Category: Speeches

  • Stephen O’Brien – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Stephen O’Brien – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen O’Brien on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in what circumstances he uses a calculation of the (a) value of preventing a fatality, (b) willingness to pay and (c) cost-per-quality adjusted life year approach to quantify the value of a policy intervention; what other tools he uses to quantify the benefit of a policy intervention; and if he will make a statement.

    Dan Rogerson

    The Green Book and associated supplementary guidance is publicly available on the Treasury web site. It sets out a range of approaches and methods that may be appropriate in a number of different appraisal circumstances.

  • Biography information for David Amess – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Biography information for David Amess – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for David Amess on International Development.

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    Lynne Featherstone

    The Department for International Development (DFID) will provide approximately £45.8m to Marie Stopes International (MSI) during the period 2014-15. DFID adheres to Development Co-Operation Directorate (OACD-DAC) expenditure coding requirements to allow comparison across donor spending towards attainment of the millennium development goal targets. This does not include the facility to calculate spend for individual components of sexual and reproductive health.

    DFID assesses the value for money (VfM) of all its expenditure through non-governmental organisations (NGOs) on an annual basis. Every project is subject to an annual review and a judgement is made as to whether the funding is achieving good VfM. More generally, investing in reproductive, maternal and newborn health is excellent value for money due to its low cost and far reaching benefits.

  • John Redwood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    John Redwood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Redwood on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what levels of stock his Department holds of (a) stationery, (b) printer cartridges, (c) treasury tags and other fasteners and (d) other office consumables.

    Mr David Lidington

    Responsibility for stationery is devolved to all posts and directorates and procured as required. Data on levels of stationery is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

    Stationery in the UK is procured through the Crown Commercial Services frameworks, in accordance with Cabinet Office guidance.

  • Biography information for Toby Perkins – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Biography information for Toby Perkins – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Toby Perkins on Home Office.

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    Karen Bradley

    We are currently considering how the information contained in the marriage
    entry can be updated to reflect changes since the coming into force of the
    Registration of Marriages Regulations 1986, as well as the most suitable
    opportunity for doing so.

  • Tracey Crouch – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tracey Crouch – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tracey Crouch on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of the sufficiency of access to information about support and services for people diagnosed with a brain tumour; and if he will make a statement.

    Jane Ellison

    NHS England has made a recent assessment of the sufficiency of access to information about support and services for people diagnosed with a brain tumour through its Peer Review Programme (PRP). This programme includes measures that require all brain and central nervous system multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) to demonstrate the availability and adequacy of patient information. The outcome of the 2013-14 assessment of compliance with these measures indicated that out of 91 MDTs and 36 treatment centres, 84% were compliant with the patient information measure at the most robust level.

    There is a programme of work aimed at improving the care and experience of people living with a diagnosis of cancer, developed in collaboration with Macmillan Cancer Support which draws from a wide range of evidence based good practice.

    The National Cancer Intelligence Network runs a brain and central nervous system- related cancers Clinical Reference Group, which works closely with a brain cancer charities. In addition to this, the PRP measures participation in drug trials and research internationally.

    The Department works closely with its cancer research funding partners through the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI). The NCRI is a strategic partnership of 22 government, charity and industry cancer research funders, together with patients. The NCRI is a member of the International Cancer Research Partnership (ICRP), which includes cancer research funders from USA, Canada, Europe, Japan and Australia. The ICRP is a unique alliance of cancer organisations working together to enhance global collaboration and strategic coordination of research. Researchers can search the ICRP database to avoid duplication and identify collaborators in specific areas of cancer research including brain tumour research.

  • Biography information for Nick de Bois – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Biography information for Nick de Bois – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Nick de Bois on Health.

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    Norman Lamb

    As at 1 June 2014, the Department had three creditors that remained unpaid for between 45-59 days.

    The Department had no creditors that remained unpaid for between 60-74 days.

    The Department had no creditors that remained unpaid for 75 days.

    Following the abolition of primary care trusts (PCTs) and strategic health authorities (SHAs) on 31 March 2013, the Department took over responsibility for ensuring that legacy invoice payments were made correctly. Legacy PCT and SHA teams remained in place, to process creditor payments for prior to 1 April 2013, until 31 August 2013. Those outstanding at that point were transferred to successor organisations, including the Department. As at 1 June 2014, there were 270 creditors that remained unpaid. This is due to the careful diligence taking place in order to mitigate the risk of making fraudulent or duplicate payments.

  • Stephen O’Brien – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Stephen O’Brien – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen O’Brien on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2014, Official Report, column 120W, on haemolytic uraemic syndrome, what discussions NHS England has had with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) since 1 January 2014 on NICE’s appraisal of eculizumab; and if he will make a statement.

    Norman Lamb

    We understand that NHS England was formally consulted on the scope of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) evaluation of eculizumab for atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome. NHS England was also consulted on the evaluation consultation document, which was published on 27 February.

    Following the publication of NICE’s draft guidance on eculizumab, NICE sought further advice from NHS England on what considerations relating to the management of its specialised commissioning budget it considers should be taken into account in formulating a recommendation. The response from NHS England will be considered by NICE at the next meeting of the evaluation committee.

  • Biography information for Grahame Morris – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Biography information for Grahame Morris – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Grahame Morris on Home Office.

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    Norman Baker

    Under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, any procedures
    applied to animals for a scientific purpose which may cause pain, suffering,
    distress or lasting harm require licence authorities. For a project to be
    authorised, it must be assessed by a Home Office inspector and a harm-benefit
    analysis performed.

    The harm-benefit analysis considers the likely harms which may be experienced
    by the animals as a consequence of the project, and compares these with the
    benefits which may result and the likelihood of their delivery. A judgement is
    made as to whether the likely harms are justified by the likely benefits.

    The normally recommended age for separating puppies from their mothers is about
    eight weeks. Therefore, a requirement for puppies to be separated from their
    mothers at four weeks of age for a scientific purpose would be deemed to
    require project licence authority. In such cases, Home Office Inspectors take
    into account the distress caused to young puppies by such early separation as
    part of the harm-benefit analysis.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much was claimed by Police and Crime Commissioners in expenses in 2013-14.

    Damian Green

    The Home Office does not collect data on expenses claimed by Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs).

    Under paragraph 1 (d) of Schedule 1 of the Elected Local Policing Bodies (Specified Information) Order 2011 PCCs are obliged to publish "the allowances paid to each relevant office holder in respect of expenses incurred by the office holder in the exercise of the body’s functions".

    Article 1(2) of the Elected Local Policing Bodies (Specified Information) Order 2011 PCCs defines "relevant office holder" as, where the elected local policing body is a police and crime commissioner, the commissioner and any deputy police and crime commissioner appointed by the commissioner.

  • Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown on Communities and Local Government.

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    Brandon Lewis

    I have regular meetings with the Fire Brigades Union. The most recent request for a meeting has come from Matt Wrack, the General Secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, and is dated 20 June. I am content to agree to this request as long as the Union is not in a period of strike action.

    Earlier this year I agreed that the Government Actuary’s Department could cost alternative pension scheme designs that the Union had proposed. After constructive discussions, I wrote to the General Secretary on 23 April 2014 stating that their proposals were under consideration. The following day, the Union prematurely called a halt to those discussions by announcing strike action. I have since published draft regulations for consultation to implement the Proposed Final Agreement which was published in May 2012. I would encourage the Union to engage in that formal statutory consultation process which can be found at

    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-the-regulations-to-introduce-a-new-firefighters-pension-scheme-from-april-2015

    “