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  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-04-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what mechanisms are in place to allow families of patients in care homes to report concerns about standards of care.

    Norman Lamb

    Regulation 19 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010 requires all care providers registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to “have an effective system in place for identifying, receiving, handling and responding appropriately to complaints and comments made by service users, or persons acting on their behalf”.

    Where a person’s care is provided or arranged by their local authority, complaints and concerns should be directed initially to the local authority, which remains responsible for the quality of care. If a person has arranged their own care, they should pursue the matter directly with the provider in the first instance.

    In both cases, should complainants not be satisfied with the response, they are entitled to ask the Local Government Ombudsman to investigate.

    People may also raise concerns with the CQC, as regulator of health and adult social care services. Under the 2008 Act, the CQC does not have the responsibility for investigating specific complaints about social care providers. However, where there are concerns about a provider which is registered with the CQC, such concerns should be brought to its attention. The CQC will use this information, together with local information from partners and the public, to help it decide when, where and what to inspect.

    The CQC is currently introducing a new system of inspection of social care providers. This new system of inspection will be structured around five key questions that matter most to people – are the services safe, caring, effective, well-led, and responsive to people’s needs. The new inspections will make more use of people’s views and will use expert inspection teams involving people who have personal experience of care. The CQC has been piloting this new approach in 252 of social care providers since April 2014.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-04-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his policy is on the use of CCTV in care homes.

    Norman Lamb

    The Department currently has no plans to require the installation of CCTV in care homes. However, we do have to recognise that recent cases of abuse and neglect have been exposed as the result of hidden cameras. We acknowledge that there are occasions when it may be appropriate for their use to be considered.

    The Care Quality Commission is exploring whether hidden cameras might be used as part of its investigations. It is consulting widely on the use of covert surveillance and will take account of a wide range of views before making its decision.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-04-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what mechanisms his Department has in place to monitor standards in care homes for the elderly.

    Norman Lamb

    The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England. Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the 2008 Act) all providers of regulated activities, including National Health Service and independent providers, have to register with the CQC and meet a set of requirements of safety and quality.

    The CQC is currently introducing a new system of inspection of social care providers. This new system of inspection will be structured around five key questions that matter most to people – are the services safe, caring, effective, well-led and responsive to people’s needs. The new inspections will make more use of people’s views and will use expert inspection teams involving people who have personal experience of care. The CQC has been piloting this new approach in 252 of social care providers since April 2014.

    The Department is also working with the CQC to develop fundamental standards, which will set out the line below which care should never fall – they will be requirements that all providers of health and social care registered with the CQC must meet. The CQC will be able to take action including prosecution where providers are not meeting these standards. These fundamental standards will apply to all registered providers across health and adult social care.

  • Steve Baker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Steve Baker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Baker on 2014-04-30.

    To ask the Attorney General, what discussions he has had with the Crown Prosecution Service about the pre-signing of abortion forms.

    Mr Dominic Grieve

    I have had no recent specific discussions with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) about the pre-signing of abortion forms. I am aware, though, that the CPS has had discussions with the Department of Health on this and I await the outcome of these.

  • Steve Baker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Steve Baker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Baker on 2014-04-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effects of regulatory changes allowing registered medical practitioners to form an opinion about the mental or physical health of a female patient without meeting or examining her; and if he will make a statement.

    Jane Ellison

    The approach to abortion in the United Kingdom is set out in the Abortion Act 1967 and this remains unchanged. The Act sets out that two doctors must certify that in their opinion, which must be formed in good faith, a request for an abortion meets at least one (and the same) of the grounds set out in the Act.

  • Steve Baker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Steve Baker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Baker on 2014-04-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that the cases of the 67 doctors who were found to have pre-signed abortion referral forms following investigations by the Care Quality Commission in 2012 are referred to the police.

    Jane Ellison

    Allegations referred to the Department were passed on to the relevant police forces for them to investigate. Other allegations of pre-signing were investigated by the General Medical Council. Decisions about whether to prosecute rest with the Crown Prosecution Service.

  • Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-04-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2014, Official Report, column 37W, on rural areas: broadband, what the latest figures are for how much funding is for projects (a) granted, (b) under pre-contract approval and (c) still under consideration for funding.

    Dan Rogerson

    The current breakdown of funding to date that has arisen from the Rural Community Broadband Fund is as follows:

    a) Projects granted (contracted and in delivery) total: £0.459 million;

    b) Projects with pre-contract approval total: £0.634 million; and

    c) Projects under consideration total: £14.0 million.

    Until contracted, all costs are estimated and subject to revision.

  • Mary Creagh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Mary Creagh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Creagh on 2014-04-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the document Annual Bus Statistics: Revenue, Costs and Government Support Great Britain 2012-13 will be published.

    Stephen Hammond

    The statistics on bus revenue, costs and government support were updated in March 2014 and can be found on the Department’s website at

    https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/bus-statistics

    in the statistical datasets section.

    “

  • Sadiq Khan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Sadiq Khan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2014-04-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) assaults and (b) serious assaults on staff per 1,000 prisoners there were in each prison in each of the last four years.

    Jeremy Wright

    The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) does not tolerate violence of any kind in prisons and any instance is taken very seriously.

    NOMS is committed to exploring options to continue to improve how violence is tackled in prisons to keep both staff and prisoners safe. It is currently reviewing the policy and practice of the management of violence.

    Over the last 5 years the rate of assaults has fallen by 13%.

    Risk of assault is distributed unevenly around the prison estate. Gender, age and other factors such as the size and composition of the prison population, can affect the number assault incidents that occur in a particular establishment. Therefore, careful interpretation is needed of the incident and rates tables at a prison level.

    The number of (a) assaults on staff per 1,000 prisoners in each prison has been placed in the library.

    Due to the low number of serious assaults on prison staff at prison level, the information requested on rates (b) cannot be provided in order to protect the confidentiality of those staff involved.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Sadiq Khan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2014-04-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, at how many tribunal hearings on appeals over benefit claims in each of the last four years the relevant Department failed to send a presenting officer; and how many such hearings were lost by the Government.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The First-tier Tribunal – Social Security and Child Support (SSCS), administered by HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS), hears appeals against Department for Work & Pensions’ (DWP) and HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) decisions on a range of benefits. It also hears appeals against Local Authorities on Housing Benefit decisions.

    The table below shows the data requested for each year from 1 April 2010 until December 2013 (the latest period for data is available).

    It is a matter for the relevant Department or Local Authority as to whether they send a presenting Officer to an appeal unless directed to do so by the Tribunal. Departments and Local Authorities will consider each appeal on a case by case basis.