Category: Speeches

  • Baroness Masham of Ilton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Masham of Ilton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Masham of Ilton on 2014-06-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there are any plans to implement a system to ensure that female patients prescribed valproate or any other anti-convulsant medication are given information relating to potential problems in pregnancy.

    Earl Howe

    All doctors, during undergraduate and postgraduate training, are made aware of all of the current evidence when prescribing in pregnancy. This is especially so when prescribing drugs that are potentially teratogenic such as anticonvulsants.

    The core curriculum for trainee obstetricians which is overseen by the Royal College of Gynaecologists contains a detailed module on epilepsy in pregnancy including sodium valproate which all trainees are required to complete.

    The Royal College of Physicians has a similar core learning module on drugs in pregnancy for physicians in training. It is recommended that women with epilepsy attend for pre pregnancy counselling so that management of their epilepsy in any future pregnancy can be discussed as well as any risks and benefits of medication they are taking.

    NHS England expects all clinicians prescribing these drugs to follow the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance. This is a very powerful tool to improve commissioning. The NICE guidance issued in January 2012 recommends that epilepsy nurse specialists should be an integral part of the network of care of children, young people and adults with epilepsy (para 1.8.3). One of their roles is to educate, inform and support the patient and their family with specific training about the management of epilepsy.

  • Helen Goodman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Helen Goodman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2014-04-03.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which parties have received the £30 million for the Garden Bridge announced in the National Infrastructure Plan.

    Danny Alexander

    HM TREASURY

    Helen Goodman MP

    BISHOP AUCKLAND

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which parties have received the £30 million for the Garden Bridge announced in the National Infrastructure Plan. 195166

    DANNY ALEXANDER

    The £30 million contribution to the Garden Bridge from Government is conditional on a business case being produced that demonstrates the project represents good value for money. The business case is expected to be complete by mid 2014.

    Should the business case demonstrate that the project represents good value for money, Government will agree the detailed terms of funding with the Garden Bridge Trust.

  • Lord Empey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Empey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Empey on 2014-06-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the reported loss of records of royal pardons granted between 1987 and 1997 applies to the whole of the United Kingdom.

    Lord Faulks

    The exercise of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy may currently take one of three forms:

    i) The grant of a Free Pardon;

    ii) The grant of a conditional Pardon;

    iii) Remission of all or part of a penalty

    By Constitutional convention, the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (in succession to the Home Secretary) is responsible, in England and Wales (and the Channel Islands), for recommending to Her Majesty the exercise of the prerogative of mercy to grant a Royal Pardon. In Northern Ireland the responsibility lies with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for reserved matters and the Justice Minister for Northern Ireland for devolved matters. In Scotland it is devolved to the First Minister. The Secretary of State for Defence also has the responsibility in relation to members of the armed forces.

    Each department or administration is responsible for maintaining their records. I am not aware of any problems with retrieving such records for this period relating to royal pardons granted on the recommendation of the Secretary of State for Justice.

  • Charlie Elphicke – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Charlie Elphicke – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlie Elphicke on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what veterinary and animal welfare qualifications and training are a criteria of becoming an inspector at the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency.

    George Eustice

    Animal Health Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) employs Veterinarians and Animal Health Officers who both are inspectors. Veterinarians employed by AHVLA must have a veterinary degree and be members of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (MRCVS). AHVLA supports these veterinarians to achieve the annual number of days continued development required to maintain their MRCVS.

    Animal Health Officers are not qualified veterinarians and have no requirement for any veterinary qualifications. They are trained in a variety of aspects relevant to their function and that are essential to their duties, including animal welfare, animal health, enforcement and evidence gathering. Furthermore, and in order to fulfil this function, Animal Health Officers are appointed as Inspectors under the Animal Health Act 1981. A senior veterinarian in the organisation ensures that appointed Inspectors only use the powers to act as an Inspector when they are deemed competent to do so.

    AHVLA has an annual programme of training for its veterinary staff and Animal Health Officers to ensure that they maintain and develop knowledge in their particular areas of expertise.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Attorney General, what targets the Law Officers’ Departments have for increasing diversity; and what progress has been made on meeting those targets in the last year.

    Oliver Heald

    I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to her by the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 16th June (Official Report, Col 434W).

  • Douglas Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Douglas Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Alexander on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support the UK Government plans to provide through the EU in advance of presidential elections in Ukraine in May 2014.

    Mr William Hague

    The UK will be sending 90 short term observers, in addition to the 10 long term observers already in Ukraine, to join the observer mission being mounted by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). This will allow for an objective assessment as to whether the required standards are met. We also welcome the announcement by the OSCE/ODIHR that they will be providing advice and training on running elections.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of staff within his Department who have been subject to formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five financial years classed themselves as white British.

    Mr Francis Maude

    The Prime Minister’s Office and the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office are integral parts of the Cabinet Office.

    Declaration of ethnicity for staff is voluntary and it is therefore not possible to provide the information requested.

  • Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Fuller on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to strengthen vocational education in Nigeria.

    Lynne Featherstone

    DFID recognises the importance of vocational skills training for reducing poverty among young people in Nigeria, and is currently considering options on how best to support the sector to increase the economic opportunities available to marginalised groups of young men and women in six of the poorest states in Northern Nigeria.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what proportion of staff within his Office who have been subject to formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five financial years classed themselves as white British.

    Mr Nick Clegg

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by My Rt Hon Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office today.

  • Anne Main – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Anne Main – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne Main on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much local authorities in (a) St Albans, (b) Hertfordshire, (c) the East of England and (d) the UK have returned to his Department in unused discretionary housing payment funding since 2011; and what steps he is taking to ensure that such funds are targeted towards those most in need.

    Esther McVey

    The Department has responsibility for the funding of Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) in Great Britain, but not the UK. The table below shows the amounts of unused DHPs returned to the Department since 2011 for the respective areas. The figures for 2013/14 will be available in due course once the information has been collated from local authorities.

    Local Authority Area

    Under Spend since 2011

    St Albans

    £18,717

    Hertfordshire

    £72,108

    Eastern England

    £1,494,137

    Great Britain

    £20,982,679

    The Department provides local authorities with a guidance manual and good practice guide to aide them in the administration of the DHP scheme. This has recently been updated following informal consultation with stakeholder groups and local authority practitioners. The new guidance encourages councils to make longer term awards where appropriate to those with ongoing needs.