Category: Uncategorized

  • Lord Berkeley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Berkeley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2014-06-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government why HS2 Ltd, in acknowledging petitions deposited against the High Speed Rail (London–West Midlands) Bill, requires petitioners to set up an account with a secure email service (the switch data encryption system) in order to receive electronically their Petition Response Document from the Bill’s promoter, the Secretary of State for Transport.

    Baroness Kramer

    Petitioners are not required to set up a new email account to receive their Petition Response Document (PRD) electronically. Ensuring that petitioners receive their PRD in a timely manner is an important part of the petitioning process. The use of the Egress email system ensures that the file size limits imposed by email service providers do not prevent petitioners receiving their PRD. It also avoids the delays and inconvenience that can arise if documents are posted in hard copy, and are delayed or delivery is attempted when the petitioner is not at home. These are issues that people have complained about before, so HS2 Ltd has listened and deployed a better solution. In addition, at the request of the Select Committee, petitioners will be offered alternative means of receiving their PRD other than Egress.

  • Lord Moonie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Moonie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Moonie on 2014-06-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many employees of Royal Bank of Scotland earning in excess of £1 million per annum left the group within one year of the Government acquiring a shareholding.

    Lord Deighton

    RBS is a commercial company in which the Government is a shareholder and it is run on a fully commercial basis. RBS retains its own independent board and management team, with responsibility for determining its own strategies and commercial policies. As such, HM Treasury does not hold the requested information relating to staff turnover at the RBS Group.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what his policy is on the redevelopment of Prestatyn Magistrates’ Court.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    HM Courts & Tribunals Service continues to keep the use of its estate under review to ensure it meets operational requirements.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Greg Mulholland – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2014-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what training immigration officials receive in relation to handling extremely sensitive and emotional situations; and if she will make a statement.

    Karen Bradley

    Dealing with sensitive and emotional situations is part of the training provided to all staff in Border Force, Immigration Enforcement and UK Visas and Immigration and includes keeping children safe, human trafficking and diversity and equality. Depending on their role, immigration officials also receive further training on duty of care; interviewing vulnerable people; handling sensitive gender and sexual orientation claims and issues faced by victims of human trafficking. The training highlights warning signs to look for when dealing with vulnerable people and how to refer them to other statutory agencies that have protection or welfare roles.

    There are assurance processes in place to make sure that required standards are continuing to be met. This includes the independent observation and assessment
    of operational activity on a regular basis to ensure that officers are carrying out their duties appropriately and that staff handle situations sensitively and
    proportionately.

  • Robert Flello – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Robert Flello – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2014-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his Colombian counterpart about reports that agents acting on behalf of the Colombian government are bringing trumped-up charges against leading members of the Patriotic March movement.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    My Department has not received any evidence regarding alleged trumped-up charges by agents acting on behalf of the Colombian Government against leading members of the Patriotic March movement.

  • Tom Greatrex – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Tom Greatrex – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Greatrex on 2014-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, with reference to his Statement of 10 April 2014, Official Report, columns 24-25WS, on UK Coal Production Ltd, when the £10 million interest bearing loan to UK Coal will be complete.

    Michael Fallon

    I refer the hon. Member to the Written Statement I made today (“Update concerning UK Coal”) as Minister of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.

    As stated, I will continue to keep the House updated.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Gareth Thomas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2014-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the cost of treating European Economic Area nationals who received NHS treatment in each region of the UK in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13 and (d) 2013-14; and if he will make a statement.

    Jane Ellison

    The following information is not held by the Department:

    – income health trusts in each region or nation of the United Kingdom received for the cost of treating European Economic Area (EEA) nationals;

    – income each NHS trust in each region of England claimed back for the cost of treating EEA nationals;

    – the number of EEA nationals who received NHS treatment;

    – the cost of treating EEA nationals who received NHS treatment in each region of the UK.

    Claims to and from EEA countries are managed centrally by the Department on behalf of the whole of the UK. Income claimed from EEA countries is based on both data collected from trusts and arrangements in place with other EEA countries under bilateral agreements.

    The Department does hold information on claims to the UK from other EEA countries for healthcare costs. However, claims to the UK from other EEA countries are not based on nationality – they are based on whether the UK is judged to be responsible for someone’s healthcare costs, for example due to residency in the UK or, for state pensioners, someone with a UK state pension who has retired to a different EEA country. It is therefore not possible to provide a breakdown of costs based on UK nationality.

  • 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 2014-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make it her policy to support the adoption of a target to ensure universal access to adequate and affordable housing and basic services for all, and eliminate slum-like conditions everywhere by 2030 in the Open Working Group negotiations on the Sustainable Development Goals.

    Justine Greening

    The UK supports the proposed language of the most recent draft goals and targets list released by the co-chairs of the Open Working Group (OWG) on 2 June, “to ensure universal access to adequate and affordable housing and basic services for all, and eliminate slum-like conditions everywhere”, by 2030.

    The final goals and 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.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Sheridan on 2014-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will request UK-based companies to make publicly available impact studies on how their sourcing practices affect small-scale farmers in developing countries.

    Lynne Featherstone

    The UK Companies Act 2006 includes reporting requirements for UK-domiciled businesses to report on the social and environmental impacts of their investments. DFID does not lead on UK company reporting, but we are working closely with other Government Departments, including the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to support improved transparency and accountability of UK businesses, in particular where they impact on development.

  • Luciana Berger – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2014-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department plans to include a specific hepatitis C indicator in the Public Health Outcomes Framework.

    Jane Ellison

    The Public Health Outcomes Framework for 2013-16 (PHOF) already includes an indicator on under 75 mortality rate from liver disease (PHOF indicator 4.6), which is shared with the NHSOF (indicator 1.3) and an indicator on mortality from communicable diseases (Indicator 4.8). Both of these indicators cover hepatitis C.

    In support of these indicators, Public Health England is working to reverse the current trend in hepatitis C, so that the rates of death and disability are reduced, including working with local authorities and the NHS in those areas with high levels of hepatitis C to put effective strategies in place.

    The Department is not planning to add new indicators to the PHOF until April 2016 to provide local authorities with stability in planning and commissioning public health interventions. The Department is planning to begin a review of the current PHOF in 2015.