments of its existing buildings, including Richmond House, Wellington House, and Skipton House, to support the rationalisation of its offices in London. In 2015-16 the Department spent £1,786,794 on refurbishment activity.

    Refurbishment costs relate to the general fit out, improvement and provision of furniture and equipment.

  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-03-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what criteria his Department uses in assessing whether an incident counts as a violation of international humanitarian law.

    Penny Mordaunt

    Any assessments relating to compliance with International Humanitarian Law would be based on the principles of distinction, humanity, proportionality and military necessity.

  • Lady Hermon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lady Hermon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lady Hermon on 2016-03-23.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of the Tampon Tax Fund was allocated to (a) Women’s Aid and (b) other women’s charities in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Chancellor announced initial donations from the Tampon Tax Fund at Autumn Statement totalling £5m. Further grants totalling £12 million were announced at Budget to support a range of charities that are making a significant impact in the lives of women and girls. This included an award of £118,000 to Parenting NI.

    £5.2 million of funding was allocated to Comic Relief and Rosa, who will disburse funding to a range of grassroots women’s organisations across the UK, including those in Northern Ireland.

    Details of all charities awarded funding at Budget can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/budget-2016-documents/budget-2016

    “

  • Baroness Suttie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Suttie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Suttie on 2016-05-04.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Azerbaijan about the case of Ilga Mammadov.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We have raised the case of Ilgar Mammadov on a number of occasions since his arrest in February 2013. The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), and the Minister for Europe, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington), raised it bilaterally with the Government of Azerbaijan during their visits to Baku in December 2013 and November 2014 respectively. The UK issued a press statement in March 2014, expressing concern about the length of the sentence and the conduct of the trial. In the Council of Europe the UK has repeatedly called for the Government of Azerbaijan to fully implement the European Court of Human Rights judgement and release Mr Mammadov.

  • Karen Lumley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Karen Lumley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karen Lumley on 2016-06-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he holds information by parliamentary constituency on the number of people affected by transitional arrangements for women born after 6 April 1951 caused by the change in the state pension age.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Women born between 6 April 1950 and 5 April 1953 were affected by State Pension age equalisation under the Pensions Act 1995.

    The Pensions Act 2011 accelerated the equalisation of State Pension age, and included transitional arrangements limiting State Pension age delays, affecting women born between 6 April 1953 and 5 December 1953. It also brought forward the increase in State Pension age from 65 to 66 which affected women born between 6 Dec 1953 and 5 April 1960.

    Information on the numbers affected by parliamentary constituency is not held by the Department for Work and Pensions. However, a population breakdown of women by age at mid-2014 (women with birthdates in 1951 would have been aged 62 or 63 at this point) by constituency can be found in the Office for National Statistics’ data set of Parliamentary Constituency Mid-year Population Estimates for England and Wales:

    https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/parliamentaryconstituencymidyearpopulationestimates

    For Scotland:

    http://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-theme/population/population-estimates/special-area-population-estimates/spc-population-estimates

    “

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-09-05.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, from which sources does the Government receive credit card fees from people paying for services offered by its departments and agencies; and what the total amount received was in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.

    Ben Gummer

    The Cabinet Office does not collect data on behalf of Government on the receipt of credit card fees from people paying for services offered by its departments and agencies. If available, individual departments and agencies will hold this information.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much of the £1.25 billion allocated to children and adolescent mental health services in the March 2015 Budget for the next five years has already been spent; on what that funding has been spent on; how much of the remainder of that sum is due to be allocated in each of the next four years; and on what he plans to spend that remaining budget in (a) Liverpool, Wavertree constituency, (b) Liverpool, (c) England and (d) each region.

    Nicola Blackwood

    To date, £393 million has been invested to drive an ambitious five year transformation programme to improve children and young people’s mental health. This has been invested as follows:

    2015-16

    – £75 million for clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to transform local services through development and implementation of Local Sustainability and Transformation Plans; and

    – £68 million to fund further roll out and expansion of the Children and Young People’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Programme (CYP IAPT), improvements to perinatal mental health care, investment in inpatient services for children and young people, build workforce capability, and support innovation and development of online support.

    2016-17:

    – £119 million has been allocated to CCGs to transform local services through delivery of their Local Transformation Plans; and

    – £131 million is for workforce and system development to support local transformation plans, a proportion of this will be allocated to commissioners for CYP IAPT and perinatal mental healthcare.

    £4 million was retained by the Department to fund central projects.

    A breakdown of funding at local levels is not available centrally and has not been published.