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Category: Speeches

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2015-11-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to undertake an investigation into the performance of local healthwatches.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Department currently has no plans to undertake an investigation in to the performance of local Healthwatch organisations. In March 2015 the Department published a report commissioned from the King’s Fund – Local Healthwatch: Progress and promise – which set out the progress that local Healthwatch have made since being established in 2013. Transparency about the performance of local Healthwatch organisations is provided through the annual reports which they are required to publish. Reports on how the local Healthwatch network as a whole is operating and the nature of the support needed to deliver their activities effectively are discussed at quarterly public meetings of the Healthwatch England Committee.

    Arrangements for ensuring local Healthwatch statutory activities are delivered in each area are a matter for local authorities. The Local Government Association has published guidance to support local Healthwatch and local commissioners in putting in place good governance arrangements, which includes clarity about the roles of all parties involved.

    Neither the Department nor Healthwatch England are aware of local Healthwatch contractors refusing to engage with the public in their area. Where Healthwatch England is made aware of concerns in relation to local Healthwatch around governance or local relationships with specific individuals or organisations, it seeks to provide support to resolve these where appropriate. Members of the public are able to raise concerns though the complaints process of the local Healthwatch or the commissioning local authority.

  • Bernard Jenkin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Bernard Jenkin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bernard Jenkin on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many staff in his Department are working on matters related to (a) European policy, (b) the future of Europe, (c) reform of the EU, (d) the renegotiation of the UK’s relationship with the EU, (e) the EU referendum and (f) the consequences of the EU referendum; how many full-time equivalent staff are working on such matters; what the (i) staff and (ii) other cost of such work is; what proportion of that work is undertaken by such staff on (A) communications, (B) strategy and (C) policy; whether his Department has established any specific unit or units to deal with those matters; to whom such (1) staff and (2) units report; whether his Department has issued guidelines to staff on those matters; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Julian Brazier

    The Government is fighting hard to fix the aspects of our EU membership that cause so much frustration in the UK – so we get a better deal for the UK and secure our future. Departments are appropriately resourced to support the Government’s priorities in Europe, including the renegotiation and referendum.

  • Carol Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Carol Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Carol Monaghan on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people with spouses or partners who are UK citizens have been detained in immigration removal centres in each of the last five years.

    James Brokenshire

    The data requested is not available centrally and is not routinely collected.

    It could be provided only by examining individual case records, which would result in disproportionate cost.

  • 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 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure NHS England is working with (a) clinical commissioning groups, (b) local authorities and (c) other partners to develop and trial a new model of acute in-patient care for young adults aged 16 to 25.

    Alistair Burt

    Trialling acute inpatient care models for 16-25 year olds was a specific recommendation from Five Year Forward View for Mental Health (FYFV for Mental Health), a report from the independent Mental Health Taskforce to the NHS in England, published in February 2016. NHS England has accepted in full the recommendations of the Taskforce and is considering how to take each of the recommendations forward.

    The FYFV for Mental Health states:

    “NHS England should work with CCGs, local authorities and other partners to develop and trial a new model of acute inpatient care for young adults aged 16–25 in 2016, working with Vanguard sites. This should evaluate: developmentally and age-appropriate inpatient services for this group; supporting young people in an environment that maximises opportunities for rehabilitation and return to education, training or employment; viewing the young person within their social context; and enlisting the support of families or carers. This should build on the existing trials of new models of ‘transitional’ services for those aged 0–25.”

  • Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-03-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will withdraw the appointment of Paul Newby as the Pubs Code Adjudicator.

    Anna Soubry

    My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills does not intend to withdraw the appointment of Paul Newby as the Pubs Code Adjudicator.

  • Cat Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Cat Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cat Smith on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 25 April 2016 to Question 34792, how the £4 million allocation from LIBOR fines that have been allocated for mental health support is being divided between emergency services; and what proportion of that funding will be allocated to (a) firefighters, (b) police officers and staff and (c) paramedics and ambulance staff.

    Mike Penning

    The LIBOR funding allocated to support emergency services staff and volunteers was allocated to a variety of charities covering all the emergency services. The Police and Fire Service treatment and rehabilitation centres and the Air Ambulance Services Charity are among the charities in receipt of LIBOR funding and they support retired as well as serving personnel. Information is not held centrally on proportions of funding allocated to each emergency service or to retired emergency services workers.

  • Alistair Carmichael – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Alistair Carmichael – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alistair Carmichael on 2016-05-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Pensions Regulator will now update its rules on defined benefit (DB) schemes to clarify the legal responsibilities of DB trustees.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Parliament has given the Pensions Regulator operational independence from the Government. It would not, therefore, be appropriate for the Government to comment on such matters. However, we can confirm that the Regulator provides clear guidelines for pension scheme trustees on the requirements for a well-run and well-funded defined benefit scheme, to enable them to meet their legal obligations. These guidelines include a detailed online learning programme for trustees. Trustees must also appoint the right people, including actuaries, auditors, and other appropriate advisers, to help them run their scheme. The Government keeps the Regulator’s role and remit under review.

  • Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-07-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many people working for his Department or its executive agencies on a (a) directly employed, (b) agency or (c) outsourced basis are paid less than the living wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation; and how many of those people are employed on zero-hours contracts.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    My department does not employ any staff earning less than the living wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation, or any staff employed on zero-hour contracts.

    One of our agencies, the Planning Inspectorate, currently has four agency staff employed on a temporary basis earning above the National Living Wage but less than the living wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation. They will be paid the higher Living Wage Foundation rate after 12 weeks employment.

    Another of our agencies, the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, has an outsourced contract for catering on-site. The contractor employs 42 staff earning the National Living Wage, but less than the Living Wage Foundation rate. These staff are on zero-hour contracts.

    At present, there are 154 staff employed by an outsourced company to work within the DCLG Facilities Management contract. Of these 111 are paid at or above the National Living Wage but beneath the Living Wage Foundation rate. There are 28 zero hour contracts in place.

    The Department maintains a position that the level of employee payment is for our external contractors to determine, while encouraging payment of a living wage.

  • Peter Bone – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Peter Bone – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Bone on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the planned date for the (a) start and (b) finish of the A509 Isham bypass is; and if he will make a statement.

    Andrew Jones

    The latest information provided by Northamptonshire County Council, the promoters of the A509 Wellingborough Development Link which contains the proposed Isham Bypass, is that subject to the successful completion of any remaining design and legal process, and approval by my Department, work could start on site in April 2017 and the scheme open in October 2018.

  • Lord Palmer – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Palmer – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Palmer on 2015-11-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Department of Health has sought independent legal advice in respect of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and if so, whether they will place a copy of that advice in the Library of the House.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Any legal advice the Department may have obtained in respect of this, or any other issue, is subject to the usual provisions relating to legal professional privilege and as such will not be disclosed.