The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-01-28.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, in how many deaths in the last two years consumption of an excess of prescription drugs was the primary cause.
Mr Rob Wilson
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-02-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the amount of funding that will be required for those who may need access to the reformed scheme for providing support for people affected by hepatitis C through treatment with NHS-supplied blood or blood products but have not yet been identified.
Jane Ellison
The assumption is that there would be £570 million available from the unreformed scheme, as mentioned in the consultation, and an additional £125 million, identified in the current spending review.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Shinkwin on 2016-03-17.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to ensure that the UK complies with its obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities if cell-free DNA, non-invasive prenatal testing techniques are made available to pregnant women on the NHS.
Lord Prior of Brampton
There is a long established Fetal Anomaly Screening Programme that prospective parents can choose whether to participate in. The United Kingdom National Screening Committee recommendation on non-invasive prenatal testing does not change the choices available to prospective parents within the programme. We are satisfied that the UK is compliant with its obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and that the Programme is compliant with all obligations under the Equality Act 2010. We would also note that English law does not recognise a foetus as a separate legal person.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2016-04-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that broken accessibility equipment on buses is considered as a priority for repair.
Andrew Jones
From 1 January 2016 all single-deck buses designed to carry over twenty-two passengers on local and scheduled routes must comply with the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations (PSVAR), which require them to incorporate a wheelchair space and boarding facility, priority seating and other features to make journeys easier for a range of disabled people. Double deckers must comply by January 2017, and coaches by 2020.
Currently 89% of buses are compliant, and last year just 47 of the 7,343 public service vehicles subject to routine checks were found to have PSVAR related defects. Operators of vehicles found to be non-compliant are required to rectify faults promptly or risk enforcement action.
We expect all operators to comply with the law and are working with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency to ensure it continues to be enforced effectively.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rob Marris on 2016-06-06.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his Department’s policy is on requests from taxation treaty partners for changes to the levels of source taxation in such treaties.
Mr David Gauke
The UK responds positively to requests from developing countries for renegotiation of tax treaties.
The UK recognises that treaty partners may now want higher levels of source taxation than are contained in treaties negotiated many years ago. However, the eventual level of source state taxation in a renegotiated treaty reflects the balance of the agreed priorities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tania Mathias on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the (a) potential benefits to security and (b) viability of effective implementation of requiring proof of identification prior to purchase of a SIM card.
Sarah Newton
This issue was considered in detail by an expert group comprising representatives of law enforcement, the security and intelligence agencies and communication service providers following the terrorist attacks in London in July 2005. The experts’ findings remain valid. They concluded that the registration of ownership of mobile telephones would not deliver any significant new benefits to the investigatory process.
Mobile phones are not the only devices capable of making calls or sending messages. Many laptops, computers, popular MP3 players and games consoles also support the sending of messages and phone calls. These devices are increasingly being used for communications. It would be necessary to include these other devices in any mandatory registration scheme.
Separately, the person who buys the device is not necessarily the person who will use it. Mobile phones are often sold or given to family members or friends which would mean that such information would quickly become out of date.
Furthermore, those who were keen to avoid providing details would still find ways to circumvent the scheme, such as purchasing or registering phones under false identities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emma Reynolds on 2016-10-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to reduce youth unemployment in areas with high levels of youth unemployment.
Damian Hinds
Since 2010 the youth claimant count has fallen in all regions, and only 5.7% of the youth population are unemployed and not in full-time education, a rate that is near record low. We are investing further in an intensive support regime for young people, equipping them with vital skills to not only find a job, but build capability to sustain work.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2015-10-30.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the contribution that the Hoo Green to Bamfurlong spur of High Speed 2 is likely to make to reducing capacity constraints on the West Coast Main Line; and what account that estimate takes of (a) rail freight and (b) passenger services to Warrington Bank Quay and elsewhere.
Mr Robert Goodwill
Network Rail has identified[1] that crowding issues on the West Coast Main Line (WCML) mean that, whilst there is the potential to run a small number of additional services, the WCML will be effectively full by 2024. The lack of capacity will become even more acute beyond 2024 as demand continues to grow. This will negatively affect both freight and passenger services. The western leg of HS2 Phase Two alleviates these capacity constraints in the Warrington area.
[1] Network Rail: West Coast Main Line Route Utilisation Strategy
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Ansell on 2015-11-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve the retention rate of newly qualified teachers; and if she will make a statement.
Nick Gibb
Teacher retention rates have remained stable for over a decade. Approximately 90 per cent of teachers are in service in the year after they qualify, and 72 per cent of those who qualified in 2009 were still teaching 5 years later. Over the longer term, over 60 per cent of teachers remain in service 10 years after qualifying.
But we recognise that it is vital for schools to be able to retain good teachers – that is why we have made significant policy interventions in the areas that teachers tell us matter most such as improving pupil behaviour and reducing unnecessary workload. We have appointed behaviour expert Tom Bennett to lead a review to ensure new teachers are fully trained in dealing with disruptive children, and to consider all of the challenges of managing behaviour in 21st century schools.
We have established three groups to address the biggest concerns that teachers raised in the workload challenge – marking, planning and data management. The groups will create principles for practice and make specific recommendations for action. All three groups are due to report to Ministers in spring 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-01-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent on research and development to find a synthetic alternative to bear pelts for the making of bearskins and other associated headgear containing real fur in each of the last 10 years.
Mr Philip Dunne
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not buy bear pelts; it buys ceremonial caps direct from suppliers who source pelts from animals culled as part of a programme to manage the wild population licensed by the Canadian government. Animal welfare standards relating to the bear cull are a matter for the Canadian government.
The MOD also purchases coney skin (rabbit fur) for the Royal Engineers’ and Royal Signals’ busby and fox fur for the Royal Horse Artillery, Kings Troop Officers’ busby. The current contract requires a commitment to sustainable procurement.
Depending on usage and maintenance, bearskin busbys can last for up to 50 years. The coney skin and fox fur busbys have indefinite lifespans if properly maintained.
|
Calendar Year |
Cost of Bearskin Busby Headgear (£) |
Financial Year |
Cost of Coney Skin Busby Headgear (£) |
Cost of Fox Fur Busby Headgear(£) |
|
2005 |
Not held |
2005-06 |
1,532 |
0 |
|
2006 |
Not held |
2006-07 |
0 |
1,472 |
|
2007 |
Not held |
2007-08 |
0 |
0 |
|
2008 |
31,319 |
2008-09 |
9,173 |
406 |
|
2009 |
148,891 |
2009-10 |
0 |
0 |
|
2010 |
131,886 |
2010-11 |
0 |
0 |
|
2011 |
90,822 |
2011-12 |
0 |
861 |
|
2012 |
126,087 |
2012-13 |
1,779 |
861 |
|
2013 |
65,108 |
2013-14 |
0 |
0 |
|
2014 |
136,671 |
2014-15 |
10,257 |
1,899 |
|
2015 |
149,379 |
2015-16 |
2,558 |
0 |
All figures are rounded to the nearest pound.
|
Calendar Year |
Number of Bearskin Busby Headgear |
Financial Year |
Number of Coney Skin Busby Headgear |
Number of Busby Headgear made of Fox Fur |
|
2005 |
Not held |
2005-06 |
4 |
0 |
|
2006 |
Not held |
2006-07 |
0 |
2 |
|
2007 |
Not held |
2007-08 |
0 |
0 |
|
2008 |
35 |
2008-09 |
22 |
1 |
|
2009 |
195 |
2009-10 |
0 |
0 |
|
2010 |
158 |
2010-11 |
0 |
0 |
|
2011 |
99 |
2011-12 |
0 |
1 |
|
2012 |
126 |
2012-13 |
4 |
1 |
|
2013 |
63 |
2013-14 |
0 |
0 |
|
2014 |
127 |
2014-15 |
20 |
2 |
|
2015 |
122 |
2015-16 |
5 |
0 |
Historically the MOD has undertaken a number of trials on synthetic alternatives to bear skin but none of these matched the properties of the natural material. No trialling has taken place since 2007. Information about costs of these trials is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. In 2012 the Ministry of Defence loaned a sample bearskin to the animal rights organisation, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, to aid its research and development programme on a synthetic alternative.
There has been no research and development carried out to find a synthetic alternative to coney skin or fox fur.