Category: Speeches

  • Mark Hendrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Mark Hendrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions Ministers in his Department have had with the Nursing and Midwifery Council on its proposals to increase professional fees for nurses by £20 per annum later in 2014.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is an independent body and it is therefore for the NMC Council to determine the level of the annual fee it charges for registration. On 26 March 2014, the NMC Council reviewed the level of this fee and agreed a proposal to increase it from £100 per annum to £120 in March 2015. The NMC is running a public consultation between 8 May and 31 July 2014, where its proposal is open to scrutiny. No decision on the proposed fee increase has been made at present.

    Ministers keep the issue of professional regulation under regular review and the Department has frequent contact with professional regulators, including the NMC. On 12 March 2014, I met with representatives of the NMC for a regular update meeting. This meeting was not specifically set up to discuss the NMC registration fee, but during this meeting the NMC provided information about its fee review process.

  • Sir Peter Bottomley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Sir Peter Bottomley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sir Peter Bottomley on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he expects to appoint a new chariman to the Leasehold Advisory Service.

    Kris Hopkins

    Consideration will be given to the position of Chairman of the Leasehold Advisory Service later this year, when the current term of office is due to end.

    This will be carried out in line with the Code of Practice for Ministerial appointments to Public Bodies published by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she authorised the UK’s classification of (a) Google, (b) Facebook, (c) webmail services and (d) other companies that operate in the UK as external communications.

    James Brokenshire

    External Communication is defined within the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) 2000 and the statutory Interception of Communications Code of Practice which was approved by Parliament and came into force on 1 July 2002. The Government has no present plans to amend the definition of external communication.

    Under RIPA, interception warrants are issued by the Secretary of State.

  • Rushanara Ali – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Rushanara Ali – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rushanara Ali on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to promote the reputation and status of youth work.

    Matthew Hancock

    Responsibility for youth policy, including youth work, transferred to Cabinet Office on 3 July 2013. Cabinet Office co-ordinates cross-government work on youth policy and is also responsible for policy on international youth issues, youth voice and democracy, and the role of local authorities as well as working with the youth sector.

    The Department for Education continues its commitment to all young people through its responsibilities for education and children’s services in England; and works closely with the rest of government on key issues such as reducing risky behaviour and increasing participation in education, employment and training.

  • Jim Murphy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Jim Murphy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Murphy on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make it her policy to support the adoption of a target to integrate climate adaptation and emissions reductions into development plans and poverty reduction strategies in Open Working Group negotiations on the Sustainable Development Goals.

    Justine Greening

    The UK supports integrating climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies into development plans and poverty reduction strategies. This language is included in the most recent draft goals and targets list released by the co-chairs of the Open Working Group (OWG) on 2 June.

    The final targets in the post-2015 development framework will be subject to international negotiations in the United Nations, in which the UK will play an active role.

  • Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how soon the cage trapping and shooting of badgers was implemented alongside the freeshooting of badgers after the commencement of the pilot badger cull in Gloucestershire in 2013; and what authorisation from the Department was required.

    George Eustice

    Cage trapping was used from the outset in each of the pilot areas. Under the licence issued to each area, cage trapping and shooting and controlled shooting are both permitted control methods. No further authorisation from the Department was required.

    The Guidance issued to Natural England on issuing licenses to kill or take badgers for the purpose of preventing the spread of bovine TB under section 10(2)(a) of the Protection of Badgers Act 1992, and the Government’s policy document on Bovine TB and badger control in England, both state ‘in order to ensure humaneness, only two culling methods will be permitted (which can be used in combination, or as single control methods): i. cage-trapping followed by shooting; and ii. controlled shooting.’ Both of these documents were published on 14th December 2011.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much was spent on professional interpretation services by each prison in England and Wales in 2013; and on how many occasions such interpretation services were used in each prison in 2013.

    Jeremy Wright

    The Ministry of Justice Language Services Contract commenced on the 31st October 2011 and went live operationally in January 2012. The new interpreting contract was introduced to tackle the inefficiencies and inconsistencies in the previous system and saved taxpayers £15m in its first year. We have seen dramatic improvements over the life of the contract so far, with performance currently at 94% success rate, record numbers of bookings are now being made and fulfilled, and we continue to drive further improvement in performance.

    The number of occasions on which interpretation services were used, and the total cost of these for each prison in 2013, can be found in the table below:

    Prison

    Number of Jobs

    Total Cost

    HMP Shepton Mallet NOMS – Prisons

    1

    £37.30

    HMP Sudbury NOMS – Prisons

    1

    £165.75

    HMP Bedford

    151

    £2,307.40

    HMP Belmarsh

    274

    £88,467.31

    HMP Blundeston

    10

    £254.86

    HMP Brixton

    27

    £2,488.47

    HMP Bure

    4

    £646.30

    HMP Cardiff

    34

    £211.13

    HMP Dartmoor

    4

    £402.55

    HMP Elmley

    23

    £796.05

    HMP Erlestoke

    3

    £1,611.97

    HMP Frankland

    136

    £25,122.43

    HMP Guys Marsh

    13

    £802.64

    HMP Haverigg

    10

    £454.78

    HMP Hewell

    61

    £858.92

    HMP Highpoint

    48

    £2,220.03

    HMP Holme House

    34

    £1,220.84

    HMP Leeds

    108

    £1,449.70

    HMP Leyhill

    3

    £314.74

    HMP Lindholme

    18

    £2,356.99

    HMP Lindholme Learning Centre

    2

    £1,110.90

    HMP Littlehey

    13

    £340.70

    HMP Liverpool

    99

    £2,919.94

    HMP Long Lartin

    148

    £182,180.50

    HMP Manchester

    635

    £50,444.73

    HMP Manchester – Public Protection

    1

    £101.76

    HMP Manchester – Security

    2

    £223.74

    HMP Norwich

    403

    £3,956.21

    HMP Pentonville

    355

    £13,976.57

    HMP Ranby

    56

    £1,232.89

    HMP Send

    22

    £6,838.05

    HMP Stocken

    6

    £165.27

    HMP Sudbury

    5

    £1,835.27

    HMP Swaleside

    13

    £2,015.00

    HMP Swansea

    70

    £1,004.74

    HMP Usk and Prescoed

    51

    £10,967.74

    HMP Wandsworth

    848

    £114,603.82

    HMP Wellingborough

    1

    £58.00

    HMP Whatton

    215

    £53,315.58

    HMP Woodhill

    270

    £4,613.79

    HMP Wormwood Scrubs

    133

    £1,913.12

    HMPOI Aylesbury

    2

    £94.65

    HMPYOI Foston Hall

    17

    £413.64

    HMPYOI Hindley

    76

    £1,164.26

    HMPYOI Holloway

    622

    £6,280.04

    HMPYOI Lewes

    33

    £412.99

    HMPYOI Low Newton

    112

    £1,573.07

    HMPYOI Moorland

    120

    £9,226.49

    HMPYOI New Hall

    189

    £5,480.24

    HMPYOI Reading

    85

    £5,259.40

    HMYOI Portland

    34

    £1,803.30

    Prison Service College

    82

    £27,913.31

    HMP Acklington/Castington

    20

    £221.37

    IRC Dover

    1149

    £9,902.50

    HMP Durham

    73

    £471.58

    HMP Hull

    23

    £743.00

    HMP Huntercombe

    123

    £5,065.04

    IRC Morton Hall

    2762

    £44,677.50

    HMP Nottingham

    169

    £1,867.61

    HMP Wakefield

    163

    £107,301.70

    HMPYOI Warren Hill

    16

    £431.49

    HMP Whitemoor

    92

    £30,026.31

    HMP Wymott

    25

    £1,157.87

    HMP Isle of Wight

    10

    £1,228.67

    HMP YOI Isis

    14

    £1,101.08

    Offender Safety, Rights & Responsibilities Group

    282

    £92,537.70

    HMPYOI Brinsford

    148

    £1,462.78

    HMP Bristol

    49

    £428.42

    HMP Bullwood Hall

    28

    £7,846.42

    HMP Canterbury

    14

    £152.28

    HMYOI Chelmsford

    163

    £2,672.87

    HMYOI Deerbolt

    90

    £1,013.15

    HMP Dorchester

    21

    £183.41

    HMPYOI Downview

    17

    £341.50

    HMPYOI Drake Hall

    136

    £1,150.58

    HMP Eastwood Park

    422

    £3,591.42

    HMP Featherstone

    37

    £554.06

    HMYOI Feltham

    284

    £2,910.20

    HMP Gartree

    12

    £210.45

    HMYOI/RC Glen Parva

    132

    £1,381.49

    HMP Gloucester

    15

    £134.67

    IRC Haslar

    1121

    £11,545.50

    HMYOI Lancaster Farms

    42

    £420.75

    HMP Leicester

    75

    £1,064.05

    HMP Lincoln

    103

    £1,241.73

    HMP Maidstone

    8

    £193.36

    HMP Preston

    52

    £650.34

    HMP Risley

    73

    £2,030.13

    HMP Shrewsbury

    3

    £15.06

    HMYOI Styal

    113

    £1,243.83

    HMP The Verne

    20

    £322.28

    HMP Wayland

    6

    £64.52

    HMYOI Wetherby

    42

    £798.14

    HMP Winchester

    66

    £1,891.31

    HMP Exeter

    43

    £384.50

    HMP High Down

    35

    £244.37

    Hounslow Junior Attendance Centre

    4

    £34.22

    HMP Buckley Hall

    1

    £36.00

    HMP Bullingdon

    16

    £467.50

    HMP Onley

    11

    £67.04

    HMPYOI Swinfen Hall

    4

    £33.94

    Equalities Group

    1

    £1.29

    London (Romford) Junior Attendance Centre

    23

    £263.44

    Bournemouth Junior Attendance Centre

    1

    £10.20

    HMYOI Werrington

    20

    £246.41

    HMP KENNET

    4

    £13.34

    HMPYOI Northallerton

    8

    £71.75

    HMYOI Rochester

    12

    £140.22

    Cricklewood Junior Attendance Centre

    1

    £5.26

    HMP Full Sutton

    28

    £2,540.22

    HMP Stafford

    2

    £28.20

    HMP Wealstun

    3

    £19.14

    HMP Ford

    1

    £62.82

    HMYOI Stoke Heath

    9

    £104.18

    South London Greenwich Senior Attendance Centre

    1

    £28.60

    HMP Everthorpe

    3

    £28.40

    Essex Junior Attendance Centre (Wickford)

    1

    £0.77

    Fulham Junior Attendance Centre

    1

    £11.75

    Hertford Junior Attendance Centre

    1

    £232.80

    HMPYOI Askham Grange

    1

    £1.74

    HMP The Mount

    5

    £137.68

    Assisted Prison Visits Unit

    1

    £940.63

    HMP Garth

    1

    £6.88

    Total

    14138

    £994,041.28

    The costs for the provision of language services detailed in the table provided vary dependent upon the nature of the service used, and the length of the assignment. These services may include, Face to Face interpreters including provision for the deaf and deafblind, Telephone Interpreters and Written Translations.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in North Korea on freedom of religion.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. friend the member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) has never met his Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) counterpart.

    However, the UK takes every opportunity to raise with the DPRK authorities our concerns about their appalling human rights record, not least with regard to freedom of religion or belief. The British Embassy in Pyongyang last raised our concerns with the DPRK Ministry of Foreign Affairs in March 2013. A senior official in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office raised this issue with the North Korean Embassy in February 2014.

    We have also raised concerns specifically about recent reports that 33 people have been sentenced to death for alleged contact with Kim Jung-wook (aka Kim Jong-uk), a South Korean arrested by the DPRK authorities last year on suspicion of trying to establish underground churches. We have requested official confirmation of what has happened to the individuals concerned and called on the DPRK to respect the provision in its constitution guaranteeing “freedom of belief in religion”. We also played a leading role in securing a strong resolution at the UN Human Rights Council, calling for accountability for the range of human rights violations documented in the DPRK.

    The annual FCO Human rights report, published on 10 April 2014 includes the DPRK as a country of concern. The full report can be found at http://www.hrdreport.fco.gov.uk

    “

  • David Ward – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    David Ward – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Ward on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what additional resources his Department is making available to reduce the time taken to process requests for mandatory reconsideration of employment and support allowance decisions in West Yorkshire.

    Esther McVey

    We have targeted the resource we use nationally so that requests are processed as quickly as possible to minimise any undue delays, without compromising good quality decision-making.

    In addition we are currently reviewing the customer journey to understand where the pinch points are in the decision making process in order to reduce the end to end journey time.

  • Andrew Bingham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Bingham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what criteria his Department use to define illness as mental as opposed to physical.

    Norman Lamb

    The International Classification of Diseases is the standard diagnostic tool for epidemiology, health management and clinical purposes. This includes the analysis of the general health situation of population groups. It is used to monitor the incidence and prevalence of diseases and other health problems.

    The Tenth Revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems includes in Chapter V a detailed classification of more than 300 mental and behavioural disorders. Its publication follows extensive field-testing by more than 100 clinical and research centres in 40 countries.

    Aggregate primary care trust (PCT) expenditure on mental health was £11.28 billion in 2012-13, which is 11.9% of the £94.78 billion total spend by PCTs. The estimate of expenditure on mental health does not include the majority of expenditure on primary care appointments which is recorded as a separate programme category.

    It is not possible to provide an estimate of expenditure on physical health. A number of programme categories will have elements of expenditure which could be classified as non-physical, for example, learning disabilities, neurological and social care.

    The Department has made no estimate of the cost to the economy of untreated mental illness.