Category: Speeches

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-02-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research his Department has conducted or commissioned on the length of time taken by doctors to adjust to day shifts after night shifts; and whether his Department has formed a policy on the minimum and maximum number of consecutive night shifts doctors should work.

    Ben Gummer

    The Department has not directly commissioned such research. A number of previously published papers and studies on shift working informed negotiations with the British Medical Association (BMA). The limits on working hours in the new contract were agreed in discussions with the BMA and include a maximum of four consecutive night shifts and a minimum of 48 hours rest after three or four consecutive night shifts. We have also agreed to review the operation of the contract with the BMA to identify whether we can move further on night working.

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

    Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham on 2016-03-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the review from Keele University, published in the Journal of Ecology, warning that almost all ash trees in Europe will be wiped out due to the fungal disease ash dieback and the emerald ash borer beetle, and what plans they have to tackle these twin problems.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    We are committed to protecting our country from tree pests and diseases and we want to ensure that the ash tree continues to have a place in our environment. To support this we have invested over £21 million in tree health research.

    Natural tolerance to ash dieback does exist and the UK is leading research to identify resistant strains. Ash trees have a wide genetic diversity and potential for greater levels of resistance compared to other tree species affected by diseases.

    There have been no findings of emerald ash borer anywhere in the EU. We have identified this pest as a threat, have introduced restrictions to protect against its introduction and are screening native populations of ash trees grown abroad for resistance.

  • Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the maximum sentence is a magistrate can hand down when dealing with the breach of the maximum number and length of suspended sentences after the commission of further offences where the maximum number and length of sentences are available for the new offences.

    Dominic Raab

    Magistrates’ courts have the power to impose a custodial sentence, whether immediate or suspended, of up to six months for a single offence, or up to 12 months where they impose consecutive sentences for one or more offences. A custodial sentence may be suspended for up to two years, and one or more community requirements may also be imposed by the court.

    When dealing with a breach of a suspended sentence order, there is a statutory presumption that the custodial sentence will be given effect. The suspended custodial sentence cannot be increased: the original term is given effect either in full, or the court may set a shorter period, for example, by taking into account the extent to which the offender complied with any community requirements of the suspended sentence order.

    Where there is a breach of a suspended sentence order which was imposed by the magistrates’ court and the breach is the commission of a further offence, the magistrates’ court deals with both the breach and sentencing for the further offence unless the latter merits a sentence which exceeds its powers. In these circumstance, the case would be sent to the Crown Court for sentencing of the further offence and the higher court would also deal with the breach of the suspended sentence order.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-06-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department made of the health benefits of milk as part of the development of the Government’s Eatwell guide.

    Jane Ellison

    Dairy products are a valuable source of essential nutrients including protein and calcium. Government advice continues to encourage the inclusion of dairy products as part of a healthy, balanced diet for all age groups. This recommendation is depicted in the Eatwell Guide which promotes the consumption of lower fat and lower sugar dairy products to help reduce saturated fat and sugar intakes in the United Kingdom, which are currently above dietary recommendations.

  • Baroness Finlay of Llandaff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Finlay of Llandaff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Finlay of Llandaff on 2016-09-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to provide guidance to Clinical Commissioning Groups on working with charities to provide comprehensive palliative care services for patients of all ages; and if so, when.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    In April 2016, NHS England updated its guidance Commissioning Person Centred End of Life Care: A Toolkit for Health and Social Care. This document highlighted that fundamental to any commissioning plan for end of life care is a local strategy, jointly developed with local people and key partners, clearly setting out a vision for end of life and palliative care. Included in this are examples of how working with third sector organisations can benefit service provision for palliative care services, as well as links to guidance from these organisations. A copy of the toolkit is attached.

    In addition, Our Commitment to you for end of life care published on 5 July 2016, highlighted that the Department will work with the National Partnership for Palliative and End of Life Care and the End of Life Care Coalition of charities to promote the implementation of the Ambitions for Palliative and End of Life Care Framework in local areas. A copy of the report is attached.

  • Lord Willis of Knaresborough – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Lord Willis of Knaresborough – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Willis of Knaresborough on 2016-10-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect Shared Business Services to cease to provide services to Research Councils.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    No decisions have been taken beyond what has already been announced by the Department. The detailed plan will be developed in consultation with Partner Organisations and Unions.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the incidence of TB in the UK.

    Jane Ellison

    The five year Collaborative Tuberculosis (TB) Strategy for England 2015-2020 was launched by the Department, in partnership with Public Health England (PHE), in January 2015. It lays out 10 key areas for actions needed to achieve a year on year decrease in TB incidence, a reduction in health inequalities and, ultimately, the elimination of TB as a public health problem in England.

    Since the strategy was launched PHE along with NHS England have formed a TB Strategy implementation team which has facilitated the establishment of seven TB control boards covering all of England. The TB control boards will lead local TB networks in delivering the 10 key changes outlined in the Strategy.

    Over the past three years there has been a year on year decline in the number of TB cases in England, from 8,086 in 2012 (a rate of 15.1 per 100,000 population), down to 6,520 in 2014 (a rate of 12.0 per 100,000 population).

  • Jamie Reed – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jamie Reed – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2015-12-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve awareness of cerebral palsy among people working in children’s services.

    Edward Timpson

    The reforms introduced in September 2014 will ensure that all children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) aged 0 to 25, including those with cerebral palsy, have improved access to the support they need.

    Local authorities are responsible for meeting the educational needs of all children with SEND within their local area. They must co-ordinate education, health and care provision for individual children and ensure that young people and parents are involved in discussions about their individual support and about local provision more generally. Statutory Local Offers published by each local authority must set out what support is available for all children and young people with SEND in their area, including those with more complex needs.

    The reforms detailed in the SEND Code of Practice were drawn up in consultation with a wide range of interested parties, many of whom represented the interests of children and young people with specific impairments. They are intended to improve outcomes for every child or young person with SEND by placing them at the heart of a system designed to respond to their individual needs and aspirations.

    The Department has not assessed the impact of the SEND Code of Practice, or regional variations in provision, on the basis of any specific impairment but is monitoring implementation closely.

    This monitoring includes inputs from annual data collection; termly surveys of local authorities and Parent Carer Forums; and feedback from specialist SEND Advisers and funded voluntary sector organisations. From May 2016, this monitoring will be enhanced by a new joint Ofsted/CQC inspection framework for SEND, which is currently the subject of a national consultation.

    Schools are required by the Children and Families Act 2014 to identify the SEN of the pupils they support and to use their best endeavours to make sure that they get the support they need. Teachers are expected to be able to adapt their teaching to the needs of all pupils, and to have an understanding of the factors that can inhibit learning and how to overcome them.

    To support the school workforce, the Department has funded almost 11,000 SEN Coordinators to attain Masters-level national awards between 2009 and 2014, at a cost of almost £33 million; is funding SEND conferences for school leaders and supporting the development of a ‘SEND gateway’ for education professionals, which offers a wide range of online training and information.

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the US administration on the effect on UK citizens seeking to enter the US of recent changes to the US visa waiver programme affecting people who have previously visited Iran, Iraq, Syria or Sudan or hold dual citizenship of those countries.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    US Congress passed legislation making changes to the US visa waiver programme on 18 December. We had been in close and regular contact with the US administration, as well as members of Congress, while the bill was under consideration but ultimately this was a decision for them. Since then, officials at our Embassy in Washington have been in contact with the US administration as they consider the bill’s implementation, to ensure British travellers understand the impact of the changes, and avoid disruption to their travel plans. As ever, we will keep our Travel Advice under review.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-02-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the number of people working in logistics and transportation who experience mental health problems.

    Andrew Jones

    The Department for Transport does not assess the total number of people working in logistics and transportation who experience mental health problems.