Category: Speeches

  • Poulter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Poulter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Poulter on 2016-03-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the timescale is for the UK National Screening Committee Group B Streptococcus review; when the public consultation on that review will open and close; and when he expects the committee to make a decision on the outcomes of that review.

    Ben Gummer

    In December 2015 the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) commissioned an update review into antenatal screening for Group B Streptococcus (GBS) as per its published process. A public consultation is expected to be held in late 2016 for a three-month period; the UK NSC will then review the recommendation for GBS at the successive meeting.

  • – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Dunlop on 24 March (HL7079), concerning parity of esteem” as specified in the Belfast Agreement 1998

    Lord Dunlop

    In the Belfast Agreement, the concept of ‘parity of esteem’ is expressed and defined in relation to the people of different traditions in Northern Ireland.

  • Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his policy is on ensuring that all science-related government contracts and outsourced activities are awarded to organisations that demonstrate a commitment to high professional standards and invest in the professional development of their scientific workforce; and if he will make a statement.

    George Freeman

    All procurement processes must identify key objectives, performance indicators and critical success factors and ensure these are reflected in the tender documents against which organisations are invited to bid. Where appropriate, specific ongoing training and development needs can be included as specific terms in the final signed contract.

    The Department awards research contracts through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). Contractual conditions require that the research is carried out by appropriately experienced, qualified and trained personnel with all due skill, care and diligence.

    The NIHR Faculty includes all of the people funded through NIHR contracts who work in the national health service, universities and registered charities in England. The NIHR Faculty offers career pathways in research and provides training and development opportunities.

  • Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-07-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will meet representatives of Norway and Switzerland to discuss the outcome of the EU referendum.

    Sir Alan Duncan

    The former Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) held discussions with European counterparts and a range of other partners to explain the result of the referendum and next steps. Officials continue to be in frequent contact with their Norwegian and Swiss counterparts and have discussed a range of topics since 24 June, including the outcome of the EU referendum.

  • Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2016-09-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the widening of the M4 motorway between junctions 3 and 12 will commence, when it is likely to be completed, and what measures they will put in place to avoid delays to traffic during the construction period.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Highways England’s latest Delivery Plan states that the start of works for the M4 Junction 3-12 scheme is the fourth quarter of 2016/2017 and it will open to traffic in 2021/22.

    Measures to avoid delays to traffic during the construction period include:

    • Maintaining three lanes of traffic in each direction during peak periods
    • Using average speed camera equipment to smooth flows and improve safety and journey time reliability
    • Installing a CCTV system to identify vehicles in need of recovery and other incidents, with free recovery of broken down vehicles to remove obstructions and keep traffic flowing
    • Minimising traffic management during Bank Holiday periods and working with major events to coordinate traffic management
    • Timing overnight lane closures and full carriageway closures at less sensitive times.
  • Jim Dowd – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Dowd – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Dowd on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to review the Pet Animals Act 1951.

    George Eustice

    Defra is reviewing the Pet Animals Act 1951 as part of a wider review of some of the animal related licensing schemes. We are looking to consult on a set of proposals shortly.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the incidence of (a) CRE and (b) other superbugs which are persistent to antibiotics.

    Jane Ellison

    The Government has already taken significant action to address carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae and other organisms that are resistant to antibiotics.

    The UK 5 Year Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy set out key steps for tackling organisms that are resistant to a range of antibiotics. As part of our strategy to reduce the incidence of such infections, we have tightened the regulatory aspects in England by revising the Health and Social Care Act Code of Practice on the prevention and control of infections in July 2015. The revised Code strengthens links and references to antimicrobial resistance within primary and secondary care. Furthermore, the NHS Standard Contract published in March 2015 included amendments to require compliance with the Code of Practice. This enables regulators such as the Care Quality Commission to look at compliance with the Code within its inspection programme.

    At the same time, we have ensured that a range of guidance and tool kits have been produced to support healthcare staff to manage carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae and other resistant bacteria. Public Health England has published updated standards in June 2015 covering additional training on infection and control, which includes a carbapenemese-resistant Enterobacteriaceae toolkit for the non-acute and community sector.

    In terms of surveillance of carbapenemase-resistant organisms, Public Health England has rolled out the second generation surveillance system for the reporting of notifiable infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance in December 2014. It has also developed an electronic system for reporting carbapenemase-producing organisms, to allow demographic and clinical risk information to be captured and analysed.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners were wrongly released in each of the last five years; what crime each such prisoner had been convicted of; from which prison each such prisoner has been released; how many such prisoners were released from (a) public and (b) private prisons; what category of prisoner each person wrongly released was; how long it took to return each such prisoner to prison; what further crimes each such prisoner committed while wrongly released; how many such prisoners remained at large in each of the last five years; what crime each at large prisoner was originally convicted of; from which prison each at large prisoner was wrongly released from; whether this was a (i) private and (ii) public prison; and what category of prisoner each at large wrongly released prisoner was.

    Andrew Selous

    The information requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Norman Lamb – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Norman Lamb – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Norman Lamb on 2016-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of the doctors applying to Round 1 for Speciality Training posts commencing in the period August to December 2016 applied directly from Foundation Year Two.

    Ben Gummer

    The information is not currently available. Analysis of training application numbers is carried out by Health Education England (HEE) once recruitment rounds have been completed. HEE will publish the data once this work is complete via the UK Foundation Programme Office (UK FPO) annual reports.

    The 2015 annual report is available on the UK FPO Website:

    http://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=FP_Annual_Report_2015_-_FINAL.pdf

    The appointments to specialty or general practice are self-declared by the doctors in response to the survey and are not verified against recruitment data.

    Whilst the survey is a fairly accurate predictor of the destination of doctors who have completed foundation training the figures are not intended to be an accurate employment record.

    “

  • Yvette Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Yvette Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Yvette Cooper on 2016-03-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many take charge requests under the Dublin III Regulation the UK has received from other EU member states for family reunification in the (a) unaccompanied minors, (b) family members, (c) dependent persons and (d) discretionary categories in the last 12 months; and how many such requests have been (i) approved, (ii) refused and (iii) remain under consideration.

    James Brokenshire

    Data on cases progressed under the Dublin Convention is recorded on the main immigration database. However, this data is not held in a way that allows it to be reported on automatically and is therefore not currently available.