Category: Speeches

  • Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2016-01-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which groups were consulted in preparation of the equality impact assessment for the introduction of fixed recoverable costs in medical negligence cases.

    Ben Gummer

    The consultation stage assessment for the introduction of fixed recoverable costs for clinical negligence is work in progress. The Department has established a working group to look at the impact of the proposal on equalities, health inequalities and families. Membership (which has not been finalised) currently includes representatives of claimant lawyers, defence lawyers, patients and the National Health Service. We will seek views on the impact of the policy on equalities, health inequalities and families within the consultation.

  • John Glen – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    John Glen – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Glen on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the level of support available to help families with disabled children find appropriate play opportunities.

    Edward Timpson

    Since 1 September 2014, local authorities have been under a duty to develop and publish a Local Offer, which sets out the support they expect to be available for children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) or disabilities in their local area. This must provide clear, comprehensive, accessible and up-to-date information about the available provision and how to access it, and must make provision responsive to what parents and children want by involving them in its development. The Local Offer must include information about leisure activities, which could include information about play opportunities.

    Play has an important role in supporting all young children to develop and prepare for later learning. The importance of play is recognised in the Early Years Foundation Stage framework, which states: “Each area of learning and development must be implemented through planned, purposeful play and through a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activity. Play is essential for children’s development, building their confidence as they learn to explore, to think about problems, and relate to others.”

    Since September 2014, two year olds who have a statement of SEN, or an Education, Health and Care Plan, or who are receiving Disability Living Allowance, have also been entitled to 570 hours of free early education, to support their families.

    For older children, the Equality Act 2010 requires all schools to publish an accessibility plan. These plans are about ensuring that all aspects of school life, including facilities used for play, are accessible to disabled pupils. In addition, local authorities are required to publish an accessibility strategy which must be published as part of their Local Offer.

  • Lord Wigley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Wigley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wigley on 2015-12-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to instruct the Office for National Statistics to require individuals to enter their full names in 2021 Census returns.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

  • Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons different criteria apply in the assessment of risk of self-harm or suicide to men and women in his Department’s guidance on work capability assessments.

    Priti Patel

    The guidance on work capability assessments no longer makes a distinction between men and women.

  • Keith Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Keith Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many NHS trust chief executives have become private sector consultants after leaving that post.

    Ben Gummer

    We do not hold information on the employment of chief executives after they have left the National Health Service.

  • Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-03-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many children have been diagnosed with autism in (a) Burnley, (b) Lancashire and (c) the North West in each of the last six years.

    Alistair Burt

    This data is not collected centrally.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of adequacy of the level of transparency in the recruitment process for Chief Fire Officers.

    Mike Penning

    Matters of recruitment are for individual fire and rescue authorities as employers. However, Ministers have been clear that payments for senior fire officers who return to employment immediately after retirement are an unacceptable use of taxpayers’ money, especially when fire authorities need to be making sensible savings.

    That is why this Government has issued explicit guidance on the re-employment of senior staff who have previously been in receipt of a redundancy or severance payment, or who are in receipt of a local government or fire service pension. Fire and rescue authorities have the ability to deal with this problem and should do so. The public have a right to know when, and on what basis, these decisions have been made, and we have made provision for this.

  • Lord Marlesford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Marlesford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Marlesford on 2016-05-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the proposed locations and planned commencement dates of construction for the establishment of new universities referred to in the Queen’s Speech.

    Baroness Evans of Bowes Park

    Government is legislating to increase choice and competition in the higher education sector. These measures will enable the establishment of high-quality new universities where there is a need in terms of student and employer demand.

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

    Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-07-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what provisions they have in place to ensure that those studying in academies receive adequate sex and relationships education.

    Lord Nash

    The government believes that all children should have the opportunity to receive a high quality and appropriate sex and relationship education (SRE). SRE is compulsory in all maintained secondary schools, and many primary schools also teach it in an age-appropriate way.

    Academies do not have to teach SRE but many choose to do so as part of their statutory duty to provide a broad and balanced curriculum. When academies do teach SRE they are required through their funding agreement to have regard to the Secretary of State’s Sex and Relationship Education Guidance.

    The guidance makes clear that all SRE should be age-appropriate and helps young people to develop positive values and a moral framework that will guide their decisions, judgments and behaviour.

  • 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 2016-09-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that ending the NHS bursaries for nurses does not deter people from training to be a mental health nurse.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    We expect this reform to enable universities to provide up to 10,000 additional training places to study pre-registration nursing, midwifery and the allied health subjects including mental health nursing.

    In order to meet National Health Service workforce supply requirements, Health Education England will retain responsibility for workforce planning to ensure that the right number of trained staff are available for the NHS.