Category: Speeches

  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-01-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of local authority funding reductions on the provision of transport for vulnerable adults.

    Alistair Burt

    The Department does not collect data on how much is spent by local authorities on vulnerable adult transport.

    Social care is a key priority for this Government. This is why, against the context of tough public sector finances; we have taken steps to protect social care services. As announced in the Spending Review, the Government is giving local authorities access to £3.5 billion of new support for social care by 2019/20.

    This means local government has access to the funding it needs to increase social care spending in real terms by the end of the Parliament.

  • 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 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2016 to Question 21806, what commitment he received from insurance industries that savings from government reforms would be passed on to consumers; and what steps he plans to take to ensure that such commitments are monitored and transparent.

    Dominic Raab

    On 8 December 2015, at a meeting with Ministers, representatives of leading insurers committed to pass on savings to consumers through lower premiums following the implementation of Government reforms. The Government will be monitoring the industry’s reaction to these reforms closely.

    The meeting on 8 December 2015 was the first Ministerial meeting with insurers to discuss the reforms announced in the Autumn Statement on 25 November. Lord Faulks subsequently met representatives from the claimant lawyer sector at the end of January 2016. Officials had previously met with both insurers and claimant lawyer representatives to discuss the reforms.

  • Lord Clement-Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Clement-Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Clement-Jones on 2016-02-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of proposals that the pharmaceutical industry should pay entirely for overspends in the Cancer Drugs Fund on the number of medicines that the industry puts forward for possible inclusion in that Fund.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    NHS England plans to invest in a new £340 million Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) to provide early access to cancer drug indications. Under the new process, any drugs that receive either a draft recommendation for routine commissioning or, where uncertainty exists, a recommendation for use within the CDF, will receive interim funding from the CDF from the point of marketing authorisation.

    This earlier access to cancer drugs will benefit both patients and the pharmaceutical industry and NHS England believes it is only fair that the pharmaceutical industry makes a contribution if any overspend occurs.

    NHS England’s impact assessment will not be completed until the detailed outcomes from the current consultation on the future of the CDF are confirmed.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which military operations UK armed forces have been involved in that have (a) included other EU member states and (b) been EU-led.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The security and stability of the UK has long depended on our strong partnerships in the Euro-Atlantic area, and we have worked alongside our Allies both in NATO and EU operations. The UK Armed Forces are currently deployed alongside European partners in many environments, including the NATO Operation in the Aegean and the EU-led Operation in the Central Mediterranean, both providing critical support to the international efforts to destroy the illegal smuggling networks putting thousands of lives at risk. Additionally, UK Armed Forces are deployed in other EU Operations and Missions in Mali, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Somalia, as well as the anti-piracy operation off the Horn of Africa.

  • Matthew Offord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Matthew Offord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what checks his Department undertakes to ensure that EU Missions are compliant with all European labour laws and that such missions have proper grievance procedures in place for complaints by staff seconded by the UK and other EU member states.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Foreign and Commonwealth (FCO) supports outward secondments that develop the skills and experience of our staff. Our staff are encouraged to take up opportunities where the work is in line with the FCO’s strategic priorities.

    The terms and conditions of employees working for international organisations are set by the organisation they work for during the secondment. The host organisation also takes responsibility for ensuring the duty of care to our secondees is properly discharged and that their working conditions are satisfactory. This would include having proper grievance procedures in place. The FCO takes this into account when agreeing to a secondment, and individual volunteers are expected to satisfy themselves that they are aware of any differences between the two organisations terms and conditions before agreeing any contract. Secondees remain our employees during their secondments and continue to enjoy the protection of their employment rights with the FCO.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-06-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions he has had with the Royal College of Nursing on the effect of boredom on obesity.

    Jane Ellison

    My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health has not had any such discussions.

  • Keir Starmer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Keir Starmer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keir Starmer on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 5 July 2016 to Question 41593, for what reason HS2 Ltd is supporting a two rather than three railhead option at Euston for the transportation of excavated and construction materials.

    Andrew Jones

    The decision to pursue a two railhead solution was based on a detailed consideration of the environmental, socio-economic and value for money benefits of that option as compared to the value for money disbenefits of the option that included a third railhead. HS2 will, however, continue to seek ways to mitigate the construction programme impacts and to respond to feedback, which will include exploring, during the detailed design phase, additional and/or alternative opportunities to move material by rail including, but not limited to, the third railhead option.

  • Owen Thompson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Owen Thompson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Thompson on 2016-10-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if he will devolve control over immigration to the Scottish Government as part of his negotiations on the UK leaving the EU.

    Mr David Jones

    Immigration is a reserved matter. However, we are working closely with the Scottish Government and we will get the best possible deal for all parts of the United Kingdom as we leave the EU. We will give the Scottish Government every opportunity to have their say as we develop the negotiating strategy.

  • Steve Reed – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Steve Reed – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2015-11-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much his Department provided to Croydon Council in Homeless Prevention Grant in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14, (c) 2014-15 and (d) 2015-16.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    We have made available over £500 million to local authorities and the voluntary sector to tackle homelessness. Since 2010, this has helped local authorities to prevent 935,800 households from becoming homeless.

    Croydon Council received Homelessness Prevention Grant of £1,125,000 in 2012-13. From 2013-14 support for preventing homelessness has been included in the annual Local Government Finance Settlement, split between Revenue Support Grant and estimated retained business rates.

    In the following years Croydon Council’s level of notional grant was as follows: £945,000 in 2013-14, £931,000 in 2014-15 and £930,000 in 2015-16.

    Revenue Support Grant and retained business rates are not ring-fenced it is up to individual authorities to decide how grant funding should be spent in order to deliver local services.

  • Henry Bellingham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Henry Bellingham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Henry Bellingham on 2015-12-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to amend the annual limit set on nurse educational places; and if he will make a statement.

    Ben Gummer

    From 2017 we are removing the limit on the number of students that can study nursing. This reform is expected to enable universities to provide up to 10,000 additional nursing and other health professional training places over this Parliament. This will open up opportunities for applicants which universities have previously been forced to turn down.