Category: Speeches

  • Angela Crawley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Angela Crawley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Crawley on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans the Government has to seek legislative consent from the Scottish Parliament for the proposed repeal of the Human Rights Act 1998.

    Dominic Raab

    This Government was elected with a clear mandate to replace the Human Rights Act with a Bill of Rights. We will bring forward proposals for consultation in due course, and will fully engage with the Devolved Administrations.

    It would be premature to comment on the application of the Sewell Convention until the package of legislation is settled.

  • Valerie Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Valerie Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Valerie Vaz on 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people under the age of 18 have epilepsy.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department does not collect this information centrally. The Joint Epilepsy Council in Epilepsy prevalence, incidence and other statistics, (December 2011) estimated that around one in 220 (0.5%) children under the age of 18 have epilepsy in the United Kingdom.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-03-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what public information leaflets and literature have been published by (a) his Department and (b) NHS England on mental health.

    Alistair Burt

    The Department has published a number of information leaflets and other literature, as have NHS England. These documents are available on the Government and NHS England websites:

    https://www.gov.uk/search?q=mental+health

    and

    https://www.england.nhs.uk/?s=mental+health

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of officials of her Department resigned in each of the last six years.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The number of leavers in each financial year from 2011/12 is show in the following table. Leavers data for the full year 2010/11 is not available as data prior to 1 November 2010 is not held on the current HR database.

    All figures include Core DECC and the Oil and Gas Authority Agency. Headcount figures include Permanent staff, Fixed Term and Short Term appointments.

    Year

    No of Leavers

    % of Headcount

    2011/12

    42

    3%

    2012/13

    41

    3%

    2013/14

    63

    4%

    2014/15

    90

    5%

    2015/16

    57

    3.3%

  • Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress has been made in updating tax treaties between the UK and (a) Malawi, (b) Lesotho and (c) Ghana.

    Mr David Gauke

    The UK is not currently involved in active treaty discussions with Tanzania.

    Discussions with Malawi over a new tax treaty began some years ago, and substantive agreement has been reached at official level. The Government of Malawi have stated that they hope to be in a position to sign the new treaty in the near future.

    The UK has negotiated a treaty with Lesotho and are currently seeking to arrange signature.

    The UK is currently involved in negotiations with Ghana in agreeing a new tax treaty.

    Nepal has approached the UK to begin negotiation of a tax treaty. We are seeking suitable dates for discussions.

  • Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2016-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department has had in recent months with (a) Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and (b) Nottingham University Hospitals Trust on potential financial support from his Department to cover the costs of Sherwood Forest’s PFI arrangements.

    George Freeman

    The Department has not received an application for Private Finance Iinitiative financial support associated with the proposed Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust long term partnership.

    The Department has taken part in a brief initial discussion with Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust’s advisors and NHS Improvement in relation to the process, timescales and other relevant issues associated with the long term partnership. However financial plans for the long term partnership have not yet been put forward to the Department to enable formal financial discussions.

  • Stephen Hammond – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Stephen Hammond – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Hammond on 2016-09-13.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to extend the Help to Buy Mortgage Guarantee scheme beyond 31 December 2016.

    Simon Kirby

    The Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee scheme is due to close to new loans at the end of year as planned.

  • 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 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make Translarna available on the NHS to treat Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

    George Freeman

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is evaluating Translarna (ataluren) for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy through its highly specialised technology programme. NICE currently expects to publish its final guidance in February 2016.

    The National Health Service in England is legally required to fund drugs and treatments recommended in NICE highly specialised technology guidance within three months of its final guidance being issued. In the absence of guidance from NICE, it is for commissioners to make decisions on whether to fund medicines based on an assessment of the available evidence.

  • Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to collect information centrally on the proportion of people who received consultant-led mental health treatment within 18 weeks of referral.

    Alistair Burt

    We are implementing the first access and waiting times standards for mental health to ensure that 75% of people referred to the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme will be treated within six weeks of referral, and 95% will be treated within 18 weeks of referral and that 50% of people experiencing a first episode of psychosis will be treated with a National Institute for Health and Care Excellence approved care package within two weeks of referral.

    NHS England already collects data on waiting times for people referred to IAPT services.

    We are working with the Health and Social Care Information Centre and NHS England to make changes to the Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Dataset to start collecting data for the first time to measure, in a consistent way, access and waiting times for people referred to other mental health services. We will start collecting data first on access and waiting times for people referred for treatment following a first episode of psychosis in early 2016 and intend expanding this to other areas of mental health later.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-01-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 17 November 2015 (HL3303), whether Monitor has decided on (1) the terms of reference of the independent review into the actions of the South East Coast Ambulance Trust in delaying responses to patients with life-threatening conditions who contacted the 111 service, and (2) whether that review will be made public.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    We are advised by Monitor that it is currently agreeing the terms of reference of the review with South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust. The review will look at the impact of the 111 project on patients, covering both benefit and harm.

    We are also informed by Monitor that the exact format of the review and what information will be made public are still to be determined. Monitor has made clear that the review should identify lessons and best practice which can be shared across the ambulance sector.

    We are advised that it is expected that the findings of the review will be available before the summer.