Category: Speeches

  • Ben Howlett – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ben Howlett – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2015-11-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to work with businesses to improve the health of the workforce.

    Jane Ellison

    The Workplace Wellbeing Charter, published by Public Health England (PHE) provides a national standard for employers of all sizes and sectors with a systematic, evidence-based approach to workplace health improvement. The Charter is commissioned and coordinated by local authorities to support coherent action by businesses to improve the health of the local population.

    The Workplace Wellbeing Charter consolidates the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance relating to employer action. Organisations are accredited across critical areas such as leadership, specific health issues, systems for absence management and health and safety at three levels; commitment, achievement and excellence.

    PHE has worked with the Work@Health Centre, Alzheimer’s Society and British Heart Foundation and other partners to develop a series of topic based guides for businesses to support action on specific areas such as the food environment in workplaces and promoting physical activity and supporting carers.

    PHE is currently working with Business in the Community on a new resource for businesses focused specifically on addressing mental health issues building on the existing best practice and considering the transferable learning between business sectors and businesses of different sizes.

  • Karin Smyth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Karin Smyth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karin Smyth on 2016-01-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when his Department plans to make a decision on whether to refer for consideration by NICE PRRNT treatment for pancreatic cancers.

    George Freeman

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recently consulted stakeholders on the suitability of Lutetium-177 Dotatate – a type of peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) – for treating unresectable, somatostatin receptor-positive gastroentero-pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours without disease progression for referral to its technology appraisal work programme. A decision on its referral to NICE will be taken shortly.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-01-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether any person or body has sought disclosure of his Department’s legal advice on the drone strike that killed Reyaad Khan for purposes related to the inquiry by the Intelligence and Security Committee on that matter.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) gave to the hon. Member for Blaydon (Mr. Anderson) on Monday 25 January 2016, UIN23433.

  • Nicholas Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Nicholas Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2016-02-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what duties apply to betting companies to ensure that vulnerable customers using their services gamble responsibly.

    David Evennett

    One of the three key licensing objectives set out in the Gambling Act 2005 is that vulnerable people should be protected from harm. All betting shop operators are required by the Gambling Commission’s Licence Conditions and Code of Practice (LCCP) to have policies and processes in place to meet this objective. In addition, the industry trade body, the Association of British Bookmakers (ABB), has a mandatory code of conduct which places additional social responsibility requirements on all of its members.

    The rate of problem gambling is at 0.6% of the adult population, which is lower than comparable jurisdictions (USA, South Africa or Australia). However we recognise that rates are significantly higher among some sections of the population, such as young men, and that gambling-related harm is a real and significant problem. The majority of current provision for treatment of problem gamblers is through the Responsible Gambling Trust’s funding of organisations such as GamCare, who provide a helpline and counselling services, and the Gordon Moody Association, which provides specialist residential treatment. Local treatment can be found through GPs and NHS addiction clinics, there is also a specialist NHS service treating gambling disorder, based in London.

    The Government is committed to ensuring that people are protected from being harmed or exploited by gambling. The Minister for Sport and Tourism has explained to the gambling industry that they are expected to demonstrate that they are improving existing player protection initiatives and evaluating the effects of previous initiatives. As the Minister said at the recent RGT harm minimisation conference, government and industry should never feel that there is an end point to social responsibility.

  • Maria Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Maria Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2016-03-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many artificial football pitches in which locations have been supported by funding from his Department since May 2015.

    David Evennett

    In the last year, £39 million has been invested across the country on artificial grass pitches in Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Hampshire, London, Manchester, Devon, Essex, Staffordshire, West Riding, Middlesex, Wiltshire, Durham, Liverpool, Lincolnshire, Staffordshire, North Riding, Lancashire, Hertfordshire, Birmingham Northumberland, Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Nottinghamshire, Surrey, Dorset, Cumberland and East Riding. Further details on the individual grants awarded are available from the Football Foundation.

    The Government is also investing £8 million over the next 4 years in Parklife, to increase the number of full-size publicly accessible artificial grass pitches in England by 50 per cent. The Football Association is matching government funding, with further contributions from the Premier League and Local Authorities in this new £200 million grassroots facilities investment programme.

  • Ruth Smeeth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Ruth Smeeth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Smeeth on 2016-04-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 11 April 2016 to Question 32350, how many compliance visits per employer that have taken place on Tier 2 ICT visa workers in the last 12 months.

    James Brokenshire

    In 2015 227 compliance visits were undertaken to Tier 2 sponsors who have the ability to sponsor individuals under the Tier 2 ICT route.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-05-23.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on supply teachers of new restrictions on tax relief for travel and subsistence expenses for workers engaged through an employment intermediary.

    Mr David Gauke

    The changes to tax relief for travel and subsistence only affect those who work through an employment intermediary. The planned changes will put supply teachers employed through an intermediary on the same terms as other supply teachers, either contracted directly, or through an agency contract.

    The Government’s general assessment of the effects of the measure can be found in the Tax Information and Impact Note: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/income-tax-employment-intermediaries-and-relief-for-travel-and-subsistence/income-tax-employment-intermediaries-and-relief-for-travel-and-subsistence

    The Government undertook detailed consultation on these proposals. Further assessment can be found in the summary of responses to the consultation document published on this change: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/483389/Employment_Intermediaries_and_Tax_Relief_for_Travel_and_Subsistence_-_Summary_of_Responses__M7057_.pdf

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  • Helen Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Helen Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2016-07-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) hon. Members, (b) members of the local authority and (c) the public are consulted about the sustainability and transformation plans being developed for Warrington and its surrounding area.

    Mr Jeremy Hunt

    We acknowledge that local government are vital in helping to set the strategic direction of health and care service development locally.

    The March guidance to Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) leads clarified that submissions should state how:

    – partnership arrangements should include local government and explain fit with existing plans, including Health and Wellbeing Strategies and Joint Strategic Needs Assessments;

    – systems will work with local government to deliver prevention and public health improvements; and

    – the footprint will engage other employers, working with local government, to improve health and wellbeing of local people.

    At a regional level, National Health Service arm’s length bodies (ALBs) have:

    – worked initially with local authority colleagues to agree footprints and STP leadership;

    – offered membership of the four new regional STP boards to Local Government Association representatives (including the potential for involvement in the assessment of initial returns); and

    – asked their regional colleagues to continue to work with the STP footprints in their area to encourage them to reflect the knowledge, expertise and experience of local government colleagues where appropriate, e.g. Health and Wellbeing Board leads’ insight into the plans for, and effects on, the local system.

    As set out in the NHS Shared Planning Guidance, published in December 2015, the success of STPs will depend on having an open, engaging, and iterative process that involves patients, carers, citizens, clinicians, local community partners, parliamentarians, the independent and voluntary sectors, and local government through health and wellbeing boards. The arm’s length bodies responsible for the NHS Five Year Forward View – NHS England, NHS Improvement, the Care Quality Commission, Public Health England, Health Education England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence – have asked for local engagement plans as part of the STP process, building where appropriate on existing engagement through health and wellbeing boards and other local arrangements. Where plans propose service changes, formal consultation will follow in due course in line with good practice and legislative requirements. The arm’s length bodies will be holding conversations with each area to assess their plans for local engagement.

  • Alistair Carmichael – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Alistair Carmichael – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alistair Carmichael on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the inclusion of Scottish universities in the post-study work visa pilot.

    David Mundell

    I meet my Rt hon Friend the Home Secretary regularly and we discuss a wide range of issues.

    The Tier 4 visa pilot is part of the Home Office’s continued efforts to ensure that the UK maintains an excellent offer to attract the brightest and best to study at our world-leading institutions. Its main aim is to help simplify the visa application process for international students looking to study on a Masters’ course, in the UK, of 13 months or less. It will also help to support students who wish to switch into a work route and take up a graduate role by extending the leave period following the end of their study to up to six months. The pilot does not make any changes to the Tier 2 visa route and is not a return to the post-study work visa route, which we closed in April 2012 due to high levels of abuse.

    The institutions taking part in the pilot were chosen due to their consistently low level of visa refusals. It is a fundamental requirement of Tier 4 that education institutions who recruit international students take responsibility for them. This means the institution must ensure the student is genuine and meets the requirements of the Immigration Rules, before assigning them a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS), as well as ensuring that the student leaves the UK at the end of his or her studies.

  • Tania Mathias – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tania Mathias – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tania Mathias on 2015-11-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when all NHS patients will be able to access their medical records online; and when the NHS will implement a secure unified email system.

    George Freeman

    From April 2015 patients have had online access to summary information in their general practitioner (GP) records relating to allergies, adverse reactions and medications. By the end of March 2016, general practices are required to offer online access to coded information, such as problem diagnoses, procedures and test results in GP clinical records.

    The National Health Service has used a secure email service, NHSmail, for the last 12 years. This service is available for use by organisations commissioned to deliver NHS health and care or related activities.