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  • Michael Meacher – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Michael Meacher – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Meacher on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many benefit claimants were sanctioned in each month since August 2013; and how many such claimants continued to sign on during the period for which they were sanctioned.

    Esther McVey

    We have interpreted the question to be for the number of Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) claimants who were sanctioned and this information is published and can be found at:

    https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/

    Guidance for users is available at:

    https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Stat-Xplore_User_Guide.htm

    The information requested on how many JSA claimants continued to sign on during the period for which they were sanctioned is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

    “

  • Stephen Doughty – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Stephen Doughty – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on how many times the offence of possession of mobile telephones within a prison has been proceeded upon; and how many days were added to the offender’s sentence in each case.

    Jeremy Wright

    The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) takes the issue of mobile phones in prisons very seriously and is committed to addressing the risks they present to both the security of prisons and the safety of the public.

    NOMS has implemented a multi-layered approach: to minimise the number of mobile phones entering prisons, to find phones that do get in and to disrupt mobile phones that cannot be found. A range of technology has been rolled out to prisons to strengthen searching and security, including portable mobile phone signal detectors, Body Orifice Security Scanners (BOSS chairs), high sensitivity metal detecting wands and short range portable mobile phone blockers.

    The adjudication process exists to allow prison governors to deal with breaches of prison discipline, including possession of unauthorised items such as mobile telephones.

    From centrally held data, it is not possible to identify those offenders who breached prison discipline by possessing a mobile phone, were proceeded against and given the punishment of additional days. The prison adjudication offence details held centrally are not of sufficient detail to identify the specific breach item – mobile phone possession offences are grouped with other prohibited items.

    Determining if the requested information is held would require a manual search through all individual prison records where a breach of prison discipline led to adjudication in respect of possession of a prohibited item to see if any information is recorded on the type of item. Inspecting each record to ascertain if there was an adjudication for possession of a mobile phone and how many additional days were given as a punishment could only be done at disproportionate cost.

  • Dr Matthew Offord – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Dr Matthew Offord – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dr Matthew Offord on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the number of applicants who seek a national insurance number and claim welfare benefits within six months of receipt.

    Esther McVey

    The information requested is available up to December 2013 and can be found at:

    https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk

    Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:

    https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Stat-Xplore_User_Guide.htm

    “

  • Dr Matthew Offord – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Dr Matthew Offord – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dr Matthew Offord on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the annual cost is of the asylum and immigration hotline open to hon. Members.

    James Brokenshire

    I wrote to the Hon. Member. on 12 May. A copy of the letter was also placed in
    the House Library.

    The MPs’ hotline is a dedicated resource, for Members, based in Croydon and
    answers queries on Members’ constituents’ immigration queries. The staffing
    costs of the MPs’ hotline for 2013 were £180,240.

  • Tessa Munt – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tessa Munt – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tessa Munt on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when NHS England began its review into the future of stereotactic radiosurgery; and when its plans to complete the review.

    Jane Ellison

    All existing contracts for stereotactic radiotherapy services were transferred to NHS England on 1 April 2013 and it continues to commission against these contracts, as previously.

    NHS England commenced the review of stereotactic radiosurgery in August 2013 and expects a final report to be considered at its specialised commissioning oversight group, post a public consultation period, in October 2014.

    NHS England will consult with the public, patients and professionals and take account of those views when taking a final decision. A summary of the responses received will be included when publishing the final report post the consultation period.

  • Tessa Munt – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tessa Munt – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tessa Munt on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will publish (a) a list of all stakeholders who have so far been consulted by NHS England as part of its review into stereotactic radiosurgery and (b) the responses from those stakeholders.

    Jane Ellison

    All existing contracts for stereotactic radiotherapy services were transferred to NHS England on 1 April 2013 and it continues to commission against these contracts, as previously.

    NHS England commenced the review of stereotactic radiosurgery in August 2013 and expects a final report to be considered at its specialised commissioning oversight group, post a public consultation period, in October 2014.

    NHS England will consult with the public, patients and professionals and take account of those views when taking a final decision. A summary of the responses received will be included when publishing the final report post the consultation period.

  • Tessa Munt – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tessa Munt – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tessa Munt on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to section 2 of the guidance issued by Monitor on the Commissioning of Radiosurgery Services on 4 April 2014, if he will request that NHS England reinstates the commissioning of stereotactic radiotherapy to the level before 1 April 2013 while it conducts its review into the future use of this treatment.

    Jane Ellison

    All existing contracts for stereotactic radiotherapy services were transferred to NHS England on 1 April 2013 and it continues to commission against these contracts, as previously.

    NHS England commenced the review of stereotactic radiosurgery in August 2013 and expects a final report to be considered at its specialised commissioning oversight group, post a public consultation period, in October 2014.

    NHS England will consult with the public, patients and professionals and take account of those views when taking a final decision. A summary of the responses received will be included when publishing the final report post the consultation period.

  • Harriet Harman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Harriet Harman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Harriet Harman on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to (a) the UN and (b) any UN agency on the abduction of schoolgirls from Chibok in north-eastern Nigeria on 14 April 2014.

    Mark Simmonds

    Since the abduction of the Nigerian school girls on 14 April, we have focused our efforts on working with the Nigerian government to locate and secure the release of the girls. We have discussed the issue with officials from counterpart members of the UN Security Council in New York. On 7 May, I spoke with UN Special Representatives (SR), Zainab Bangura (UN SR for Sexual Violence) and Leila Zeroughi (UN SR for Children and Armed Conflict), to discuss what more the UN can do to help.

  • Harriet Harman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Harriet Harman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Harriet Harman on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with UN Women about the abduction of schoolgirls from Chibok in north-eastern Nigeria on 14 April 2014; and if he will make a statement.

    Mark Simmonds

    Since the abduction of the Nigerian school girls on 14 April, we have focused our efforts on working with the Nigerian Government to locate and secure the release of the girls. We have made no representations to UN Women about the case. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) made a statement condemning the schoolgirls abduction on 16 April.

  • Harriet Harman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Harriet Harman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Harriet Harman on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of pupils aged (a) seven, (b) 11, (c) 16 and (d) 18 or 19 years have received the minimum level of cultural education proposed in Appendix A of Cultural Education: a summary of programmes and opportunities, published in July 2013; and if he will make a statement.

    Elizabeth Truss

    The Department for Education does not collect data on the number or proportion of schools in England providing the minimum level of cultural education proposed in Appendix A of Cultural Education: a summary of programmes and opportunities. Nor does the Department collect data on what proportion of pupils, of any age, have received the minimum level of cultural education it proposes.

    The levels of cultural education the Appendix proposes are not mandatory, but are included as a point of reference for schools.