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Category: Speeches

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of NHS 111 on reducing the uptake of other NHS services.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    NHS 111 providers are expected to conduct a patient survey every six months for each area they provide services for.

    Considering the latest year for which survey results are available (April 2015 to September 2015 and October 2015 to March 2016 surveys), for 11.6% of triaged calls an ambulance was dispatched by the NHS 111 service and in 8.4% of calls the caller was advised to attend accident and emergency (A&E). However, 18% of patients who responded to the survey reported they would have called for an ambulance if NHS 111 had not been available, and 28.3% would have attended A&E.

    For the full year period (April 2015 to March 2016), 11.3 million calls were triaged. From this we can estimate the impact of the 111 service. The differences mean that due to availability of the NHS 111 service, over 2.25 million people this year were directed away from using A&E and over 750,000 were directed away from calling an ambulance.

    Data about the service to which patients are recommended during an NHS 111 call (“dispositions”) are collected by NHS England and published on a monthly basis. Latest data are for July 2016 and can be found at the following website:

    https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/nhs-111-minimum-data-set/nhs-111-minimum-data-set-2016-17/

    “

  • Fiona Mactaggart – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Fiona Mactaggart – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Mactaggart on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of people who have died within a week of being notified of a benefit sanction in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

    Priti Patel

    The information requested is not collected.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 8 December 2015 to Question 18492, what assessment he has made of the level of compliance in magistrates’ and crown courts with the procedures set out in that Answer for seeking confirmation of defendants’ income.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    It is a judicial decision to seek evidence of a defendant’s income and means to pay. Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) does not record data on the number of instances where this information is required or provided.

  • Lord Inglewood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Inglewood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Inglewood on 2016-01-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the Forestry Commission refuses to allow the use of air rifles by experienced, trained, and insured volunteers as part of an integrated programme for grey squirrel control.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    Landowners are free to choose any legal method to control grey squirrels on their own land and to choose the methods they believe to be most effective and appropriate in any location. However, Forestry Commission England currently considers that free shooting has limited effectiveness in controlling grey squirrel populations, with better, more effective methods often available. In addition, the majority of the public forest estate has unrestricted public access and public safety is of paramount importance. For these reasons the Commission does not allow the shooting of grey squirrels by volunteers on its land. Volunteers are, nevertheless, an essential part of controlling grey squirrels and control methodologies continue to be developed and evaluated against the criteria of efficacy, safety and animal welfare. The Commission is additionally encouraging improvements to other methods of control including trapping, as well as assessing the findings of a recent study from Ireland which suggested that an increased pine marten population may result in a reduced grey squirrel population.

    The Commission is seriously concerned about the negative impact of grey squirrel populations on woodland and specifically on native woodland. The Government is committed to pursuing co-ordinated action at a national level and in conjunction with partners through the Squirrel Accord, to which both Defra and Forestry Commission England are signatories. Work is continuing to improve the effectiveness of control methods; the structure of grants has been changed to support grey squirrel control and substantial work continues with partners to support our red squirrel populations, including through the control of grey squirrels. The Commission is open to further engagement with national and local organisations as well as landowners sharing our commitment to grey squirrel control for the protection of woodland and red squirrel populations.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to performance indicators for helping cyclists, walkers and other vulnerable users of the network in the Highways England operational metrics manual, whether any additional resource funding has been allocated under the Road Investment Strategy to reduce vulnerable user casualties.

    Andrew Jones

    Highways England has committed to provide a safer, integrated and more accessible strategic road network for cyclists, walkers and other vulnerable road users. Through the first Road Investment Strategy for Highways England, a ring-fenced allocation of £175 million has been made available between 2015 and 2020 to improve the safety of the Strategic Road Network and improve conditions for cyclists and other vulnerable road users.

    The Highways England current delivery plan states that £78 million will be used to improve conditions for those cycling alongside and crossing the Strategic Road Network. The remaining £97 million will be used to enhance the safety of our network, with £20 million of this specifically targeted at improving facilities to provide a more accessible and integrated network.

  • David Davis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    David Davis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Davis on 2016-03-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the methodology and data sources set out in his Department’s paper, Benefit claims by EEA nationals, published in November 2015, how many individuals are recorded in government computer systems who were nationals of an EEA member country, other than the UK at time of registration for a National Insurance number and are recorded as having arrived in 2004-05 using the earlier of (a) arrival date or (b) NINO registration date and have either (i) paid National Insurance contributions over the previous year, (ii) paid PAYE income tax over the previous year, (iii) registered any other form of activity in the relevant systems, including payments of other tax or tax in respect of self-employment or (iv) claimed benefits or tax credits over the previous year and these; and how many such people (A) claimed benefits or tax credits only and (B) paid NI or PAYE or self-assessment tax only in each year from 2004-05 to 2014-15.

    Priti Patel

    The information requested is not available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Peter Aldous – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Peter Aldous – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Aldous on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the potential benefits of supported housing in helping older people with support needs to live independently and stay out of hospital.

    Alistair Burt

    The Department has made no formal assessment of the potential benefits of supported housing in helping older people with support needs and those living with acute mental illness to live independently. However, the Department’s work in this area is underpinned by a variety of evidence – including a report commissioned by the Homes and Communities Agency, Financial benefits of investment in specialist housing for vulnerable and older people (2010), which provides a useful overview. This is based on a review of literature, and is split by different client groups including older people and those living with a mental health condition.

  • Michael Dugher – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Michael Dugher – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Dugher on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will seek information from the BBC on the number of unique visitors to the BBC Food website in each month since May 2010; and if he will place that information in the Library.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Decisions in relation to the BBC’s online content are a matter for the BBC which is editorially independent of the Government.

  • Judith Cummins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Judith Cummins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Judith Cummins on 2016-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to improve road connectivity between Bradford and its wider region.

    Andrew Jones

    The Government is committed to improving transport links across the North and Bradford, as a key partner in the Leeds City Region, has access to the biggest Growth Deal allocation agreed in 2014 which will provide up to £781m for the West Yorkshire Plus Transport Fund through Local Growth Fund and Gain Share up to 2035. The fund will allow Bradford to access funding for the schemes they need to benefit the city and improve connectivity between Bradford and the rest of the North.

    In addition to this local investment, the Road Investment Strategy will tackle delays for commuters on the strategic road network between Bradford, Leeds and Manchester. This includes improving the M62/M606 Chain Bar Interchange where congestion is a major issue, and the planned Smart Motorway scheme for junctions 20-25 of the M62 will increase capacity, reduce congestion and improve safety.

    To support this work, the 2016 Budget announced a further £161 million to accelerate the transformation of the M62, as part of building the Northern Powerhouse.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to improve NHS triage systems.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    As part of NHS England’s review of urgent and emergency care, the intention is to develop a clinical decision support system to enable patients to be directed to or connected with the right service to meet their needs, rather than being sent or taken to accident and emergency unless absolutely necessary.

    Commissioners, clinicians and the wider governance of urgent and emergency care have requested a next generation system that builds on the success of NHS Pathways but recognises the needs of individuals on the basis of the language they use, links to patient records and crisis plans and has the potential to factor in phenotypic data from wearables and remote monitoring devices.