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Category: Speeches

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Kerry McCarthy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-03-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations were made by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment and Rural Affairs at the EU Environment Council on 4 March 2016 on the EU action plan for the circular economy.

    Rory Stewart

    The Council debated the EU Action Plan for the Circular Economy. The UK highlighted work that had been done domestically, expressed support for elements of the Action Plan such as industrial symbiosis, and expressed overarching concerns for the proposed waste targets, stressing the need to pay close attention to the costs and benefits. These concerns were shared by Ireland, Lithuania and Portugal. Most Member States also sought reassurance that a joined up approach was being taken by the Commission. The Presidency stated that they will aim for a set of Council Conclusions on the Action Plan to be agreed at June Environment Council.

  • David Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    David Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Morris on 2016-04-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when Lancashire County Council made its application to the Pothole Action Fund; what level its application to that fund was awarded; and if he will make a statement.

    Andrew Jones

    The Pothole Action Fund is worth £250 million over the next five years to local highway authorities in England, outside London. On 7 April the Government announced the share each local highway authority will receive from the £50 million available for 2016/17. Funding is allocated according to the length of the road network each local highway authority is responsible for as set out in the Department for Transport Road Statistics Publication. Lancashire County Council received £1,241,000 from the Pothole Action Fund in 2016/17.

    Further details can be found here:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cash-for-councils-to-fill-almost-1-million-potholes

    “

  • Oliver Colvile – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Oliver Colvile – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Colvile on 2016-05-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what measures his Department uses to identify how often people with a diagnosis of epilepsy receive treatment from a consultant or nurse.

    Jane Ellison

    There are no national measures or means by which the Department monitors frequency of patients reviews, either by consultants or nurses. Guidance is issued by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence however this does not replace the skills and knowledge of health professionals in managing patients. The arrangements for the management and follow up of people with epilepsy are a local matter and decisions on the frequency with which patients are seen should be made on a case by case basis, taking into account the individual circumstances of each patient.

    NHS England advises that the maximum wait for outpatients to receive a neurology appointment is 12 weeks currently. Additionally 92% of patients are being seen under the specified ‘Referral To Treatment’ waiting times of 18 weeks which is within the national target.

    The information on the number of people with epilepsy in Plymouth is not available in the format requested.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-07-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has made of research published in Nature regarding mitochondrial and nuclear DNA matching shapes metabolism and healthy ageing; and how that assessment relates to the recommendations contained within guidance note 33.23 on the HFEA website.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The noble Lord appears to be referring to the recent work by Latorre-Pellicer et al (2016). The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that this research will be considered by the reconvened Expert Panel which will assess the safety and efficacy of mitochondrial donation techniques more widely.

    The guidance referred to by the noble Lord refers to haplotype matching in the provision of mitochondrial donation treatment. At present, no clinics in the United Kingdom are licenced to provide such treatment. The HFEA has further advised that the research published in Nature is consistent with that guidance. The HFEA will continue to advise clinics to keep themselves up to date with the scientific research in this area.

  • Imran Hussain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Imran Hussain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to incentivise the provision of higher quality mental health services.

    Nicola Blackwood

    Mental health is one of the six core clinical areas to be covered by NHS England’s new CCG Improvement and Assessment Framework. NHS England is working to ensure that this will provide as broad a view as possible of how well commissioners are supporting and driving improvement in mental health.

    A dashboard for mental health will be published this autumn, containing a set of standard indicators to articulate progress in mental health services at a national level and allow benchmarking of services across the country.

    NHS England will continue to ensure that mental health is represented within the full suite of levers and incentives at its disposal including Commissioning for Quality and Innovation payment framework (CQUINs), Quality Premium, the NHS Standard Contract and within the design of new models of care. The Technical Guidance for NHS planning covering 2017/18 and 2018/19 that accompanied the publication of the main NHS Planning Guidance earlier this autumn included a number of draft proposals for specific mental health CQUINs:

    – Improving services for people with Mental Health needs who present to A&E;

    – Improving physical health care for people with Severe Mental Illnesses; and

    – Improving transitions for children and young people.

    The Quality Premium is based on measures that cover a combination of national and local priorities, and on delivery of the fundamentals of commissioning. The Premium is paid to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in 2018/19 and 2019/20 reflects the quality of the health services commissioned by them in 2017/18 and 2018/19. There will be six mandated indicators including a mental health indicator.

    Mental health service providers are responsible for the consistency and quality in the services that they provide. Services in England are regulated by the Care Quality Commission which introduced a new regulation and inspection regime in 2014. CCGs are expected to increase their spending on mental health in line with overall growth in their baseline allocations.

  • David Amess – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    David Amess – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2015-10-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what evidence she has received that sex and sexual relationships education in the primary years reduces the incidence of risky sexual behaviour, exploitation and abuse of children; and if she will make a statement.

    Edward Timpson

    The Department published ‘Personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education: a review of impact and best practice’ in March 2015. The report highlighted evidence that good quality sex and relationship education (SRE) can have a protective function such as delaying initiation of sex, reducing frequency of sex or the number of sexual partners and increasing the use of condoms or other contraceptive measures. Allsex and relationship education should be age-appropriate and schools should ensure young people develop positive values and a moral framework that will guide their decisions, judgments and behaviour.

    The report is published online: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pshe-education-a-review-of-impact-and-effective-practice.

    “

  • John Mann – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    John Mann – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mann on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington representing the House of Commons Commission, what assessment the Commission has made of the effect of reductions in the number of hon. Members in 2020 on its Estates planning.

    Tom Brake

    Officials keep the assumptions that guide planning for the Parliamentary Estate under constant review. It is not expected that a reduction in the number of Members from 2020 will have any significant impact on our Estates planning, as it will not be a sufficient number to allow us to release any buildings. It may provide better accommodation for some Members, and alleviate the overcrowding of Members’ staff and House staff in a number of existing office spaces.

  • Lord Campbell-Savours – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Campbell-Savours – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Campbell-Savours on 2016-01-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have received evidence of VAT fraud in the London souvenir and gift trade, and if so, what action they have taken to combat it.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) receive a variety of data and intelligence from numerous sources. Everything from bulk data from third parties to information provided by individuals through the Tax and Customs Evasion Hotlines.

    Clamping down on those who try to cheat the system through evading taxes and over claiming benefits is a key priority for HMRC, and they are committed to ensuring the tax system operates fairly and efficiently. All the information HMRC receive is risk-assessed and a decision made on the most appropriate course of action.

    Data and intelligence received could include information relating to the London souvenir and gift trade. However, there is strict law of confidentiality covering all the work for which HMRC are responsible. The relevant law is Section 18 of the Commissioners for Revenue & Customs Act 2005, which strictly limits the circumstances under which they disclose information they hold and any action taken. This prohibits HMRC from giving specific details of any information received regarding any sector.

  • The Marquess of Lothian – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The Marquess of Lothian – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2016-02-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the Supporting Syria and the Region Conference, how much of the $5.8 billion pledged for 2016 has been received, and when they expect all pledges to be received.

    Baroness Verma

    On 4 February, the Prime Minister co-hosted the “Supporting Syria & the Region London 2016”, which brought together over 60 countries, international organisations, business, civil society, Syrians and people affected by the conflict to agree a comprehensive new approach on how we respond to this protracted crisis. Donors announced over $11 billion in funding for the Syria crisis response, of which almost $5.9 billion is for 2016. A further $5.4 billion has been committed for 2017-2020 to enable partners to plan ahead. Never has the international community raised so much for a single humanitarian crisis in a single day. The United Nations will track pledges made towards the 2016 UN-coordinated inter-agency appeals for Syria and the region, and we will work alongside the UN to ensure these pledges are disbursed quickly and maintain the momentum on fundraising over the longer-term. This information is being updated on UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs’ Financial Tracking System.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-03-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which overseas territories and crown dependencies have published registries of the beneficial ownership of the legally registered companies that are conducting business through their jurisdictions.

    James Duddridge

    I had productive discussions with Overseas Territories leaders in December when they agreed to hold beneficial ownership information in their respective jurisdictions via central registers or similarly effective systems. This is an important step forward. We further agreed that we should develop a timely, safe and secure information exchange process to increase our collective effectiveness for the purposes of law enforcement. The Overseas Territories have had productive technical discussions with UK officials and have expressed their willingness to work with us to stamp out criminal financing. I want to see significant progress ahead of the May Anti-Corruption Summit.

    The Government is also in dialogue with the Crown Dependencies on this issue.