Category: Speeches

  • Carolyn Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Carolyn Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Carolyn Harris on 2016-02-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of gambling addiction in each of the last three years.

    Alistair Burt

    No such estimate has been made.

    We have no current plans to make such an assessment. We know that gambling addiction can potentially have a harmful impact on both a person’s physical and mental wellbeing and problem gamblers can access services in primary care and secondary care including specialised mental health and addiction services.

    The Prime Minister recently announced £1 billion to start a revolution in mental health, including £247 million to make sure that every emergency department has mental health support (following £30 million invested in 2015/16).

    Also, over £400 million for crisis resolution home treatment teams will help to improve the management of admissions to acute psychiatric inpatient care, as well as ensure the routine availability of 24/7 intensive home treatment support as a safe and effective alternative to hospitals.

    Commissioners must continue to increase investment in mental health services each year at a level which at least matches their overall allocation increase.

  • 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 2016-03-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reasons the data in the Mental Health Services Data Set for adults are grouped together under clusters which do not align with NICE guidelines.

    Alistair Burt

    The clusters in which the data are grouped reflect the mental health clusters which are the mandated currencies for mental health services. These reflect groupings of service users with similar levels of need, and whose care will cost on average a similar amount. For the purposes of payment, Health and Social Care Information Centre reports by cluster are required.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-04-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) military and (b) civilian UK personnel are currently deployed in Tunisia; and in what capacity such personnel are deployed.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The Ministry of Defence has 10 military and no civilian personnel currently deployed in Tunisia. Two personnel form the enduring British Embassy Defence Section, comprised of the Defence Attache and his assistant. The remaining eight personnel are deployed on a temporary basis, subject to regular review, and are either coordinating or delivering training to Tunisia’s security institutions or supporting UN and EU missions in-country.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle increases in energy costs for manufacturing companies in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the rest of the UK.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Government is ensuring the continued international competitiveness of energy intensive industries in Northern Ireland and across the United Kingdom by providing relief to mitigate the impact of energy and climate change policy on electricity bills. In addition to the £160 million of compensation already provided since 2013, Government began paying compensation to eligible companies for renewable energy policy costs earlier this year, following state aid clearance. Companies in Northern Ireland are eligible to apply for this compensation. A Great Britain-wide consultation on replacing this compensation with an exemption was launched on 1 April and the Northern Ireland Executive will consult separately on this in the future.

    We are also acting to reduce electricity costs at the most fundamental levels through both short-term cost control measures and investment in new energy infrastructure.

  • Lord Beecham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Beecham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2016-07-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they still intend to publish the consultation on the future of Sure Start, which they promised to initiate in July 2015, and if so when.

    Lord Nash

    This Government is committed to improving social mobility and extending opportunity so that everyone has the chance to realise their full potential.

    Our approach to improving life chances will focus on tackling the root causes of poverty such as worklessness, educational attainment and family stability and we will consider future policy on children’s centres as part of this. We will make it clear how stakeholders and members of the public can contribute in due course.‎‎

  • James Cartlidge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    James Cartlidge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Cartlidge on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much has been spent in England on NHS Continuing Healthcare in each of the last five years.

    David Mowat

    Primary care trusts held statutory responsibilities for NHS Continuing Healthcare until 31 March 2013 and the cost of funding such packages was not captured specifically in their audited accounts. From 2009, the Department collected information on the total cost of NHS Continuing Healthcare packages through a financial information management system1. The annual costs (England total) from that date were as follows:

    2011/12 – £2,324,655,000

    2012/13 – £2,762,532,000

    From 1 April 2013, statutory responsibilities for NHS Continuing Healthcare transferred to clinical commissioning groups and to NHS England. The annual costs from that date (England total) are as follows:

    2013/14 – £2,647,176,411

    2014/15 – £2,824,041,529

    2015/16 – £3,062,102,151

    Note:

    1 This is management information and is not audited for Departmental accounts.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-10-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2016 to Question 49308, on the Warm Home Discount Scheme, how a person opts out of that scheme.

    Jesse Norman

    The scheme has formal arrangements in place for individuals wishing to opt-out from the scheme.

    All Pension Credit Guarantee Credit recipients are first sent a letter with information about the scheme. Only these recipients automatically receive the Warm Home Discount rebate. Those who do not want their data shared with their energy supplier, can write to Department Work for Pensions stating their wish to opt-out from the scheme.

  • Andrew Stephenson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Andrew Stephenson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department takes to ensure that overseas development aid spent via the EU is used for its intended purposes.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    DFID officials sit on the management committees of the European Development Fund (EDF) and the Development Cooperation Instrument where they scrutinise EU programming to ensure it is well placed to achieve its development aims. DFID country offices also regularly engage with the EU delegations in-country on their development programming. DFID also uses EU audit systems (including the European Court of Auditors’ annual report which is scrutinised by Parliament) to dissect EU spend.

    The UK has strongly pushed for the introduction of a results framework and the Commission has now published its new framework, providing transparency about what is being achieved and accountability for the money spent. The first publication of results is expected by the end of 2015. The Results Framework has a similar design to that of DFID and other international donors – and will allow more rigorous scrutiny. The UK also secured significant improvements in the Implementing Regulations of EDF 11 which has improved the quality of programme documents and the availability of results data, which will feed into the new results framework. DFID continues to push for more effective programming, monitoring and evaluation, as well as enhanced transparency.

  • Gordon Marsden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Gordon Marsden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions he has had with the higher education sector on extending the new postgraduate loans scheme to part-time taught masters students aged over 30.

    Joseph Johnson

    A consultation on support for postgraduate study was launched in March of this year. The consultation sought views on the Government’s intention to introduce a new loan scheme for taught Master’s study and a review of how to broaden and strengthen support for postgraduate research. Consultation responses have been analysed and the Department is preparing its response.

  • Lord Truscott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Truscott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Truscott on 2015-12-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the current weekly costs of the Chilcot Inquiry.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    The Iraq Inquiry, which is independent of Government, publishes its annual costs after the end of each financial year. The Inquiry’s costs for FY 2014/15 were £1,358,500, providing an average weekly cost in the last financial year of £26,125.