The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jessica Morden on 2014-06-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of fast-track passport applications made in the last six months have been processed within seven days.
James Brokenshire
The table below gives the proportion of fast-track passport applications that
were processed within seven days.
December 2013: 99.97%
January 2014 99.99%
February 2014 99.97%
March 2014 99.95%
April 2014 99.99%
May 2014 99.96%
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jessica Morden on 2014-06-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what revenue has been received by the Passport Office for (a) standard passport applications, (b) fast-track applications and (c) premium service applications in (i) 1 January 2012 to 31 May 2012, (ii) 1 January 2013 to 31 May 2013 and (iii) 1 January 2014 to 31 May 2014.
James Brokenshire
The table below sets out the requested information:
£m Standard Fast-track Premium
1Jan – 31 May 2012 173.9 7.4 14.9
1Jan – 31 May 2013 170.9 9.9 17.2
1 Jan –31 May 2014 202.3 12.4 13.8
Figures are based on cashiered income, without any accounting adjustments.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame M. Morris on 2014-06-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 11 November 2013, Official Report, columns 419-20W, on animals: experiments, when the Animals in Science Committee will publish its review of the Home Office inspectorate’s report and Imperial College’s independent report on the investigation into animal experiments at Imperial College, London; and when this report will be placed in the Library.
Norman Baker
A draft of the report will be presented to the Animals in Science Committee for discussion and agreement on 23 June 2014. Subject to any amendments that the Committee may require, it is expected that the report will be published shortly thereafter.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2014-06-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the prevalence and effect of the sale of so-called legal highs (a) online and (b) in shops.
Norman Baker
The Government monitors the prevalence of use of particular new psychoactive substances through the Crime Survey for England and Wales. The latest results of the crime
survey can be found here:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/crime-stats/crime-statistics/period-ending-decembe
r-2013/stb-crime-stats-dec-2013.html
New questions have been included in the 2014/15 Crime Survey, to capture the use of a wider range of new psychoactive substances than was previously the case.
The Home Office is currently undertaking a six month review led by an expert panel to look at how the UK’s legislative, educational and health response to new psychoactive substances can be enhanced. It is anticipated that the panel will report their recommendations to Home Office Ministers before summer recess.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tracey Crouch on 2014-06-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) dogs, (b) cats and (c) horses were released from laboratories, returned and re-homed under the European Directive 2010/63/EU in the UK in each of the last three years; and if she will make a statement on its success.
Norman Baker
The Home Office does not hold records of animals released from laboratories, returned and re-homed, under the European Directive 2010/63/EU, on its files.
Records are kept locally at the licensed establishment to be made available to Home Office Inspectors on request.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Seabeck on 2014-06-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many parliamentary questions tabled to her Department in the last parliamentary Session did not receive a substantive answer by the time of the 2014 prorogation; and when each such question was first tabled.
Karen Bradley
Seven questions did not receive a substantive reply by the time of prorogation 2014.
The tabling date for these questions, are listed below:
09 April – 2014
08 May – 2014
26 March – 2014
24 March – 2014
02 May – 2014
02 May – 2014
09 May – 2014
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tracey Crouch on 2014-06-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential benefit of introducing a compulsory retirement programme for animals used in laboratories and scientific experiments; and if she will make a statement.
Norman Baker
European Directive 2010/63/EU which was implemented in the UK and other Member States on 1 January 2013 provides Member States with discretion to allow re-homing schemes. It also requires that where Member States have allowed re-homing, they will also ensure that a re-homing scheme is in place that ensures the socialisation of the animal.
The Directive permits Member States to go beyond the requirements of the Directive, on the basis of animal welfare, only where the provisions were already in place in November 2010. The Directive does not provide legal grounds on which the UK can impose such a mandatory obligation of re-homing as part of licensing.
The UK legislation allows re-homing. The requirements are provided for in licence conditions and by virtue of section 17A of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
On our acceptance of certain reassurances, relating to section 17A of the 1986 Act, authority may be given to re-home animals being held at an establishment. This applies to those animals that were bred or held for supply for use in regulated procedures, were intended for use in regulated procedures, or have been used in regulated procedures and are being kept alive under the care of the Named Veterinary Surgeon. This authority would relate to individually identified animals and records would be held at the establishment to confirm that such animals had been re-homed.
Consideration is normally given to the release of animals from the controls of the Act if there is no scientific requirement for them to be humanely killed at the end of the procedures. Some animals are not released if veterinary advice indicates that they may not remain in good health, or that their temperament would not be suited to such an environment.
Comprehensive guidance on setting free and re-homing is given in section 5.21 in the Guidance on the Operation of the 1986 Act. The Home Office intends to provide further advice about the re-homing of laboratory animals from licensed establishments where there are provisions in the legislation. Animals which have been born into, and lived all their lives under, laboratory conditions may not be able to adapt to a different lifestyle and may be very distressed by such change. There must be provision for careful individual assessment as well as a structured socialisation programme to ensure that re-homing is in the best interests of the individual animal.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2014-06-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 8 May 2014, Official Report, column 288W, on Parkinson’s Disease, over what timeframe NHS England will improve its collection of data concerning individual funding requests for treatments of progressive conditions.
Norman Lamb
NHS England has advised us that it is aiming to complete work on improving data collection for individual funding requests in the autumn.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Zac Goldsmith on 2014-06-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of reports that scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have created a life-threatening virus that closely resembles the 1918 Spanish flu strain; whether he has made an assessment of the potential threat to the UK population arising from that experiment; and whether the Government has made any representations to the US administration on this matter.
Jane Ellison
Public Health England (PHE) was advised that the work undertaken at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has been reviewed by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health, in keeping with the institute’s implementation of the United States Government Policy for Oversight of Life Sciences Dual Use Research of Concern.
As part of this, PHE understand that the research was carried out in secure facilities with high levels of containment. A key finding of the research was that people vaccinated with the current seasonal influenza vaccine (which protects against 2009 H1N1 influenza, a related virus) had some evidence of protection against the novel virus that had been created. In addition, the team showed that the novel transmissible virus is expected to be sensitive to the antiviral medication oseltamivir. Effective counter measures to this novel virus are therefore available.
This research provides information on the mechanisms responsible for adaptation of avian influenza viruses to mammals. Knowing what genes are associated with a potentially severe pandemic strain can help predict the likelihood of a strain emerging and help devise appropriate counter measures.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tracey Crouch on 2014-06-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with (a) NHS England and (b) Public Health England on improving treatment for gambling addicts.
Norman Lamb
The Department does not hold information on what specific training is provided to alcohol and drug treatment staff. Ensuring competent staff is the responsibility of local commissioners and providers.
Public Health England (PHE) is working with the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the national gambling treatment service to identify how it can strengthen training, and are promoting the work of the Royal College of General Practitioners who have developed an online gambling diagnosis and treatment training resource that is available free to all health professionals.
PHE promotes the Royal College of General Practitioners’ online training resource among all health professionals. PHE has developed guidance for local authorities on gambling and is exploring what the local needs are and where evidence allows it to intervene. However, PHE does not wish to undermine the treatment available through the national provider GamCare until evidence emerges that this is not meeting current need.
My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State has regular discussions with PHE and NHS England on a range of health issues. PHE is also working with NHS England and the Local Government Association to explore what the current need is locally so it can get a better picture; and decide whether PHE needs to act through prevention and restrictions on gambling shops; or through changes to the current GamCare treatment network.