Category: Speeches

  • Bridget Phillipson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Bridget Phillipson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bridget Phillipson on 2015-10-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department plans to improve out-of-hour services for palliative care.

    Ben Gummer

    This Government is committed to improving the quality of palliative care. Earlier this year, the Review of Choice in End of Life Care made a number of recommendations on how to enable greater choice and improve quality in palliative and end of life care nationally, including on the provision of out-of-hour palliative care services.

    We agree with the vision set out by the Review and are working with NHS England and others to see how this can best be achieved. We intend to respond to the Review recommendations in due course.

  • Nicholas Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Nicholas Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2015-10-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how his Department monitors whether NHS England is appropriately assuring itself of clinical commissioning groups’ performance on autism diagnosis for (a) children and (b) adults.

    Alistair Burt

    In general NHS England is required to assess the performance of each clinical commissioning group (CCG) to ensure that CCGs are commissioning safe, high quality and cost effective services, to achieve the best possible outcomes for patients. Under the Health and Social Care Act (2012), NHS England makes an annual assessment of CCGs each financial year and publishes a summary report. The Secretary of State for Health keeps NHS England’s performance in discharging its functions under review, which includes NHS England’s assurance of CCGs. The Department has discussed with NHS England the difficulties that people on the autistic spectrum can have in getting an appropriate diagnosis in a timely manner. With support from the Department, NHS England and the Association of Directors of Social Services will undertake a series of visits to CCGs where there is good practice in meeting the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Quality Standard 51 Autism, and to those that do not, with the aim of supporting more consistent provision. The National Autism Programme Board will monitor reported progress from NHS England against the commitments in the Autism strategy including the implementation of NICE guidance.

    Newcastle Gateshead CCG is investing in Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust to provide improved services for adults with autism with an initial focus to reduce waiting times in line with NICE guidelines and then for further improvement to be made in the core service. Within 18-24 months the intention is for the autism pathway to be embedded in mainstream services with the addition of a specialist autism service which will provide training, support, liaison and assess more complex cases. By the end of this year, it is expected that all children’s services will have reached a 95% target for all referralsto be assessed and in treatment within 12 weeks and for 70% of referrals to be assessed and in treatment within six weeks.

  • Fabian Hamilton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Fabian Hamilton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fabian Hamilton on 2015-10-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Chinese nationals currently have refugee status.

    James Brokenshire

    The Home Office does not hold figures on the total number of people with refugee status.

    The Home Office publishes annual and quarterly statistics on grants of asylum and other forms of protection, and those resettled under the Gateway Protection Programme, Mandate and Vulnerable Persons Relocation Schemes.

    These statistics are published quarterly in tables as_01 and as_19_q of the Immigration Statistics release, which is available online via the following link:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-april-to-june-2015/asylum#data-tables

  • Stephen Gethins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Stephen Gethins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2015-10-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to support access of humanitarian supplies and access by aid workers to Taiz City, Yemen.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    Taiz city continues to experience intense fighting, which is making it extremely difficult for aid agencies to deliver humanitarian assistance. Their efforts to access the city and provide relief have been consistently blocked by parties to the conflict over the past month.

    The UK continues to call on all parties to facilitate rapid, safe and unhindered access to all people in need in Yemen. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and support UN and NGO partners’ efforts to deliver humanitarian assistance to Taiz city.

  • Justin Madders – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Justin Madders – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2015-10-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether on any occasion under-qualified pilots have been provided in the compulsory pilotage area at Londonderry Port.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Department does not hold this information.

  • Kate Osamor – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kate Osamor – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2015-10-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will initiate a review of the welfare support available to homeless people.

    Priti Patel

    There are no plans to initiate a specific review of welfare support available to homeless people as our ongoing policy work takes account of different vulnerable groups, including homeless people.

  • Lord Black of Brentwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Black of Brentwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Black of Brentwood on 2015-10-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have received regarding the report Unhealthy Attitudes published in July by Stonewall, and what steps they propose to take to improve training for health and social care employees about LGBT rights.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Correspondence has been received by Department of Health Ministers accompanying copies of the report Unhealthy Attitudes.

    On 20 October 2015, NHS Employers, the Lesbian and Gay Foundation and Stonewall presented a paper at NHS England’s Equality and Diversity Council, of which the Department are members, calling for positive and robust leadership to promote LGBT equality in the National Health Service.

    No other representations have been received about the report.

    Health Education England (HEE) currently hosts training on equality and diversity through the e-learning for healthcare (e-LfH) portal. A review of the content is scheduled to take place next year. The package is available free to all NHS employed staff and allows all users to run reports on the HEE e-LfH Hub demonstrating their use and providing evidence for their clinical professional development.

  • Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 2015-10-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the case for a sugar tax on sweetened drinks in order to tackle the rise in obesity.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    There are no plans to introduce a tax on sugar-sweetened drinks. However, we keep all taxes under review, with decisions being a matter for the Chancellor as part of the Budget process.

    Calorie reduction, including sugar reduction, is being considered as part of the development of the Government’s childhood obesity strategy which is due in the coming months.

  • Lord Morris of Aberavon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Morris of Aberavon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Morris of Aberavon on 2015-10-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 20 October, what consideration they gave to discussing with the European Union the possibility of mothballing some of the steel plants recently announced for closure; what assessment they have made of the difficulties in mothballing a plant; and what estimates they have made, if any, about the costs of doing so.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The state aid rules on giving operating, rescue and restructuring aid to steel companies are unambiguously clear and all such interventions are prohibited. This includes Government financial support for mothballing of steel plant. Given the lack of ambiguity there has been no need to discuss these matters with the European Commission.

    We know that the SSI Redcar plan had made losses of over £600m in over three years. When the company went into liquidation, the Official Receiver bought supplies to keep certain operations such as the coke ovens going in the hope of funding a commercial buyout. Unfortunately no commercial buyer could be found to maintain operations at the plant. While this was deeply disappointing news, with such large losses and debts, and the price of steel produces expected to stay depressed for some considerable time, it was perhaps not surprising.

  • Baroness Kennedy of Cradley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Kennedy of Cradley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kennedy of Cradley on 2015-10-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to ensure that businesses with a turnover of £36 million or more are ready to comply with the obligations of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (Transparency in Supply Chains) Regulations 2015.

    Lord Bates

    Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 is now in force. Many businesses called for this provision, we consulted on the turnover threshold, and then involved businesses in drafting associated guidance. Therefore, the Government is confident businesses will be ready.

    We have also included a transition provision so that organisations will have time to consider the guidance before the first statements are due on or after 31 March 2016.