Category: Speeches

Andrea Jenkyns – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrea Jenkyns on 2016-05-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to page 23 of the final report of the Review on Antimicrobial Resistance, published in May 2016, what steps his Department is taking to address the substantial evidence gaps relating to effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of new technologies for improving hygiene.

Ben Gummer

Auditing to improve hand hygiene and ensuring appropriate use of technology are important local responsibilities which contribute to improving the quality of care. However, tackling healthcare associated infections is complex and requires a strong patient safety system that integrates cleanliness, infection prevention and control and antibiotic use and addresses them all.

To help the National Health Service improve infection prevention and control we continuously review and enhance national measures, systems and guidance. For example, reducing infections is part of the Guidance for the NHS on Sustainability and Transformation Plans. Antimicrobial resistance was added to Public Health England’s (PHE) Fingertips data system in April to enable easier monitoring and benchmarking against other organisations. PHE’s Rapid Review Panel assesses new products and technologies aiming to reduce infections and in addition the Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including hygiene.

The NIHR also supports research infrastructure in the NHS including Diagnostic Evidence Co-operatives which generate evidence on diagnostic medical devices that have the potential to lead to improvements in healthcare services and the quality of life of NHS patients. Two of these, based at Imperial and Newcastle, focus part of their work on clinical areas relevant to infection.

January 1, 2023
Adam Afriyie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adam Afriyie on 2016-07-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of implementing the recommendation of the Civil Aviation Authority that night flights at Heathrow Airport be banned between 11.00pm and 6.00am on the two runways at that airport.

Mr John Hayes

We are aware of no such recommendation from the Civil Aviation Authority.

January 1, 2023
Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government plans to take to enable young people from the UK to take part in the Erasmus scheme after the UK has exited the EU.

Joseph Johnson

The referendum result has no immediate effect on students abroad under the Erasmus scheme or applying for 2016/17. Payments will be made in the usual way. Access to the programme after we leave the EU is a matter for the forthcoming negotiations. The Department offers the same support for study abroad under other schemes as for Erasmus.

January 1, 2023
– 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by on 2015-10-28.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, following the finding in 2014 by the Care Quality Commission that healthcare provision in HM Prison Liverpool was unsafe and the October report by Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons on HM Prison Liverpool that improvement in healthcare had a long way to go”

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park

Action is currently being taken to address the recommendations made in the inspection report.

That includes working closely with Lancashire Care NHS Trust to improve the healthcare provision, which includes the recruitment of appropriate skilled healthcare professionals and robust data management collection.

The inpatient facility now operates a structured daily regime for in patients and the holistic approach by the multi-disciplinary team which includes service user forums, psychiatric sessions and care plan reviews provides an enhanced care package.

January 1, 2023
Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-11-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2015 to Question 15161, whether native speaker language fluency is classified as a skill for the purposes of the work visa system; and how the work visa system can assist a UK business seeking a person with Russian native speaker language fluency.

James Brokenshire

Tier 2 of the Points Based System for immigration – the skilled work route – has been reserved for graduate occupations since 2011. Fluency in a foreign language does not increase the skill level of the occupation. UK businesses wishing to employee a Russian speaker may do so under Tier 2 if the position is graduate level and other Tier 2 criteria, including an appropriate salary and an ability to speak English, are met. Unless the role is on the shortage occupation list, they will need first to have tested the resident labour market to ensure there is no suitably qualified resident worker available.

The Government has commissioned the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to advise on restricting Tier 2 to genuine skills shortages and jobs which require highly-specialised experts, but with sufficient flexibility to include high value roles and key public service workers. The MAC is looking at selection criteria such as, but not limited to, salaries, particular attributes, economic need and skills level. The MAC is not due to report until December and we do not yet know what its findings and recommendations will be. We await the report with interest and will consider it carefully before making any significant changes to the Tier 2 route.

January 1, 2023
John Healey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Healey on 2016-01-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the announcement of 4 January 2016, The Government will directly build affordable homes, whether the town centre, community facilities and commercial space at Northstowe are intended to open at the same time as the new homes take their first residents.

Brandon Lewis

The direct commissioning pilots will follow the normal planning and commercial processes for determining the phasing of homes and associated facilities.

January 1, 2023
Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many UK nationals work at administrator grade staff level in the European Parliament; and what proportion of the total number of that parliament’s employees they represent.

Mr Philip Hammond

The European Parliament does not publish statistics on numbers of permanent staff by nationality. As of April 2015, our records show there were 144 British citizens working in the European Parliament at administrator grade level, including UK secondees. This represents 2.4% of approximately 6000 total staff employed by the European Parliament in 2015.

January 1, 2023
Maria Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2016-03-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he plans to take in response to the findings of the Clementi Review into Governance and Regulation of the BBC; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Edward Vaizey

The Government will set out its plans for the future of the BBC in a White Paper in Spring.

January 1, 2023
Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-04-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of reports that on 11 March 2016 on Palestinian television President Abbas described all of Israel as being an occupation of Palestinian territory.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

While we have not made an assessment of these specific reports, we have urged the leadership of both the Palestinian and Israeli authorities to avoid engaging in, or encouraging, the type of action and language which will make it more difficult to achieve a peaceful negotiated solution to the conflict. Our Consul General in Jerusalem met with President Abbas on 17 March where he raised our concerns on incitement.

January 1, 2023

Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-05-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the current average waiting time is for the completion of pre-employment checks by the Disclosure and Barring Service in (a) England and Wales and (b) London.

Karen Bradley

Performance data relating to April 2016 for the average time taken by the Disclosure and Barring Service to complete Standard and Enhanced applications is listed in the following table.

(a) Based upon applicants living in England or Wales:
Month	Average Turnaround Time in Days
Apr-16	16
(b) Based upon applicants living in London:
Month	Average Turnaround Time in Days
Apr-16	28

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January 1, 2023