Category: Speeches

  • Helen Hayes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Helen Hayes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2016-07-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans to announce the rate for the NHS-funded nursing care for residents of care homes in 2016-17.

    Alistair Burt

    Mazars LLP were appointed to carry out an independent review of the costs of nursing care by a registered nurse. Mazars’ report[1] recommends that the National Health Service-funded nursing care rate should be £156.25 – 40% higher than the 2015/16 rate. The Government has taken on board Mazars’ recommendation, meaning the rates paid by clinical commissioning groups for eligible care home residents assessed to require the help of a registered nurse are now as follows:

    ― standard rate – £156.25 per week; and

    ― higher rate – £215.04 per week (this is only relevant for those people who were already on the higher rate in 2007 when the single band was introduced).

    These rates will be backdated to 1 April 2016 for individuals who were in receipt of NHS-funded Nursing Care from that time and paid on an interim basis whilst regional variation and the element of the rate for staff working on an agency basis are reviewed.

    [1] http://www.mazars.co.uk/Home/Our-Sectors/Public-Services/Health/NHS-Funded-Nursing-Care-Review

    “

  • Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-09-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 21 January (HL5353), whether they will provide an update on the timeline and consultation planned for (1) the proposed defence policy on the use of remotely piloted air systems, (2) the revised Joint Doctrine Note 2/11, The UK Approach to Unmanned Aircraft of Systems, and (3) the Future Air and Space Operating Concept.

    Earl Howe

    The Defence policy review has broadened to cover both remotely piloted air and wider highly automated systems. Officials are currently consulting stakeholders; we expect the review to conclude early in 2017.

    Regarding Joint Doctrine Note 2/11, I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave on 2 February 2016 to Question number HL5353. I reported the intention for the Development, Concepts and Doctrine Centre (DCDC) to review and update Joint Doctrine Note 2/11 "The UK Approach to Unmanned Aircraft Systems". Following this review, it was decided to upgrade the note to a full publication (Joint Doctrine Publication 0-30.2), which is currently being drafted in consultation with stakeholders, in parallel with the policy review.

    A review of the future joint and environmental operating concepts concluded that an integrated concept for defence is preferred; consequently the Future Air and Space Operating Concept will be incorporated into an unified Future Operating Concept, which is expected to be published in Spring 2017.

  • Matthew Pennycook – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Matthew Pennycook – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Pennycook on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made to the Indian government on re-opening border crossings to Nepal since discussions were held between the British and Indian ambassadors to Nepal on border blockages on 30 October.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 9 November 2015 to question 15614 which can be located at: www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers. In addition to this answer, I discussed the blockage at the border with the Indian Foreign Secretary during the visit of Prime Minister Modi to the United Kingdom.

  • Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many early service leavers received the basic settlement package in each year since 2010.

    Mark Lancaster

    We do not recognise the term basic settlement package, but have interpreted this as meaning the Early Service Leaver provision prior to October 2013. Data is not held as there was no requirement to collate this information prior to October 2013. However all Early Service Leavers prior to October 2013 were entitled to unit level support as part of standard Ministry of Defence policy.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish a response to each of the recommendations made in Stephen Shaw’s Review into the Welfare in Detention of Vulnerable Persons, Cm 9186, before Report Stage on the Immigration Bill in the House of Lords.

    James Brokenshire

    The Government’s position on the Stephen Shaw review was set out in the Written Ministerial Statement laid on 14 January 2016.

    The Government accepts the broad thrust of Mr Shaw’s recommendations. In particular the Government accepts Mr Shaw’s recommendations to adopt a wider definition of those at risk, including victims of sexual violence, individuals with mental health issues, pregnant women, those with learning difficulties, post-traumatic stress disorder and elderly people, and to recognise the dynamic nature of vulnerabilities. We will introduce a new “adult at risk” concept into decision-making on immigration detention with a clear presumption that people who are at risk should not be detained, building on the existing legal framework.

    A more detailed mental health needs assessment in immigration removal centres, using the expertise of the Centre for Mental Health, will be carried out and is expected to report in March 2016. NHS commissioners will use that assessment to consider and revisit current provision to ensure healthcare needs are being met appropriately. The Government will also publish a joint Department of Health, NHS and Home Office mental health action plan in April 2016.

    We will also be considering a number of operational recommendations made by Mr Shaw, on a case by case basis, taking account of available resources.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many freedom of information requests were (a) granted and (b) refused by his Department in each of the last five years.

    Mr David Lidington

    The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) submits statistics on freedom of information performance to the Cabinet Office on a quarterly basis. These statistics, along with those of other departments of state, are published in a quarterly statistics bulletin (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-foi-statistics). The quarter four bulletin includes annual figures.

    The FCO annual figures for 2010-2014 are shown in the attached table.

    “

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-03-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many staff have been employed to process Disclosure and Barring Service checks in each year since 2010.

    Karen Bradley

    The average number of full-time equivalent staff employed by the Disclosure and Barring Service in each year since 2010 is listed in the table below. The DBS was created in 2012 and replaced the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA).

    Year

    Average number of Staff

    2010-11

    667

    2011-12

    542

    2012-13 (CRB)

    483

    2012-13 (DBS)

    730

    2013-14

    721

    2014-15

    745
  • Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many prosecutions for food fraud in the form of meat substitution there were in each of the last three years.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Local authorities are responsible for prosecuting meat species substitution offences. Generally, these prosecutions are taken forward under regulations relating to the labelling and mis-description of food, rather than under fraud legislation. The Food Standards Agency has taken on the task of compiling a register of successful food law prosecutions and is just completing the first year of data collection on local authority food prosecutions. However, it does not hold definitive data on prosecutions for offences of this nature in the last three years.

  • Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government is taking to incentivise purchase of defibrillator equipment; and if he will discuss with the Chancellor of the Exchequer reviewing the VAT regulations that apply to such equipment.

    Jane Ellison

    In the budget in March, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that the Government is making available another £1 million to make public access defibrillators and coronary pulmonary resuscitation training more widely available in communities across England. This builds on last year’s funding of £1 million, which provided almost 700 more publicly accessible defibrillators in communities across England and increased the numbers of people trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Details on how this second tranche of the funding can be accessed will be available in due course.

    The Chancellor of the Exchequer keeps all tax policy under review.

  • Lord Empey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Empey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Empey on 2016-07-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have been advised by the government of Ireland that it intends to represent the people of Scotland at meetings of the European Council.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The Government of Ireland has not advised Her Majesty’s Government that it intends to represent the people of Scotland at meetings of the European Council.

    The United Kingdom remains a member of the European Union until it leaves and as such will continue to represent the whole of the UK in the European Council.