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  • Steve Reed – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Steve Reed – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what progress has been made by the UK Computer Emergency Response Team since its launch on 31 March 2014; and if she will make a statement.

    Mr Francis Maude

    Cyber Security is one of the Government’s top four security priorities. CERT-UK is working closely with partners across industry, government, academia and internationally, to enhance the UK’s ability to prepare for and manage national cyber security incidents. It collaborates with law enforcement colleagues to support campaigns aimed at combating cyber-crime and cyber fraud.

  • Graham Evans – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Graham Evans – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Evans on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will ensure that the regulations governing the new contract for the specialist support providers allow bids to provide ongoing care and support once victims exit the shelter service, at the end of the 45 days period irrespective of whether they have received a Conclusive Grounds decision.

    Karen Bradley

    Once they receive a positive Reasonable Grounds decision, potential victims of
    trafficking are entitled to a minimum of 45 days’ care and support which can
    continue up to the point they receive a positive Conclusive Grounds decision,
    whichever is the later. Article 12 of the European Convention on Action
    against Trafficking in Human Beings requires the UK to provide a minimum of 30
    days’ support for victims of human trafficking. The current UK Government
    policy goes further than the European Convention on Action against Trafficking
    obligations by providing a minimum of 45 days support once a Reasonable Grounds
    decision is made.

    Care and support for victims, once they receive a positive Conclusive Grounds
    decision, is being considered as part of the ongoing review of the National
    Referral Mechanism and as part of the re-tender of the Government’s care
    contract for adult victims of human trafficking.

  • Steve Reed – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Steve Reed – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress has been made by the Cyber Crime Reduction Partnership over the last 12 months; and if she will make a statement.

    Karen Bradley

    The UK Cyber Security Strategy, which includes a commitment to develop a
    partnership group with industry on cyber crime, was published in November
    2011.
    My Rt Hon Friend, the Minister for the Cabinet Office, gave the second annual
    report on progress against objectives set out in the strategy on 12 December
    2013 (Official Report, Columns 43 to 47 WS). The Minister for the Cabinet
    Office also placed before Parliament a list of achievements over the preceding
    year and a document that outlines its future plans. The documents can be found
    at:
    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-cyber-security-strategy-2-ye
    ars-on
    The Partnership, one of a set of engagement points with industry on Cyber
    Security, provides an opportunity to raise awareness of cyber crime amongst
    members, helping them to become more resilient to the threat. To date, it has
    provided a forum for partners to share views on key changes to the law
    enforcement landscape on cyber and contribute to key actions in the Strategy.
    This includes work to coordinate cyber security messages to the private sector.

  • 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 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to recognise child trafficking as a separate offence to adult trafficking.

    Karen Bradley

    The most effective way to protect child victims of trafficking is to have a
    general offence, which applies to both adults and children. The Modern
    Slavery Bill contains a general human trafficking offence, which does not
    require prosecutors to prove the age of the child, as this can lead to practical
    problems during prosecutions. Targeting a child will, however, be an
    aggravating factor for sentencing purposes, and the human trafficking
    offence in the Modern Slavery Bill will carry a maximum sentence of life
    imprisonment.

  • 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 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to establish a statutory system of guardianship to support victims of child trafficking.

    Karen Bradley

    The Modern Slavery Bill, published on 10 June 2014, includes an enabling clause
    which provides a statutory basis for child trafficking advocates and their
    functions including the circumstances and conditions under which a person may
    act as an advocate.

    The clause provides the Secretary of State with a power to make arrangements so
    that specialist child trafficking advocates are available to support and
    represent children who there is reason to believe may be victims of
    trafficking. It also allows for requirements on public authorities to
    co-operate with and provide information to these advocates.

    Trials of the child trafficking advocates scheme will commence in summer 2014.
    The trials will be independently evaluated both at six months and on
    completion. A report on the findings will be laid before Parliament.

  • Steve Reed – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Steve Reed – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions she has had with the Lord Chancellor on the introduction of section 77 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 in relation to data protection offences; and if she will make a statement.

    Simon Hughes

    I am not aware that any discussions have taken place between the Lord Chancellor and the Home Secretary on the introduction of s77 of the Criminal Justice Act 2008 (CJIA). The Ministry of Justice will liaise with all interested Government Departments before deciding whether to consult on introducing section 77 (CJIA) and commencing the enhanced public interest defence under section 78 (CJIA).

  • Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ivan Lewis on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many passport applications have been processed by the passport office in Belfast in each year since 2010.

    James Brokenshire

    The table below shows the number of passports processed by the Passport Office
    in Belfast.

    Year

    Number of passports processed

    2010

    364,688

    2011

    408,628

    2012

    427,422

    2013

    433,530

    2014 (until 31 May)

    294,998

  • Laurence Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Laurence Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Laurence Robertson on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that national guidelines on asthma care are implemented; what data his Department is gathering to improve asthma care; and if he will make a statement.

    Jane Ellison

    NHS England is taking a number of actions to improve the care and management of people with asthma.

    It is supporting clinical commissioning groups to improve out of hospital treatment for those with asthma by giving doctors more control over the commissioning of asthma services and improving information links between general practitioners and hospitals. The implementation of the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) asthma quality standard, which sets out what good quality care looks like, will also raise the standard of care people with asthma receive.

    The National Clinical Director for Respiratory Disease, Professor Mike Morgan, is responsible for working across all five domains of the NHS Outcomes Framework in NHS England in tackling asthma issues, and Dr Jacqueline Cornish, the National Clinical Director for children, young people and transition to adulthood, is working with the Strategic Clinical Networks for maternity, neonates and children and young people, to improve clinical outcomes for children and young people with asthma. NHS England also continues to work with Asthma UK and professional groups in both primary and secondary care to improve outcomes for all those with asthma. It is also working to ensure that everyone with a long-term condition is offered a personalised care plan and an asthma action plan should form part of that.

    In terms of data collection on asthma, the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership is considering with NHS England, a national clinical audit of asthma services across the country against NICE quality standards for asthma.

  • Grahame M. Morris – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Grahame M. Morris – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame M. Morris on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many adults with autism in England receive support having previously been identified by a local authority as being at risk of abuse or neglect.

    Norman Lamb

    This information is not kept centrally.

  • Laurence Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Laurence Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Laurence Robertson on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for appointments at GP surgeries.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    The Government recognises the importance of timely access to general practice. The Prime Minister’s Challenge Fund has allocated £50 million to pilot ways to improve access around the country, to give general practitioners (GPs) the flexibility to meet the needs of the local population. These pilots will benefit more than 7.5 million patients across more than 1,110 practices.

    In addition, changes to the GP contract in April 2014 introduced a new Enhanced Service, which includes a commitment to same day telephone consultations with a professional in the GP surgery, where necessary, for the most at risk in the population.