Blog

  • David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many of gigawatts of diesel generating capacity the National Grid has on standby for demand spikes; whether her Department is planning for more diesel generation to be so available; and if she will make a statement.

    Andrea Leadsom

    National Grid currently has approximately 0.6GW of diesel generation contracted in Short Term Operating Reserve – STOR – the key balancing service used to manage fluctuations in demand.

    STOR is procured by National Grid and Government is not involved in this process. However, Government is aware of concerns regarding the growth of diesel generators, and with this in mind Defra will consult later this year on options which will include legislation that would set binding emission limit values on relevant air pollutants from diesel engines.

  • Emma Reynolds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Emma Reynolds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emma Reynolds on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answers of 14 January 2016 to Questions 21812, 21778, 21813, 21814 and 21816, which organisations his Department has met to discuss whether local authorities are meeting their mandatory requirements for the commissioning of sexual health services.

    Jane Ellison

    Departmental officials have met and discussed this issue with the Local Government Association, the English HIV and Sexual Health Commissioners Group, the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV and the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare.

  • Emma Reynolds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Emma Reynolds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emma Reynolds on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2016 to Questions 23930, how many responses Public Health England has received to the review of sexual health, reproductive health and HIV commissioning services since the 8 February 2016 closing date; for what reasons his Department’s consultation on sexual health, reproductive health and HIV commissioning services lasted for 3 weeks; and whether any assessment has been made of the effect of the length of the consultation period on the responses received to that review.

    Jane Ellison

    Public Health England (PHE), supported by the Association of Directors of Public Health undertook a review of Sexual Health, Reproductive Health and HIV Commissioning services; the survey was first published on the 19 January 2016 and closed formally on 8 February 2016.

    To date, PHE has received 113 responses to the survey. Two of these responses were received after 8 February closing date.

    This survey does not form part of any formal consultation. The length of the survey period was chosen to fit within the timeframes for analysis and publication for the survey findings.

    Response rates were continually reviewed during the survey period. The deadline was extended and reminders sent in order to increase response rates. The last response was received on 10 February.

    No assessment has been made of the impact of the survey period length but the response rate is considered to be high.

  • Emma Reynolds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Emma Reynolds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emma Reynolds on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 25 January 2016 to Question 23396, for what reasons the Sexual Health Forum was discontinued; and what Public Health England’s future plans are for stakeholder engagement with sexual health organisations.

    Jane Ellison

    The Sexual Health and HIV Forum played a useful role in aiding the transition to new commissioning arrangements and locally based decision making. These changes have taken place, the Forum was not considered to be the best use of resources either for Departmental or stakeholder organisations. Departmental officials continue to meet regularly with a range of stakeholders on a more focussed range of issues. Public Health England is still considering plans for future stakeholder engagement.

  • Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Monaghan on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many applications for consent have required environment impact assessment by the Marine Management Organisation since 2010.

    George Eustice

    The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) database was established in April 2011 and accurate data for marine licence applications determined by the MMO are limited to post 1 April 2011. However, I can confirm that since April 2011:

    • 50 fully determined marine licence applications have required an appropriate assessment;
    • 151 fully determined marine licence applications have required an environmental impact assessment;
    • 44 marine licence applications have been refused; and,
    • 3,849 fully determined marine licence applications have been approved, including 1,848 variations to an existing marine licence.
  • Richard Arkless – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Richard Arkless – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Arkless on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, who will be eligible to vote in the forthcoming EU referendum; and for what reason he plans to exclude European citizens resident in the UK from voting in that referendum.

    Mr David Lidington

    The franchise for the EU referendum was debated and agreed by both Houses during the passing of the EU Referendum Act 2015. This has now received Royal Assent and is set in law.

    The franchise for the EU referendum includes those enfranchised for UK parliamentary elections, with the addition of Members of the House of Lords and Commonwealth and Irish citizens in Gibraltar.

    Amendments during the passage of the EU Referendum Bill, seeking to include EU citizens in the franchise for the EU referendum, were considered and overwhelmingly rejected by both Houses.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much the UK has received in grants and funding from the EU to fund research into cancer under (a) the EU’s 7th framework programme 2007-2013 and (b) the current Horizon 2020 programme.

    Ben Gummer

    The Department does not hold this information.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to page 24 of the Accelerated Access Review, published in October 2015, what steps he is taking to ensure that drugs that target the genetically validated targets (a) PCSK9 and (b) BCL2 are introduced into routine NHS care; and if he will make a statement.

    Ben Gummer

    The Accelerated Access Review, chaired by Sir Hugh Taylor, will make recommendations to government on reforms to accelerate access for National Health Service patients to innovative medicines and medical technologies making our country the best place in the world to design, develop and deploy these products. The terms of the reference for the review focus on faster access to innovations, which may include drugs that target genetically validated targets such as PCSK9 and BCL2.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to page six of NHS England’s document, Delivering the Forward View: NHS planning guidance 2016-17 to 2020-21, if he will place in the Library a list of the planned footprints for the sustainability and transformation plans.

    Ben Gummer

    NHS England will publish the planned footprints for the sustainability and transformation plans later this month.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many UK citizens currently have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC); and how many such people have used their EHIC to obtain state provided healthcare in other EU countries in each of the last five years.

    Ben Gummer

    The United Kingdom EHIC means that people living in the UK are able to travel to the European Economic Area (EEA) safe in the knowledge that they will be able to receive free or reduced cost healthcare should they need it.

    There are currently 27,570,911 cards in circulation, as of January 2016. The number of cards granted since 2006, providing such cover is:

    2014/15 – 5,414,977

    2013/14 – 5,571,060

    2012/13 – 5,240,608

    2011/12 – 6,830,734

    2010/11 – 5,703,895

    2009/10 – 4,162,170

    2008/09 – 4,269,023

    2007/08 – 4,160,935

    2006/07 – 5,163,121

    Source: Business Services Authority

    The Department does not hold information on how many people have used their UK EHIC to obtain state provided healthcare in another EEA country in any 12 month period. This is because data on UK EHIC usage is recorded by individual treatment episode rather than the card holder.